By Todd Thibodeaux, president and chief executive officer, CompTIA

Green IT remains a fuzzy concept for many, with uses of the term and its interpretation varying wildly. The definition from the article Harnessing Green IT: Principles and Practices by Sam Murugesan, published by the IEEE Computer Society, provides a solid foundation for framing the somewhat murky concept of green IT:
“The study and practice of designing, manufacturing, using, and disposing of computers, servers, and associated systems – such as monitors, printers, storage devices, and networking and communications systems – efficiently and effectively with minimal or no impact on the environment.”

A 2011 CompTIA research study of the green IT market revealed a wide range of views on what green means, but reduced energy consumption and e-waste recycling are the practices most strongly associated with green IT initiatives.

Green IT becoming a priority for more organisations

Among organisational priorities, green IT initiatives tend to rank in the middle, though the CompTIA survey suggests this is changing. In 2009, only 9% of firms rated green IT as an upper half priority. The figure jumped to 37% in 2011 and is expected to rise to 54% by 2013. Also, one in five organisations had a dedicated budget allocated to green IT initiatives, but another 44% indicated that they are moving in that direction.

Presently, green IT initiatives and expenditures tend to occur at mediums-sized organisations (100-499 employees) and larger firms (500-plus employees). Businesses of this size consume more resources and energy and therefore are more apt to pursue strategies that yield real costs savings or efficiencies. 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 of these firms eyed green strategies as a means to help the bottom line. This is not to suggest that small firms cannot benefit from green IT practices, but the bottom line impact is proportionally smaller.

Evaluating IT companies based on green

When evaluating whether to do business with an IT company, firms traditionally consider a number of factors like quality, price and flexibility. While these factors continue to be most important, companies are increasingly weighing in on green IT practices as well.

In the CompTIA survey, 76% of respondent companies indicate that they have hired or partnered with IT companies in the past two years, ranging from hardware vendors, software vendors, value-added resellers, solution providers, carriers and distributors. When considering whether to hire these companies, the majority of companies indicate that how green these IT companies are and how knowledgeable they are on implementing green initiatives are important factors. For instance, being green may entail efforts to reduce energy consumption, manufacturing, purchasing and using green IT products, or have an eWaste system.

When looking at what factors are most important in evaluating IT companies to hire, 74% say that the ability to help implement IT initiatives that conserve energy is a top factor. Nearly half (44%) indicate that it is important that IT companies purchase and use green IT products; have an eWaste program (42%); and use green manufacturing processes (40%).

Green Skills for the IT Workforce

Green IT is at the heart of virtually every aspect of sustainability, from the power grid, smart buildings and environmental control systems to telepresence, telecommuting and virtualisation. But to fulfill the promise of green IT, technology professionals must add new skills unique to its environment.

The CompTIA Green IT Certification is one way in which IT workers can enhance their green skills. The certification ensures knowledge and skills necessary to implement environmentally sound techniques within an organisation's IT infrastructure. The certification enhances existing IT credentials to incorporate emerging technologies that shape the global green IT industry.