3. Eco-Fatigue Hits IT Departments By early December, when Al Gore picked up his Nobel Prize for spreading the message of a global environmental crisis, greenlash, or eco-fatigue, had already flared up across IT departments at small and midsize businesses. The source was a shrill, ceaseless chorus of IT vendors making thinner and thinner environmental claims.
It's only going to get louder in 2008.
IT managers and staff are as environmentally aware and responsible as professionals in any other industry. But the marketing of "green data centers" and "green servers" and "green IT" by IT vendors is out of control. The ability to identify "self-declared environmental claims" that turn out to be bogus isn't easy, especially for resource-challenged smaller buisnesses. Even the media have been fooled.
Enough already.
"...don't expect a bunch of American technology managers to really give a hoot. One technology manager noted that an ROI case for green IT would have more legs than presentations about how the green movement is changing technology. In other words, take the green, add in some greenbacks and stir well. Show these folks the money, savings and the bonuses from delivering a green project and they'll be a lot less skeptical," writes ZDnet blogger Larry Dignan.
Instead of falling for the latest "green" technology pitch, smart IT managers will start by optimizing the software and equipment they're already using. In 2008 they'll stop thinking of IT as green vs. not green, and start thinking of IT in terms of efficiency. They'll develop green IT policies and best practices before making and significant green IT purchases.
"You may think you are buying a green server, but if you manage it inefficiently, it's not as green as my old server that's properly optimized," says Chris Gabriel, head of solutions at systems integrator Logicalis.
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