A recent survey of global technology leaders has revealed that whilst the issue of global warming is closely monitored, the majority of respondents admitted to an absence of a clearly defined energy strategy to address it.
Undertaken by communications company Hill & Knowlton, and polling partner Penn, Schoen & Berland, the viewpoints of 420 senior business decision makers involved in IT purchases from the US, UK, China and Canada revealed that there is a great deal of uncertainty surrounding who, within the company, should be responsible for an energy strategy.
However, one OEM has announced a US$1 billon war chest to help make data centers more energy efficient.
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.
Today, according to analyst firm IDC, roughly 50 cents is spent on energy for every dollar of computer hardware. This is expected to increase by 54 percent to 71 cents over the next four years.
"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 currently runs the world's largest commercial technology infrastructure, with more than eight million square feet of data centers in six continents. By using the same energy efficiency initiatives it is offering clients today, IBM expects to double the computing capacity of its data centers within the next three years without increasing power consumption or its carbon footprint. Compared to doubling the size of its data centers by building out new space, IBM expects this will help save more than five billion kilowatt hours of energy per year.

Full details of the project can be found by visiting:
www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/21524.wss