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Channel Intelligence, Inc. (CI) and the Green Electronics Council (GEC) which manages the EPEAT green computer rating system, today announced they have entered an alliance to provide wider availability of information on products compliant with the EPEAT standard. The alliance will help increase awareness and purchases of green electronics through the integration of EPEAT registration status into online product descriptions on e-commerce websites.
The EPEAT system, which was developed through a stakeholder process, including manufacturers and supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, evaluates computer desktops, laptops, and monitors based on 51 environmental criteria. All EPEAT registered products must meet 23 mandatory environmental performance criteria. An additional 28 optional criteria are used to determine whether products earn EPEAT Gold, Silver, or Bronze status. EPEAT is a required specification for federal purchasers, and is increasingly used by state and local government purchasers as well as private sector IT managers, to “green” their electronics purchasing. The US Federal government recently integrated a requirement into the Federal Acquisition Regulations that 95% of all eligible products purchased by federal agencies must be EPEAT-registered.
Retailers have long been interested in showing which products are EPEAT registered, but have struggled with keeping their web pages up-to-date. The alliance between GEC and CI is expected to provide purchasers in the public and private sectors with real-time information to evaluate, compare and select products based on their compliance with the EPEAT standard. Soon EPEAT Gold, Silver, or Bronze registration marks will appear on retail websites along with other product information provided by Channel Intelligence, and changes to EPEAT registration status will be updated globally in near real time.
Said Jeff Omelchuck, GEC Executive Director and EPEAT Program Manager, “Channel Intelligence’s provision of EPEAT information to e-commerce websites will increase purchasers’ ability to make environmentally sound choices at the point of purchase. That in turn, will forward EPEAT’s mission of transforming the electronic product marketplace in favor of environmentally responsible products. While many purchasers are already specifying EPEAT, this alliance is key to informing buyers searching for greener products whether an individual product is registered as EPEAT Gold, Silver or Bronze.”
“Channel Intelligence is uniquely positioned to help support green retailing in the consumer electronics industry as we work with both the retailer community and top manufacturers to harness and display EPEAT ratings,” said Shailesh Adhav, Vice President Enterprise Sales, Americas and EMEA for CI. “With EPEAT already cited in over $60 billion in purchasing agreements, this alliance ensures that electronics buyers will have dynamically up-to-date information on the EPEAT status of products to integrate into their purchasing decisions. CI is able to use its optimization platform to display this information throughout the research and purchase process, whether at retailers, manufacturers or other publishers. Channel Intelligence is excited to be a part of this important cause.”
About EPEAT
The EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) program evaluates computer desktops, laptops, and monitors based on 51 environmental criteria. The system was developed through a comprehensive stakeholder process underwritten by US EPA that included environmental advocates, manufacturers, government and private purchasers, electronics recyclers and academics. The EPEAT standard is ANSI approved and was formally adopted in 2006 as Standard 1680 of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). For full details on the EPEAT criteria, a searchable database of EPEAT registered products, and lists of participating manufacturers and purchasers using EPEAT, visit the EPEAT website.
About EPEAT Registered Products
EPEAT registered computers and monitors are high-performance business class products that cost no more than comparable conventional products. However, compared to ordinary computer equipment, all EPEAT-registered products have reduced levels of cadmium, lead, and mercury to better protect human health and the environment. They are more energy efficient, which reduces emissions of greenhouse gases, they are designed to last longer, and they are also easier to upgrade and recycle. In fact, manufacturers must offer institutional purchasers environmentally sound recycling options for all products registered in EPEAT.
About Green Electronics Council
The Green Electronics Council partners with environmental organizations, government agencies, manufacturers and other interested stakeholders to improve the environmental and social performance of electronic products. In April 2006, it received a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to promote and implement the EPEAT green computer system. Additional information on GEC is available at greenelectronicscouncil.org.
About Channel Intelligence, Inc. (CI)
Powered by the CommerceIQ™ technology platform, CI’s Web-initiated commerce solutions make it easy for online shoppers to find and buy products whether they start at retailer sites, manufacturer sites or destination shopping sites. Every day CI manages and syndicates millions of products valued at over $3 billion through its three primary services – SellPath® Manufacturer Solutions, SellCast™ Retailer Solutions, and SellCore™ Publisher Solutions. CI customers include hundreds of the world’s best known manufacturing and retail brands. CI, a partner company of Internet Capital Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: ICGE), is based in Orlando, Fla., with EU offices in Geneva and London.
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