Green Daily

The thing about greening up Information Technology is that apart from saving a polar bear or two, it usually entails using less power, less space, and less waste, which means...anyone? anyone? That's right, you over there in the pocket protector, it'll save money too. So if you currently are, or plan to become, the CIO of a major corporation, then InfoWorld has some useful tips on how you can feel ecofriendly while also helping the bottom line.

Among the suggestions:

• Desktop power management - Power management tools that automatically power down computers can save $50 per year per machine.
• Server virtualization - Many companies have servers that are underutilized because they're dedicated to a specific department or function. By combining and maximizing the use of each server, you save on hardware and energy.
• Document technology systems - Software is now available that automatically forces printing on two sides, or requires black and white only. No more employees printing out the family holiday card using expensive colour ink.
• Refurbished machines - Does everyone in the accounting department need a new and super-powerful machine? Of course not unless they're spending their days playing World of Warcraft, in which case you've got issues other than IT to deal with.

There you go - you just bought yourself a flight on the corporate jet.