Hewlett-Packard unveiled an experimental data centre in Bangalore that boasts a 20 per cent reduction in power and cooling costs. The data centre uses thousands of heat sensors scattered throughout to direct cool air to where it is needed.

The move marks the latest example of IT companies' rush to showcase technologies that help the biggest users of IT equipment cut their electricity bills. The cost of the energy required to power and cool big corporate computer systems has emerged as a key issue in recent years as executives in charge of IT purchasing looks for ways to clamp down on spending.

HP said that, once optimized, its new data centre could cut power and cooling costs by up to 40 per cent.