18 June 2008 | Luca Del Buono

 

Until very recently, the need for IT to really include eco-concerns as part of overall strategy did not have universal appeal.

Surely, sites located in areas such as southern Manhattan where power distribution is already running at maximum capacity have a grave problem. And likewise sites that need more room but have tight expansion constraints. For them, green has been a key preoccupation for a while.

For most other IT sites, however, the main driver for green has been cost reduction -- and until the last few months, the cost of energy was tolerable even if somewhat higher than budgeted.

So, pressure existed to reduce unnecessary consumption, but not place the issue at the center of IT concerns. However, with oil now regularly surpassing $130 per barrel, there is no longer any ambiguity about how much to commit to green. It's now emerging as a mandate for all IT centers, even small ones.

During the last year, my columns have discussed various useful strategies for reducing power consumption. I've looked at virtualization in some detail, and also drilled down into the various devices' energy consumption and what to consider when buying hardware.

Today, I will examine some changes in the structure of IT departments that some experts are suggesting are necessary for enterprises to successfully navigate the green issues.

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