The Top Green-IT Organizations: Green from the ground up

Computerworld's third annual Top Green-IT Organizations awards showcase the achievements at 12 IT departments that are reducing power demands and using technology to create energy efficiencies.

The top 12 were chosen from a group of nearly 100 applicants, each striving to find new ways to reduce energy consumption of their IT equipment and use technology to conserve energy.

Being a green-IT innovator isn't easy. Several of the organizations named to this year's list have helped lead the green-IT movement for years. They've plucked the low-hanging fruit of videoconferencing and printer management and are stretching toward more challenging projects, like the large-scale data center migration at Northrop Grumman, or the effort at Citigroup to relocate network switches to reduce the use of copper and cut power consumption by as much as 50%.

And even with these individual achievements, moving green-IT forward is a collective effort. George Washington University, for example, is putting out the challenge to other universities to take on green-IT initiatives. As the knowledge spreads, more organizations will join with these elite 12.

Read their stories to find ways for your organization to conserve energy, and save money. And take our online quiz to test your organization's green progress, and get tips for improving energy efficiencies from the top 12.

Plus, new this year, Computerworld teamed up with sister publication Network World to identify the top organizations leading the way with green-IT efforts, as well as the coolest green-IT products in use. Check out its picks for the best green tools.

2010 Top Green-IT Organizations

Top Green-IT Users

1. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
2. Citigroup Inc.
3. State Street Corp.
4. Earth Rangers
5. State of Indiana
6. Allstate Insurance Co.
7. George Washington University
8. Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
9. Union Pacific Railroad Co.
10. Baker Hughes Inc.
11. Northrop Grumman Corp.
12. Marriott International Inc.

Top Green-IT Vendors

1. Fujitsu Ltd.
2. Dell Inc.
3. NetApp Inc.
4. Verizon Wireless
5. Intel Corp.
6. Hewlett-Packard Co.
7. Qualcomm Inc.
8. Accenture PLC
9. Terremark Worldwide Inc.
10. Microsoft Corp.
11. Symantec Corp.
12. Affordable Internet Services Online Inc. (AISO)

Next: No. 1: PricewaterhouseCoopers mixes wow-factor projects with smart changes to everyday tasks