CA updates environmental management software

Here's a fun tidbit: CA's ecoSoftware originally started as a custom application intended to get a grip on the company's OWN energy consumption, carbon footprint and other environmental information.

The application is comprehensive, including CA ecoGovernance, which is a sustainability and carbon management module, and CA ecoMeter, which keeps tabs on operational energy consumption.

Terrence Clark, senior vice president and general manager of CA ecoSoftware, says the package is intended to provide visibility from the board room to the field. Among the new features in ecoSoftware are more one-click reports that let you grab snapshots of specific data and a framework (ecoMeter Gateway) that permits interaction with heterogeneous systems so that the application integrates more seamlessly with building management systems. Clark says many CA customers are using the software to create key performance indicators related to sustainability and then monitor business performance against those measures. The software is priced according to the types of device being monitored; although there is also an enterprise licensing option available.

Clark says another key feature is CA ecoSoftware's integraton with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star Portfolio Manager, which allows users to benchmark their buildings for energy performance according to the EPA measures. An example is CA customer Datotel, a data center operator.