The Green Agenda

Reap the rewards of a Green IT Strategy with this essential guide Climate change can be an emotive issue. This book takes a cool look at the subject and shows you what makes it relevant to your business. A big part of the answer is energy. Computers consume a lot of energy, and energy costs money. The cost of powering and cooling data servers over three years is currently 1.5 times the cost of purchasing the server hardware. Over the next two decades, global demand for energy is predicted to rise by 50%, which means that your long-term energy costs are also likely to increase. In the end, if your organisation's energy costs are high, it makes sense for you to focus on ways to reduce energy consumption. Improving the efficiency of data centre power supplies and reducing IT power requirements in the office are examples of how Green IT can yield a substantial return on investment. This business guide to Green IT was written to introduce, to a business audience, the opposing groups and the key climate change concepts, to provide an overview of a Green IT strategy and to set out a straightforward, bottom-line orientated Green IT action plan. Benefits to business of a Green IT strategy: -Cut costs A Green IT strategy, including such measures as switching off PCs at night, or introducing Cloud Computing, will enable you to reduce the amount of energy that your organisation consumes and, therefore, to cut costs. -Improve sales Products that can demonstrate their green credentials are more attractive to consumers. As organisations pursue more ambitious environmental objectives, they are putting their suppliers under increasing pressure to improve their own environmental record. Meanwhile, the public sector has adopted rigorous standards for Green procurement. With Green IT you can help your company to reach more customers and to win new business. -Enhance your organisation's reputation The environment is an emotional issue, and environmental concerns affect the way your company is perceived by consumers. Green IT will support your company's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy by reducing the environmental impact of your operations. The evidence suggests that the market rewards companies whose practices are environmentally responsible. -Conform to regulations and standards New regulations, such as the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, aim to reduce the effects on the environment resulting from the use and disposal of IT equipment. Such regulations apply in many different countries, so compliance will help your business to operate at an international level.