80% Of IT Decision Makers Value Green IT, But Hurdles Remain

Four out of five IT decision makers across government and corporate sectors said implementing green IT solutions in their organizations is important, with almost half citing positive reputation as the main benefits of adopting green IT, according to a new survey by CDW Corp.

Based on responses from over 1,000 IT decision makers, the survey found that 51 percent were hesitant to employ green IT technologies due to cost concerns, while 25 percent cited the complexity of implementing and maintaining green IT solutions. Twenty-one percent cited potential disruptions to current systems as a top barrier to adoption.

According to CDW, executives at the highest level tend to be the biggest proponent of green IT solutions, with 46 percent – including 73 percent of small businesses – citing the CEO, president, partner, or owner as the main supporter.

However, less than 30 percent of small businesses have started to implement green IT solutions compared with almost 70 percent of large businesses that are already taking initiatives.

Compared with corporations, only 35 percent of government organizations have implemented green IT solutions and almost 40 percent said they have no plans to implement them in the next two years.

At the European Retail Solutions Best Green IT Initiative Award 2008, which awards companies using natural resources efficiently while minimizing environmental impact, Sainsbury took home gold for using simultaneous two-sided thermal receipt printers in its store checkouts.