IT pros ignoring green schemes
~ company culture stalling contribution to environmental strategies, finds Parity ~
October 2008
Parity, the IT training and solutions company, has found that 98 per cent of IT professionals want their organisation to put green schemes into practice. However, only a third are taking individual action, so progress is being stalled.
The research into companies’ adoption of green initiatives revealed a disparity between IT workers’ knowledge about the business benefits of green IT and actions IT departments are taking to drive environmental strategies.
According to 40 per cent of IT workers, the greatest barrier to the implementation of such programmes is behavioural and cultural change. This was at the top of the list, ahead of value added to the business, and time or cost implications. Parity believes this disconnect means more training in delivering green IT initiatives is required.
The research also revealed misconceptions about the potential for other elements of IT infrastructure to contribute to green strategies. While most IT workers are aware of the importance of power consumption, hardware and cooling in contributing to reducing environmental impact, only seven per cent consider IT business management processes an area in which significant improvements can be made.
On the positive side, IT staff recognise the contribution that changes to service management processes can make to green strategies. Two thirds of those surveyed thought this was an area in which a significant difference could be made.
"It’s important that people have an accurate picture of how IT can contribute to their company’s environmental strategy, and for the overall vision to translate into individuals’ activities," said Rick Firth, managing director at Parity Training. "Implementing ITIL service management standards can make a massive contribution to a company’s green agenda. By retaining only those processes that are most valuable to end users, and making them as efficient as possible, power consumption will be reduced."
"IT managers must ensure employees are trained properly in what they can do, and make their teams aware of the benefits seen by the business as a result," concluded Firth.
About Parity
Parity is a business and IT solutions company. With over 40 years' industry experience, it delivers a range of recruitment, learning and business and IT solutions that contribute to the growth and organisational performance of private and public sector clients.
Parity has deep industry knowledge and expertise across a variety of sectors including commercial, central and local government, defence and commercial. It delivers people, skills and concepts for IT projects and programmes and has provided these services to a range of blue-chip clients, including BT, Ofgem, HBOS, The Cabinet Office, BAT and The Charity Commission.
The company operates as three divisions, Solutions, Resources and Training, all of which use people to solve business and IT issues. Parity designed and runs the largest graduate recruitment programme in the UK for The Cabinet Office, is responsible for creating the UK’s award winning eGovernment portal, eFire, ranks as the top supplier of IT and Programme and Project Management specialist contractors to the public sector through the Catalist framework and throughout its history, has delivered training to over 1 million people - more people than any other UK IT training provider.
Listed on the London Stock Exchange, Parity recorded a turnover of over £150m in 2007.
For further information, please contact:
Jenny Johnston or Suzy Ferguson at LEWIS
jennyj@lewispr.com / suzyf@lewispr.com
+44 (0) 20 7802 2626/7
Internet: http://www.lewispr.com
