Tandberg Data, the global supplier of data protection solutions, today announced that it has joined The Green Grid consortium. As a member of the consortium, Tandberg Data will promote the reduction of energy consumption by using more efficient, future-proof and scalable technologies.

The Green Grid is a global consortium dedicated to advancing energy efficiency in data centres and business computing ecosystems. It seeks to provide industry-wide recommendations on best practices, metrics, standards and technologies that will improve overall energy efficiency in data centres and business computing ecosystems by working with governmental agencies and key industry players. Joining The Green Grid is part of Tandberg Data’s initiative to reduce energy consumption and the cost of running an IT infrastructure.

As a global provider of data protection solutions to the small to medium businesses, or SMB’s, Tandberg Data recognizes that its customers see the need to move toward a more energy-efficient model. Tandberg Data understands the current and future issues SMB’s face, the opportunities for improvement and SMB’s concerns and requirements.

Tape – the 'no-power', scalable medium
Tape has evolved into a highly cost-effective, high-capacity backup and archival medium with multiple benefits.  In addition to low cost, other primary benefits include portability, reliability and reusability. Tape media can be written, rewritten and safely stored for years.  Its steadfast reliability ensures mobility and safeguards companies from disaster. Tandberg Data’s automated tape solutions offer scalability through features such as Capacity on Demand, enabling customers to upgrade systems rather than replacing them, thus protecting their investment and at the same time reducing waste.

“Businesses typically spend 50% of the acquisition cost of a tape drive on electricity to run it,” says Bharat Kumer, vice president of Marketing and Development at Tandberg Data. “By offering industry-low power consumption, combined with reusability and scalability, Tandberg Data’s tape solutions will help customers on their way to a greener backup strategy.”

Devising a Green IT Strategy
For companies, it is important to consider three areas: an assessment of the data center with the goal of reducing power consumption; a formal assessment of IT equipment recycling; and a carbon footprint analysis.

An important first step in that formal assessment of the data center is to determine how much energy your storage consumes and what that energy costs.  Once energy usage has been determined, the next step is to calculate your costs. Once power consumption and costs have been determined, recommendations can be developed on how energy usage could be decreased without compromising business needs.

Tandberg Data will work with other members of The Green Grid to help develop energy–efficient technologies, promote standards and deliver best practices to end users.