Is Green IT The Answer?

Last month, we at Evolving Solutions celebrated Earth Day.

In the spirit of the day, I conducted an online search on Green IT to see how others in the industry are discussing green initiatives, and found the excellent post, “Saving Green by Being Virtually Green,” by Lilac Berniker.

“The focus of IT departments has shifted palpably in the last few months. Until last year, their focus was on becoming more environmentally conscious and making concerted efforts towards ‘greening the datacenters,’” begins Berniker.  ”Today, the entire focus is on cost savings, cost avoidance and cost deferment. Few organizations realize that virtualization can be a critical link to creating a utopian world where IT can lower costs while at the same time be more green.”

So, can data center cost saving strategies, like server and storage virtualization, transform our world into the utopia envisioned by major proponents of a green lifestyle?

The answer is a resounding ‘maybe.’

Despite its name, Green IT’s focus is almost entirely on cost-savings.  However, when someone offers Green IT as a solution, many see this as trusting a vital part of your business to a faddy, green movement.

A business’ fundamental purpose for existing is to be a profitable entity, and part of what’s keeping this entity alive is a robust, efficient IT infrastructure.  While many businesses have implemented green initiatives, these initiatives are secondary, and more philanthropic than fundamental.

The reason why few organizations realize that Green IT, or initiatives like server and storage virtualization, can be beneficial to the environment is because this is not their fundamental purpose for existing.

Hence the revised focus on selling Green IT as a cost saving initiative.

So, will Green IT save costs?

Absolutely.  The idea behind green IT is lower power costs, essentially.

Will Green IT be beneficial to business?

Yes.  Solutions like server and storage virtualization, while using less power, bring with them the added benefit of more efficient IT processes, leading to a more efficient business altogether.

Will Green IT make our world a better place to live?

Likely so.  In using fewer resources, it would not be out of line to suggest that we are collectively reducing our impact on the planet.

When someone mentions Green IT in your organization, realize that while its benefit towards the greater good for our planet remains to be proven beyond a doubt, its benefit to your business is not the least bit in question.