Research carried out by Gartner and supported by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) says that despite positive moves by most large IT equipment and service suppliers to minimise carbon emissions, progress has been disappointingly slow. This is despite methods for reducing energy such as building more environmentally friendly facilities, using cloud applications and reducing travel through the use of IT conferencing seemingly being high on the IT agenda. This news is not surprising given the apparent costs of overhauling a multi-national organisation to fall in line with the current expectation about becoming green. This prevalent attitude does however highlight that many businesses are failing to see the bigger picture in terms of how greener working could help reduce costs and offer other financial gains.
Dennis Pamlin, global policy advisor at WWF said that those businesses who are embracing the low carbon economy are already reaping benefits in terms of falling costs and improved image. The environmental issue is likely to keep growing, bringing with it the potential for incentives such as tax breaks for those businesses having the smallest impact on the environment. We only need to refer to the ever growing road tax levy for high polluting personal vehicles to realise this is a trend that is likely to grow. “The current financial crisis provides an interesting short-term opportunity for ICT providers to position themselves as low carbon leaders that deliver services that both save money and carbon emissions, especially compared with many other solutions where there is a choice between money or the environment,” says Pamlin.
The report highlighted that many companies have no economic policy or any targets to reduce emissions; the most basic tenets of creating a low carbon business. The message is that businesses of all sizes should look at their operations and begin assessing where savings could be made. Energy efficiency means financial efficiency in today’s economy and with this issue set to continue intensifying, all organisations need to treat this with urgency.
Tuesday 11 November 2008
The End is Not Nigh
Jobs at risk, but positive signs are there.
The majority of IT service management employees are still holding their nerves in light of the worsening economic gloom, with 62 per cent claiming they will not have to shed staff. Those who do lose their jobs during the melee will however have a tough time finding new roles, with 64 per cent of budget holders planning to slash recruitment costs to help weather the storm.
Overall, the research by the Service Desk Institute (SDI) shows that of the 200 plus IT service management professionals interviewed, 45 per cent expect a slow down in investment.
The news here is not the numbers themselves - most people would expect to see turmoil mixed in with some optimism - but that a survey at this time is likely to change every day that it was conducted, with the negatives growing on each consecutive date.
No one knows how bad the situation will get, but we must all ensure we don’t allow ourselves to be consumed by fear. Business will continue through this period, and while many of us may be experiencing quiet times, this presents the perfect opportunity to take stock of our working methods and see where improvements can be made.
To see how Richmond SupportDesk can help with proven IT Service Management software solutions visit www.richmondsupportdesk.com.
The majority of IT service management employees are still holding their nerves in light of the worsening economic gloom, with 62 per cent claiming they will not have to shed staff. Those who do lose their jobs during the melee will however have a tough time finding new roles, with 64 per cent of budget holders planning to slash recruitment costs to help weather the storm.
Overall, the research by the Service Desk Institute (SDI) shows that of the 200 plus IT service management professionals interviewed, 45 per cent expect a slow down in investment.
The news here is not the numbers themselves - most people would expect to see turmoil mixed in with some optimism - but that a survey at this time is likely to change every day that it was conducted, with the negatives growing on each consecutive date.
No one knows how bad the situation will get, but we must all ensure we don’t allow ourselves to be consumed by fear. Business will continue through this period, and while many of us may be experiencing quiet times, this presents the perfect opportunity to take stock of our working methods and see where improvements can be made.
To see how Richmond SupportDesk can help with proven IT Service Management software solutions visit www.richmondsupportdesk.com.
IT takes centre stage with Barack
Technology set for boost from new US president
The importance of modernising IT in the United States has already manifested itself as positive action as Barack Obama prepares to become the 44th US president.
Obama has drafted in Google executive Sonal Shah and Julius Genchowski, former InterActiveCorp executive to help safeguard his planned change programme which places greater emphasis on technological innovation.
Part of the plan is to introduce a Google search engine for searching public documents and to pull government and technology into the 21st century. Other plans include making broadband accessible for all US communities and protecting the openness of the internet while safeguarding children and ensuring a competitive landscape for content providers.
For more information on Obama’s vision for the future of IT in the US, more information can be found here, including a blueprint for change which is available for download. www.barackobama.com/issues/technology
The importance of modernising IT in the United States has already manifested itself as positive action as Barack Obama prepares to become the 44th US president.
Obama has drafted in Google executive Sonal Shah and Julius Genchowski, former InterActiveCorp executive to help safeguard his planned change programme which places greater emphasis on technological innovation.
Part of the plan is to introduce a Google search engine for searching public documents and to pull government and technology into the 21st century. Other plans include making broadband accessible for all US communities and protecting the openness of the internet while safeguarding children and ensuring a competitive landscape for content providers.
For more information on Obama’s vision for the future of IT in the US, more information can be found here, including a blueprint for change which is available for download. www.barackobama.com/issues/technology
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
