Avnet, Inc. (NYSE:AVT), a global value-added technology distributor, today announced it was selected as the winner of the prestigious 2013 Green Enterprise IT (GEIT) Award in the IT Retrofit category presented by the Uptime Institute. Avnet was also chosen as the finalist in the Green Digital Infrastructure Strategy category. The GEIT Awards showcase organizations that are pioneering projects and innovations that significantly improve energy productivity and resource use in IT. Avnet will be honored at the eighth annual Uptime Institute Symposium taking place in Santa Clara, Calif., on May 13-16, 2013. As part of the Symposium’s agenda, Avnet will present a case study about its award-winning green data center initiative.
“These recognitions from Uptime validate the tremendous achievements of our IT, facilities and logistics teams,” said Steve Phillips, senior vice president and CIO, Avnet, Inc. “We have created a culture where energy-saving initiatives are woven into how we strategically look at our facilities, from floor to ceiling, to dramatically reduce Avnet’s energy consumption. I’m incredibly proud of the practical ways we found to significantly reduce Avnet’s environmental impact while also creating a clear financial benefit for the company.”
The Uptime Institute recognized Avnet as the winner in the IT Retrofit category for significantly improving the energy efficiency and IT effectiveness of its 25-year-old North American data center, which supports Avnet’s global business in more than 80 countries. The IT team began a multi-year initiative in 2005 to reduce Avnet's environmental impact, and implemented a wide variety of innovative and practical projects that have reduced energy consumption by more than 1.75 megawatt hours. These projects included a new data storage management system, virtualization, a system hibernation script, and video conferencing. As a direct result of this initiative, Avnet has saved millions of dollars and avoided a multi-million dollar power build out to the data center.
Additionally, Avnet was named the finalist in the Green Digital Infrastructure Strategy category for its exceptional energy and resource efficiency in its data centers and other facilities. Avnet’s award-winning green data center initiative, coupled with energy conservation at the company’s flagship global logistics center, reduced energy consumption by more than 3 megawatt hours. As a part of its green digital infrastructure strategy, Avnet installed green lighting and low-energy cooling solutions, including the first air-side economizer in the Southwest that uses outside air from the Sonoran Desert to provide an energy efficient way to maintain low temperatures.
The 2013 GEIT Awards are sponsored by Sabey Data Centers, and entries were thoroughly reviewed by an international committee of independent judges following a double-blind process. For more information about the Uptime Institute Symposium 2013, please visit http://symposium.uptimeinstitute.com/.
Learn about Avnet's approach to IT on the Behind the Firewall blog: http://blogging.avnet.com/weblog/cioinsights/
Find out more about Avnet's perspective on the IT market through its Tech Trends video series: http://www.avnetondemand.com/
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Connect with Avnet on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/company/2572 or Facebook: facebook.com/avnetinc
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