A growing number of IT decision-makers in the UK and US are realising the benefits of making their data center operations more energy efficient and environmentally friendly, according to a new study released today.

“The Future of ‘Green’ IT: Implications for Software Solutions” (PDF), prepared by Echo Research for CA Inc., reports that a large percentage of the 250 professionals surveyed have plans to carry out green initiatives. In most cases, however, the primary motivation for such programmes is saving costs rather than saving the planet.

The survey also found that organisations view software, rather than hardware, upgrades as a better — and less costly — means of improving efficiency. Some 90 percent of US companies, and around 80 percent in the UK, have factored energy-efficient software investments into their IT budgets, it discovered.

“Corporations and their IT departments are recognizing their impact or carbon footprint on the environment and are actively engaged in finding green IT solutions,” said Don LeClair, senior vice president at CA. “While many have looked to hardware and power systems as part of these solutions, this study confirms that software plays a vital role in helping to manage energy efficiency.”

He added, “Our customers have seen that better management of the IT infrastructure can bring both cost savings and environmental benefits.”

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