An Introduction to Green Information Technology

In today’s world, “going green"  seems to be the phrase everyone is talking about. Suddenly environmental awareness has gone from ideas as simple as recycling and energy conservation to a completely reworking the corporate strategy around the idea of green technology. And while surveys have shown that customers prefer doing business with eco-friendly companies, many individuals and business owners can become confused about just what “going green” really means.

Why "Go Green"?

It has become apparently clear that we live on a planet which has a finite number of natural resources. As the population increases, our impact on the environment continues to take a greater toll. Recent events have forced us to rethink the way we are consuming resources including the price of gas reaching record highs, talk of global warming, and the awareness that our old, improperly disposed of computers are contaminating our planet with toxic waste.

Although it is true that influx of technology such as high energy-consuming systems, e-waste, and transportation emissions are largely to blame for much of the problem, it will also be technology that offers a solution. Breakthroughs in Green IT are leading to some much needed change.

The future of Green Information Technology is limitless. As the following pages demonstrate, Green IT is taking off in ways no one even dreamed about in the past. The concept of Green IT encompasses ideas such as creating more energy eco-friendly computer components, building data centers that require less energy for powering and cooling, and adopting greener sources of energy, among other things. What’s more, all of these practices are not only better for the environment, but also produce savings for the company that can be seen as big improvements to the bottom line.


Navigating this Site

The following pages will explain concepts such as:

·          The difference between simply thinking green and becoming a Green Technology company
·         The costs and benefits associated with such change
·         What companies are currently doing to implement Green Strategies
·         The long term impact of Green Technology on businesses

A real world example is also included which demonstrates how the University of North Florida is considering "going green" by using technology to solve a variety of problems from environmental issues to traffic congestion and more!