Energy efficiency climbs priority list

IT chiefs see energy efficiency as a major factor in purchasing decisions, according to new survey

The energy efficiency of IT equipment has become entrenched as a major factor in IT purchasing decisions, according to a new survey of almost 200 senior IT executives.

The report from Sun Microsystems found that two-thirds of respondents thought the energy efficiency of products had increased as a buying priority over the past six months. When only those executives involved in datacentre purchases were included this rate rose to 76 percent.

Richard Barrington, head of public policy at Sun, said the results were a vindication of Sun's strategy of investing heavily in enhancing the energy efficiency of new products, such as its T1000 and T2000 servers.

"The T1000 and T2000 are the fastest-selling products Sun has ever had in its history – and that includes the dotcom boom period," he said. "We'd attribute a lot of that success to the products' space and energy efficiency. People really are realising that energy is a bottom-line cost."

However, the report also found that while many IT chiefs regard energy efficiency as a major factor in purchasing decisions, many are still badly informed about the energy cost of their current equipment. Almost two-thirds of respondents said they did not know how much energy they used, nor how much carbon emissions they produced. Only 12 percent said they were aware of both the energy cost and carbon footprint of their organisation.

"There is still a communication breakdown between IT and facilities departments that needs to be addressed if firms are to limit their energy costs, " said Barrington.
In related news, IBM announced earlier this week that it was launching five new services packages designed to help firms improve the energy efficiency of their datacentres.

Available from IBM's Site and Facilities Services division, the new services include a high-density computing readiness assessment; a thermal analysis for high-density computing environments; an integrated rack solution for high-density computing; datacentre consolidation and relocation consultancy; and installation support for the deployment of scalable datacentres for small and medium-sized businesses.