As part of its efforts to support energy-efficient computing, HP Monday announced it has signed an agreement to acquire facilities consulting firm EYP Mission Critical Facilities for an undisclosed sum.

HP says the deal, which will bring EYP MCF's 350 employees into a new division under HP Services, will help HP better address customers' needs for more efficient data centers. The combined EYP and HP Services will let large, enterprise companies couple efficient facilities design with an optimized IT infrastructure. Until recently, HP officials say, IT executives handled facilities and data-center design efforts separately. With this acquisition, HP aims to bring the two more closely together and help build dynamic computing environments from the start.

"Data center transformation is a key focal point for the HP Services team," says John McCain, senior vice president and general manager of HP Services. "Power consumption is becoming one of the largest components in terms of the bill in data centers today."

To combat the increase in energy spending, HP Labs has developed technology to conserve energy and delivers it via such products as HP Dynamic Smart Cooling  and HP Thermal Zone Mapping. The deal, according to EYP MCF representatives, will let consultants expand beyond facilities planning and offer expertise in large-scale data-center design.

"IT infrastructure is ready for a major paradigm shift in the way that mission-critical facilities are delivered to the marketplace," says Steve Einhorn, chairman of EYP MCF. "The data center and its facility are ready for a major change."

HP says it expects the deal to close by its first fiscal 2008 quarter, which ends January 31.