It’s hard to pick up a newspaper in the early 21st century without being assaulted by messages about the environment. If it’s not climate change than it’s another toxic spill. Manufacturers have responded with a variety of new controls and lean processes. Unfortunately, this diligence hasn’t extended to IT operations. It’s time to explore green for the IT department.
Green IT and Manufacturing
Info-Tech Research Group data indicates that only 14% of IT managers in manufacturing are “very concerned” about energy efficiency (versus 25% for other industries) and only 10% have budget allocation for green IT projects. Furthermore, only 6% of manufacturers consider their IT operations to be “very green” (compared to 9% for other industries). The news isn’t completely dismal. Manufacturing IT departments are aggressive in pursuing strategies such as rightsizing IT equipment (23%) and server consolidation/virtualization (50%). But they can do more.
