Reducing the Environmental Impact of Companies Through the Purchase of Second-Hand Licenses

New information technologies, the dematerialization of processes, and a large number of products and services have revolutionized how companies operate in relation to the different markets they address. While the widespread use of ICTs reduces the environmental impact of human activities, their positive effects are limited by the manufacturing costs of equipment (infrastructure, servers, client workstations, mobile terminals, smartphones…), software design, and the energy consumption required for their operation.

In 2019, ICTs emitted between 4 and 10% of global greenhouse gases and consumed up to 15% of the electricity produced worldwide. In 2020, while the Covid crisis led to a significant improvement in air quality during lockdown and reduced activity phases (air traffic, automobile, industrial activity…), it also caused a massive increase in internet traffic (over 50% in France). The spread of teleworking and the increased use of cloud-hosted applications shifted the consumption and GHG emission issues to data centers (server, storage, network, and security equipment) and telecom infrastructures… Whereas locally your applications run on average 9h per day, 5d/7, SaaS mode applications positioned in the cloud operate 24/7. Moreover, hosting resources are oversized to ensure contractual service quality and to be prepared for any eventuality.

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

ICT Frugality and Circular Economy

To reduce the environmental impact of companies and control their expenses, managers must leverage two inseparable levers: material infrastructure and software park. The challenge is to rationalize the global infrastructure to make the best use of the IT tools essential for companies' operations and employee performance. This optimization starts with software, as in professional settings the hardware configurations are sized based on software prerequisites (storage spaces, processors, memories…).

To reduce the environmental impact of companies, IT departments have at their disposal the secondary market for professional software licenses. Thanks to this innovative second-hand market, developed on the principle of the circular economy, the software license enters an extended life cycle. The reuse of software licenses was made possible by a ruling of the European Court of Justice on the right to control a good 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, thereby reducing its impact during design phases. By favoring operational second-hand licenses adapted to your computer setups, you also extend the lifespan of your hardware infrastructure. You thus put a stop to the escalation of regular updates of your licenses. This publisher strategy leads to the updating of your hardware park with increasingly powerful computers, but ultimately oversized in relation to user needs (Office 2019, for example, requires more memory and power resources than Office 2007, with equivalent main functionalities).

In addition to implementing a company approach with controlled impact, purchasing second-hand licenses allows you to make substantial savings, which you can devote to other projects. The secondary market also provides greater flexibility regarding the evolution of your organization. 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 the environmental impact of companies. At the initiative of this movement is a company that puts a software it no longer uses on the market. Installed on computers, this software unnecessarily consumed IT resources and could constitute a security vulnerability if not updated. By deciding to sell it on the Softcorner platform, the company uninstalls the application and archives the data on external media. Thanks to this, it rationalizes the use of workstations, frees up storage space, and relieves the system of unsolicited queries, related to ghost applications. As a buyer of second-hand professional licenses, you equip your company at a very good price with perfectly compliant (licenses, license keys, documentation, installation media) and functional software.

Beyond your adherence to the secondary market, you can continue your involvement for responsible digital practices by joining, for example, the organization Planet Tech Care. It supports IT departments in their CSR approach to reducing the environmental impact of companies.