Schneider Electric hands partners sustainability SaaS
Vendor continues to support partners with tools to identify, measure and ultimately reduce carbon emissions
Schneider Electric is arming its channel with a subscription service that will calculate and measure carbon emissions, giving the channel a chance to address its sustainability goals.
The supplier’s Zeigo Activate offering will provide carbon calculations, help set decarbonisation targets and help devise a strategy that will reduce emissions.
The latest offering sits alongside other efforts under the Zeigo banner – Power and Network – where the supplier has already moved to help customers digitally tender renewable energy Power Purchase Agreements and establish an ecosystem of 600-plus organisations that can share their experiences of reducing emissions.
“Channel businesses continue to face a host of energy and sustainability challenges, but despite a turbulent macroeconomic environment, ESG, energy efficiency and ecosystem decarbonisation remain key areas of focus for partners,” said David Terry, vice-president of IT channels at Schneider Electric Europe.
“Through Zeigo, partners can access a suite of world-class SaaS [software-as-a-service] tools and identify specialist businesses that help them reduce energy consumption, emissions and costs, as well as strategic processes to accelerate businesses’ sustainability journeys,” he said.
Schnieder Electric has been consistently promoting sustainability support to partners as it reacts to increased demand from customers for help in reducing their own emissions, as well as working with green partners.
The supplier has also been running sustainability schools to support partners, and Terry indicated that those have been popular across its partner base.
More plans in the works
Terry hinted more plans were in the works for next year to help partners measure the sustainability impact over the lifecycle of technologies.
Pointing to the focus on artificial intelligence, he talked of the technology being power-hungry, and how the expectation was that the demand for energy consumption reporting would grow substantially over the next few years. “In the IT channel, [the time is] now to start tackling some of these challenges, and we believe Zeigo Activate definitely starts to help some of our small to medium customers start their journey,” he said.
Rachel Brindley, senior director of channels at Canalys, said the analyst had been tracking sustainability and it continued to be a major concern for both channel and customers.
“The market has developed much greater awareness, both from the partner community and customers as well,” she said. “They are really beginning to say, ‘What do we do? How can you help me? How can you advise me in terms of what technology is doing?’ Despite some of the macro economic issues that we’re facing, we’re still seeing sustainability increase and rise up that partner agenda.”
Canalys has recently launched its Sustainable Ecosystems Leadership Matrix, with Schneider being named a champion in that matrix.
Brindley said those suppliers that channel feedback as well as programmes and decarbonisation initiatives were all considered in naming a supplier a champion.
“Champions have demonstrated the highest levels of excellence in driving the channel ecosystem forward in environmental sustainability, specifically while progressing on their own corporate sustainability strategies,” she said.
