Newsletter Issue 7, 2010

In this issue:

- Developing the Green ICT concept
- Did you know…
- Energy saved displayed on walls
- 3 Questions for Eva Pethrus, Manager of Partners in Learning, Microsoft’s CSR initiative.
- Subscribe to the newsletter

Developing the Green ICT concept

Green ICT encompasses a wide variety of smart ICT ideas that can help us develop solutions to future environmental problems. The Kista Green ICT Seminar will more clearly define the field and help us develop its enormous potential.

The seminar kicks off in November and will include big names like Gartner, Microsoft, Ericsson, and IBM. The aim is to start a discussion that will result in a clear-cut definition for Green ICT. “Because there’s no clear definition at present, we’ve chosen a very broad approach for the seminar. We want to generate discussion about the concept in order to come up with the best possible definition,” says Åke Lindström, Marketing Director at Kista Science City AB.

Among those participating in the seminar is the Swedish Standards Institute (SIS) – one of the first organizations in the world to begin work on standardization within Green ICT. “Ericsson, Microsoft, and IBM will also contribute expertise in their respective fields. We need a deeper discussion about what Green ICT encompasses and really develop its great potential for new marketing opportunities and environmental conservation,” adds Lindström.

Kista Green ICT is part of a series of seminars that showcase Stockholm’s role as European Green Capital 2010. The seminar targets everyone active within the IT and telecom industries.

“We hope that this first seminar will be followed by others under the Green ICT banner. We’re also very open to suggestions from participants as to how to best make this happen,” Lindström explains.

The Kista Green ICT Seminar will open with a special event on the evening of November 16 in the City Hall of Stockholm, and continue throughout the following day.

• Did you know…
• …By replacing communications equipment in the city’s schools, the Stockholm school facility management company Skolfastigheter i Stockholm (SISAB) has succeeded in reducing energy consumption by the same amount as is used annually by approx. 300 apartments.
• …the introduction of a congestion tax in Stockholm was made possible by new ICT solutions and has reduced emissions from traffic by 10 to 14 percent.
• …The City of Stockholm’s investment in e-services has not only reduced the number of paper forms used, but also trips made to meet supervisors, which has led to a reduction in CO2 emissions.

  Source: Green IT – A Strategy for the City of Stockholm

Energy saved displayed on walls

IBM’s office in Kista is using a new system to monitor energy use in real time. Energy use is shown on screens in public areas and on the company’s intranet. The system is designed to make staff aware of energy savings.

“For Vasakronan, conserving energy is the most important, high-priority aspect of our efforts to protect the environment. We continually work together with our tenants to see to it that we reduce our energy consumption,” explains Kristina Rosqvist, Regional Manager at the property company Vasakronan. “So it was an obvious choice for us to say ‘yes’ to IBM when they asked to install the equipment on our property.”

The project represents a cooperative effort between Vasakronan, IBM, and eZE System.

3 Questions

Eva Pethrus

Manager of Partners in Learning, Microsoft’s CSR

• 1.

  You hold a three-day technology course called Digigirlz for girls in the 8th and 9th grades in cooperation with the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology (KTH). What’s the aim behind Digigirlz?

  “Above all, we want to show the girls that technology is fun and not at all difficult! If you ask girls in this age group, they would say that they’re not especially interested in or knowledgeable about technology. At the same time, they’re actually major users of technology in the form of cell phones and computers. So actually, they already know a lot about technology.”

• 2.

  What do they do during the course?

  “They use free live services online and the Microsoft Office, and also gain a better knowledge of Windows. In reality, they know a whole lot already, but we’re able to help them deepen their understanding a little. We can also help them to build self-confidence in their ability to use technology.”

• 3.

  Why is this important?

  “At its core, it’s a question of growth, both for us as a company, but also for Sweden as a knowledge nation. We will be better able to develop new products and services if we have mixed groups of both men and women involved in the process. If we’re going to continue to be a leading nation, then both job opportunities and the working environment must be the same for both men and women. For KTH, this will be an opportunity to boost recruitment for their computer courses, which currently have only a small number of female students enrolled.”