Courses highlight cost savings from green IT
Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday August 25, 2009
EXCOM Education is offering a trio of courses to help organisations recognise how technology affects their environmental footprint and understand the implications of green legislation.An introductory course addresses the fundamentals of IT practices, covering topics such as what it means for a business to be "green".Subsequent classes cover issues such as designing IT systems and monitoring the effectiveness of green initiatives.The courses are intended to help business owners identify green technologies, techniques and policies that are suitable for their companies."The first two courses will save a company about 50 per cent of its energy use," says Excom's green IT product manager, David Brennan. "The third course will allow an organisation to meet the government's legislation but also looks at saving money, getting a return on investment, not throwing equipment away and protecting the environment."The four-day, instructor-led series runs on a monthly basis and Excom also offers on-site training to companies who don't want to send their staff off-site.Brennan says people who complete the course come out of it with the knowledge needed to implement a green IT strategy."Even though companies may not be directly affected by the legislation, there will be a knock-on effect because use of energy will filter through and it will translate to more expensive energy for smaller companies," Brennan says.A fourth course, focusing on green IT procurement, may be added next month."I think a lot of small businesses don't have the luxury to have a lot of green expertise, yet they do want to take advantage of the cost-saving methods," Excom chief executive Jim Watson says. "If you can save half of your energy consumption costs through green IT, you get a very fast return on investment."The cost for all three courses is $4000. Excom is considering offering the green IT courses online and taking them into international markets.
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald
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