Capitalize on the Green IT Market

Solution providers can capitalize on the green IT market by making a solid economic case to potential clients, touting an increase in brand value and bundling green options with other offerings.

That was some of the sales advice given to CompTIA Breakaway attendees by a panel of experts today.

“Green IT has to be transformational at some point,” said Jay McBain, Lenovo’s director of small and medium business for the Americas. “But pair it with something today that is transformational – cloud, managed services, any of the buzzwords – and there is an opportunity that makes real sense.”

The top three reasons companies consider green IT solutions is to reduce energy-related operating expenses, reduce other IT operating expenses, and improve the company’s brand image, said moderator Heather Clancy, citing Forrester Research.

John Mehrmann, vice president of business development for ZSL Inc., said talking to a customer about the promotional and marketing value of having an environmentally-friendly business is a great lead-in to the topic.  "It’s a great way to start the conversation, and it opens the door to talking about energy efficiency and reducing costs," he said.

Companies’ reasons for not adopting the new solutions included too many competing business priorities, no clear business case or ROI, and no capital available.

Clancy noted the complexity of the green IT credential space, with 308 green IT ecolabels categorized by ecolabelindex.com. (Although by the time of this post, the number had jumped to 329.)

Several panelists noted the importance of ISO accreditation for green IT solution providers, while McBain noted that EPEAT and ENERGY STAR credentials were likely most recognized by consumers.

The CompTIA IT Services and Support Community also keeps a record of governmental green IT rules and regulations for solution provider reference, and CompTIA has a Strata certificate for green IT, Mehrmann noted.

Panelists also noted the need for authenticity – a “walking the walk” – in the green IT space, pointing out that BP had spent millions in advertising touting the company as environmentally friendly in the years before the Gulf oil spill.

“If you don’t nail it, it’s a liability,” said Michael Proper, ClearCenter CEO. “If it’s done correctly, the service providers make more money, and the customers save money.”