Cisco boosts green credentials with EnergyWise

Networking giant Cisco has unveiled a software platform designed to help businesses reduce IT energy use by centrally monitoring, measuring and managing all network-connected IP devices through a flexible and customisable policy-based system.

Cisco EnergyWise, which was unveiled at the Cisco Networkers 2009 show in Barcelona, can be installed on any Cisco Catalyst switch to allow users to measure the energy consumption of devices such as IP phones, laptops and access points.

The system is also designed to be expanded into building automation and management systems, enhancing the flexibility of the platform as well as enabling the control of entire building systems such as lights, lifts, air conditioning and heating.

"IT consumes around two per cent of the world's energy, but has a tremendous opportunity to affect the other 98 per cent," said Chris Dedicoat, president of European markets at Cisco.

Dedicoat explained that, with all manner of infrastructure converging on an IP-based network standard, being able to use that network to centrally manage and control this wide range of systems can save energy and time, and enhance productivity.

EnergyWise forms part of Cisco's technology roadmap of using intelligent networks to better control the entire IT infrastructure, and should provide IT managers with real-time, granular views of where and when energy is being used across the organisation.

Policies can then be set up to power devices on or off, or put them into idle mode, at various set times or under certain conditions such as a person logging into or out of an office. Cisco said that it is trying to shift the concept of 'always on' to 'always available'.

The new platform will be rolled out in three stages. The first will begin early next month and will initially support only those devices powered over Ethernet, such as phones, video surveillance cameras and wireless access points.

The second phase will be rolled out later in the year and will extend the level of control to other network-attached systems such as PCs, laptops and printers.

The final phase is expected to be completed early next year, and will extend the platform to IP-controlled building systems such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning, lifts, lights, employee badge access systems, fire alarm systems and security.

"Cisco believes that IT has the power to transform the way the world manages its environmental and energy challenges," said Judy Lin, senior vice president of Cisco's Ethernet Switching technology group.

"With EnergyWise, Cisco is uniquely positioned to help our customers gain a network-wide view of energy consumption that encompasses not only device-level power, but in the future entire network efficiency, building operations and business practices across an entire organisation."

As part of its EnergyWise programme, Cisco announced the acquisition of Richards-Zeta Building Intelligence, a company that specialises in middleware applications for building management.

"Energy consumption is a global issue, and customers increasingly demand that energy management services are delivered over a converged IP architecture," said Marthin De Beer, senior vice president of Cisco's Emerging Technologies Group.

Cisco is also working with a number of partners to help expand the potential reach of EnergyWise, including Schneider Electric for building utility management, SolarWinds for network monitoring and Verdiem for monitoring PC power.

EnergyWise can be installed on currently deployed Catalyst switches worldwide with a free software upgrade, and will be shipped on all new Catalyst switches from next month.