IBM unveils green retail platform

IBM has launched a suite of technologies and services aimed squarely at improving both the energy efficiency as well as operational efficiency of retail stores.

Called the Green Retail Store portfolio, the suite includes high performance point of sales systems, blades servers, and system management software that drive deployment of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly retail systems from the front of store to the back office.

IBM says retailers were always looking for ways to differentiate and build customer loyalty – and that consumers were showing a preference for environmentally responsible retailers.

The core of portfolio is a SurePOS 700, the number one selling point of sale system in the world, which offers a choice of three energy-efficient processors that help reduce power consumption by 36 per cent and more.

A large retailer considering replacement of 5,000 terminals with new units operating at 33 per cent more energy efficiency can reduce annual energy cost for POS terminals alone by US$131,000 (A, or nearly US$1 million over the average seven-year life of newly deployed IBM machines.

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Asia’s datacenter energy needs double

THE energy demands of datacenters in the Asia-Pacific is far outstripping growth in data centre power consumption in other regions, and will double by 2010, a new study has revealed.

The study, by US expert Dr Jonathon Koomey using data from industry analysts IDC said the Asia-Pacific’s (excluding Japan) world share of data centre energy use would jump from 10 per cent in 2000 to 16 per cent in 2010.

The absolute electricity consumption for servers in the Asia/Pacific region under this scenario would more than double from 2005 to 2010, requiring electricity capacity equal to output from two new 1000 megatwatt power plants.

The US share of total world server electricity use from datacenters will likely decline from 40 per cent in 2000 to about one-third by 2010,

Examining electricity use by region from 2000 to 2005, Dr Koomey found that server electricity use in the Asia/Pacific region (excluding Japan) grew at a 23 per cent annual rate, compared to a world average of 16 per cent a year, making this region the only one with server electricity use growing at a rate significantly greater than the world average.

“Our hope is that this research helps bridge the gap between knowledge and action by furthering worldwide understanding of the economic and environmental costs associated with escalating data centre energy consumption,” AMD server and workstation marketing director Bruce Shaw said.

AMD has launched a program called AMD Green that seeks to develop more energy efficient data centre solutions.

“Clearly, we must work harder than ever to not only deliver more efficient server and cooling technology, but also just as importantly, to work with our industry and government partners to develop environmentally sustainable solutions in areas where we see the most dramatic increases in energy use,” the company said.

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Green group attacks power consumption

A CONSORTIUM of some of the most powerful names in the tech industry has combined resources to improve the energy efficiency of power-hungry data centers.

The so-called Green Grid is a US-based non-profit that will specifically investigate ways to reduce data centre power consumption, and to improve the life-cycle management of IT products – specifically recycling and the handling of hazardous waste.

The founding board of Green Grid includes hardware and software companies heavily engaged in data centre work – including IBM, HP, Intel, Microsoft, AMD, APC, Rackable Systems, Sun Microsystems and VMware.

The consortium believes energy efficiency in data centres is the single most significant issue facing IT companies and their customers today.

Green Grid members say there has not only been exponential growth in power and cooling costs in the past several years, but that customer demand for concentrated computing was outpacing the availability of clean, reliable power in much of the world.

The Green Grid doesn’t endorse vendor-specific products, instead seeking to provide industry-wide recommendations on best practices, metrics and technologies that will improve overall data centre energy efficiencies.

Network Appliance is the latest large corporate to join Green Grid.

“Our customers are seeing explosive data growth and they are broadening the focus of their long-term data center power reduction efforts to include storage and data management practices,” said NetApp Core Systems vice-president Chris Bennett.

“While we can't eliminate the unending thirst for data, NetApp is helping customers buy and use less storage to drive down their data center’s carbon footprint one byte at a time. Our membership in The Green Grid demonstrates our continued commitment to advancing greater energy efficiency in data centers.”

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AMD punts on Transmeta energy technology

CHIP-maker AMD has invested US$7.5 million in ailing semiconductor design firm Transmeta in a deal thought to be aimed at securing energy efficiency technology.

Founded in 1995, Transmeta develops and licenses innovative computing, microprocessor and semiconductor technologies and related intellectual property. The company is a specialist in delivering low power, high performance chip technology.

Most recently Transmeta has focused on developing and licensing our advanced power management technologies.

“We are very pleased that AMD has made a strategic investment in the future of Transmeta,” said Transmeta president and chief executive officer, Les Crudele.

“AMD has long been a leader in the development and delivery of energy-efficient, high-performance computing technologies, standards and initiatives,” Mr Crudele said.

“Transmeta has been proud to endorse and contribute to those industry leading activities, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with AMD on technology initiatives in the future,” he said.

AMD president and chief operating officer Dirk Meyer said Transmeta has been a key AMD ally in bring the company’s AMD64 technology to market and had supported the industry adoption of both AMD64 and AMD's HyperTransport technology.

“Our investment will support Transmeta's technology development work and AMD's efforts to leverage Transmeta's innovative energy-efficient technologies to the benefit of AMD's customers,” Mr Meyer said.

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