Does Green still mean Go for the manufacturing IT industry in a recession? (Strategic Focus)

With the manufacturing industry under significant economic pressure, IT investment trends are rapidly changing. At the same time, environmental regulation is on the rise forcing companies to improve their Green performance. Investment in Green IT solutions represents one area that manufacturers can improve their emissions and at the same time reduce cost.

Report Highlights
The range of drivers influencing investment in Green IT is as diverse as the topic of environmental sustainability itself. These include cost, corporate, environmental and social responsibility, an increasing awareness of Green issues amongst the general population, employee pressure on management, pressure from retail customers and regulators.

One of the appeals of Green IT in Datamonitor's opinion is the fact that often, the goals of improving Green performance throughout the manufacturing company, and reducing cost can often be achieved simultaneously with a well-developed Green IT strategy.
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Overview 1
Catalyst 1
Summary 1
Key Messages 2
The market definition of green IT varies wildly 2
Green IT will be one of the more recession-proof technology strategies 2
A wide range of drivers is creating investment in green IT 2
Projects can vary in complexity depending on their scope 2
Manufacturers can reduce costs through the adoption of green IT strategies 2
The role of IT in wider green projects is firming up 3
Hardware vendors are leading the pack in terms of green IT go to market refinement 3
The market will look drastically different in five years 3
Targeting the right industry will be critical for technology vendors 3
Regional trends are being driven by the economic crisis and government regulation 3
Table of Contents 4
Table of figures 5
Market Opportunity 6
The market definition of green IT varies wildly 6
Traditional green IT represents green within IT departments and in particular the datacenter 7
Technology that has been developed for green-specific processes is also often included in green IT 8
Support for the 'greening' of line of business processes represents the broadest definition of green IT 8
A line needs to be drawn at some point to provide robust analysis of green IT 8
Green IT will be one of the more recession-proof technology strategies 8
At an aggregate level, the manufacturing industry is cutting back on IT spend 9
Datamonitor believes green IT will remain a priority for CIOs 9
A wide range of drivers is creating investment in green IT 9
A significant of portion of surveyed manufacturers already have a green IT strategy in place 11
Cost is the most important issue for green IT 11
Improving the corporate image is also an important factor of green IT projects 12
Environmental regulations continue to be implemented, particularly in Europe 12
Customer driven mandates are starting to appear particularly in consumer facing industries 13
Internal factors such as employee demand are also contributing to the formation of green IT agendas 13
Customer Impact: Going Green 14
Projects can vary in complexity depending on their scope 14
The datacenter is often seen as the more complex end of the scope of green IT 14
Applying green IT to the desktop environment can represent a relatively easy project for companies 15
Manufacturers can reduce costs through the adoption of green IT strategies 15
Both capex and opex can be reduced through investment in green IT 15
Energy costs remain a key element of green IT strategies 16
The role of IT in wider green projects is firming up 16
IT asset management is a critical area for many manufacturing companies 17
The capture of green data is essential for companies looking to enhance green metrics 17
The role of leading green projects is often unclear within manufacturing companies 18
There is a case for IT leading green projects 18
Although green projects are still more likely to be led by a line of business 18
The role of chief sustainability officer is growing in popularity 19
Go to Market 20
Hardware vendors are leading the pack in terms of green IT go to market refinement 20
The market will look drastically different in five years 20
The role of IT will grow in broader green projects 21
There will be significant data concerns for manufacturers as green information levels escalate 21
Collaboration across the supply chain for green information sharing will drive demand for standards 21
Targeting the right industry will be critical for technology vendors 21
The automotive industry is in turmoil and is not expected to generate a huge demand for green IT 21
The aerospace and defense industry has been surprisingly resilient in the face of economic pressure 22
Consumer goods manufacturers are being forced to invest in green IT due to their public profiles 22
Industrial manufacturers should also be shortlisted for technology vendors 22
Regional trends are being driven by the economic crisis and government regulation 22
Europe represents the greatest current market for vendors 23
Asia Pacific is once again a mix of different countries with different priorities 23
The US will see significant growth, but only after regulatory reform takes place 23
APPENDIX 24
Definitions 24
Methodology 24
Further reading 24
Ask the analyst 24
Datamonitor consulting 24
Disclaimer 24
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Figure 1: Three definitions of green IT 7
Figure 2: Improved corporate image is seen as the most beneficial element of green IT pre-downturn 10
Figure 3: A significant portion of surveyed manufacturers already have a green IT strategy in place 11
Figure 4: Environmentally friendly asset retirement is a popular strategy 17
Figure 5: View of green IT credentials for different vendor types, global, 2008 20
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