24 Oct 2008

Flexible data centres needed, expert says

The data centres of the future will be more flexible and take into account a wide range of environmental concerns, an IT expert has said.

Rakesh Kumar, an analyst for research firm Gartner, said businesses need to address their waste management, energy sources and technology architecture to boost performance in the future.

He argued that energy costs could double by 2011, meaning firms must address their IT costs and adopt greener data management strategies.

Green IT solutions which prove cost effective are currently viewed as a priority among 70 per cent of businesses, a recent Storage Expo survey found.

On the location of a data centre, Mr Kumar said IT managers need to consider chillers, air conditioning units and if possible, alternative energy sources.

"Tomorrow’s data centre is moving from being static to becoming a living organism, where modelling and measuring tools will become one of the major elements of its management," he added.