HP details plans for data center cooling
Hewlett-Packard's data-center cooling technology is getting closer to becoming something customers can buy.
The company plans to announce Wednesday that its technology, now officially called Dynamic Smart Cooling, will be available in the third quarter of 2007. The technology, which works with anybody's data center, is designed to keep data centers packed with computing gear cool at a lower cost than with conventional air conditioning.
The technology combines hundreds of sensors with adjustable blowers and air-flow modeling software. HP boasts the technology can cut cooling costs by 20 to 45 percent. HP estimates a small data center of 10,000 square feet would save about $578,000 in costs each year, and a larger 35,000-square-foot facility would save $1.1 million.
Stephen Shankland writes about a wide range of technology and products, but has a particular focus on browsers and digital photography. He joined CNET News in 1998 and since then also has covered Google, Yahoo, servers, supercomputing, Linux and open-source software, and science. E-mail Stephen, or follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/stshank. 
