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Software producer Microsoft has announced that it plans to make huge changes to its server installation, it has been reported.

Computer news resource Cnet has revealed that the Seattle-based company plans to load servers in through sealed containers to its new facility in Quincy, Washington, that are already networked together inside.

Upon delivery, the containers only need to be connected to air conditioning, external networks and a power supply.

The news provider added that once a certain amount of servers fail to work within the cluster, the container will simply be removed and replaced with a fresh batch by IT support.

Arne Josefsburg, Microsoft's general manager of infrastructure, said: "You contain your infrastructure but you also contain the heat that's generated from the servers.

"We are working incredibly hard to improve the energy efficiency of our data centres."

This week, Microsoft also announced its intentions to lift licensing restrictions on virtual mobility, allowing companies to move servers and applications between computers without the need to pay additional fees.

According to a recent survey by Connect, the two biggest IT headaches for businesses were 'everyday hassles with IT' (37 per cent) and 'security concerns' (32 per cent) In a recent survey of SMEs for Connect, the two most important benefits of outsourcing were 'guaranteed response times' and 'allowing in-house IT staff to concentrate on more strategic issues'