As data centers have become larger and more centralized, data center energy use has been on the rise. Research company IDC recently determined that businesses spend almost as much on power and cooling as they do to keep servers running. In response, businesses have developed metrics to examine energy efficiency; the tools provide broad measurements that are helpful for enterprises, but often are more appropriate for huge data centers.
Dell Inc. (DELL 4331), an American technology company based in Round Rock, Texas, develops, manufactures, sells, and supports personal computers, servers, data storage devices, network switches, personal digital assistants (PDAs), software, televisions, computer peripherals, and other technology-related products. As of 2006, Dell employed more than 78,700 people worldwide.
Dell grew through the 1980s and 1990s to become at one stage the largest seller of PCs and servers. It currently holds the second spot in the hardware computer industry behind Hewlett-Packard after the latter's merger with Compaq in 2002.
In 2006, Fortune magazine ranked Dell as the 25th-largest company in the Fortune 500 list, 8th on its annual [http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/mostadmired/top20/ Top 20 list] of the most-admired companies in the United States. In 2007 Dell ranked 34th and 8th respectively on the equivalent lists for the year. A 2006 publication identified Dell as one of 38 high-performance companies in the S&P; 500 which had consistently out-performed the market over the previous 15 years.
