Many organizations are launching “green IT” initiatives, both out of concern for the environment and for sound business reasons. A green IT strategy can help organizations cut energy costs, respond to industry and regulatory requirements, and create a positive reputation within the community.

Practical measures, such as ensuring that systems are powered down at night, can go a long way toward reducing energy consumption. However, many innovative technologies are enabling organizations to meet their environmental objectives while also facilitating key business initiatives.

For example, the latest unified communications and collaboration tools can help reduce an organization’s CO2 “footprint” substantially by enabling geographically dispersed teams to come together without the need for air or auto travel. By combining voice, video, data and mobility applications on a single network, unified communications enables employees to use the most appropriate tool to collaborate in real time. Impromptu meetings can be set up quickly and easily using intuitive client interfaces. Rich-media interactions create an immersive experience for team building and accelerated decision making.

Organizations can also use unified communications to facilitate telecommuting, which boosts job satisfaction while reducing smog and traffic congestion in the local community. Unified communications also enables organizations to use “hot-desking” and “hoteling” schemes to improve employee productivity while reducing facilities overhead and associated energy consumption.

Best of all, the latest collaboration tools enable your team to communicate better, enhancing business agility and competitiveness. Organizations can meet their environmental goals while cutting travel costs and associated downtime, increasing productivity, enhancing customer service and reducing time to market of new products and services.

FusionStorm has long advocated a ”green IT” strategy, and uses many of the latest collaboration tools internally. With Cisco Webex, Meeting Place Express and other tools, the FusionStorm team is able to communicate effectively and efficiently to serve customers’ needs. Reducing energy consumption is the icing on the cake.

No technology can totally replace in-person communications. However, the latest unified communications tools are an attractive option for organizations looking for ways to trim costs, increase flexibility and productivity, and protect the environment. Your FusionStorm representative can show you what solutions are available and help your organization become greener – and more competitive – in 2009.