To critically analyze the real-world implications of cloud policy and corporate sustainability efforts, using a local context to ground the investigation. This lab will challenge you to connect abstract concepts of national security, energy consumption, and environmental responsibility to a concrete, local initiative and a company's strategic decision-making.
This is a conceptual and research-based lab. No cloud accounts or technical tools are required. The assignment is designed to be completed using online resources, including government websites, news archives, and corporate sustainability reports. You will need a web browser and a document editor.
The global scale of the cloud creates a complex regulatory landscape. Governments worldwide are increasingly enacting policies to control how data is stored and processed, driven by concerns over national security, data sovereignty, and citizen privacy.
Choose a country you are interested in researching. This could be a major global economy or a country with unique data regulations.
Using a search engine, or even an LLM, investigate news and government reports related to this country's cloud computing policies over the past two years. Look for topics such as:
Write a short summary (1-2 paragraphs) of your findings. Describe the primary cloud-related policy or trend in that country and explain the geopolitical, economic, or security reasons behind it.
As discussed in Chapter 10, the GreenOps movement extends the principles of financial accountability to environmental sustainability. Companies are now expected to be transparent about their energy and water consumption and to have a plan for reducing their digital carbon footprint.
Select a major technology company (e.g., a hyperscaler, a hardware manufacturer, or a SaaS provider).