Green IT: Eating Your Vegetables or a Legitimate Channel Opportunity?

“Eat your vegetables, they’re good for you!” We’re all familiar with this expression, but as any kid struggling through a plate of Brussels sprouts will tell you, what you know ahead of time doesn’t always make the experience any better. Based on my experience, Green IT often falls victim to this dilemma.  Sure, we know it’s good for us and we want to do the right thing for our environment, but there is often a disconnect when it comes down to critical activities—such as how is it going to help your business meet payroll today. But Green IT is far from an empty cliché; there are many good business reasons for your company and your customers to embrace it.  
 
Chief among the benefits is cost savings. When you control the amount of resources a business consumes, expenses typically fall in line as well. Consider a client’s desktop computer that is covered by a managed services contract. Through remote management of this system, you can reduce energy consumption by turning it off at night using internet-delivered commands from your offsite location. When that same computer freezes or slows substantially, remote remediation may be used to resolve the issue; eliminating the need for a service call which saves fuel and the technician’s time. In addition, the employee is able to reduce downtime, becoming much more productive. When you expand remote support to printer devices, servers, and other technologies, you get an idea of the potential impact in savings for both you and your customer.
 
Customer requirements are one of the best reasons to adopt a green approach. Ecological awareness has permeated many markets, creating green savvy consumers who demand that their suppliers do their part. For example, compare two similar sized Toyotas; the Prius and the Corolla. Though the hybrid Prius’ gas mileage is better, its price is substantially higher and, combined with potentially expensive battery replacement, could be more costly than the Corolla if kept for several years. Don’t get me wrong, hybrid technology is beneficial in conserving our vital resources, but Green technology may not always be the least costly option for a business. But in markets where the ecological benefits are in demand, building these offerings and promoting them to prospective clients can be lucrative.        

When you combine the desire of many customers to do the right thing with the savings generated by reduced resource consumption, it provides an opportunity to differentiate your business from your competition. While these two benefits are the “Green IT carrot”, the third is truly the stick! Almost half the states (23 at last count) have passed or are in the process of adopting legislation that outlines proper disposal of an IT asset. With the push to expand those regulations, expect discarding of retired equipment to fall under additional government scrutiny and the penalties for non-compliance are already substantial. A California business was recently fined $37,500 per day by the EPA for labeling a China-bound shipment of CRT monitors as scrap metal, then failing to properly dispose of them once the government agency identified the problem. As Green IT gathers more attention in the public, likely through the misdeeds of a few wayward organizations, penalties will likely climb and the opportunity for channel providers with the right solutions will multiply. To find the regulations that govern e-waste in your state, consult the CompTIA US Compiled State Regulations.

With these sound business reasons firmly in mind, CompTIA provides its members with numerous resources to adopt a green approach in your business. Our IT Services and Support Community has been very active in Green IT developing education and research, with additional related initiatives advancing within the group. Here are some of the latest resources supported by the collaborative community:

• CompTIA Strata Green IT (certificate) Validates your aptitude with effectively implementing and measuring ecological technology programs and investments, and allows you to promote this specialized expertise.


• The Green IT Market: Insights, Opportunities and Challenges (archived webinar)


• Green IT: Insights and Opportunities (research study) Illustrates how companies are incorporating green factors into their decision making processes.


• Green IT: Practical Business Applications for IT Resellers (podcast) Richard Rottsolk of Belmont Technologies discusses the involvement of resellers in the disposal of computer equipment and how this can positively affect their business.


• ENERGY STAR and Green IT: 5 Ways VARs can Profit  (archived webinar) This session covers  the ENERGY STAR can help you boost your bottom line, deliver energy savings & the benefits of building/selling qualified products.