IBM unveils plan to combat data center energy crisis

IBM has announced that it is redirecting $1 billion per year across its businesses, mobilizing the company’s resources to dramatically increase the level of energy efficiency in IT. The plan includes new products and services for IBM and its clients to sharply reduce data center energy consumption, transforming the world’s business and public technology infrastructures into ‘green’ data centers.

The savings are substantial: for an average 25,000 square foot data center, clients should be able to achieve 42 percent energy savings. Based on the energy mix in the US, this savings equates to 7,439 tons of carbon emissions saved per year.

Called ‘Project Big Green,’ IBM’s initiative targets corporate data centers where energy constraints and costs can limit their ability to grow. The initiative includes a new global ‘green team’ of more than 850 energy efficiency architects from across IBM.

“The data center energy crisis is inhibiting our clients’ business growth as they seek to access computing power,” said Mike Daniels, senior vice president, IBM Global Technology Services. “Many data centers have now reached full capacity, limiting a firm’s ability to grow and make necessary capital investments. Today we are providing clients the IBM action plan to make their data centers fully utilized and energy efficient.”

IBM has outlined a five-step approach that is designed to dramatically improve energy efficiency:

1. DIAGNOSE: Evaluate existing facilities; energy assessment, virtual 3-D power management and thermal analytics.
2. BUILD: Plan, build or update to an energy efficient data center;
3. VIRTUALIZE: Virtualize IT infrastructures and special purpose processors;
4. MANAGE: Seize control with power management software;
5. COOL: Exploit liquid cooling solutions - inside and out of the data center.

www.ibm.com/press/greendatacenter

•Date: 11th May 2007 • Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: IT continuity
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