In the course of the tour, the yacht – a Dehler 22 on a trailer – will “drop anchor” at a large Dutch organization every day. Among the major organizations to be visited by the yacht are Siemens, BMW, and the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, which has strongly supported the Bolster Group and EvoSwitch sustainable hosting initiative. Managements of the organizations to be visited will receive an invitation to board the yacht and learn successful approaches to accomplish sustainable green infrastructure hosting.

Greening the Internet

The Bolster Group’s international operations serve companies like Shell, TNT, PricewaterhouseCoopers, T-Mobile and the Dutch Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management. In collaboration with EvoSwitch, the Bolster expects to reach most of the management boards of Top 500 companies.

“We contacted EvoSwitch as a sponsoring partner because it is the first CO2 neutral data center in the Netherlands,” explains Rogier ‘t Hooft, Managing Director of Bolster Group. “Traditional internet data centers tend to consume a lot of power. With their extensive knowledge of sustainable internet infrastructures, EvoSwitch can make a significant contribution to the promotional tour, by explaining the many advantages of green, energy efficient data centers.”

“Many countries are beginning to realize that requiring energy efficient hosting is a matter of highest priority,” notes Eric Boonstra, the Managing Director of EvoSwitch. “Hosting in EvoSwitch, a green sustainable data center, meets Carbon Reduction Commitment Requirements for UK industries under British legislation, which came into force 1 April 2010 in Great Britain. We expect other European countries to adopt similar measures in the future. It is important for organizations to begin effective initiatives for green hosting now. Utilizing best sustainable green hosting practices demonstrates to an organization’s stakeholders that it recognizes the strong value of environmentally friendly hosting, as well as providing the best internet infrastructure available. Green hosting results in economical and cost effective hosting outcomes and is the smart choice for any organization, as well as the environmentally friendly solution.”

The management board of EvoSwitch will discuss the options for sustainable, energy saving internet infrastructures during the tour. In addition, a secure space outside the EvoSwitch data center will serve as the “home port” for the yacht in 2010.

‘The Green Fan’ label

“The Green Fan is a logo reserved for EvoSwitch customers,” says Eric Boonstra, the Managing Director of EvoSwitch. “By featuring the Green Fan logo on their websites, our clients demonstrate to their own customers that they have embraced a green hosting infrastructure. They are helping to preserve the environment, as well ensure significant energy saving for them, thus resulting in more efficient hosting outcomes for their organizations. Hosting at EvoSwitch informs the public that environmental sustainability is a key organizational concern for environmentally friendly corporations, government entities, and non-profits. The Green Fan gives tangible evidence to stakeholders that environmentally friendly hosting creates substantial value, as well as providing a comprehensive internet infrastructure solution for organizations concerned with obtaining the best hosting outcome possible.”

Unfortunately, sustainable green hosting is often invisible, or unappreciated by the public. Publicizing green internet solutions, which contribute to preserving the environment, encourages companies to invest in environmentally friendly hosting initiatives. As an organization committed to implementing environmentally sustainable hosting solutions; EvoSwitch will link the The Green Fan label to the promotional tour by featuring the Green Fan initiative during knowledge session discussions with visiting managers.

Leadership program with a trip to Antarctica

The road show precedes a more in-depth substantial program relating to leadership and sustainability to be kicked off by the Bolster Group towards the end of 2010. The program, in which several managers visited during the road show will participate, has a practice driven setup and embraces appropriate sustainable projects for the participating organizations. The program is based on 4 pillars and focuses on the positive impact of sustainability on:

• cost reduction
• customer image
• attracting talent
• pro-active legislative approach

In the program, the Bolster Group is collaborating with the US based organization ‘2041.’ The year refers to the ideology and activities of the polar adventurer Robert Swan. His organization ‘2041’ works to preserve Antarctica and the environment in general. He chose this intriguing name for his organization because the treaty that protects the untamed nature of Antarctica will expire in 2041. In that year, the treaty re-negotiation may seriously endanger nature in the Antarctic region.

An expedition to Antarctica is part of the sustainability leadership program in the Netherlands. Together with Robert Swan, several senior managers will experience the overwhelming beauty of untouched nature and the negative impact of global warming. The green initiatives of the ‘Leadership for Antarctica’ road show seek to educate and inform the business community and the wider public of tangible solutions and approaches to help preserve the environment for future generations.