Enterprise IT organizations are mercilessly put in the spotlight to save the day and provide the business with both bottom line cost improvements and top line company competitiveness, all with the same budget and head count. Enter the global energy crisis and the overwhelming pressure to take action on reducing the corporate carbon footprint, and you end up with a melting pot of problems for the twenty first century CIO.

Not surprisingly, the data center is at the heart of most discussions when it comes to balancing corporate needs, energy demand, and the environment. Electricity intensity in a typical data center (in watts/ft2) is twenty times that of a standard office building. Hence, investors, shareholders, and governments want to see "Green IT" action plan rolled out for all industries. This is no more apparent than in Europe, and specifically the U.K., where the government is introducing legal binding limits on CO2 emissions, aiming for a 60% cut by 2050. Carbon caps across Europe and parts of North America will follow suit shortly thereafter.