The ROI of green IT

Many companies pursue green solutions because it's "the right thing to do." But many more aren't pursuing them until the ROI is there as well. Ted Samson of InfoWorld blogged last week about his continual surprise "by the persistent assumption that being environmentally conscious and fiscally smart are at odds with one another," citing a guest on NPR who suggested the "looming recession should compel organizations to abandon green IT initiatives." Samson went on to say this NPR guest "dismissed green efforts as "feel-good" projects that don't do much to help an organization's bottom line."

Samson's post provides examples of how many green-technology projects and investments positively affect the bottom lines while delivering environmentally friendly benefits. "After all, the very purpose of such projects is to reduce energy consumption and other costly waste at an organization. These steps then result in environmentally friendly benefits, such as a smaller carbon footprint and fewer squandered natural resources."