What are the most consuming applications today?

Buy your less consuming applications on the Softcorner marketplace, the number 1 for second-hand perpetual licenses.

Highly CO2 emitting, information and communication technologies (ICT) significantly contribute to global warming. Even though new technologies are presented as the solution to reduce digital pollution of many activities through innovation and the evolution of uses (remote work, digitalization of processes, collaborative work...), the life cycle of IT hardware and software equipment is far from virtuous at present. It includes the manufacturing of terminals, screens, smartphones... (which are major consumers of natural resources), transport and distribution (large GHG emitters), usage (consumer of technological resources and energy), and end of life (with a very insufficient recycling percentage of various IT equipment).

Considering only the impact of production and usage, digital represents between 5 and 7% of global GHG emissions. Internet infrastructures (data centers, networks, and user terminals) account for about 4% of global energy consumption and are expected to double by 2025. In terms of usage, electricity needs are also linked to computer applications hosted by servers and terminals. According to a 2018 WWF study, the environmental impact of the client environment is also significant, with software that demands processors and the management of memory, network, and storage space, knowing that each resource use induces electrical consumption. Depending on the nature of the equipment (user terminal or server), studies have identified the applications that consume the most.

The most consuming applications on mobile devices

The electrical consumption of applications installed on Android or IOS phones has a measurable impact on battery autonomy and their usage duration between charges. According to a study conducted by Greenspector and Atos in 2019, the most data and energy-consuming applications are primarily internet browsers and social networks, with Tik Tok, Twitter, Opera Mini, Firefox, Google leading the list... GPS left active in the background also consumes a lot of energy due to the generated flows and real-time data updates. 

The study by Greenspector and Atos also highlights video conferencing applications (Imo, Skype...) and online messaging applications Messenger (Facebook) or Message (Google) as being highly energy-consuming. Multimedia applications like Office 365 and management and email clients like Microsoft Outlook or Gmail also consume a lot of energy. 

The most consuming applications on desktop computers

The energy consumption of a desktop computer is not the same as that of a mobile terminal, but its usage still has an ecological footprint related to its use and applications. In terms of software, professional social networks, video conferencing tools (Discord, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams), email clients (Microsoft Outlook, Gmail), and office and management multimedia solutions are very energy-hungry.

Presented as a vector for energy savings, SaaS solutions are much less so when considering all the necessary chain links for their proper functioning. Thus, the Office 365 office suite (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook... and online services OneDrive Exchange Online, SharePoint Online...) requires an internet connection to enjoy all its collaborative services. Although it's possible to use Word, Excel... offline, the principle of this SaaS solution is to be connected to the internet to access all services (updates, security, storage, sharing...). This technology involves all levels of the connected digital chain from the client workstation, data and telecom networks, and the data centers that host the servers and data storage bays.

Server and workstation operating systems should also be closely examined since, depending on the version of the environment used, there can be an overconsumption of energy in the opening phases (activation of all processes and functionalities, check of proper functioning with connected peripherals...) and in the operating phases. Studies conducted by GreenIT show, for example, that Windows 10 associated with Office 2019 needs 171 times more resources than the Windows 98 and Office 97 combo.

Solutions to reduce the energy consumption of your digital terminals

Adopting a more eco-responsible strategy based on digital sobriety, by reducing the ecological footprint of the infrastructures deployed in your company and equipping the various terminals with applications that consume less, can contribute to reducing the energy consumption of ICT. As we have seen, connected applications like Office 365 are those that consume the most energy. By opting for second-hand on-premise applications, you maintain control over the energy consumption of your client workstations and limit their consumption to the local use made of them. You also avoid regular updates from publishers that force you to upgrade your infrastructures when they do not provide functional gains in line with your users' needs.

By following the previous example, you will reduce the electrical consumption of digital in your company by purchasing Windows 98 licenses, Office 97 office suite, and any other on-premise production application for your employees. In addition to second-hand licenses that allow you to extend the life of applications, you have other levers to limit the impact of applications that consume, such as generalizing good practices in email management, the volume of saved data...

By connecting to the Softcorner platform, you can find applications that consume less and buy second-hand licenses thanks to intelligent search tools. They will allow you to be both eco-responsible and efficient while participating in a circular economy.