The Green Grid Makes Measuring Data Center Efficiency Simple With Data Center Maturity Model And New Academy Course

PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Green Grid, the global authority on resource efficient information technology and data centers, today announced availability of an Academy Course for its Data Center Maturity Model (DCMM). An interactive learning module, the Academy Course guides data center and facility managers through the steps of the DCMM, helping them better understand and apply benchmarking tools and best practices laid out in the Model. The Academy Course is available now to both members and non-members on The Green Grid's website.

The Academy Course was designed to help users across the world understand the maturity levels of their data centers and highlight areas to improve the efficiency of their IT operations. The Course breaks down the DCMM's individual sections and content areas, helping users explore key initiatives and metrics for the different aspects of their facilities. The Course walks users through the process of assessing their facilities using the DCMM Assessment Tool, provides a personalized equalizer to help an organization make steps toward continuous efficiency improvement and ultimately makes the DCMM even easier to apply within an organization.

"Without well-defined, consistent and universally accepted goals and direction, the global data center market cannot effectively enhance energy efficiency and sustainability in the data center," said Mark Aggar, Microsoft representative and Board member, The Green Grid. "The Green Grid, with the help of the industry, developed the DCMM to serve as a comprehensive model, providing clear goals and direction that show what can and should be done over time to improve overall efficiency and sustainability throughout the data center. The DCMM Academy Course is another tool to help data center owners and operators better understand the Model and more effectively adopt it within their individual facilities and data center portfolios."

Launched in 2011, The Green Grid's DCMM integrates every aspect of the data center, including power, cooling, compute, storage and network. The Model was developed to outline the different areas for users to benchmark performance, determine levels of maturity, and identify ongoing steps and innovations necessary to achieve greater energy efficiency and sustainability. In March, The Green Grid introduced the DCMM Assessment Tool, an extension of the DCMM that allows leaders to assess their data center and IT portfolios against the DCMM, helping them benchmark progress against peers.

For more information on the Academy Course or to download it, please visit: http://www.thegreengrid.org/academy.aspx.

About The Green Grid

The Green Grid is a global consortium of companies, government agencies, educational institutions and individuals dedicated to advancing resource efficiency in information technology and data centers with a holistic approach, including all IT, facility and infrastructure systems. In 2012, The Green Grid welcomed Climate Savers® Computing Initiative under its brand to build on its success in promoting resource efficiency and sustainability across the energy ecosystem. Climate Savers Computing Initiative focuses on reducing energy consumption, costs and carbon emissions from computing equipment by promoting the adoption of efficient technologies and power management strategies. As the global authority on resource efficient  information technology and data centers, The Green Grid spans the entire computing and communications ecosystem – from data centers to personal computers – and will continue to provide the global IT industry with metrics, tools and best practices to improve resource efficiency.

The Green Grid does not endorse vendor-specific products or solutions, and instead seeks to provide industry-wide recommendations on best practices, metrics and technologies that will improve overall resource efficiencies. Membership is open to organizations at the Contributor, General or Associate Member levels, and individuals at the Individual or Supporter Member levels.

For more information, visit www.thegreengrid.org or connect with The Green Grid on Twitter @TheGreenGrid, Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Green-Grid/263092707057658 and LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2492375   

Climate Savers® is a trademark or registered trademark of WWF, the international conservation organization. Used under license.

SOURCE The Green Grid