Save Earth

I would like to bring up the subject of computers and its impact on
environment with the channel partners. I do not remember coming across any
discussion on IT-related environmental hazard and its cost implications with any
channel partner.

If channel partners believe that doing something about the impending global
warming and its consequences is only the responsibility of automobile companies,
power generation companies and oil companies, they are sadly mistaken. If you
read some of the figures on the amount of electricity used in the US to run and
then cool datacenters, you will be shocked. According to some reports,
electricity costs have replaced real estate as the biggest datacenter expense,
for instance.

Clearly, 'green solutions' that ensure maximum energy efficiency and minimal
environmental impact can be worked out for large installations, millions of
rupees of money and thousands of megawatts of energy can be saved. And more
importantly, that will lead to a significant reduction in the speed at which
this earth's atmosphere is warming up.

Environment-friendly IT products and solutions are beginning to get
available, but how far they make sense in terms of costs and RoI, is still not
clear as of now. But this is something that some IT managers are now beginning
to worry about. And thankfully, many vendors of IT products, and energy and
power-management solutions are actively working on it.

Channels must contribute in making mother Earth a better place to live in. I
would go to the extent of suggesting that channel associations must take this up
actively-f they must ask for
government incentives for these initiatives. That day may not be far off when
even the government of our couor instance, ask vendors for products that reduce
energy consumption, and encourage customers to deploy green solutions. Andntry will come up with strong legislations that
are aimed at curtailing energy usage and wastage.

ibrahim ahmad

ibrahima@cybermedia.co.in