Green IT initiatives will take on added importance in the next few years as more organizations commit financial resources and develop comprehensive strategies, according to a new study. Technologies such as virtualization or cloud computing may go a long way towards optimizing resource use, but few organizations make the association with green.
Among organizational priorities, green IT initiatives tend to rank around the middle. But the study suggests the trend line is headed upward. In 2009 only 9 percent of firms rated green IT as an upper half organizational priority. That figure stands at 37 percent in 2011 and is expected to rise to 54 percent in 2013 -- a nearly five-fold increase from 2009.
One in five firms currently have dedicated budget allocated for green IT initiatives, but 44 percent indicate they are moving in that direction. That's potentially good news for the IT industry, as it may indicate there is a growing market opportunity for technology products and services that have a green component.
The study also reveals that 35 percent of organizations report having a comprehensive green strategy for practices such as reducing energy consumption, equipment usage/design, recycling/product disposal, carbon footprint and employee behaviors. Additionally, 42 percent have a partial green strategy, while 24 percent have no strategy in place, though these firms may still engage in some green behaviors.
Looking ahead, among firms without a comprehensive green strategy, 48 percent expect to have one within two years. The remaining firms either expect a longer time horizon for adopting a strategy or are uncertain. This suggests many organizations continue to wrestle with the return on investment in green initiatives.
Part of the challenge is defining exactly what's meant by the term green IT.
Reducing energy consumption -- cited by 67 percent of respondents -- and the recycling of obsolete IT products or e-waste (63 percent) are the practices most strongly associated with green initiatives, according to the study.
Comment from Tim Herbert, vice president, research, CompTIA: Given the intense cost-cutting focus during the tough economic times of the past few years, as well as periods of high energy costs, it's likely many firms eyed green strategies as a means to help the bottom line.Green IT remains a fuzzy concept for many. Use of the term and its interpretation vary widely. While technologies such as virtualization or cloud computing may go a long way towards optimizing resource use, fewer respondents currently make the association with green. IT executives and respondents from large firms, those with more than 500 employees, are slightly more likely to view virtualization as a green strategy.
About the study: CompTIA's Second Annual Green IT Insights and Opportunities study is based on an online survey of 650 IT and business executives involved in green initiatives or strategies in the United States, United Kingdom and Germany. The complete report is available at no cost to CompTIA members.
Contact: http://www.comptia.org
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