Virtualization, turning off computers can help save money on energy bills
With the average Canadian small business still looking for ways to cut operating expenses, there is one area that could stand to get a little trim - the IT department.
Many companies are spending an unnecessary amount of money on their computer servers because of a lack of full utilization, Inc. magazine reported. Using virtualization software, such as vSphere from VMware or Hyper-V from Microsoft, can help reduce IT costs dramatically.
Other strategies for reducing IT costs include replacing computers with newer, more energy-efficient models - the magazine noted that computers today are usually 40 to 50 percent more energy-efficient than models from a few years ago - and requiring employees to turn off their computers before they leave.
Other small things Canadian small business owners can do to shave some extra dollars from the energy bill are to avoid screen savers (they consume more energy than they save), dim the brightness settings on computers, and turn printers off on nights and weekends, the magazine reported.
More and more companies seem to be catching on to the green IT trend - a recent report from Frost & Sullivan found that energy efficiency initiatives are growing in popularity, primarily driven by an interest in reducing energy costs.
