Now, I was at the Imagine Cup that took place in Warsaw this week. I have to say I am knackered.

Earlier, I posted a blog that some of the idea (especially in the embedded sphere) sounded very familiar. I mean, energy management on the level of devices, remote power down etc. etc.

Well, that was just a hunch. Yesterday, I got to talk to one of the team members from the Romanian squad. They had a smart solution that maps all the devices within a home or small office, tracks how much energy they use and is also able to switch them off remotely.

I asked him how they came up with that idea.

"Well", he said. "The idea started when we wanted to develop a tool for small offices and data centers. Then, for the Imagine Cup, we broadened our scope to normal houses. Why not?"

He is absolutely right, and because of that, so was I.

Solutions like this are started at the data center because, frankly, data centers cause urgent problems that need to be solved immediately. Whether it is energy consumption, growing demand for more computing power or the demand for cooling, all need answers fast. And therefore, they are provided.

Problems like this tend to breed solutions. and those solutions can later be applied to less urgent areas. It is the way IT has worked for ages, it is the reason data centers are getting better and better, and it is the reason people actually start to learn something.

So let's keep on solving stuff, the bigger the better. Also, let me take a first step in solving a massive problem. All I need is an axe that can break an aquarium, and a good recipe for Paella with fried Calamari...