Fujitsu report compares green IT credentials across financial services sector

Which industry stands to gain the most from energy efficiency, power management, and other green IT strategies?

According to research funded by technology giant Fujitsu, the answer is financial services -- which consume enormous amounts of computing power with their various mission-critical transactions and applications that demand real-time processing and response. The company came to that conclusion after comparing the green IT maturity of financial services firms in Australia, India, the United Kingdom and the United States. It considers the information and communications technology sector to be the furthest along, when it comes to green IT adoption. The analysis, which reflects the responses of more than 630 CIOs and senior IT managers, looked at:

• Lifecycle factors including procurement and disposal strategies
• End-user IT efficiency
• Data center IT efficiency
• The use of technology as a means of minimizing carbon footprint
• Ongoing measurement and monitoring of energy efficiency

Geographically speaking, financial services firms in the United Kingdom were the most efficient, according to Fujitsu. U.K. firms produced an average score of 63.8 along the various green IT metrics; Fujitsu considers a score of 75-80 to be a reasonable target.

Said Jim Bradbury, vice president of business consulting services at Fujitsu America:

"Our banking and financial sector is recovering from the devastating impact of the recent crisis, and it can use this research as powerful proof of the value in making a strategic change to green IT for underlying cost controls and efficiencies."

You can download the analysis -- but you'll have to share your name and contact information -- at this link.