The past year has seen a surge in non-manufacturing technology firms certifying to the ISO 14001 standard for environmental management systems. This surge is emblematic of the changing environmental regulatory landscape; previously, only manufacturers and their component suppliers felt compelled to certify.

Blue Coat Systems’ recent ISO 14001 certification is a good example of the new wave of certifying, non-manufacturing technology companies. In early 2010 Blue Coat, which designs and outsources the manufacturing of WAN-optimization and network-security systems, sought to attain certification to raise awareness about the company’s environmental responsiveness.

Blue Coat did so in “half the time” of many other companies, according to Lead Auditor Manuel Rodriguez of auditing firm TÜV SÜD America Inc. We talked to Blue Coat Senior VP of Corporate Operations David Cox and Environmental Manager  Paris Dieker to find out how they did it:

As a technology company, why did you decide to get certified to ISO 14001 when all of your contract manufacturers were already ISO 14001 certified?

Cox: More and more of our customers care about the environmental impact of their strategic suppliers. This certification demonstrates to these customers that Blue Coat Systems is dedicated to reducing the environmental footprint of our products and operations and affirms the environmental stewardship of our employees.

Your Sunnyvale, Calif., headquarters facility was certified, according to your auditor, in half the time it takes most companies. How did you do it?

Cox: The rapid certification process reflects the forward-thinking success of our company’s environmental sustainability initiative, BluePlanet, which we commenced more than two years before the certification audit. Our BluePlanet program, led by a multifunctional, multiregional team, continues to reduce the environmental impact of our company and products in numerous areas applicable to ISO 14001 certification.

What benefits have you seen thus far from your BluePlanet initiative?

Cox: Since its inception, BluePlanet has helped Blue Coat to reduce its operational costs by approximately US$3.3 million and reduce CO2-equivalent emissions by approximately 3,000 metric tons. This equals a year-over-year reduction of 4 percent per employee. From a business standpoint, we’re eliminating inefficiencies and reducing or avoiding costs, while at the same time implementing best practices and world-class processes to continuously lower the company’s impact on the environment. It’s a win-win situation.