Rozana Sani talks to 3Com Asia-Pacific’s technical director Orcun Tezel on his company’s take on the concept.

Q: What is green IT according to 3Com?

A: We see our green programmes as a work in progress. 3Com’s commitment to sustainable environmental management policies reflects the product lifecycle process, including manufacturing and end-of-life recycling. As we design our next-generation products, we try to identify opportunities to minimise the negative impact on the environment.

3Com is alert to the consumption of raw materials such as water, plastics, metals and other resources in its manufacturing processes. We avoid excess materials in a design that may add to a product’s weight, which, in turn, may impact global shipping carbon dioxide emissions.

For instance, most of 3Com’s new switches reduce power use and carbon emissions while generating savings that offset electricity operating costs. Our managed stackable switching product portfolio has been refreshed to cut power consumption over previous generations by up to 78 per cent.

Q: In what way will green IT impact companies and governments, particularly

in the Malaysian context?

A: Green buildings are a new concept in Malaysia, but Goldis Berhad is taking the lead by incorporating green principles in the GTower, a 30-storey premium office building in Kuala Lumpur, scheduled to be completed in early 2009.

Once completed, the GTower is expected to be equipped with Wi-Fi and fibre-optic connections throughout the building. And it is environment-friendly, designed to maximise natural lighting usage, minimise the need for air-conditioning, and collect rainwater to water plants.

Q: How would you rate Malaysia’s response to adopting a green approach in her IT infrastructure?

A: While the adoption of green IT infrastructure is in its infancy in Malaysia, going green is becoming necessary. With rising prices for oil and energy, particularly electricity tariffs that have gone up by 41 per cent, power consumption has also increased. The cost of running an IT shop has gone up 40 to 50 per cent within a few years.

What we see is a big shift in organisations where energy costs are being charged back to IT, so now IT is being held accountable for the power they are consuming. It is in a company’s interest to keep IT power consumption down, not just as a cost-cutting measure but also as an act of corporate social responsibility.

IT has a much bigger impact on the environment than what most people think. By assessing the ways in which it can be used to help solve carbon emission problems, we can make the world a better place for ourselves and our children.

Q: How does 3Com aim to capture the local green IT market?

A: 3Com and its partners will continue to educate the market on the importance of having an environment-friendly business, the impact of green IT to businesses, and how 3Com’s technology can help reduce capital and operating expenditures while driving the bottom line.

In addition, we are working with existing customers who are using our green solutions such as Goldis, TM Net Data Centre, TM Seagull Tower 1 and 2, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn and Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia. We are also working towards moving all our existing customers to a green IT infrastructure.