IT resellers encouraged to spread the EPEAT green gospel
If you're not interested in understanding the in's and out's of the EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) rating systems, the Green Electronics Council has started training IT solutions and services providers about how to better-interpret the information for their clients.
EPEAT uses 51 different criteria (such as materials, recycling options and upgradability) to rate desktops, notebooks, integrated systems and monitors. The federal government is required to choose hardware that are rated through the system. Right now, it doesn't cover servers, but that'll change in coming months. Incidentally, there are now just under 1,000 products listed under the system.
EPEAT already has eight resellers partners including ASI Systems Integration, Buy.com, Control Group, IT Vertigo, Mooring Tech, Softchoice and Zones. (A ninth, Need These, is listed in its press release but not on its Web site.) EPEAT also has relationships with two of the large computer products distributors, Ingram Micro and Synnex.