---
id: "prereq-cloud-architecture"
type: "prereq"
source_timestamps: ["§ The Incumbent's Energy Playbook", "¶14"]
tags: ["cloud", "infrastructure"]
related: ["action-redesign-compute-location", "concept-shiftable-vs-latency-sensitive"]
reason: "Necessary to understand why moving workloads to different geographic regions (like the Nordics) is a strategic decision that balances latency against energy costs."
sources: ["futures"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-futures"
originDay: 2
articleStem: "hbr-nm-101-energy-strategy-ai"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2026/06/your-company-needs-an-energy-strategy-for-ais-next-phase"
sourceTitle: "Your Company Needs an Energy Strategy for AI’s Next Phase"
---
# Cloud Computing Architecture

## What you need to know
The source assumes the reader understands how cloud providers organize compute into geographic **regions** and how **latency** impacts application performance.

## Why it's required
Necessary to understand why moving workloads to different geographic regions (like the Nordics) is a strategic decision that balances latency against energy costs. Without it, [[action-redesign-compute-location]] and the [[concept-shiftable-vs-latency-sensitive]] distinction don't land.