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Contribution to Book
Sustainable IT Services: Creating a Framework for Service Innovation
Harnessing Green IT
  • Robert R. Harmon
  • Haluk Demirkan, University of Washington Tacoma
Publication Date
1-1-2012
Abstract

IT organizations are under increasing pressure to adopt sustainable business practices as the societal costs of IT have become more apparent. Initial efforts to address the environmental impact of IT have focused on minimizing energy costs and the ecological footprints of IT products and operations. However, this “green IT” orientation does not address the potential for IT to become a key enabler, and indeed a primary driver, of overall corporate sustainability strategy. As IT departments embrace a more strategic role, future success will be determined by the ability to meet market requirements, governmental regulations, and societal expectations. To address this opportunity, IT managers will need to move beyond narrow operational requirements and harness IT's ability to develop innovative new services that will define the future of corporate sustainability and social responsibility efforts. Sustainable IT services, applications that provide innovative solutions for corporate ecological and societal issues, represent an excellent opportunity for IT organizations to become indispensable players in the development of essential new markets.

Citation Information
Harmon, R. R., & Demirkan, H. (2012). Sustainable IT Services: Creating a Framework for Service Innovation. In S. Murugesan & G. R. Gangadharan (Eds.), Harnessing Green IT (pp. 211–242). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118305393.ch11