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Whitestone Report: Potential Cost Savings from Consolidating U.S. Federal Data Centers
SANTA BARBARA, CA - September 9, 2011 - Data centers have proliferated among U.S. federal agencies, growing from 400 in 1998 to over 2000 by 2010. Alarmed by growing costs and potential inefficiencies, the Obama Administration issued a Presidential Memorandum directing all federal agencies to “adopt a policy against expanding data centers beyond current levels, and develop plans to consolidate and significantly reduce data centers within 5 years.” As a result, Whitestone was tasked by a large agency to approximate the facility savings that might accrue from the closure of a typical data center.
We found that the range of possible cost savings attributable to center closures is quite broad. Our estimates span from $175 to $540 per square foot (SF) of computer room floor area, varying by the amount of redundant equipment and computing intensity. The precision of the estimates can be improved with knowledge of a center’s design features, as well as its size, location, and levels of service.
Whitestone Report: Potential Cost Savings from Consolidating U.S. Federal Data Centers
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