Data centre vendors must go green

Data centre vendors must offer green options in order to keep their customers over the next few years, according to a new survey.

Some six out of ten companies with a data centre have declared a green strategy, and most believe it must be holistic, taking in the building and facilities as well as the IT equipment inside, according to the study by Digital Realty Trust.

A similar number of respondents to the survey said they purchase credits to make up for their carbon footprint when they cannot cut emissions. Power efficiency was seen by 70 per cent to be the most important component to going green.

But less than half said they required their vendors to have a green strategy. Mostly this appears to be because because they cannot: just a third of IT buyers said they know of a green data centre partner.

"Companies are looking to the data centre industry for leadership and clarity on how to define, design and operate a green data centre. The industry must make this a key focus this year," said Jim Smith, vice president of engineering at Digital Realty Trust.

The survey also suggested that green credentials would become more important when choosing vendors over the next two years, with seven out of ten respondents saying it will become a key aspect in making a purchasing decision.

Smith pointed to a similar survey the company conducted in North America, which has shown the green data centre movement had stalled there. "The primary culprit appears to be the lack of clear industry standards for green data centres," he said.

He added: "European companies expressed similar concern about the lack of clear, practical industry standards, and that could be a harbinger of a similar green 'slowdown' in Europe."

As IT PRO reported last month, organisations are wary of how green measures will effect their data centres, and wary about vendor hype on the issue.

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