Three thought leaders on GreenIT will address the issue of virtualization and its impact on data center energy use in a webcast (register here) on Dec. 10, 12-1pm (Eastern). "Reducing Data Center Power Consumption Through Virtualization – A Risky Move?" will present wide-ranging views from experts on approaches that enterprises are –or should be—considering to address power conservation and computing efficiency.

The webcast, to be hosted by Brian Gillooly, editor in chief of InformationWeek Events, will include presentations and interchange among the industry luminaries, as well as a 'live' Q&A with audience participation. Panelists comprise the following experts: software executive Robert Neave, VP of Sustainable IT and founder of nlyte Software; technology analyst, commentator and project scientist Jonathan G. Koomey, from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; and industry analyst Andrew Lawrence, Research Director for Eco-Efficient IT at The 451 Group.

"This panel takes place at an auspicious time, with the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen bringing well-deserved attention to this critical topic," said Neave. "Energy consumption needs to be addressed on two fronts. While the first, the source of atmospheric carbon, will take some time to remediate, data centers can do something about the second –energy consumption-- today. This idea exchange will explore one of the most prominent trends in IT today, virtualization, and examine its impact on energy consumption."

Convening thought leaders on this topic is one way to inform data centers about the options, and to encourage them to consider technology alternatives that will have a fast ROI for both their businesses and the environment, Neave added.

In a recent survey of 300 senior IT executives responsible for data center management, more than 87% were actively engaged or planning consolidation projects based on deploying virtual machines in their environments. The panel will discuss the outlook for data center power consumption, the most popular strategies for reducing power in the data center and the risks associated with this particular approach.

While the benefits to virtualization are well-known, the risks have not been widely discussed, until now. The panel of GreenIT experts will consider the side effects of unbridled data center virtualization projects, and offer a sensible prescription for a more disciplined process for reducing power consumption in the data center. Among the topics under discussion:

• Power consumption trends in the data center and the future outlook
• Trends in Data Center Management and Energy Efficiency Software
• Risks involved with using Virtualization to reduce power consumption
• Will data center power constraints ultimately affect the computational efficiency of the IT equipment they support?
• How Data Center Performance Management (DCPM) works with virtualization technologies to eliminate the risks associated with implementing this power reduction strategy.

The webcast is being sponsored as a public service by nlyte Software, a leading provider of data center performance management and GreenIT solutions.

About nlyte (formerly Global DataCenter Management – GDCM)

nlyte Software is the leading provider of data center performance management and GreenIT solutions. Founded by data center management professionals in 2003, the company created nlyte, a performance management suite for improving the efficiency and management of data center assets and physical infrastructure. nlyte Software provides a complete solution for data center performance management, combining next generation software, proven best practices, and unsurpassed expertise in data center operations. Information is available at http://www.nlyte.com.