It's no longer good enough for vendors to offer the best prices and services when negotiating contracts for an IT deal. Today, vendors must make sure products are green, energy efficient and contain fewer hazardous materials.

Ted Samson writes an InfoWorld column called "Sustainable IT." He says that being green is becoming the operative way to keep large and small companies happy. Verizon, for instance, says by July 2010 all of its network-hardware suppliers must use thermal modeling when designing circuit boards and cabinets used in network gear, according to Samson.

That's only one example of where companies are headed when it comes to green technology, but any vendor shying away from recognizing this is happening stands to lose out on getting a contract if the products aren't green.

Samson writes: "Carbon regulation in the United States may be months, if not years, away. In countries such as China, who knows if they'll ever materialize?"

Nevertheless, he says, companies are moving "greenward" to meet the demands of large companies and the federal government.

For more on going green:
- see this InfoWorld.com article

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