Companies are encouraged to ensure their data centres are energy efficient as they can save them money, an expert has emphasised.

Josh Krischer, the founder of Krischer & Associates, told delegates at the Green IT Conference & Exhibition that reducing the carbon footprint in business has immediate benefits.

He said: "Green data centres do not exist. There are energy efficient data centres and there are energy inefficient data centres and if you are energy efficient you can save money, a natural saving, [and there are] environmental benefits."

Mr Krischer explained that the power going to data centres has more than doubled over the last eight years, with businesses increasingly relying on the technology to deliver core services such as online data backup and disaster recovery.

According to a survey also taken at the Green IT Conference & Exhibition in London, it was found that out of 132 visiting experts, 53 per cent agreed that eco-friendly initiatives are most important due to the reduction of energy consumption.

A recent survey for Connect found that one in ten companies has lost important data as a result of a backup failure. The company has now developed a unique online backup service for SMEs to ensure they can survive any disaster.