Despite the increase in energy costs and the growing awareness of the environment, IT managers do not consider the efficiency of energy use

This is according to a study by the Economist and IBM • About half of the surveyed companies do not measure or know the energy expenses of the computer systems • Electricity risk is still not considered an important consideration in the purchasing process

42% of IT managers in companies and organizations stated that the companies they work for do not monitor the energy expenditure involved in operating the various computer systems. 9% do not know at all whether the company monitors electricity consumption in its information systems.

Among the managers who monitor the use of energy and follow it, 24% report an increase in electricity consumption for computer systems, during the last two years.

The power consumption of information systems is not currently a significant consideration in the decision to purchase new equipment. 63% of IT managers rank equipment reliability first in their purchasing considerations. 32% consider the price first, and 30% rate the issue of service in a high place. Despite the increase in electricity prices, only 12% of managers believe that the efficiency of electricity use is a critical criterion in the purchasing process.

These are some of the findings in a new report: "Information systems and the environment - new considerations on the agenda of IT administrators?" which was published by the research unit of the Economist newspaper in collaboration with IBM, following a global study conducted among 213 IT managers in different countries. 59% of the companies that participated in the study were from Europe and the Near East, 19% from the USA and 19% from Asia Pacific. All the companies that participated in the study employ at least 1,000 employees and have extensive computer systems.

The study by the Economist and IBM states that despite the high visibility of environmental issues in organizations, only in a minority of cases do these organizations develop something approaching the dimensions of a comprehensive strategy to deal with environmental problems from the perspective of information systems.

Rising energy prices and the increasing demand for electricity in data centers are expected to raise the concern for energy issues high on the agenda of CIOs. The American Environmental Protection Agency states that servers and data processing centers were responsible in 2006 for 1.5% of total electricity consumption in the US - twice their share of the energy consumption pie in 2000. The expenditure on electricity in computer centers in the US in 2006 amounted to 4.5 billion dollars.

"Despite the rise of the issues of energy and global warming to a high place on the political agenda - the spotlight and public attention do not yet illuminate the field of information centers", stated the editor of the study James Watson. "The study states that only a few companies have already recognized the significant share of electricity consumption that their computer centers are already consuming today."

In general, 54% of the participants in the study by The Economist and IBM report that the companies in which they are employed do not measure the environmental impact of their information systems and operating policies. Only a third report such a measurement. 64% say that a systematic definition of industry standards for the efficiency of energy use in information systems will cause them to change the purchasing patterns of such systems.

Other key findings of the survey indicate that most organizations are satisfied with paying only lip service to the environment. The survey revealed that only 45% of the organizations formulated a plan to reduce their environmental footprint, as expressed in carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Most of the managers in these bodies (52%) did not set specific goals for reducing the pollution for which they are responsible. However, 9% stated that by 2012 the carbon balance of their organization would be balanced.
The study by the Economist and IBM also shows that 17% of European companies have made a specific appointment of a board member focused on energy and environmental issues. 7% leave these problems to the IT manager. However, 57% of companies in Europe have not formulated a policy at all to reduce their carbon emissions, compared to 55% in North America and 54% in Asia and the Far East.