NetApp (Nasdaq:NTAP) announced today that IDG’s Computerworld, the “Voice of IT Management,” has selected NetApp as one of the top Green-IT Companies for 2008. Computerworld honored NetApp for its innovative data center design and its leading-edge data management techniques to reduce power consumption. Additionally, editors recognized NetApp for its company-wide "green" programs that dramatically reduce the amount of local landfill waste and impact on the environment. This honor is part of Computerworld’s first list of Top Green-IT Companies, which was featured in the February 18 issue of Computerworld and online at www.computerworld.com.

In the fall of 2007, Computerworld set out on a mission to identify companies that are implementing smart, efficient strategies to achieve “green IT.” After enlisting input from green-IT experts, Computerworld editors developed a checklist-style survey and weighting scheme to best identify the companies that are working to increase energy efficiency in IT equipment and are using technology to conserve and reduce power consumption. The survey also identifies the companies that have implemented innovative recycling programs such as employee e-waste programs. Based on the results, NetApp was named as one of the top 12 Green-IT Vendors. To view the full survey, visit www.computerworld.com/topgreen.

“Being ‘green’ is not just saying you’re conscious about the environment and its challenges. In today's business world, it's about efficiency, power consumption, and applying those green principles to smart business decision making,” said Don Tennant, editorial director, Computerworld. “The companies recognized in our first Top Green-IT Computing issue have taken a serious look at how they impact the environment and how they can address those challenges with good business sense.”

For NetApp to successfully approach reducing power consumption in its data center, the company formed a team with members from cross-organizational functions that would challenge the old assumptions to reducing energy efficiencies. With this teamwork, NetApp fine-tuned its data center power delivery and cooling systems to optimize power efficiency. To date, NetApp has achieved the energy efficiency that the EPA is recommending for 2011 state-of-the-art data centers and expects its new data centers coming online this year to match the EPA's 2011 maximum achievable scenario. NetApp employed the following “cooling” techniques to increase energy efficiency in its data centers: hot aisle/cold aisle equipment layout, vinyl strip curtains to contain the hot air from mixing with the cold air, using outside air to cool the data center, and raising the overall temperature in the data center. NetApp has reaped millions of dollars in savings as a result while benefiting the environment.

Through innovative data management techniques and best practices, NetApp has dramatically increased storage utilization and reduced power consumption in its data center by deploying storage and server virtualization solutions. By improving efficiency and scaling its infrastructure, the project has had measurable impact: NetApp IT replaced 50 legacy storage systems with 10 new systems running Data ONTAP® 7G, decreasing its storage rack footprint from 25 to 6 racks, dropping power requirements from 329kW to 69kW, reducing air conditioning requirements by 94 tons, and decreasing the electricity costs by $60,000 per year. It also allowed NetApp to delay building new data center capacity.

In addition, NetApp’s globally acclaimed company culture embraces a commitment to being environmentally responsible. Every year, NetApp diverts 1.8 million pounds of material, or 60% of its waste, from landfills, which has resulted in savings of $45,000 in landfill fees. Reusing is a constant theme at NetApp. Employees use reusable food and beverage containers and are provided reusable canvas bags to help reduce waste. Additionally, the company mulches grass and composts organic materials. NetApp also holds recycling events for employees’ home e-waste such as old cell phones, televisions, and computers. From having goats keep the lawns at NetApp trim to providing alternate commute options, NetApp is an environmental steward and continues to strengthen its commitment to being “green.”

“At NetApp, we’re not only committed to deploying our own innovative solutions and services to reduce our own data center power consumption, but to sharing these best practices with our customers to achieve greater energy efficiency,” said Laura Pickering, vice president and environmental responsibility advocate for NetApp. “We’re thrilled that our efforts have warranted a ranking among Computerworld’s top 12 leading green-IT vendors. We believe our continued efforts to help customers deploy leading-edge data management techniques will not only help drive their business, but further benefit the environment by reducing their overall power consumption.”