NEWS

LeaseWeb Sees Green Hosting Demand

LeaseWeb - which claims in its press release to be the largest Netherlands-based hosting provider used by Starbucks, but which more than likely means it is the largest host in the Netherlands and it counts Starbucks as a client - reported on Monday this week that it has seen considerable demand for its "green hosting" offering since launching it last year.

The company says it put 500 racks into EvoSwitch (www.evoswitch.com), a data center in the Amsterdam region that describes itself as "climate neutral." The distinction refers to a fairly extensive range of modifications to the facility, but includes buying electricity created only from renewable resources.

EvoSwitch also reports that it works with the Climate Control Group to compensate for its carbon dioxide emissions through biogas and tree-planting projects. Though the effectiveness of this sort of compensation project in effectively offsetting emissions is frequently called into question in the hosting business, they are just one part of EvoSwitch's seemingly quite comprehensive green effort.

The company is also a member of The Green Grid, the IT technology organization promoting energy efficiency and gathering considerable attention in recent months, and one of the notable features of the movement toward greener hosting.

Earlier this week, Green Grid member 365 Main reported that it had partnered with the US government's EPA Energy Star program to develop a performance rating suitable for data center operators.

LeaseWeb said this week that 450 of its EvoSwitch cabinets had already been filled, leaving just 50 to fill.

"Our cabinets in the relatively new EvoSwitch data center have proven to be popular with all kinds of businesses," says Con Zwinkels, managing director of LeaseWeb in a statement. "You see that large enterprises in particular are opting for emission neutral providers that match their goals for corporate social responsibility. These larger companies have included ‘green purchasing' in their corporate policies. Smaller companies appear to be interested mainly in the lower electricity bills that come with green data center services, with which they can easily save 20 percent on their energy costs. We are hearing this argument more and more, especially now that energy prices are soaring."

Zwinkels says the company may have to double the number of cabinets LeaseWeb currently has at EvoSwitch by the end of 2008, if demand for the green hosting services continues to grow.





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