More than the bottom line

Many companies even view CSR as a growth opportunity, with 68 percent of those surveyed focused on generating revenue through CSR activities, while 54 percent believed it gave them a competitive advantage.

Green dollars

So what does this mean for you as a reseller, retailer or systems integrator? At IBM’s Business Partner Summit last year, we briefed partners on our Green policies, delivering the message that this is a great way to get through to customers making IT purchasing decisions.

The environment should be high on your list when presenting to potential clients. To attract and retain the best, employees are looking for clear and defined messages about the role of their business in the community – including its environmental priorities. This is a good commercially based opportunity to get the message across to your customers.

The nexus between environmental improvement and a better bottom line is helpful to say the least. It should be used as a selling tool that positions your business as one that understands the urgency of the situation.

Suggest to your clients that they may want to consider rolling out server virtualisation technologies, particularly if they have servers ticking away that are under-utilised. Many organisations are switching over to virtualised server environments to achieve maximum utilisation from a smaller number of servers, using far less power in the process.

For example IBM’s virtualisation technologies can allow clients to go from five to 10 percent utilisation to nearly 100 per cent. This translates to power savings of more than 25 percent. Sustainability Victoria virtualised as part of its Green program, and in the process reduced the power needed to run its data centre by 68 percent. It’s not just feel good, there are real savings to be had.

Something else to suggest is a plan for disposing of IT equipment in a secure and sustainable manner. Certified recycling services will ensure data is wiped clean and the systems reused, resold or recycled, keeping harmful materials out of landfill.

IBM is taking a strong position on the issue and last year kicked off the Big Green program which committed $1 billion a year in funding to develop programs which benefit the environment. In addition, we have developed a suite of energy-efficient software, hardware and services designed to give clients a road map, tools and systems to help them address the IT energy crisis.

Final word

It can be quite easy to be cynical, especially when many companies with so-called “Green” policies are not yet taking energy-reducing measures. Making a positive contribution means doing something for and with your employees.

The benefits of adopting Green strategies go far beyond money saving. Increasingly, environmental issues are becoming important to customers.

Moreover, in the current skills shortage, it’s important for employees, too. Australians are increasingly choosing to work for employers who can provide a rounded work environment, including taking an active environmental approach to doing business.

If technology buyers don’t have the environment in mind when they’re selecting products or services, they should. The benefits – to their reputation, their employees and their potential clients – go well beyond the bottom line, and this makes the environment a potent and influential selling tool.

If buyers don’t consider this when making purchasing decisions, they will lose out to competitors who could be saving more money, getting more attention, and taking the best staff with them.

Being green is vital for businesses focussed on growth.

bottom finance line more than the