Firms fear green IT costs

This just in folks…While companies say they want the green thing to happen, many see costs of IT change (such as buying more energy-efficient equipment) as too expensive, a study of IT managers found.

Findings from the Neoware survey were:

98 per cent of respondents thought that the IT industry has a responsibility to become more environmentally friendly

71 per cent of respondents felt that being greener is high on their company’s priorities

60 per cent of respondents do or would evaluate suppliers based on their environmental approach

Here’s the nub of it:

“Some 71 per cent of respondents said that they would choose an IT system or product specifically because it is more environmentally friendly or energy efficient.

The majority of respondents cited cost (24 per cent) as the key preventative factor followed by ‘difficulties in replacing existing technology’ (18 per cent) and ‘lack of green products available’ (17 per cent).

Andrew Gee, sales manager for Northern Europe at Neoware, said: “Leading PC and software manufacturers are announcing their green initiatives but many of these are likely to drive up the costs of computers. One such initiative would cost consumers and businesses an additional £10 for each computer.”