21 Oct 2008

Green data centres 'top priority'

The economic downturn has done little to curb the enthusiasm for green IT solutions among UK businesses, the results of new study suggest.

Green issues were at the top of the agenda for many companies prior to the credit crunch, but the prospect of a recession has knocked the environment off the front pages.

However, a survey conducted by Storage Expo found that 70 per cent of firms still view green IT solutions as a priority, providing implementing them resulted in some form of financial benefit.

Switching to a green data centre is one way of achieving cost savings, according to Storage Expo's Natalie Booth.

"The credit crunch has made a number of businesses rethink their IT strategies and budgets … Green IT and beating the credit crunch can go hand in hand if the right strategy is used," she explained.

Deploying environmentally-friendly technology can result in a dip in power consumption, Ms Booth added, at a time when utility prices are rising.