This is the beginning of a change in what I write about on this blog.  I’ll keep commenting on various things in the data center industry that help you go green.  But, it was becoming clear that there was more I could do.

On March 1, 2010 the University of Missouri signed a Statement of Support for GreenM3, Enginuity, and ARG Investments. The document is here Download University of Missouri Statement of Support.

The following are excerpts of this 6 page document that describe the partnership and the role of GreenM3.

In the early discussions with the University of Missouri, there was a clear role for a NPO, Not For Profit Organization, and one of suggestions that stuck is why don’t turn GreenM3 into a NPO. So, thanks to some volunteers, we are in the process of getting 501(c ) (3) status for GreenM3.

WHEREAS, the Greentech Research Foundation, Inc (GreenM3), Non-Profit Organization (NPO) is established as an independent and objective source that will contribute to the step change advancement of data center and ancillary services operations that strives to provide a platform for stable, secure, efficient and sustainable state-of-the-art operations that can be replicated world-wide, accomplished through public/private investment and;

The partnerships started based on the idea data center innovation requires public private partnerships.

WHEREAS, the disruptive and transformative nature of computer driven communications and commerce is little understood and creates an environment of extreme risk and opportunity, the harnessing, of which, can only be accomplished through applied research from a consortium of successful market operators and research specialists; there is a common need shared within the industry for a clearing-house or central hub of research needed to advance data center operation

To be innovative we needed a different model of operation where ideas could easily develop and can be evaluated.  The Open Source Software model made sense given the data center focus.

Open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials—typically, their source code.^[1] Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology. Before the term open source became widely adopted, developers and producers used a variety of phrases to describe the concept; open source gained hold with the rise of a public, worldwide, computer-network system called the Internet, and the attendant need for massive retooling of the computing source code. Opening the source code enabled a self-enhancing diversity of production models, communication paths, and interactive communities. ^[2] Subsequently, a new, three-word phrase "open source software" was born to describe the environment that the new copyright, licensing, domain, and consumer issues created.

We accept the fact that there are multiple agendas and embrace the idea to drive different designs vs a centralized approach.

The open source model includes the concept of concurrent yet different agendas and differing approaches in production, in contrast with more centralized models of development such as those typically used in commercial software companies. ^[3] A main principle and practice of open sourcesoftware development is peer production by bartering and collaboration, with the end-product (and source-material) available at no cost to the public.

As a demonstration, ARG Investments is a private company ready to implement ideas at the Ewing Industry Park from the GreenM3 team.  Individuals who want to accelerate changes in data center industry are the ideal members, and one of the first industry advisors for GreenM3’s new role is Mike Manos.  Mike and I have had numerous conversations and we can now work together to implement some disruptive data center ideas.  There are about another 5 – 10 individuals lined up going through the various approvals to be an advisor to the NPO, and I’ll blog about each as they can formalize their commitment.

 

Facilitating Data Center Advancement: With not-for-profit partner, GreenM3, a nonprofit organization, the team is dedicated to developing and sharing best practices for total sustainability, to reduce the carbon impact and water use in power generation, building, data center operations, and education. Collaboration with members of the Industry Advisory Council, led by Michael J. Manos of Nokia, will be facilitated by GreenM3 and Enginuity Worldwide LLC, an innovation-based business.

 

One of the main purposes of the GreenM3 blog is to share ideas for a greener data center. With University of Missouri Resources and a data center

Facilitating Data Center Advancement:

With not-for-profit partner, GreenM3, a nonprofit organization, the team is dedicated to developing and sharing best practices for total sustainability, to reduce the carbon impact and water use in power generation, building, data center operations, and education. Collaboration with members of the Industry Advisory Council, led by Michael J. Manos of Nokia, will be facilitated by GreenM3 and Enginuity Worldwide LLC, an innovation-based business.

To test the ideas there is the partnership with Ewing Industrial Park and ARG Investments.

WHEREAS, ARG Investments LLC, a Missouri based company, (ARG) desires to build a technology campus and innovation-led development at Ewing Business Park, Columbia, Missouri as well as foster improvement in the global data center and cloud-computing space through its not-for-profit partner Greentech Research Foundation, Inc (GreenM3), including the following actions and initiatives:

Implementing the Best and Most Compelling Innovation: Data Centers can be at the nexus of cloud computing, mobile devices, and renewable energy with the right team of people. Based on business model frameworks, and by using an operating business park as the vessel for technology implementation, the technology improvements are more likely to uncover step-change advances and facilitate industry adoption.

And what do we get out of University of Missouri?  Executive support from the University.

I. SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT AND CORPORATE OFFICE

University of Missouri will make available the Vice Provost of Economic Development, or his designee, as single point of contact for ARG & GreenM3 through its Office of Economic Development and can provide meeting space for ARG & GreenM3 with on-campus contacts.

II. UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI TEAM

University of Missouri can establish a high-level administrative response team to assure responsiveness and delivery of requested services and programs.

The team can consist of the appropriate administrators or their designees from the list below:

Chancellor

Provost

Vice Provost for Economic Development

Vice Chancellor for Research

Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services

Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies

Vice Provost and Director of Cooperative Extension

Dean from various MU Colleges and Schools

Key Center Directors

Other Administrative or Technical Staff as needed

This team can meet periodically with ARG & GreenM3 administrators to further the success of the relationship and provide a continuous communication network.

Educational resources and centers of innovation are of course included.

This is the beginning of an exciting changes for GreenM3, and part of what this blog will do is share a new way to partner with a data center developer (ARG Investments) and University (Mizzou) to green the data center.