15 global sustainable technology services experts who matter

Is this the year that green IT gets banned from the IT management lexicon? British research firm Verdantix seems to think so.

The company has just published its latest list of services companies and integrators that are especially adept in helping businesses consider how to use technology to act more sustainably, in a report called, "Green Quadrant Sustainable Technology Services." The firms that have landed on top -- Deloitte, IBM and Logica -- demonstrate a broader depth of expertise in how technology can play a role in corporate energy efficiency, smart transportation, electric vehicles, and carbon footprint and energy management.

Here's the rationale from Stuart Neumann, who is the author of the report:

"Technology services firms rooted in outmoded green IT thinking are already losing out on multi-million-dollar contracts. Our research found that large multi-nationals and city leaders want IT support for new sustainability initiatives such as electric vehicle infrastructure, offshore wind farms and global carbon management systems. Technology investment in these areas is much larger than spend on green IT projects like data center efficiency and PC power management."

Which begs the question: How involved is your IT team in larger sustainability technology initiatives for your company? Increasingly, the worlds of information technology and applied technology are beginning to merge, largely due to the role of the Internet in linking all of these devices together into networks that aren't completely device-oriented or IT-oriented.

There were 15 services companies considered in the report chosen because: they all have more than $1 billion in annual revenue, they all are applying IT to sustainability projects, and they are operating in at least 10 countries. There were also 15 customers interviewed for the report. Here's a brief snapshot of the projects that are planned by those companies in the next two years, which provides perspective on what other businesses are doing:

Here are some highlights from the report:

• Deloitte gets a thumbs-up for leading in energy and carbon management software, lifecycle services and sustainability reporting.
• IBM is cited for water management and data center efficiency
• Logica has won some high-profile work related to electric vehicle infrastructure, energy efficiency services and energy management systems
• British Telecom, Hewlett-Packard and Orange Business Services are mentioned as setting good corporate sustainability examples. That is, they have done many things internally that also can be applied on behalf of their clients. Two notable examples: Orange Business Services has plenty of experience in fleet management and telemetry services and HP is involved with a flight planning service that that offers environmental benefits
• Capgemini, Computer Sciences and Hitachi Consulting are leading the way for specific services lines, related to smart grid, water management and climate risk and on their way to building out more complete sustainability services portfolios

In summary, here's who appears in the Verdantix report quadrants:

LEADERS

• Deloitte
• Logica
• IBM

SPECIALISTS

• Capgemini
• CSC
• HP
• Wipro
• Orange Business Services
• BT Global Services

ENTREPRENEURS

• Hitachi Consulting
• Atos Origin
• Infosys
• Accenture
• Fujitsu Services (straddling with Specialist classification)

CHALLENGERS

• TCS (straddling with Entrepreneurs classification)

If you're really doing your research on this area, you should also consult a similar report that was published in late 2010 by Forrester Research. Many of the same services companies are considered, plus a few more.