This morning's edition of Mission Critical Update, our enewsletter, suggests that data center operators face a wide range of issues and are concerned about their ability to meet all these challenges. The enewsletter features stories detailing the results of surveys conducted by four different groups or contacts. 

Digital Realty Trust found that the last 12 months have seen significant shifts in corporate green data center strategies

Statistics from the Info-Tech study show that IT leaders are doing everything they can to avoid laying off staff. 

According to Symantec Corp., senior-level IT executives report significant interest in green IT strategies and solutions, attributed to both cost reduction and environmental responsibility.  

Forty-seven percent of respondents to Emerson Network Power's Data Center Users Group (DCUG) survey listed energy efficiency as one of their top facilities and network concerns.

These results are consistent with findings from many other organizations as well as data gathered by Mission Critical and anecdotes I have heard.

I wonder, though, if these studies are a form of navel gazing rather than a call to action. What more do we need to know about ourselves? I think we all agree that data centers must be more energy efficient, and even more reliable. So what is the barrier to action? Perhaps that is the question we should study.

I'd certainly like to know if inaction can be attributed to confusion about techniques, lack of confidence in the technology, poor financial incentives, misaligned goals, or poor awareness of the importance of green data centers.

Much ink has been spilled on all these issues, The time for studying ourselves is coming to an end, however,  as 69 percent of survey participants said they were extremely or very concerned about government regulation.

For more information on these surveys or to subscribe to our enewsletters, please visit http://bit.ly/MTrY1