Reducing Companies' Environmental Impact by Purchasing Second-Hand Licenses

New information technologies, the dematerialization of processes, and a great number of products and services have revolutionized how companies operate in relation to the various markets they serve. While the widespread use of ICTs helps reduce the impact of human activities on the environment, their positive effects seem to be limited by the manufacturing costs of equipment (infrastructure, servers, client stations, mobile devices, smartphones…), software design, and the energy consumption required for their operation.

In 2019, ICTs emitted between 4 to 10% of global greenhouse gases and consumed up to 15% of the electricity produced worldwide. In 2020, while the Covid crisis significantly improved air quality during periods of lockdown and reduced activities (air and road traffic, industrial activity…), it also led to a massive increase in internet traffic (over 50% in France). The generalization of remote working and the increased use of cloud-hosted applications shifted the issues of consumption and GHG emissions to data centers (servers, storage, network, and security equipment) and telecom infrastructures. Whereas on-premises applications run on average 9 hours a day, 5 days a week, SaaS applications on the cloud operate 24/7. Furthermore, hosting resources are oversized to ensure contractual service quality and to prepare for any eventuality.

These figures highlight their environmental impact and underscore the importance of reducing companies' carbon footprint. Companies have a genuine societal responsibility and must now focus on the efficiency and sustainability of software and hardware resources to reduce their environmental impact.

Frugal ICT and Circular Economy

To reduce companies' environmental impact and control their expenses, leaders must focus on two inseparable levers: hardware infrastructures and software assets. The challenge is to rationalize the overall infrastructure to make the best use of IT tools essential for company operations and employee performance. This optimization starts with software, as in professional environments, hardware configurations are sized based on software prerequisites (storage space, processors, memory…).

To reduce companies' environmental impact, IT departments have access to the secondary market for professional software licenses. Thanks to this innovative second-hand market, developed on the principle of the circular economy, software licenses enter an extended life cycle. The reuse of software licenses was made possible by a ruling from the European Court of Justice on the right to control a product incorporating intellectual property rights. This is the first step towards green IT.

The Eco-Benefits of Second-Hand Software Licenses

The prospects for the secondary market of professional software licenses are considerable. By purchasing your software license second-hand, you extend the software's lifespan, thus reducing its impact during the design phases. By favoring operational and configuration-suited second-hand licenses, you also extend the life of your hardware infrastructure. This halts the overbidding of regular license updates. This publisher strategy leads to the updating of your hardware fleet with increasingly powerful computers, ultimately oversized compared to users' needs (Office 2019, for example, requires more memory and power resources than Office 2007, with equivalent main functionalities).

In addition to implementing a controlled impact company approach, purchasing second-hand licenses allows substantial savings, which you can allocate to other projects. The secondary market also provides greater flexibility regarding your organization's evolution. With software licenses offered at reduced prices (up to 80% less than the initial price), you can equip your employees with all the applications they need.

The Virtuous Circle of Second-Hand Licenses

A virtuous circle is established with the secondary market to limit companies' environmental impact. At the initiative of this movement, a company puts a software it no longer uses on the market. Installed on computers, this software unnecessarily consumed IT resources and could pose a security risk if not updated. By deciding to sell it on the Softcorner platform, the company uninstalls the application and archives the data on external media. This rationalizes the use of workstations, frees up storage space, and relieves the system of unsolicited requests linked to phantom applications. As a buyer of second-hand professional licenses, you equip your company at very competitive prices with fully compliant and functional software (licenses, license keys, documentation, installation media).

Beyond joining the secondary market, you can continue your commitment to responsible digital practices by joining organizations like Planet Tech Care, which supports IT departments in their CSR approach to reducing companies' environmental impact.