October NewsBrief

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Five Steps to Green IT (Oct 12, 2007 - eWeek online)
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2195287,00.asp

In this recent article from eWeek, the mainstreaming of "green IT" continues. E-waste accounts for more than 2% of the waste stream and this figure is growing. Additionally, power consumption by the ever-increasing technology devices is putting pressure on power grids and increasing. This is also having an effect on the bottom line, as costs for energy have risen from $.17/dollar to $.48/dollar over a ten year period.

In order to deal with these issues, technology managers are under pressure to go green. It is suggested that IT managers begin allocating budget specifically for waste disposal, utilize manufacturer recycling programs, and validate that the recyclers are not improperly disposing e-waste in foreign countries (it is estimated that 60% - 80% of e-waste is exported or illegally dumped overseas). The EPA advises donation as a viable disposal alternative and, in some cases, tax advantages are bestowed if the donation is to a school or charity. Donations should be reserved for usable equipment to reputable charities not as means to avoid proper disposal. Beware of charities accepting "anything with a plug." This often means the charity is exporting unwanted materials to unsafe places. Regardless of disposal route, technology owners are advised to ensure proper data eradication.

With regard to power consumption, manufacturers are now producing more energy efficient servers and computers which should be utilized on the next refresh. Many applications and hardware have "hidden" power saving capabilities that if enabled can reduce consumption and lower cost. Users are advised to visit www.epeat.net to evaluate new technologies in terms of power consumption.

IT Managers are advised to implement green "demands" into RFP's vetting vendors and manufacturers as to development and recycling processes. Also, looking at different data center configurations, considering virtualization and server consolidation measures, and using more efficient technology overall can reduce power consumption and save costs.