Green IT and Green Computing Defined

This is an exciting time in the IT industry, a time when we collectively begin to look at the impacts of our business on society, the environment and of course, the economy. As the businesses around us begin to examine the environmental impacts of their operations, we must be ready to contribute and support that work. At AlternativeBusiness.com, we believe that IT departments have a great opportunity to engage in this transformation and we are excited to be assisting small businesses.

There are a host of terms that are used prolifically these days and are often inter-changeable with one another. We have narrowed it down to three terms "Lean IT", "Green IT" and "Sustainable IT" to simplify the discussions in our work. These three areas are the focus of exciting innovation in the IT industry these days and are significantly impacting IT operations departments both large and small.

is often used to refer to using computers, monitors and servers in an energy efficient manner. In this case we have chosen to use the term IT rather than Computing as it encompasses all of the activities of an IT department including asset management strategies, policies and procedures, support green business as well as energy efficiency.

Why IT?

Many of you may wonder, why should we consider IT? IT departments actually have a significant opportunity to contribute to an organization's sustainability practices by helping to reduce carbon emissions through reducing energy consumption, participating in responsible purchasing practices and providing the infrastructure for green business. You will find that many practices that contribute to reducing the environmental impact of IT and computing, also contribute to reducing costs and supporting more efficient use of assets.