Small businesses can also save energy by optimizing the use of available hardware, experts at the Ayala ICT (Information and Communications Technology) forum in Mandaluyong City said.

Alex SL Tay, IBM Asia-Pacific Regional Manager of Facilities and Services, said the "motivation [to go green] is the avoidance of some kind of pain."

For some companies, he added, being more efficient and cost-effective is a matter of survival.

Mr. Tay cited an International Data Corp. (IDC) study saying that two-thirds of companies around the world want to go green.

But it remains a challenge for most small companies since energy-efficient computer hardware is generally more expensive.

He said the higher prices have prevented these businesses to buy more modern equipment.

Mr. Tay said the shift is easier for bigger conglomerates, which have the budget and want to project an environment-friendly image to customers.

But smaller businesses should take into account the savings from green hardware in the long run, he said. "They need to look at the bigger picture."

Norman Valenciano, Network Solutions manager of Cisco Systems, Inc., cited the need to be more energy-efficient.

He said there are now more than a billion Internet connections worldwide, and this is expected to increase to over five billion in the next five years, which means more power being consumed.

But companies can save energy through proper planning — turning off idle equipment, for instance.

Mr. Tay said companies can also buy scalable equipment, or hardware that can be expanded or upgraded on demand.