System iNetwork

April 15, 2008

Going Green on Big Blue

In the April 15 issue of the Systems Management newsletter, I read a very interesting article titled "Dataupia Breaks Down
the ‘Greening Equation.’" Written by Michelle Savage, it explores a new server that claims to use just 10 percent of the power of an average server. The article notes, "Research shows that IT organizations face increasing pressure to adopt 'green' or energy-efficient computing practices. A Gartner study showed that the No. 1 strategic technology for 2008 is green IT. An IDC survey said that nearly 80 percent of executives say that green IT is a growing priority for their businesses, and more than 50 percent of customers consider IT vendors’ 'greenness' when choosing a supplier."

It got me thinking -- what are vendors in the System i world doing to appeal to those environmentally conscious consumers? There are a few companies that are definitely trying to do something.

The new IBM servers promise to increase efficiency. Check out more here.

Also, businesses are moving to paperless document management. Reducing the amount of paper used directly benefits the environment in two ways: less landfill matter and fewer toppled trees.

I have to give credit to InFORM Decisions on this one for their slew of document automation solutions that help businesses go paperless, but there's also a brand new initiative all about going green. Check it out here.

Elite Document Solutions, Inc., offers EliteSUITE, a family of document-management solutions that provides modules for automatic generation, distribution, archiving, and imaging of electronic documents to provide a complete paperless solution.

Quadrant Software, Inc., provides IntelliChief -- a paperless process-management solution that lets users create, capture, archive, retrieve, establish workflow, and distribute documents electronically. Its components include document management, electronic forms, workflow, and fax technologies that users can combine into a complete solution or use independently to enhance particular business processes.

NetManage's iPrint lets companies convert files to PDF and Excel formats and facilitate realtime electronic material distribution instead of wasting paper on manual distribution.

Also, another interesting new tool is provided by the Green Grid, a global consortium dedicated to advancing energy efficiency in data centers and business computing ecosystems. Among the members, I spotted several i-vendors, including SunGard and EMC.

I can't wait to see what product suppliers for the beloved i will come up with next. Solar-powered servers? You never know. . . .

Posted by ebradford at April 15, 2008 11:41 AM