VARs set to turn green to gold

Channel encouraged to enhance green skills as firms look to cut costs and embrace flexible working

Green skills: Invetsing in technology such as web-conferencing equipment could help reduce businesses' carbon footprint by cutting the need to travel

The channel’s perceived lack of green skills has come under close scrutiny recently, but questions remain as to how much environmental issues really factor into large businesses’ buying criteria.

A CRN readers’ poll earlier this year revealed that 73 per cent of respondents believe the channel lacks green IT skills. Nine per cent claimed skills levels were more than adequate, while 18 per cent indicated tangible progress is being made in improving skills all the time.

A recent survey from analyst Vanson Bourne found 23 per cent of IT managers at large enterprises cited lack of knowledge as their main barrier to being greener.

Despite this, 42 per cent indicated they plan to reduce their carbon footprint over the next year. Thirty-nine per cent claimed they rely on their suppliers for environmental IT advice.

But distributor Zycko’s group sales director David Galton-Fenzi told CRN that only a handful of VARs had the necessary expertise to implement an end-to-end green datacentre strategy, (Channelweb, 11 September).
“As a company we like to believe we practise what we preach,” he said. “We actually buy the products we sell and I do not think there are many other distributors, or even resellers, that follow such a product strategy as closely as we do.”

Changing colours
Scott Nursten, managing director of VAR s2s, revealed his company was working towards achieving ISO global green standards, but claimed a number of channel firms merely paid lip service to being green.

“For us, it is important to work towards becoming as green as we can be,” he said. “We have put a target in place to reduce travel by car and plane by 10 per cent this year.”

Mark Swendsen, EMEA managing director of IP telephony vendor ShoreTel, claimed 2009 would see green issues climb up the priority ladder for businesses.

“Next year we will see a worldwide increase in green factors being a component in the decision-making process for IT professionals,” he said. “Governmental industries have made carbon emissions part of their decision-making criteria.”

John Massey, managing director of telecoms VAR Actimax, said there was still a difference between corporate environmental attitudes and those in the public sector.

“In the public sector green is the driver, whereas in the private sector green is the result,” he said. “The public sector wants to be green because it is given government directives. In the private sector, green is a result of cost reduction.”

A firm’s environmental standpoint can also reflect its size, claimed David Hamer, director of reseller Redwood Telecommunications.

“Green issues have become a decision-making factor for mid-size and larger customers. For smaller organisations it is more important for them to demonstrate their green credentials going outwards than for them to have a strong edict internally on green processes, but they are getting there.”

Kicking the habits
Speaking at the recent IP08 event in London, Avaya’s EMEA business development director Roger Gretton claimed the appeal of flexible working was a key driver in the adoption of green communications.

Recent research from the vendor revealed that 94 per cent of European workers want flexible working and 74 per cent would change jobs to achieve it.

Seventy-eight per cent claimed they would carry on working after retirement if they could do so flexibly. Despite this, only 22 per cent of companies have made provisions to facilitate flexible working patterns.

“Removing obstacles can be difficult; there are some technology issues to overcome and the biggest thing is user acceptance. Flexible working is not for every day, nor every worker,” said Gretton.

Actimax’s Massey claimed video- and audio-conferencing were important technologies for VARs wanting to sell communications equipment with a green message.

“It is to do with teleworking, improved lifestyle and less travelling. You can do more meetings with more people if you use collaboration, audio and web-conferencing tools.”

Zycko’s Galton-Fenzi added that acceptance of these tools hinged on changing perceptions and overcoming the force of habit.

“Ten years ago video was a nice idea, but in reality it was awful. It did not meet people’s expectations, which scared them off,” he said. “Now the quality is exceptional, but it is about making it easy for people to change the habit of getting into their car.”
ShoreTel’s chief executive John Combs said that channel firms with impressive green credentials had the opportunity to differentiate themselves in the market.

“Being green is a key strategic component of our business and a key differentiator,” he said. “We are not green because we are just nice guys.”