Many businesses in Wilmington, and even the city itself, are concerned with the environment and continually work toward promoting sustainability.

 
As a business owner, have you ever wondered if it is possible to “Go Green” with your IT?
 
There are, in fact, many things you can do that will not only benefit the environment but also influence customer decisions, help you operate more efficiently and even cut costs.
 
Customers are smart and often look for companies that are in line with their personal philosophies. When considering where to shop and what services to use, many people take into account a company’s track record for sustainability. Showing that your company works in an environmentally-responsible manner can tip the scales for new customers and help you stay competitive
 
Try each of the following ways to help move your business toward more earth-friendly and sustainable practices.
 

Check Before Buying

Before you buy any electronic or IT equipment make sure that it has a green certification such as ENERGY STAR or EPEAT.
 
ENERGY STAR is a federal program that identifies products and services that have superior energy efficiency - including office technology. EPEAT makes it easy for you to select electronics that align with sustainability goals by working with manufacturers to register their products based on green development criteria.
By checking the product ratings, you can feel sure you are buying IT equipment that was produced in a supportable way.
 

Bring Your Own Device

More and more businesses are developing plans to allow employees to use personal devices at work. This can stop the added cost and waste of additional phones, tablets, etc.
 

Turn It Off

Instead of letting your equipment fall into Sleep or Standby mode, use smart power strips that automatically turn on and off peripheral devices with the main device. Powering down equipment when not in use will result in lower power consumption.
 

Use Unified Communications

Building a Unified Communications platform so your employees can collaborate using web or video conferencing can eliminate a lot of business travel. Take it one step further and consider having employees work from home. These options can both reduce costs and cut down on harmful emissions.
 

Institute A Paperless Policy

Now that you can do almost everything electronically, including reading, editing, and even signing documents - stop printing on paper. Many things that you had to print or buy in the past can now be done through applications that will save on paper, space and packaging debris. You really can conduct most business without printing a thing!
 

Handle Storage Wisely

Electronic storage can accumulate and produce clutter just like old folders and files. Try moving your business into the cloud to not only cut down on energy-consuming servers but provide more data security options. You can also use Virtualization techniques to lower the number of servers used and often increase both processing speed and storage space.
 
A Managed Service Provider that recognizes the advantages of green IT can help you find software and platforms to run your business completely online, develop plans to virtualize and move your business to the cloud and streamline storage, all of which provide environmentally friendly benefits.
 
The answer to “Can you go Green with your IT?” is a definite “Yes!”

Since 2007, TeamLogic IT has become the 36th largest IT service provider globally. Our success is driven through one core mission - to leverage technology for our customers.Thousands of businesses across the US - just like yours here in Wilmington, NC - are taking advantage of our ability to deliver highly available, secure and flexible IT systems. At TeamLogic IT, our philosophy is simple - we work with you the way we'd want someone to work with us. Visit us today in the Port City at 2901 North Kerr Ave., 910-500-1392. If email works best for you, contact me personally at [email protected].