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Green ICT Series
The balance between business and environment
June 26, 2009
Almost everyone is talking about Green IT, referred to as "Green ICT" at T-Systems because of the high-performance combination of information and communications technology. But how widely practiced is it? How green are German companies, really? Andreas Zilch, Member of the Board of Management at the Experton Group, took a moment to answer our questions.
Mr. Zilch, how does the Experton Group define Green IT?
Green IT is a balance between business and the environment. Particularly now with the economic crisis, companies aren't going to make investments just to protect the environment – profitability is their primary concern. Unlike other market participants, we don't see Green IT in the context of complex, economic 'end-to-end' processes (i.e., from production to disposal), since we don't consider these aspects practical when it comes to the investment decisions a company makes. Instead, we focus on the primary life cycle of IT systems, i.e., from installation to operation: how much energy is used, how much heat is generated, etc.
Green IT is a balance between business and the environment. Particularly now with the economic crisis, companies aren't going to make investments just to protect the environment – profitability is their primary concern. Unlike other market participants, we don't see Green IT in the context of complex, economic 'end-to-end' processes (i.e., from production to disposal), since we don't consider these aspects practical when it comes to the investment decisions a company makes. Instead, we focus on the primary life cycle of IT systems, i.e., from installation to operation: how much energy is used, how much heat is generated, etc.
Where do you think companies need to become more active?
We conducted two studies on Green IT in Germany. The second is currently being published. In these studies, we found that not enough consideration is given to energy consumption and costs in the IT area. The reason for this? At almost every German company, the head of the IT department isn't responsible for energy costs. So they aren't motivated to look into alternatives. Unfortunately, most CIOs don't look at the whole picture, although there are some notable exceptions..
We conducted two studies on Green IT in Germany. The second is currently being published. In these studies, we found that not enough consideration is given to energy consumption and costs in the IT area. The reason for this? At almost every German company, the head of the IT department isn't responsible for energy costs. So they aren't motivated to look into alternatives. Unfortunately, most CIOs don't look at the whole picture, although there are some notable exceptions..
So to what extent are companies actually aware of the concept of Green IT?
The topic is not as widespread as it should be. But there are definitely some examples of best practice like Bosch Siemens Hausgeräte (BSH). Not only does the company manufacture energy efficient washing machines and refrigerators, it's also environmentally conscious when it comes to its IT activities. By consolidating its SAP landscape and using server virtualization, some of which is provided by a T-Systems data center, BSH is able to cut back CO2 emissions by 793 tons each year. I think this is currently the best example of sustainability in IT as well as profitable use of Green IT.
The topic is not as widespread as it should be. But there are definitely some examples of best practice like Bosch Siemens Hausgeräte (BSH). Not only does the company manufacture energy efficient washing machines and refrigerators, it's also environmentally conscious when it comes to its IT activities. By consolidating its SAP landscape and using server virtualization, some of which is provided by a T-Systems data center, BSH is able to cut back CO2 emissions by 793 tons each year. I think this is currently the best example of sustainability in IT as well as profitable use of Green IT.
