2.22.2008 11:58 AM

Top 12 Green IT Users and Providers

It's a Diverse Group of Awardees

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By Brian Clark Howard

This month Computerworld has announced a list of the top 12 companies leading the way with internal green computing. According to the publication, "Green computing promises an enormous win for IT: a chance to save money -- and the environment. Many companies are trying to go greener, but a few truly stand out."

What is greener computing? It's about maximizing energy efficiency with better hardware and operating procedures, as well as working to decrease use of the most toxic materials. For example, certain software can be run on servers versus individual work stations, resulting in energy savings.

Ranked number 6 on Computerworld's list of users, the conservation leader World Wildlife Fund (WWF) purchases Energy Star-certified computers and networking printers, employees use power management settings, and IT staffers set network printers to go into sleep mode when they're not in use. Manufacturers say such techniques can result in slashing power consumption by up to 80%.

Last June, the World Wildlife Fund teamed up with Dell, Intel, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Microsoft and other industry heavy hitters to launch the Climate Savers Computing Initiative, which will encourage energy-saving designs for servers and desktop and notebook computers.

Green coverage powerhouse Discovery Communications, which recently acquired Treehugger.com, came in at number 2. Interestingly, Monsanto, which has often been maligned by greens for its alleged aggressive policies on promoting genetically engineered foods, was awarded with the eleventh spot.

Computerworld also ranked the top 12 green IT-providers, below.