Green IT at WIPRO - Case Study Example

Case Study: Green IT at WIPRO Name Course Name and Code Instructor’s Name Date Introduction Wipro technologies are a division of Wipro limited that provides integrated business process solutions and technology (WIPRO, 2011). Wipro is ranked number one in providing information technology services and solutions for the corporate segment in the Indian market. It offers IT services, software solutions as well as system integration for this segment. Wipro is a 10 billion and worldwide United States Company that has won number of awards due to its social responsibility, leadership and customer care (WIPRO, 2011). The paper seeks to evaluate green IT at Wipro by identifying the various green initiatives undertaken by the company, the challenges they face and the benefits accrued from green computing. In addition the paper will focuss on the lessons that other companies can learn from the experience of Wipro. According to studies the company began its green journey with visualization and consolidation to reduce energy consumption within its data centre (WIPRO, 2011). His was as a result of the rapid growth of the company’s server becoming an issue of concern due to its impacts on the energy costs. This was solved by the attempt by the Information Technology team using blade severs and vitualization. The team optimized the space used in the data center. As a result it helped space and maximize the cooling needs of the company (WIPRO, 2011). Besides in 2005, launched an e-waste management initiative to solve the issue of e-waste by having the certification of their facility under the ISOL 14001. In addition, the company also started a program for e-waste disposal for its customers (WIPRO, 2011). Wipro ensured that they collected the cast-off systems from its consumers and gave them to the licenced vendors by the Pollution Control Board to dispose the parts (WIPRO, 2011). Moreover, Wipro introduced a variety of eco-friendly laptops and desktops also aimed at reducing e-waste from the environment. The new produced products were in line with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive. Furthermore, the company, joined the Green grid in the year 2008. During the same year, Wipro launched the EcoEye initiative (WIPRO, 2011). This is a program that was aimed at enhancing ecological sustainability in engaging its stakeholders and all it operations. The challenges and benefits that Wipro experienced as a result of green computing It is evident that adopting green computing was not easy for the company (WIPRO, 2011). This was due to the fact that there was a lot of financial strain in the move. The conversion of the non-green data base into a green one was not an easy task. This is due to the fact that the initial costs to visualize the infrastructure were approximately Rs. 6 million (WIPRO, 2011). This needed to be argued an increase of 5 to 10 percent in business needs. Moreover, the data centre blueprint that was in charge of maintaining the organization data needed to undergo review. In addition, the cooling and power necessities had to undergo re-architecture to accommodate the new data centre and this was an expensive venture (WIPRO, 2011). It is apparent that by adopting the green computing, Wipro reduced its servers from 400 to 600 (WIPRO, 2011). In addition it was able to save approximately 1 million KWh of power every year. Moreover, the consumption of power was largely reduced by about 26% due to the rolling out of power management tools (WIPRO, 2011). Besides, with the visualization as well as consolidation, Wipro aims at reducing its server footprints by 3 percent. Lessons that other organizations can learn from Wipro’s experience Other organizations learn how to maintain an eco-friendly environment. This they can achieve by ensuring they properly dispose of their waste (WIPRO, 2011). In addition they, also learn how to work in conjunction with their suppliers in identifying product materials that will have a lesser impact on the environment (WIPRO, 2011). Should green computing be driven by IT vendors or should it be driven by corporate customers? Discuss. A chance to save the universe from the effects of climate change is a reason enough for information technology vendors and corporate customers to embrace green computing and environmentally sound technologies (Brodkin, 2007). However the goals saving cash on energy costs and appealing to consumers who want to use green products, not to mention the need to comply with government regulations, are causing a shift of focus for vendors and IT departments (Brodkin, 2007). In addition, according to Pat Tiernan, the HP, corporate and social responsibility vice president, green computing is seen as a customer demand that a company has to meet. However, he emphasizes that green computing should be embraced by both IT vendors and corporate customers as it creates value and competitive advantage while ensuring a friendly environment (Brodkin, 2007). How IT contributes increased carbon emissions, estimates the extent of the problem and the biggest culprits The industry of information and communication technology has contributed to the global warming (Donnelle and Charles, 2011). According to studies this case is similar to aviation’s and it is rapidly growing. It is apparent that Information technology contributes to 2 percent of the universal carbon emissions (Kanter, 2007). These estimates responsible for the global carbon emission are inclusive of the servers, cooling, PCs, local area network and fixed as well as mobile telephony. According to studies the biggest carbon emission culprits include the aviation industry and information and technology industry (Kanter, 2007). Wipro’s carbon accounting tools and how it can help companies Wipro’s carbon accounting tool is known as Hara meaning green in Hindu (WIPRO, 2011). The tool was internally deployed last year to help in the quantification of the carbon emissions (WIPRO, 2011). The tool helps companies in measuring, managing, monitoring and monetizing their emissions of carbon dioxide from universal operations (WIPRO, 2011). Carbon credits and how they can be used by Wipro Carbon credit is a generic term used to refer to any tradable permit or certificate representing the right to emit one tonne of carbon dioxide or the mass of another greenhouse gas with a carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) equivalent to one tonne of carbon dioxide (Kanter, 2007).The aim of the carbon credits it to ensure that market mechanisms drive commercial and industrial processes in a direction where they emit less carbon intensive methods than those used when there is no cost to emitting carbon dioxide and other GHGs into the atmosphere (Kanter, 2007).Since GHG mitigation projects generate credits, this approach can be used to finance carbon reduction schemes between trading partners and around the world (Kanter, 2007). Wipro can use carbon credits to reduce carbon emissions as well as lower their energy consumption (WIPRO, 2011). The green initiatives undertaken by IBM, Microsoft and HP These initiatives include the green grid undertaken by the three companies (ECD, 2007). The initiative aims at developing standards, processes, measurements methods and technologies to enhance energy efficiency of high technology products, Red Herring reports (ECD, 2007). Moreover, the HP has launched the initiative known as Eco SMART portfolio. This initiative strives to provide most efficient energy solutions to reduce by approximately 30% the potential energy costs (ECD, 2007). When the initiative is combined with the new managed print services for the HP, the users can be able to reduce the costs by about 80 percent. In conclusion, the IBM announces new value supply chain- electronics with the aim of broadening the movement of green computing (ECD, 2007). Conclusion The paper encompasses the various green initiatives being undertaken by Wipro. These initiatives include the e-waste management, the ecoeye initiative and Green grid. However in its endavour to realize the green computing it faced a number of problems which include financial strain, and the need to re-achitecture the cooling and power necessities to accommodate the new data centre. Also discussed the paper is some of the lessons that organizations could learn from the Wipro’s experience such as maintaining an eco-friendly environment. Wipro’s carbon accounting tool is Hara and it helps in measuring, managing, monitoring and monetizing their emissions of carbon dioxide from universal operations. In addition, in the paper is some more initiatives used by HP, IBM and Microsoft. They include new value supply chain- electronics, Eco SMART portfolio and green grid. In conclusion, green computing should be undertaken by everyone to safeguard the environment. References Brodkin, J., (2007). Green computing driven by cold, hard cash. Retrieved from http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/052407-interop-green-computing.html Donnellan, B.S. and Charles, C., E. (2011). A Capability Maturity Framework for Sustainable Information and Communication Technology. Havard: Havard University Press. Environmental Data Center (ECD). (2007). HP, IBM, Microsoft, Others Launch Hi-Tech Energy Efficiency Initiative. Retrieved from http://www.environmentalleader.com/2007/02/27/hp-ibm-microsoft-others-launch-hi-tech-energy-efficiency-initiative Kanter, J., (2007). Carbon trading: Where greed is green. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.wipro.com/Pages/Index.aspx Read More