Making a Powerful Argument for Power Management: Numara Software

Power management software, reports Numara Software (News - Alert), is a ‘multi-green’ solution: it is one of the most effective methods for reducing energy consumption, while also curbing IT spend. The firm points to a recent Gartner (News - Alert) report, “When to Consider Commercial PC Power Management Tools,” stated that companies using PC power management tools can reduce their carbon footprint and save up to $20 per desktop/year or more where energy is at a premium.

 

Power management software, Numara Software officials said, enables organizations to quickly automate processes that improve efficiency and productivity, while dramatically cutting costs and laying the foundation for establishing energy-efficient corporate policies. For most, the first hurdle is identifying where they are in terms of energy consumption and costs, and the second is justifying the initial investment to executives.

 

“Building a business case for green IT starts by taking a proactive approach to power management and demonstrating value by establishing an overall corporate mission to increase efficiency and cut costs,” said Umesh Shah, senior manager of Product Marketing for Numara Software.

 

Numara Software offer several ways to strengthen your argument for power management solutions within your firm:

 

1.         Provide a sound projection of cost savings

 

Before proposing the project, develop projections that illustrate where your company is now and how a green IT initiative will feed your organization’s bottom line. Use real-world examples, analyst statistics and energy saving calculators to demonstrate power management ROI. For example: The Numara Power Manager Calculator. Seeing policies put into action, and the potential cost savings, will help executives see how sustainable investments made today will have positive results in the long run.

 

2.         Don’t miss out on extra money

 

Many countries offer incentives to organizations implementing eco-friendly initiatives and power management policies. Thoroughly research the opportunities available in your area to show how you could get more “bang for your buck.” For example, U.S.-based companies can visit the U.S. Department of Energy’s Web site for energy-efficiency programs and initiatives in your state. And E.U.-based organizations can go to the energy-efficiency section of the European Commission’s Energy site to find out more about incentives in their region.

 

3.         Kill two birds with one stone

 

One way to secure funding is to roll the power management project into a related initiative, such as improving your overall IT asset management. Select an asset management tool that comes with a power management component integrated into the existing platform. You’ll improve the management your assets and reduce unnecessary energy use with one investment and one implementation.

 

4.         Use real-time reporting

 

The most compelling aspect of any power management tool is the ability to produce on-demand energy consumption reports. This real-time reporting enables IT managers to see what areas, terminals, departments or groups are using the most energy, how to address these issues and, most importantly, the actual power savings in dollars. This is invaluable for presenting your green initiatives to high-level executives and proving ROI along the way.

 

5.         Give it time

 

Power management initiatives do lead to positive, long-term impacts, both on the company’s bottom line and their impact on the environment, but results don’t happen overnight. IT managers need to make sure they set realistic expectations and explain how establishing policies and monitoring energy consumption is the first stage of implementation, and will lead to major cost savings down the road.

 

6.         Share the savings

 

While green IT policies will help the IT department to reduce unnecessary energy costs, these approaches should be shared with the entire organization. Establishing company-wide policies and best practices will help all departments and employees cut down on power use, cut costs and improve the company’s image – not to mention their impact on the environment.

 

Once you’ve assessed your current position and made the argument for adopting a power management solution, it’s important to select a tool that will help you take the plunge. Here are some key considerations when searching for the right power management solution.

 

·                     Look for solutions that are robust, yet easy to manage and intuitive to use 

 

 

 

 

“With the right tools, a power management initiative can save your organization money, while also reducing your carbon footprint, helping you to meet industry and government guidelines, and improving your company’s image,” Shah said. “Once you win the argument, it will turn into a win-win for everyone.”