End users versus vendors

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KAMEL: We’re obviously keen to see the end of the difficult market conditions that have characterised 2009.

ACN is taking up the cause of end users by taking the questions of CIOs right to the vendors. This year vendors were given just two days to come up with an answer to a simple question. Some passed with flying colours, while others stumbled at the starting line – these are their responses.

As a CIO, I believe green IT is really just about saving money on power consumption or paper. Where is the proof that it really makes a difference to the environment, especially here in the Middle East where we don’t even have widespread recycling programmes?

Dell

Process: Dell’s public relations agency were the first to assure us they were on the case, though they did take a little longer to actually submit the reply. The regional director of Dell’s public relations agency took charge of this enquiry personally, which made things go incredibly smooth and efficiently. 5/5

Response: The quality of the response from Dave Brooke, general manager of Dell Middle East, set the gold standard for all of the other replies. He outlined that there is no argument that green IT can deliver advantages for CIOs in terms of cost and power reduction, and referred to several findings that prove it can have an impact on climate change.

Brooke referenced Gartner, McKinsey Consultants and Dell’s internal analysis using US EPA carbon conversion calculators to prove his assertions. 5/5

Fujitsu

Process: Fujitsu’s PR agency was one of the first to inform us that they were working on a response. Unfortunately, despite this, and being aware of the fixed deadline, the firm sent in a response nearly four hours after it had expired. 3/5

Response: Farid Al Sabbagh, Middle East managing director at Fujitsu Technology Solutions admitted that there is an absence of recycling facilities, though he also pointed out that most vendors have their own facilities. He then went on to explain why it is so difficult to actually measure the real impact of Green IT.

We’d like to hear more about how Fujitsu products are more environmentally-friendly over their entire lifecycle, but the resulting storm of marketing might be more than we could bear. We do appreciate his candour in admitting the lack of recycling programmes in the region, though, particularly as that was relative to the original question. 4/5

Do vendors have a responsibility to organise and fund user-groups?

SAP

Process: Here’s another classic example of the inherent weakness of read receipts: they only tell you if the recipient has received the e-mail, not if the person has actually read it. A supplementary call we made the next day to remind the agency rep of its importance had the desired effect and both answers were received well before the deadline. 4/5

Response: Kevin Scott, vice president of industry business solutions answered the question on behalf of SAP: “As a vendor SAP is committed to work with its user groups on local and global levels. Support from SAP varies from facilitating access to SAP executives and thought leaders, to providing feedback channels for SAP product and service strategies. SAP user groups are independent, not-for-profit organisations,” he states.

SAP scored big brownie points with us here for actually answering the question in the most simple and direct manner possible – especially when you consider that arch rival Oracle would not deign to do so. 5/5

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