SingerLewak | Read How Being Green = Green: An Industry Perspective

SingerLewak News and Events

News Posted - Read How Being Green = Green: An Industry Perspective: 09/17/09 : 02:45 p.m.

IT UPDATES FOR STREAMLINING YOUR BUSINESS ENTERPRISE
SEPTEMBER 2009

Over the next few issues of the SingerLewak newsletter, our Enterprise Risk Management Practice group will share information technology tips that can help you get “Green” in order to save some $ Green.

Here are some things that can be done now, and a few you can do later as changes are made in your computer environments, to INCREASE THE GREEN all around..

POWER SAVING STEPS

POWER SAVING STEPS can greatly reduce a company’s energy usage by removing unnecessary screen savers and miscellaneous power consuming software. A best practice is to replace the computer systems screen saver by initiating standby mode instead. This enables the display and computer system to enter a state where they do not consume as much energy.

SMART TIP….When in doubt, turn off your display when leaving for the day but check with your IT department before turning your systems off. Many maintenance activities such as software updates and security patching occur after hours and the IT team needs the machines left on. Don’t worry about the machines using power during this period, the machines enter standby until your IT experts need to wake them up!

BUY ENERGY STAR COMPLIANT

BUY ENERGY STAR COMPLIANT computers and equipment to maximize power savings. This equipment has a very familiar logo that will help you identify it easily. ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.

CONSOLIDATE AND REDUCE

CONSOLIDATE AND REDUCE the need for additional computers by utilizing VIRTUALIZATION, a technology that lets you share premium computer resources (e.g. Servers). This helps lower energy consumption and costs by reducing the number of machines and servers a company needs to operate its business.

DID YOU KNOW...? By virtualizing your server systems, the need for additional computer room space is reduced due to less equipment needed overall.

RIGHT SIZE NOT SUPER SIZE

RIGHT SIZE NOT SUPER SIZE your IT environment by reducing the physical number of computers and consolidating to denser, more efficient systems. This can save as much as 50 percent in electrical charges reducing the need of expensive air conditioning and environmental management.

NETWORK POLICY IMPLEMENTATION

NETWORK POLICY IMPLEMENTATION will help manage all of these great ideas. Ask the IT department or support staff to setup group polices on your network or PC’s to automatically place your computer systems into standby mode when not in use.

For more information on how we can guide you with these recommendations, contact us:

Troy Snyder
Practice Leader
Enterprise Risk Management Services
tsnyder@singerlewak.com

Bob Green, CPA CITP
Partner
Enterprise Risk Management Services
bgreen@singerlewak.com

Rob Krumwiede
Chief Information Officer
rkrumwiede@singerlewak.com