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IBM: Only 1 in 5 data centers operating efficiently

Nearly 80 percent of the 300 CIOs and IT leaders were found to be behind in making the most of their IT investments, according to IBM.
Written by Rachel King, Contributor

Most data centers aren't running very efficiently, based on new research from IBM.

Out of 300 data centers surveyed in the IBM study, conducted by IDC, only 1 in 5 are operating efficiently.

Furthermore, nearly 80 percent of the 300 CIOs and IT leaders were found to be behind in making the most of their IT investments.

Steve Sams, vice president of global site and facilities services for IBM, explained on IBM's Smarter Planet blog that "less efficient data centers and organizations are at a crossroads where they must determine if they’ll take the next step to modernization or operate at their current status."

Sams added that these organizations "lack an overall strategic plan to optimize their data center and create opportunity to invest in new projects." At least 79 percent of the organizations surveyed fell in with this category.

The study found that these companies are two times less likely to adopt new technologies, and most of them are dedicating approximately 65 percent of their resources on maintaining existing IT infrastructure -- leaving less room for innovation.

Overall, researchers warned that an inefficient infrastructure makes it impossible to invest in the future of the company.

Sams did have praise for 21 percent of data centers that were ranked "highly efficient." Thus, there is a lesson to be learned here:

Those IT leaders who received an ‘A’ on their data center report card are reaping the benefits that efficiency brings back to the business. These optimized companies are able to spend 50 percent more of their IT budget on new projects and innovation to make their organizations more successful.

Image via IBM's Smarter Planet blog

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