Green IT adoption hit by recessionary blues

SINGAPORE: Economic crisis would have limited impact on Green IT adoption, finds a Springboard survey of Asia Pacific.

A Springboard Research survey of 1,200 strategy leaders and decision-makers at enterprises across Asia Pacific has found that less than 10 per cent of enterprises have formally implemented a Green IT strategy, despite widespread awareness of Green IT’s ability to cut carbon footprint and improve return on investment, said a press release.

The survey findings, reported in Springboard’s latest study titled, “Is Green IT Bigger than the Economic Crisis: Asia Pacific Green IT Market Survey” add that 60 per cent of all firms without a Green IT strategy in place plan to implement one in the next 24 months.

The study revealed that nearly a third of APAC enterprises indicating their Green IT plans would actually accelerate during the economic downturn. The survey was conducted in Greater China, India, Australia, Singapore and Malaysia, the release added.

“Green IT may not have yet reached the level of a strategic priority for Asian enterprises, but it is growing in importance and we see the trend shifting from a movement to a market in the next two-three years,” said Jonathan Silber, research manager, Springboard Research.

He added that the good news is that both in spite of, and because of, the economic crisis, a considerable number of companies are recognizing the value and payback of Green IT initiatives.

The survey by Springboard revealed that a vast majority of enterprises are found to have implemented discrete Green IT initiatives despite not having formal strategies in place.

Further, although enterprises regard social responsibility and business advantages as prime motivators for going green, it is actually a reduction in energy costs that is viewed as more beneficial outcome of a Green IT implementation, rather than helping the environment.

The respondents in the study named IBM as the leader in Green IT mindshare, significantly ahead of HP and Dell. However, respondents did not consider any one global IT firm to be the unquestionable Green IT market leader when questioned specifically about green software, hardware, services, and communications.

The study also revealed that IT Vendors with strong green marketing campaigns and credentials have substantial influence over purchasing decisions with a large percentage of the respondents indicating that they consider green credentials when selecting an IT supplier, the release said.