TECHNOLOGY giant Dell has taken the unusual step of attacking Apple over its "green credentials" which it claims leave the creator of the iPhone wanting.
The bust up involving the two global firms signals just how much the environment and "clean tech" investments will dominate business and commerce in the coming year, according to experts.
A survey by Gartner, the IT analysts and intelligence group
, places the development of green policies in the top three of executives' revenue-raising priorities for 2009. Gartner research analyst Rakesh Kumar said such issues are fast becoming a requirement as the economic downturn calls for more efficiency on energy use at work.
The broadside from Dell, which claimed its operations reached carbon-neutral status about six months ago, was launched by Bob Pearson, vice-president, in a company blog. In the blog he accused Apple of using environmentalism as a PR stunt.
"Several Dell folks were surprised and perplexed to see Apple's new 'green' MacBook advertisements since its release last month," he said. "We wish they would be more bold in making a difference rather than making ads."
Pearson accused Apple of not being "open and transparent" in its efforts to protect the environment and failing to set itself any energy-efficiency goals.
Eric Krangel, of the Silicon Alley Insider website, said: "It's smart for Dell to be touting its green computing efforts. It's one way to woo environmentally sensitive consumers away from rivals like Hewlett Packard."
Dell looks set to redefine its laptop family with the launch of its Adamo range of ultra-portable lap tops to challenge Apple's ultra-thin MacBooks which may be shown to the world as early as the four-day International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, starting on Thursday.
Charles King, an analyst at Pund-IT, said there remained a market for a competitively-priced laptop despite the economy being in the doldrums.
In terms of green issues, a global market related to everyone's "carbon footprint" is on track to top £75bn. Investments of a green hue are now bigger than either the biotechnology or software sectors.
Kevin Park, a director of Sunnyside Consulting, an Aberdeen-based IT expert, claimed it is Scottish companies and organisations which think more "clean tech" in their everyday work activities which will stand out in a fiercely competitive marketplace.
He said: "They can meet their green aspirations and improve vital cashflow by use of online options rather than buying in hardware, for example, by taking advantage of carbon-neutral datacentres."
Meanwhile, current clean tech innovations are taking many forms, from wood-to-biofuel fired cars, a "power shirt" generating electricity from the wearer's movement, to solar panels that work in the dark. James Murray of BusinessGreen, the online advisory body, points to studies showing a doubling of European green and ethical investments over the past three years with no let up in spending expected.
