Give IT managers incentive to go green, says HP

HP is getting behind all things sustainable and green, including the idea that IT managers should be given budget incentives to improve IT efficiency.

Speaking in connection with the launch of a range of HP energy-efficient PCs, which the company claims could be more than 45 per cent more efficient than existing systems, Todd Kruse, HP business desktop product manager, said it is important to give IT managers incentives for buying energy-saving products.

He said: "Looking at the idea of power increasingly becoming a cost centre for businesses, then chief information officers need to make sure that they are being compensated for any investments they make in energy-efficient PCs or they will have no incentive to buy this kind of kit."

Kruse explained energy-efficient hardware is often more expensive than commoditised equipment and that this would have to be allowed for in IT budgets. But if the IT department managed to lower its power costs as a result, these savings should be included in subsequent IT budgets.

The energy-efficient machines introduced by HP are the HP Compaq dx2250 and dx2300 desktops. The dx2250, which retails for around £229, comes with a 64-bit AMD Athlon X2 dual-core processor and features HP's Cool'n'Quiet technology, which the vendor claims reduces processor heat and makes for a quieter work environment.

Interestingly, the dx2250 supports Windows XP as well as Windows Vista. The fact customers can load XP onto the machine will please some critics of Vista who claim the OS is extremely power hungry. Microsoft has refuted these claims and recently released a survey investigating Vista's in-built energy efficiency.

HP also announced it has set itself an ambitious target for reducing its energy use over the next three years by 20 per cent, which will affect its manufacturing and day-to-day operations.

In a statement, the company claimed it planned to ship more energy-efficient products to customers and improve the way it manages energy internally.

Pat Tiernan, vice president, corporate, social and environmental responsibility at HP, said: "Sustainability should span the entire business, from product reuse and recycling, to a socially and environmentally responsible supply chain, to energy efficiency in products and internal operations - it's the whole package."

According to HP, in 2006 the company purchased 11 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy for use in its operations. HP also joined the US Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Purchase programme - a challenge to Fortune 500 companies to double the renewable energy they purchased by the end of 2007.

HP also established a global joint initiative with the US World Wildlife Fund to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its operating facilities worldwide.

Andrew Donoghue writes for ZDNet UK