EnviroInfo 2001: Sustainability in the Information Society Potential for reducing environmental impacts by means of dematerialization, exemplified by Deutsche Telekom s virtual telephone-call manager, the T-NetBox Dietlinde Quack, Carl-Otto Gensch 1 Zusammenfassung Das auf fünf Jahre angelegte Groß-Projekt EcoTopTen im Auftrag des BMBF hat das Ziel, hochwertige, preislich bezahlbare und "selbstverständlich ökologische" Produkte im Massenmarkt zu plazieren. Dabei erfolgt eine Schwerpunktsetzung auf zehn besonders umweltrelevante Produktfelder. In diesen Produktfeldern werden jeweils ein oder mehrere Produkte neu entwickelt, weiterentwickelt oder in der Vermarktung unterstützt. Am Projekt sind Markenhersteller, Handel und Umwelt- und Verbraucherorganisationen beteiligt. An der ersten Phase des Projekts sind die Volkswagen AG mit dem 3-Liter-Lupo, die Deutsche Telekom mit der T-NetBox und der Industrieverband Körperpflege und Waschmittel (IKW), sowie der TV- Gerätehersteller Loewe beteiligt. Der seit 1997 von der Deutschen Telekom angebotene Dienst T-NetBox ist ein für die NutzerIn nicht sichtbarer, durch sogenannte T-NetBox-Plattformen bereitgestellter Nachrichten- und Anrufmanager im Festnetz, ähnlich einer Mailbox für den Mobilfunkbereich. Der virtuelle Anrufmanager T-NetBox besitzt nach den im Rahmen des Projekts EcoTopTen durchgeführten Analysen das Potenzial durch Dematerialisierung erheblich zur Umweltentlastung der beiden Dienstleistungen automatische Anrufbeantwortung und Faxausgabe beizutragen. Bisher wurde dieses Potenzial nicht ausgeschöpft, der Dematierialisierungseffekt nur unzureichend realisiert. Zielsetzung der Pilotinitiative T-NetBox innerhalb des Projekts EcoTopTen ist es, den Dienst so weiterzuentwickeln und zu vermarkten, dass Hemmnisse, die momentan einer größeren Marktdurchdringung und optimalen Nutzung im Weg stehen, überwunden werden. 1 Dr. rer. nat. Dietlinde Quack (email: quack@oeko.de) and Dipl. Ing. (Uni) Carl-Otto Gensch (email: gensch@oeko.de), Öko-Institut e.v. Institute for Applied Ecology, Sustainable Products and Material Flows Division, PO Box 6226, D-79038 Freiburg, Germany Phone: +49-761-45 295 0, Internet: http://www.oeko.de
144 1. Goal and scope 1.1 The project EcoTopTen The large-scale five-year project commissioned by the German Research Ministry (BMBF) aims to position on the mass market high-quality, financially affordable and 'of course green' 'EcoTopTen' products. The project concentrates on the ten product fields of particular relevance in terms of environmental impact: cars, housing, household appliances (clothes washers and dryers; refrigerators and freezers, cookers, dishwashers), computers, TV/video equipment, foods and textiles). In each of these product fields, one or several products are newly developed, further developed or supported in marketing, a focus being placed on new marketing approaches (organization of large-scale demand-promotion or ordering campaigns by consumer organizations, e-commerce, influencing public and private sector procurement etc.). Brand-name manufacturers, retail organizations and environment and consumer organizations are participating in the project. In late 2001, an image campaign with a financial volume of about DM five million will be launched. Due to the unusual project constellation, major media attention is anticipated. A competition for the contract to prepare the image campaign has been organized among major marketing agencies; the decision on the final concept is currently being taken. The development and presentation of new EcoTopTen products will be spread across the first years of the product campaign (starting with 5-6 products and with a further new product every 3-4 months). The step-wise presentation has two reasons: first, the increased public attention that continuous new presentations will generate, and, second, the inconceivable or impossible coordination among ten or more manufacturers for simultaneous product development processes. In addition to the presentation of the first EcoTopTen products, at the beginning of the image campaign the best-in-class products will be presented for those product fields for which no EcoTopTen products have yet been developed. A further focus will be placed upon providing information on environmentally sound and costsaving product use. The project will be carried out in three phases. The first phase will involve participation of the Volkswagen AG company with its Lupo car (consuming only 3 litres of petrol per 100 km), the Deutsche Telekom telecommunications company with its T-Net-Box (substituting individual telephone answering and fax equipment) and the German federation of personal hygiene and detergent industries (Industrieverband Körperpflege und Waschmittel, IKW, with products for environmentally friendly washing) and the TV manufacturer Loewe. This phase will also involve selection of the further prospective EcoTopTen products and companies. In Phase II, the image campaign and work on further EcoTopTen
145 products will commence. In the third phase, the project shall be transferred to the European level or to further European Union member countries. 1.2 Features of the T-NetBox The T-Net-Box, which has been available from Deutsche Telekom AG since 1997, is a communication and telephone-call manager, similar to a mailbox for cellular phones. It is provided to the user remotely, using a system called T-Net-Box platform. Firstly the basic version of the T-NetBox shows functional attributes that are similar to a conventional telephone-answering-machine: automatic receipts of incoming telephone calls and the possibility for the caller to leave a message (max. 30 messages á 2 min.). Other optional services include announcement of calls, remote inquiry from each telephone, personal identification number (PIN) for protection against an unauthorized access etc.. The T-NetBox has other additional features which make it more attractive than a conventional answering machine. The T-NetBox is a virtual product (no separate device, no additional cable, no socketoutlet occupancy). The user is able to get informed on incoming messages by a call from the T-Net-Box at his own or a selectable external connector and / or by sending a text message to a mobile telephone 2 or a pager (function of notification). When the caller s telephone-number transmission is activated, the callers telephone-number is announced, even if no message has been left and it is possible to call back directly on keypress) The T-NetBox also possesses a fax-storing function. an optional feature such that fax messages can be stored and transferred to any end device. Beside this, up to nine separate message-boxes (the so called FamilyBoxes ) can be configured. Currently, the T-NetBox system is not able provide some of the services offered by a conventional answering machine. Due to the system there is no possibility to listen at incoming calls and it is not yet possible to get a signaling on received messages at the end device. All factors considered, the T-NetBox earned a good performance rating in a product test comparison 3 with a conventional telephone answering machine. Since June 2001, T-NetBox provides an enhanced scope of services, the Unified Messaging. Additionally to telephone calls and fax messages it is able to manage also emails and SMS under one telephone number. 2 Free of charge SMS-notification in the T-D1-net 3 For example ComputerBild, issue 19, 1998
146 2. Methods 2.1 Orienting ecological analysis The orienting ecological analysis worked out in this study takes pattern from the methodological framework for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). LCA has been developed within the last 15 years to an international accepted method to evaluate the environmental burdens associated with product systems or services. It describes the energy and material used and wastes released to the environment and assesses the impacts to the environment including the entire life cycle. The principles, procedures and terminology of LCA are harmonised in DIN EN ISO 14040 to 14043 on an international level. Included in the analyses were the operation of the machines and the disposal of electronics scrap. For the orienting substance flow analyses shown here, the production step was left out as it could be shown in a sensitivity analyses that this step is only of marginal relevance. 2.2 Innovation workshops and cooperation among actors In addition to reducing environmental impacts, the project "EcoTopTen" aims to enhance innovative capacities and improve customer orientation and consumer acceptance. Moreover, unconventional forms of cooperation with external actors yield benefits on the market, and deliver, through integrated analysis of the product life cycle and the societal environment of the product, new potentials to reduce costs. 3. Results and conclusions 3.1 Environmental reduction potential The telephone-answering and fax-storing functions were initially studied separately. For the analysis of the telephone-answering function, an assumption was made of functional equivalence between the T-Net-Box and conventional answering machines. Possible disparities in function were disregarded. In the year 2000 approximately 49% of German households are equipped with an answering machine and approximately 24% own a fax machine, compared with 1.2 million T-NetBoxes currently active (ACTA 1999-2000; GfK 2000; Deutsche Telekom 2001). Both answering machines and fax machines typically spend 24 hours a day on stand-by, i.e. constantly ready to receive a message or a fax. Assuming that the average power input, given the current state of the technology, is 5 W for answering machines and 10 W for fax machines, the result is total electricity consumption of over 1,600 gigawatt-hours per year simply to operate them on stand-
147 by. 1,600 gigawatt-hours equates to about 46% of the annual output of a large coalfired power plant 4. If the 18 million answering machines in German households were all replaced by the T-Net-Box service ( Improvement Scenario 1 ), the electricity consumption required to operate the T-Net-Box platforms would be a mere 4.7 gigawatt-hours. This presupposes the greatest possible efficiency in utilization of capacity, i.e. 400,000 T-Net-Boxes per T-Net-Box platform. Comparing this scenario with the status quo, 99% of the present energy supply to answering machines could be conserved. Expressed in equivalent emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2 equivalents), this would represent savings of over 600,000 million tonnes of CO2 per year. At the same time, 9,600 terajoules of primary energy could be saved. Substantial energy savings are also made possible by using the fax function of the T-Net-Box. Improvement Scenario 2 illustrates this: Since it can be assumed that around half of households with a fax machine also own a PC with a modem or ISDN card (approx. 18% of households in total) and use this for a variety of purposes, in these households faxes could be printed out on the home computer and its connected printer. There is no need to take additional standby operation into account. In this way the T-Net-Box could be instrumental in replacing half of the 9 million fax machines operated in German households. It is further assumed that, of the remaining 4,5 million fax machines, one-third are only switched on specifically to print a fax, and one third are left on stand-by for 12 hours per day only. Only the remaining one-third, i.e. 1,5 million machines, remain on stand-by around the clock. This last assumption results from the fact that userspecific programming is deleted when the machine is switched off, making it impractical for users to shut down their machines regularly. Keeping in mind the above parameters, this improvement scenario indicates savings potential of 83%, i.e. over 8,000 terajoules of primary energy and 514,000 tonnes CO2 equivalent can be saved. Operation of the T-Net-Box platforms on stand-by was not considered separately in this instance, since the T-Net-Box s answering machine function is a prerequisite for the fax function and has already been taken into account in the previous scenario (above). The maximum reduction of environmental impact is achieved by combining both of these improvement scenarios. By replacing all the conventional answering machines in German households with the T-Net-Box, and utilizing the T-Net-Box s fax function to its full extent as described above, the present environmental impacts of energy production for automatic telephone answering and automatic incomingfax storage functions can be reduced by 91%. 4 Specification of the power plant: power: 700 MW; average utilization: 5,000 h/a
148 3.2 Economic aspects Regarding the costs, the alternatives T-NetBox and conventional answering machine do not differ substantially, provided the same quality and functional level. Yet the cost structure is different: For the stand-alone answering machine the purchase costs must be calculated plus the electricity costs for the 24 hour operation. In contrast to this, monthly rates have to be accounted for the T-NetBox 5. For special types of ISDN connections (ISDN connections with the feature call forwarding ) the use of one T-Net-Box is already included within the monthly rate. 3.3 Drawbacks and effective measures The main purpose of the initiative T-NetBox within the project EcoTopTen is the development and marketing of this service. It has to be done in a way that the drawbacks of the current model of the T-NetBox can be overcome to provide a better market penetration and optimal use. Potentials and hindrances for a successful product development and product marketing can be determined with the help of innovation workshops. Innovation workshops serve also to consider the interests of the actors and their practical experiences. Innovation workshops will be carried out for the other EcoTopTen products as well. Market research helps to supplement and identify target groups who are dedicated to a specific product and/or who should be considered when modifying a product. For example, the product have focused on the shortcomings of the T-NetBpox service, that it is not possible to get a signaling of received messages at the home phone, when using the T-NetBox. First of all, one can question the necessity of being informed at one fixed place, when at the same time our society becomes more and more mobile. Nevertheless, user can adapt to this new technology with minor modifications, stated to them in a simple and easily understandable way. First they have to adjust the T-NetBox so that they get a free call to their own connection after a new message has arrived. Second users owning a phone with the feature caller list 6 it is then easy to see if a call from the T-NetBox has arrived and thus a new message was received. For some time now the Deutsche Telekom has been experimenting with a newer method of optic at compatible phones for ISDN 5 An example: The yearly costs of a conventional answering machine in the price range of 100.- DM amount to about 44.- DM; in contrast to this, for the T-NetBox 48,- DM have to be calculated. Basis: Answering machine: purchase costs: 100.- DM; anticipated average life: 3 years; power consumption: 4 Watt; electricity costs: 0.3 DM/kWh; monthly rate for the T- NetBox: 4,- DM/month; for the use of the function fax storage an additionally 2.- DM would have to be added. 6 Caller list is a common feature for modern phones.
149 connections. The SMS system should soon work for analog connections in the case of the conventional telephone network. The majority of phone connections in Germany (private households) are still vi the analog mode. In the first half of the year 2000 31.1 million analog connections faced only 4.7 million ISDN connections (Tele.Basic home 2000). Currently 70 % of the ISDN connections are equipped with a T-NetBox but those T-NetBoxes are neither activated nor used by the customers. Even though the Deutsche Telekom expects a further increase in the number of ISDN connections the data point out that the service T-NetBox must be adapted to analog customers as well in order to optimize its use. At the same time this study also shows that it is not sufficient that the T-NetBox is included in the monthly rates. Customers must also be motivated to activate and use their T-NetBox. For this reason, a pilot initiative is currently in progress which should show if the automatic provision of the T-NetBox leads to a higher usage. In practice this means that the customers need only to get a free phone call from the T-NetBox a few days after being connected to activate their accounts. They will be asked to enter a PIN and being to use the T-NetBox immediately afterwards. Likewise, there are plans to providing help in the initial setup and configuration via a hotline. This presupposes that it is essential for the acceptance of the T-NetBox that the configuration and handling procedures are simple. It has to be emphasized that many end devices are not yet compatible with the optimal use of the telephone-answering and the fax storing function. In order to improve this situation considerable efforts have to be made. Cooperation among actors, e.g. between the Deutsche Telekom, producers and traders are a good starting measure. Also, innovation workshops can help to identify drawbacks and develop better measures. The major focus would be the development and selective promotion of end devices that can be switched on/off without data loss. Cooperation among actors can also serve to modify specific features in order to make them more attractive and more simple for the customers. One example would be the presence of fax terminals at central, publicly accessible locations such as railway stations, shopping malls, post offices. This would enable persons that do not own a fax machine to receive fax messages with the help of their own telephone number. Even though fax messages are currently being replaced by emails, this only affects 28 % of private housholds in Germany which have an internet access (data for the year 2000: ACTA 1999-2000 and GfK 2000). Additionally 11 % of the households plan to purchase a fax machine within the next two years 7. An incentive offer and appropriate cost advantages could lead to a reorientation in behavior. 7 In the year 2000 24 % of the private households had a fax machine.
150 4. Recommendations and Outlook The virtual calling manager T-NetBox is an ecologically sound product, through which substantial environmental discharges can be realized. It will require much work to ensure an appropriate market penetration and optimal use, at the current stage of development. Bibliography ACTA (1999-2000): Allensbacher Computer- und Telekommunikationsanlayse Tele.Basichome (2000): GfK Marktforschung Tele.Basichome2000 Deutsche Telekom (2001): Ms. Wagner Neugebauer. Deutsche Telekom. Personal communication