Green IT, according to the Gartner research firm, has just about reached the peak of its hype cycle, what Gartner calls the "Peak of Inflated Expectations." TechCrunch, in its blog post Where Are We In The Hype Cycle?, displays a chart of various technologies according to Gartner's judgment. In the cycle, each technology starts as a Technology Trigger, quickly jumps to its Peak of Inflated Expectations, declines through the Trough of Disillusionment, then gradually recovers through the Slope of Enlightenment, and the Plateau of Productivity.
It's all very, very clever. And when it comes to Green IT, it's also also very, very wrong.
Many of the technologies Gartner charts truly are hype-driven, and need a long time of gestation before they pay off.
Green IT is different. There's a very real return on investment associated with green IT, and it can ultimately be clearly measured. When enteprises go green, they also make green as well, in the form of cash. Virtualization is good for the environment because it saves electricity, for example. But in doing so, it also saves companies plenty of money.
Technologies that deliver clear ROIs like that tend not to get caught in the hype cycle. They don't need hype in order for companies to deploy them, because they're good for the bottom line.
That being said, there is plenty of inertia standing in the way of Green IT. It often requires upfront investment, and it certainly requires plenty of planning and time. It sometimes requires a change of corporate culture. And it can also require a restructuring of job responsibilities, such as getting the IT and facilities departments working more closely together.
Still, those hurdles have nothing to do with hype. Gartner has put together a very clever hype chart --- but in this case, the chart is simply wrong. |
