IT experts `can take lead in going green'

Information technology experts could become important agents of change to encourage people to be more environmentally friendly, a seminar has heard.

Armika Jaya, the organizer of the Go Green IT workshop, said the event was aimed at bringing together IT experts and specialists in Bali to launch a special Go Green IT campaign and to push managers of private and government institutions to adopt environmentally friendly IT.

"The key success of this campaign relies heavily on the capabilities of IT people to convince their employers to create an environmentally friendly workplace," Jaya said.

For example, he said, IT experts were able to encourage employers and workers to reduce electricity usage by turning off computers after working hours.

Another example Jaya gave was that IT experts could also require workers to go paperless. Instead of printing documents, they could share information through emails and other means of communication.

The one-day workshop was held at the Aston Hotel in Denpasar last Wednesday. "IT people are the ones who have to take the lead in energy saving," he added.

Adi Nugraha, the information, communication and technology manager of Kasih Ibu Hospital, touted an effective solution he said might significantly cut costs. The hospital, he said, planned to adopt a new medical record system allowing any patient access to their medical records directly from the hospital's computer system. "This will really help patients to get their medical records in an accurately and quickly," Nugraha said.

Doctors would also benefit from the system, he said. A number of IT manufacturers also took part in the workshop and exhibition offering various environmentally friendly products.

Hendra Sasmita, a sales development official at a well-known computer company, said it was high time for people to use energy-saving equipment including desktop computers, notebooks, printers and scanners.

Electricity is an expensive and limited energy source, he said, therefore "everybody should be aware of the importance of conserving energy".