Oct. 13, 2009 (PR Newswire) --

ARMONK, N.Y., Oct. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced the results of a collaborative effort with Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (TMS) and Southern California Edison to reduce energy costs and consumption in the TMS data center with the use of IBM's Measurement and Management Technologies (MMT) -- a tool set created by IBM Research -- which measures, manages and reduces data center energy consumption.

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To decrease rising energy consumption and server failure risk, Toyota Motor Sales used IBM's Measurement and Management Technologies in its 20,000 square foot Torrance, California data center over a five-month period. The multi-level measurement tool assesses thermal readings throughout the data center from floor to ceiling and provides a detailed assessment of the heat distribution by creating a three-dimensional chart which pinpoints power and cooling inefficiencies. By using the scanning technology, researchers are then able to create a base model which is used to implement improvements within existing resources at low costs. During the pilot period, the automaker saw a decrease in high temperature hot spots and energy costs in the data center which houses its application development and testing equipment as well as file-sharing, email and printing capabilities.

"As environmental concerns merge with cost reductions efforts, innovative companies across all industries are looking to have more visibility and control," said Rich Lechner, Vice President of Energy and Environment at IBM. "Toyota Motor Sales knows this especially well as it continues to offer some of the most energy efficient and economical vehicles in the marketplace. This data center project is an example of how companies can reduce costs and become more efficient through smarter energy management."

Higher computing demands in recent years have caused a rapid increase in data center consumption. The usage accounts for nearly 1.2 percent of the total energy consumption in the United States and holds a 15 percent growth rate, according to a report by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in 2007. Rising operational expenses and possible equipment failure caused by inefficient cooling, thermal issues, lack of reliability and availability and limitations on IT growth have caused data center managers across the globe to look for resolutions in center management.