Why Green IT?
Now, more than ever, it's important to consider going green in your business. Our country is dependent on foreign oil, which can drive up energy prices; our natural resources are being slashed in order to manufacture goods; and landfills are piling up.
And even if you don't believe our planet is going to hell in a hand basket, there are plenty of other reasons to go green. Kevin Klustner, president and CEO of
Verdiem, said the No. 1 reason is green IT saves money -- potentially, a
lot of money. He listed other reasons, as well, such as going green can generate good PR for your business. It makes sense -- you rub green IT's back, and it rubs yours.
There are also purely practical reasons for going green, such as saving space, not having to deal with light bulbs burning out so often, and sometimes just
rolling out of bed to get to work.
Jack Pouchet, director of energy initiatives for
Emerson Network Power, pointed out that studies show many companies aren't doing anything about green IT because there isn't a clear definition of what it constitutes. But, "there's no excuse not to do something," he said. Because small and midsize businesses "have a leg up over large companies because they don't have the bureaucracy to go through."
What follows are the tools your company can use to get in on the green IT action, from simple steps like recharging batteries to more major undertakings such as virtualizing your data center.
Don't Miss: Calculating ROI For Green IT
