Company Also Assisting U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Developing ENERGY STAR Rating for Data Centers DALLAS, July 30
DALLAS, July 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) today
announced its affiliate AT&T Services Inc. has joined The Green Grid, the
global consortium dedicated to advancing energy efficiency in data centers and
business computing ecosystems. AT&T also announced it will supply data center
performance information to assist the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) in developing a new ENERGY STAR rating for data center infrastructure.
Membership in The Green Grid and participation in the ENERGY STAR data
center initiative underscore AT&T's commitment to minimize the environmental
impact of its operations and to work collaboratively with industry
organizations and suppliers to identify optimal solutions and best practices.
"Managing the energy we use in an efficient way is crucial to staying
competitive -- a commitment that begins in our corporate headquarters and
extends throughout our global operations," said Chris Rice, executive vice
president for Shared Services at AT&T. "Joining The Green Grid and
collaborating with the EPA reflects this commitment, and we look forward to
collaborating with our industry peers to promote more sustainable IT energy
efficiency practices."
The Green Grid works to provide industrywide recommendations and best
practices on metrics and technologies that will improve energy efficiency in
data centers around the world. As a Contributor Member of The Green Grid, AT&T
is taking an important role in cooperating with other leading companies to
reduce energy consumption and related data center costs.
"The Green Grid is proud to welcome AT&T as a Contributor Member of the
consortium," said Mark Monroe, a director of The Green Grid. "AT&T brings a
breadth of knowledge and experience in the field of communications. The Green
Grid is looking forward to collaborating with AT&T and leveraging its
expertise to help further the organization's mission."
In an effort to further improve energy efficiency in the data center
industry, the EPA is developing an ENERGY STAR Data Center Infrastructure
Rating. This new rating will help data center operators assess the energy
performance of their buildings' infrastructure and identify buildings with the
greatest opportunity for improvement, allowing them to capture the financial
and environmental benefits of improved energy efficiency in their facilities.
The initiative will ultimately enable data center facilities to earn ENERGY
STAR certification for superior energy efficiency. To assist in the
development of this rating, AT&T has committed to monitoring select company
data centers and submit energy data to the EPA during the next 12 months.
"EPA is very pleased to have AT&T's support for the development of the
ENERGY STAR rating for data center infrastructure," said Mike Zatz, manager of
EPA's ENERGY STAR Commercial Buildings Program. "It is only with the active
involvement of industry leaders like AT&T that EPA will be able to provide the
data center industry with the information it needs to most effectively improve
the energy efficiency of these critical facilities."
AT&T continually strives to improve its own data center operations through
five strategies, with industry collaboration being one important area:
-- Consolidation: Understanding that data centers have very clear scale
economies, AT&T works to close smaller and less efficient data
centers.
-- Optimization: AT&T works to improve the use and efficiency of
resources in its data centers, including cooling, power, space,
processors and storage.
-- Application rationalization: AT&T works to unify business
applications and eliminate redundant solutions whenever practical.
-- Supplier/partner integration: AT&T works to integrate its suppliers
and partners into the company's energy conservation initiative
process.
-- Industry/government collaboration: AT&T participates in forums,
committees and commissions to further identify, understand and
promote the adoption of best practices and innovation.
"Data center electricity use has been growing rapidly in recent years,
roughly doubling from 2000 to 2005," said Jonathan Koomey, Ph.D., staff
scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories and consulting professor,
Stanford University. "There's significant potential for improving energy
efficiency in those facilities, and many large companies are starting to make
the institutional and technological changes needed to capture that efficiency.
In this case, businesses can save money and reduce pollution at the same
time."
Through its participation in The Green Grid and the ENERGY STAR data
center initiative, AT&T is expanding the company's active involvement in
working with the industry to find solutions for improved energy efficiency.
Rice currently serves as chairman of the board of the Alliance for
Telecommunication Industry Solutions (ATIS), a technical planning and
standards development organization that works to develop and promote technical
and operations standards for the communications and related information
technologies industries worldwide. As a chair of the ATIS Network Interface,
Power and Protection-Telecommunications Energy Efficiency (NIPP-TEE)
subcommittee, AT&T is helping develop industry standards for measuring and
stating energy efficiency of telecommunications network equipment.
"AT&T works with industry bodies, such as ATIS, so that both the suppliers
and users of telecommunications equipment can coalesce around a widely
accepted approach to measuring and improving energy efficiency," Rice said.
"In the end, this approach can deliver lower-cost solutions and broader
benefits for all key stakeholders across our entire industry."
AT&T works to enhance energy performance and minimize energy consumption
in company buildings, IT systems and networks, and the company is evaluating
alternative energy sources such as wind and solar power. The company conserves
natural resources through waste reduction and recovery and recycling efforts,
helping its customers do the same. AT&T also helps customers further manage
their own environmental impact through intelligent use of AT&T products and
services, such as teleconferencing, video conferencing and other broadband
applications.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company. Its
subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of
AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings
are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services and
the nation's leading wireless, high speed Internet access and voice services.
In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and
advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM
organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as
communications equipment. As part of its three-screen integration strategy,
AT&T is expanding its TV entertainment offerings. In 2008, AT&T again ranked
No. 1 on Fortune magazine's World's Most Admired Telecommunications Company
list and No. 1 on America's Most Admired Telecommunications Company list.
Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided
by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com.
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logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual
Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.
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About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in
1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions through increased energy efficiency. Today, ENERGY STAR offers
businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money and
help protect the environment for future generations. More than 12,000
organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy
efficiency of products, homes, buildings and businesses. Last year alone,
Americans with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved $16 billion on their energy
bills and reduced greenhouse gas emissions the equivalent to those of 27
million cars. For more information, visit http://www.energystar.gov or call
toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).
About ATIS
ATIS is a technical planning and standards development organization that
is committed to rapidly developing and promoting technical and operations
standards for the communications and related information technologies industry
worldwide using a pragmatic, flexible and open approach. Participants from
more than 300 communications companies are active in ATIS' 22 industry
committees and Incubator Solutions Programs. For more information, please
visit: http://www.atis.org.
SOURCE AT&T Inc.
