Businesses around the world have discovered that going green isn't just good for the planet; it's good for their bottom lines. The findings in this report highlight how mid-size companies are realizing significant cost savings when they adopt Green IT initiatives.
Green IT:
Why Mid-size Companies Are Investing NowIntroduction
Environmental issues are receiving unprecedented attention from businesses and governments around the world.
In a special 2005 address to the World Economic Forum in Davos, then-Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair, argued that the weight of evidence is such that swift action must be taken to address global warming. This comment came alongside a marked shift in environmental dialogue across societies and in business leadership circles.
In January 2009, former US Vice President Al Gore urged Congress to take decisive action, "reverse years of inaction," and assume leadership in the preparations of a new, global climate treaty, which is critical for success at the Copenhagen UN climate summit in December 2009. At this summit, it is widely expected that industrialized nations will agree on a more comprehensive, actionable climate agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol.
As concern for climate change and sustainability continues to grow, and actions now ramp up, businesses are grappling with reducing carbon footprints while remaining profitable.
Feeling pressure from customers and other stakeholders, organizations have begun to make serious improvements in their environmental performance, recognizing that if they fail to deliver on this, it frequently translates into a negative impact on profit.
Many governments are introducing aggressive environmental policy, encompassing everything from greenhouse gas reduction and natural resource protection to clean power initiatives and incentives for energy efficiency.
Moreover, in 2009, businesses feel the negative impact of our economic climate. Senior leaders - in the corporate office and in IT - are surveying their businesses for readily achievable cost savings to make up for tightened budgets and profit margins. IT departments, having run lean in the past, are on the hunt for new initiatives that reduce costs without compromising business value.
Many businesses have discovered that Green IT initiatives offer costs savings benefits while reforming the organization, meeting stakeholder demands and complying with laws and regulations. In this study, IBM and Info-Tech Research Group find that businesses who complete Green IT initiatives realize significant cost savings alongside superior environmental performance.
This paper presents the results of a study conducted by Info- Tech Research Group and sponsored by IBM. More than 1,000 IT professionals in mid-size businesses, from 12 countries and eight industries, were consulted through surveys and interviews to understand why Green IT initiatives are undertaken, and how the results translate into cost savings, business value and environmental benefits.
Page 1 Green IT: Why Mid-size Companies Are Investing Now INFO-TECH RESEARCH GROUPTable of Contents
Executive Summary............................................................................................................. Page 3
Part I: Progress in Green IT.................................................................................................. Page 4
Part II: Consolidation & Virtualization ................................................................................ Page 7
Part III: Energy Efficiency..................................................................................................... Page 9
Part IV: Travel Reduction.................................................................................................... Page 13
Part V: Asset Disposal........................................................................................................ Page 14
Part VI: The Green IT Personalities................................................................................... Page 15
Part VII: Succeeding with Green IT.................................................................................... Page 17
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................... Page 18
Page 2 Green IT: Why Mid-size Companies Are Investing Now INFO-TECH RESEARCH GROUPExecutive Summary
Businesses around the world are realizing that addressing environmental concerns can Green IT:also benefit the bottom line. They aren't jumping on the bandwagon in an effort to save t... [download for more]
