Not to be outdone by Google and Microsoft — both of which vaulted into the high-tech power management mix this week — IBM unveiled a new service today for cutting businesses’ emissions and energy use. Where the Googlers and ‘Softies are concentrating on home electricity use, however, Big Blue is keeping its focus on the prize of corporate carbon footprints — this time by giving companies insight into the emissions and energy use department by department, as well as for the business as a whole.
One of few veterans in this fast-growing field, IBM said in today’s release that this latest offering, called Strategic Carbon Management, has the potential to reduce a company or individual department’s emissions by half. For datacenters, the emissions savings could be as much as 90 percent, according to IBM — a huge boon for companies looking at the likelihood of international climate regulations tightening up by year’s end.
Virtually every major company will need a corporate energy and carbon strategy very soon. IBM spotted that opportunity years ago and developed software to gather, manage and store data about emissions and energy use. This new service basically shows firms how much they need those tools — by assessing financial costs and benefits, government incentives and carbon trades, for example.
But IBM has a grander scheme. The idea is to roll clients over to smart metering and energy monitoring tools for ongoing management — the new breed of networking tools we’ll be delving into at our upcoming Green:Net conference. IBM said it sees Strategic Carbon Management as a complement to its six-month-old Green Sigma consulting practice, which uses networked sensors and data analysis software to help businesses conserve water and energy. With this new tool, might we see departmental battles for the crown of maximum efficiency? We’re pulling for the underdog: IT.
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