Conference will focus on tech’s impact on ‘green’

A first-of-its-kind conference in Des Moines will focus on the impact of information technology on the “green revolution.”

The Technology Association of Iowa and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will co-host “The Heartland GreenUp Symposium and Expo” on May 5. The event will include keynote speakers like Randy Mott, executive vice president and chief information officer at Hewlett-Packard, and industry experts discussing how technology is impacting the “green” revolution in multiple industries.

“Through public and private efforts, our state is at the epicenter of using technology to reduce our carbon footprint,” said Leann Jacobson, president of the Technology Association of Iowa. “We felt it would provide the perfect platform to host an industry conference addressing how technology is and will be impacting not just our nation, but our planet when it comes to energy efficiency.”

Jacobson said the conference will promote best practices to reduce overall energy consumption and carbon footprints in information technology.

“When you look at how computers and computer-related equipment impact the carbon footprint of an industry, it's a fairly substantial percentage,” Jacobson said. “There are models that show the efficiencies and financial incentives gained when companies share a data center.

“Involta in Marion and Team Technologies in Des Moines are leaders in the shared data center space.”

The May conference will examine four areas or “tracks” with keynote speakers and breakout sessions: Renewable energy solutions, green computing, best practices between business and

technology's future impact on society in 2020.

Conference organizers hope the event will bring together the “best and brightest” to begin discussion of what can be accomplished, Jacobson said.

Jacobson said the Technology Association of Iowa is committed to holding the conference for the next four years. Organizers would like to attract 500 to 600 people to the initial conference, potentially laying the groundwork for a two-day event in 2011.