IT departments slow to adopt green tech

The majority of large companies have yet to build "green IT" requirements into purchasing and using technology, according to a report by Forrester Research, a global analyst group.

Forrester's survey of 124 IT operations and procurement professionals in North America and Europe found that, while 85 percent said environmental factors are important in planning IT operations, only one quarter said they have written green criteria into their company's purchasing processes.

However, there is a growing awareness that environmental concerns will have an impact on future business IT operations in terms of cost reduction. Forrester's senior vice president Christopher Mines said: "We heard two reasons why green matters: efficiency and corporate responsibility. Most IT decision-makers told us that a green purchase would only happen in the context of cost reduction. These are hard-headed, ROI-driven business decisions."