I have spent so much time recently saving the planet that I have quite forgot to write anything in my BLOG (I was also trying to reduce the strain on the digital universe). You see my Green IT credentials have grown so much in the last few months that I am literally expecting a call from the Vatican any day now, although I think my surname might cause a bit of a problem at the naming ceremony.

It is amazing though that all end users I talk to now want to know is ‘what's the ROI' on this supposed green project. I really think they are missing the point. They want me to be green, save the planet, and deliver all the projects so the finance director can see a financial return.

Thank the man upstairs.

In the last two weeks, I have met with four IT directors and they have all embraced the notion that being Greener is simply a bi-product of a project that actually delivers a clear financial or operational ROI.

Whether it is taking servers out of the DC or taking paper out of a clunky existing business process, the IT department are thinking outside of the green fluff that has clogged up the naval of the IT industry over the past 12 months.

I still groan when I get my 19th ‘Green IT Consultancy' email of the day in my inbox, but the satisfaction I get in deleting them and reducing the storage burden on my IT department is worth it.

Therefore, my friends, today I start a new campaign, if being environmental friendly is being green, then delivering Efficient IT should be being PURPLE. If you are as fed up as I am of, being ‘greened' then join me and become Purple. You know it makes sense.

Comments

There are currently 3 comments about this blog.

Victoria, 5 months ago

What about the idea though that being more efficient (or purple if you like) is a by-product of being green (rather than green as a by-product of working more efficiently)? I like to think that there are IT directors out there that want to do an initiative simply because it is 'green' and will minimise their carbon footprint - not because they want to save some costs in their IT department and are looking for any old moniker to hang it on. For some people, I think you can argue that being green isn't a fad but a lifestyle shift and promoting greener ways of working in their organisation is as second nature to them as re-using less plastic bags when they do the weekly shop or buying low energy light bulbs instead of the incandescent variety. Yes, green IT has become an overused buzzword, but lets not forget that organisations should also be doing their bit to address climate change regardless of how much money it saves their company or more efficient it makes their department.

chris gabriel, 5 months ago

Simon, your right, make it colorless makes most sense. One would hope that it will become ingrained in every decision that IT make in the coming years, and we will just take it as red (sorry) that efficient IT is the norm not the exception.

Simon Marsh, 5 months ago

Yes, good point Chris. We're seeing the expected 'backlash' to Green IT, as everyone jumps on the bandwagon and people become bored of having it waved in their faces. However, there is a bigger point, and it may be more useful for Green IT to become completely colourless! 'Green' IT is here to stay, but must become an integral and automatic part of all IT projects - something that's considered and implemented without even a second thought.

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