CDN's 2009 Channel Elite Awards Winners

Gold 2009 CDN Channel Elite Award Winner

Best Green Solution

Softchoice makes it easier to buy green

By Jeff Jedras

As the green hype has grown, so has the green confusion. The winner of the Best Green Solution category was recognized for developing a tool that helps IT buyers to cut through that green confusion and make smarter, greener IT buying decisions.

Toronto IT solutions provider Softchoice, was recognized for its IT buying engine that allows purchasers to search for and compare products such as laptops and printers based in industry-recognized standards for energy efficiency and environmental impact, such as EPEAT and Energy Star.

Melissa Alvares, sustainability programs manager for Softchoice, said with the creation of her position within the organization two-years ago, Softchoice began a concentrated effort to put more energy and action behind its sustainability strategy.

Beginning as a grassroots effort, Softchoice employees discussed how they could make a green difference. The first step was to be an eco-efficient partner that is walking the walk internally before it began advising customers on going green. As mainly a sales and marketing organization, though, Alvares said they quickly realized their biggest impact could be through helping their customers go green.

“IT contributes the same carbon emmissions as the airline industry,” said Alvares. “We work with hundreads of customers every day, and we want to help them make greener decisions.”

However the problem, said Alvares, is that people don’t really know what green means. Everyone loves to splash “green” or “eco-friendly” on their product, but there’s not a lot of standards. Softchoice researched the two major standards, EPEAT and Energy Star. Nearly every major vendor participates in EPEAT, but the information is hard for consumers to access and consider.

Softchoice worked with EPEAT and Energy Star to link their databases to its Web site.

The result? An IT product comparison engine where buyers can filter and search through green products, comparing standard ratings to make a more informed green buying decisions. “Everyone wants to do the right thing, they just need more information. Vendors have invested in these standards, but customers weren’t getting the information,” said Alvares.

The tool is also being incorporated into other Softchoice systems so the company can provide information to customers on the greenness of their IT environments. Customers can log into a portal to calculate and quantify the savings they’ve achieved with their green products, and when preparing a customer quote, Softchoice sales staff can include a report on the environmental benefits of the proposed sale.

Last year's CDN 2008 Channel Elite Awards Winners