Channeling Green

I’m excited about Green IT. And it’s not just me. It’s thrilling to see the growing enthusiasm of channel stakeholders about environmentally-friendly computing.

As solid environmental credentials become increasingly important, end-users are beginning to wield influence all the way up to boardroom level, voting with their wallets to reward companies who make a significant commitment to Green IT. Customers are doing their homework, cutting through corporate “greenwash” to favour companies who share similar values.

For those in the channel, Green IT offers huge market opportunities and massive potential for business growth. Switched-on early adopters are treating the infancy of Green IT as a chance to build brand and customer loyalty for a new range of products. The early mover advantage should not be overlooked and innovators at all levels are beginning to make significant financial gains as they bring green-branded products and services to market.

The good news is that it is incredibly easy to jump aboard the Green IT train. How? First and foremost, exploit word of mouth advertising. Tell everyone you engage with about anything green you are doing. Sowing the seeds (if you'll excuse the pun) by letting your vendors, customers or suppliers know that you are going green costs next to nothing and the rewards you stand to reap are substantial in terms of repeat business, new sales leads, new partnerships opportunities and more.

So what can you actually do, as an integrator or dealer, to go green? Developing green policies and energy-use guidelines is an easy way to reduce your carbon footprint and keep energy costs down. Often this can be as simple as implementing regular energy audits to monitor power bills and identify areas that could be improved by more ecologically-aware practice. Once again tell people you are doing this. Stocking green friendly products and educating staff and indeed customers on the various benefits of these technologies is another easy step. Becoming known as a specialist green dealer or integrator is going to drive business to your door.

For vendors, the areas of energy-efficient manufacturing, research and development and the use of recycled materials provide ample opportunities for greening up corporate image. While these require significant investment, the chance to become a market leader in Green IT is a priceless opportunity. Implementing sustainable practices in the office, resource conservation and carbon-neutral transport logistics will also add quantifiable benefits to the bottom-line, public perception, and, most importantly, to the environment. Businesses should seize upon the opportunity to not only achieve kudos as good corporate citizens, but to also cut operating costs while making a positive contribution to the environment.

There is speculation that greater regulation of the ICT industry is looming, with rumours that products and manufacturing processes may soon be given government-monitored energy efficiency ratings. If this turns out to be true, the earlier that companies are able to adopt Green IT, the better equipped they will be to handle the challenges that lie ahead.

I look forward to continuing to cover developments for CRN’s Green Hub.