Green computing is currently addressed by vendors and users through a three-pronged approach: by using and selling energy-efficient technologies, or add-on tools that promote energy efficiency; by utilizing sustainable materials in the production of goods; and by addressing product life-cycle management in an environment-friendly manner.

However, much of the green computing agenda is focused on energy efficiency, according to Gartner, which will see a level of maturity early on in the game. This is due largely to massive power requirements concentrated on firms' data centers, considered to be the largest energy-guzzlers in any company.

Data from research house Frost & Sullivan in February actually reveal that "as much as two-fifths of a company's total energy consumption is spent on powering data centers, making the cost of maintaining captive data centers highly prohibitive." Frost & Sullivan estimates that at least two percent of the world's electricity supply is spent powering data centers alone.

Most product offerings by IT vendors, therefore, revolve around reducing the amount of power consumed by servers inside data centers, with an end-goal of relieving the cost pressure points of companies.

Very little attention--if any, at all--is paid to evaluating the sustainable makeup of products and service offerings, which according to Gartner has the potential to affect longterm green benefits.