Companies Seek Early Returns On ”Green” Technology

U.S. companies are increasingly demanding early returns on “green” IT investments, even as they show a growing interest in energy-saving technologies as a way of cutting costs.

Companies like Cisco Systems Inc, IBM and Juniper Networks Inc sell equipment and services to help corporate clients manage their swelling data centers with technologies like server virtualization, which allows companies to use less hardware, less power, and frees up space.
Sales of such products have proven surprisingly resilient in the past year, but executives say that the chief investment officers responsible for IT buying decisions have lately begun to scrutinize costs more closely as they try to make the most of shrinking budgets.

“In these times, major capital investment without a clear return on that investment is unlikely,” said Steven Sams, vice president of IBM’s global site and facilities services.

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