When the Economy Looks Grey, It's Time to Go Green!

In 2005, when my company Cybernomics evolved its Lean Solutions-based IT service offerings to incorporate Green IT, the business case we made to our clients was simple -- less equipment, lower energy usage, and added management and maintenance capabilities equaled a tangible ROI. Today, nearly 80% of our client base is virtualized and using green technologies and services in their day-to-day IT operations, and over 90% of our IT Management and Infrastructure services are delivered remotely.

Once our clients understood the concepts of Green IT and saw the tangible benefits for their bottom line, they began to look at incorporating sustainable initiatives into other aspects of their business -- from office and building retrofitting to carbon footprint measurement to printing solutions.

In June of 2008, we decided to bring all these companies together to form a business community we called the Think Green Alliance. Think Green Alliance members span multiple industry verticals and therefore lend a multidisciplinary approach to companies looking to start adopting green principles into their business plan and operations, as well as provide a benchmark to companies who have already embarked upon a green plan.

The criteria for membership are simple but telling:

Think Green Alliance members (1) must show tangibly that they have incorporated green principles into their business plan, (2) must have a concrete, measurable, and step-by-step approach to integration of these principles, and (3) must be committed to a continuous cycle of improvement.

As we enter 2009, it seems as though businesses everywhere are incorporating green practices into their day to day operations. For example, Dell, a Think Green Alliance member, just announced that they are implementing a plan to reduce their desktop and laptop packaging materials by approximately 10 percent worldwide and increase sustainable content in cushioning and corrugate packaging by 40 percent and ensure that 75 percent of packaging materials are curbside recyclable by 2012. Needless to say that the effects of these changes on the environment are immense. However, what is often overlooked is the relationship these changes have on a company's finances. Dell estimates approximately a four-year savings of $8.1 million. If that isn't incentive to go green, I don't what is.

For more information on the Think Green Alliance, or to apply for membership for your company, please visit www.thinkgreenalliance.com .

Jean Jerome Baudry founded Cybernomics in 1993 as a Professional IT Consulting, Management, and Support firm. Today, Cybernomics is a leader in Green IT and financially and environmentally sustainable solutions. Mr. Baudry is also the founder of the Think Green Alliance, a green business community dedicated to the promotion, development, and awareness of fiscally sound green business practices. For more information on Mr. Baudry or on Cybernomics, please visit www.cybernomics.net .