Letting environmental thinking shape your value chain will keep your company ahead in tomorrow's low-carbon economy. However you go about it, IT has to be a key element in your solution.

Economic growth, we're constantly reminded, seems to be directly linked to increased greenhouse gas emissions. And the truth is, IT is part of the problem, with energy consumption one of the main challenges. Server parks, PCs and computer equipment require a lot of electricity. Figures from the analyst Gartner show that the IT industry accounts for around 2 per cent of total CO2 emissions. Nonetheless, Green IT suggests that we're moving towards a low-carbon economy, where reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are necessary for further economic growth. There's no doubt that the smart use of IT can help rationalise existing business processes and introduce totally new low-carbon processes.

Green IT at work

There are plenty of ways in which IT can bring major energy savings. Logistics systems can optimise driving routes, intelligent buildings use less heating and lighting, and smarter power grids make better use of renewable energy sources.  Making the change from a physical product to a virtual product is also a key idea behind green IT. Perhaps the best examples of this are video conferencing and e-invoicing.

Briefly then, IT is a vital resource in a low-carbon economy because it can help reduce negative environmental impact across a wide range of business acivities. And the good news is, there are proven solutions already out there in the market:

• Video conferencing, computer-based web conferences, phone conferences, screen-sharing, and similar products that reduce the amount of business travel.
• E-invoicing
• Electronic patient records
• Transport systems
• Administrative support systems
• Collaboration solutions
• Virtual customer service centres

What we can do to save the environment

To begin with, let's talk about virtualisation - effectively reducing the number of server installations. Fewer servers means lower electricity consumption in relation to datasets produced. At the same time, material consumption and space requirements go down as data storage volumes go up. The net effect upon the environment is a clear positive, with a significant reduction in energy consumption per unit stored.

There are further environmental benefits to be gained by using innovative cooling and heating solutions in data centres. And environmental thinking can be factored in across the entire value chain - from the procurement of hardware and software from environmentally-conscious market leaders, to the environmentally-friendly disposal of IT equipment and other waste. In addition, the use of modern communications technology helps to reduce pollution caused by business travel.  All of these have a positive impact on our own – and consequently on our customers' – carbon footprint.

Enterprises which have already started to apply smart IT are actively contributing towards a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. For each individual business, and for the environment, the effects are unquestionably positive.

Mobility and communications technology
Communications technology such as video and web conferencing solutions, collaboration platforms, and interactive meeting places all offer the potential to limit environmental impact - by reducing the need to travel, therefore lowering carbon emissions, and also by reducing paper consumption.

Logistics and transport applications
Our applications contribute directly towards improving fuel economy and fleet management, and allow more efficient operations through positioning and navigation technology for transport and logistics. We also use the Alystra® business system, which includes software for transport, logistics and mobile computer communications.

Lifecycle services
EVRY's lifecycle services provide your enterprise with simple, reliable and more environmentally-friendly management of IT equipment throughout its entire lifecycle. We ensure that 98 per cent of equipment and packing is sorted at source and destroyed, or that processes are in place for selling used equipment. We also encourage customers to donate equipment to voluntary organisations.

Cloud services
Cloud computing is a powerful environmental solution. It involves centralised data processing, consolidation of the computer park, significantly reduced requirements for cooling and more efficient use of resources.  A 2010 study by Microsoft showed that companies who run applications in the cloud can reduce their energy consumption by 30 per cent or more compared with running the same applications on their own IT infrastructure. Depending on the size of the organisation, the results can be even more impressive. The same study concludes that small organisations can expect to reduce carbon emissions by 90 per cent or more by running applications in the cloud rather than using local servers.

Mobile outsourcing
Increasing the potential for remote working, reducing the need for travel - mobile solutions bring obvious environmental benefits for your business. EVRY can take full responsibility for your enterprise's mobile devices, including set-up and maintenance tasks: from consultancy to development of mobile solutions, administration, installation, configuration, distribution, swap pool, service, security and, not least, user support – all in one place.  Users have just one point of contact, whether they have questions about their computer or their mobile phone. With integrated solutions across different platforms, EVRY's mobile solutions can represent significant savings on your enterprise's resources.