Going Green, even on a small scale, can be big

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Yesterday we announced that Dell has reached its goal to be carbon neutral ahead of schedule and blogged about several ways to make your business greener.

But, for businesses with only a few PCs, a printer and maybe a
server, is it possible to save that much money? If so, does it really
matter? According to a study by Access Markets International
(AMI) Partners, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are
increasingly seeing the value of going green. Vittesh Kalambi, AMI’s
New York-based Research Analyst, suggests that SMBs are paying more
attention to Green IT since it can reduce overall running costs, total
cost of ownership and increase savings. Sustainability is now a part of
the SMB bottom-line.

In many cases, businesses that use Green PCs will see a modest savings
per system – which can add up depending on the number of PCs you own.
Switching to a system like the Vostro 410 desktop saves customers up to 47 percent in annual energy costs when EnergySmart setting are enabled.

But, the real motivation to go green is when you think about the
collective impact of every small business in the world buying IT with
the environment in mind. There were 24 million PCs (desktops, laptops,
ultra-portables, x86 servers) shipped to SMBs worldwide in the first
quarter of this year alone (IDC Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker, June, 2008). If all of these systems
were designed and set up to consume less energy, that’s millions of
tons of C02 avoided and billions of dollars in collective savings. We announced
in May that we are designing our laptops and desktops to consume up to
25 percent less energy by 2010, relative to systems offered today. Dell
products are already among the industry’s most energy efficient.

So whether you have a data center or just a few PCs, Green IT does
offer savings for your business and helps us all do our part to save
our planet. Environmental responsibility – from product design to a
company’s operations to reuse and recycling – is also an increasingly
important factor for businesses evaluating IT providers. Let us know
what you think and how you are implementing sustainable practices in
your business.

JJ Davis

About the Author: Jennifer "JJ" Davis

A seasoned leader with 20+ years of experience, JJ Davis oversees all aspects of Global Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility for Dell Technologies. In this role, she works closely with the Investor Relations and Government Affairs organizations to lead the corporate affairs strategy and foster alignment and advocacy across the diverse stakeholder landscape for the company. Her global team includes media relations, analyst relations, executive communications, team member communications, sales and partner communications, influencer relations, social media, direct giving and sustainability. She also founded the company’s marquee women’s program the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network in 2010 to support women entrepreneurs’ success worldwide. JJ started her public relations and public affairs career at the Arkansas Office of the Governor and has held various communications leadership roles for both corporations and agencies nationwide. A graduate of the University of Arkansas, JJ lives in Austin with her husband David, a third-generation entrepreneur, and three sons. She is active in her boys’ sports and the family foundation, The Aimee Melissa Davis Memorial Scholarship, supporting graduating seniors with Juvenile Diabetes. She is a member of the Arthur W. Page Society and a board member of the Dell Technologies Political Action Committee.
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