Specialist UK-based distributor Bell Micro has joined forces with HP to launch 'GoinGreen', an initiative designed to help resellers deploy greener IT infrastructures.

Initially focused on the data centre, GoinGreen offers consultancy on consolidation with a particular emphasis on blade servers and virtualisation.

"Data centres are under increasing pressure to reduce carbon footprints," said Antony Young, director of services and security at Bell Micro.

"A fully equipped data centre of just 30,000 square feet will consume enough electricity to create 44,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide in just a year."

Young explained that, despite increased awareness of environmental issues, it is not always easy for organisations to know where, or how, to start a green initiative.

"The opportunities for Bell Micro's business partners to embrace green IT are extensive as they start to look at the issue from a physical infrastructure perspective as well as a holistic point of view," he said.

"In addition to considering leading-edge technologies such as HP BladeSystem, IT decision makers are also interested in initiatives around virtualisation, consolidation and information lifecycle management which can form part of a wider green strategy."