“Many companies are now asking why do users need
more than one device and for the work they do, do
they even need a PC? In most cases the extra features
and functions of a PC, as opposed to a thin client, can
add complexity and cost to supporting them” Steve
Bowden
more organisations This can enable them to Question: Environmental Accounting processors and applications. With the
reduce their environmental impact. is a hot topic at the moment – is this high power consumption of corporate data
a sector you identify with? In what centres, this technology could revolutionise
SB: Good people management practices. respect? the industry. The architecture and technology,
This is not just a technology issue as there such as blade servers, in these environments
are proven networking products that enable IB: Environmental Accounting presents a along with dynamic smart cooling and
individuals to work effectively whilst away challenge to many customers. They know intelligent power distribution, make a centrally
from an office location, both thin client and that opportunities for savings exist, but they shared ‘super data centre’ an exciting
PC. However, the enterprise embarking don’t have the tools to predict the savings prospect.
on a distributed workforce must have the and garner them. This is a “show me the
management policies and processes to money” challenge. SB: Through a variety of methods the need
ensure it is a success and that its staff to have a greater emphasis on sustainable
and business benefit from the change. HP has responded to this challenge by computing is reaching a broader audience,
IBM has had a large proportion of its staff developing the Client Virtualisation ROI Tool. especially with the rising energy costs in the
working remotely for many years now, very The ROI tool enables customers to predict UK. I’m sure there will be a greater acceptance
successfully, and the right management skills the savings opportunities in transitioning and urgency to take action when legislation is
were critical. to a virtualised client environment. These introduced that will place a financial burden on
opportunities include power and cooling CO2 emissions together with the increasing
AV: Organisational set-up, change of culture, savings, floor space and furniture savings, cost of energy. This clarity is key, so that
appropriate equipment. manageability and disaster tolerance savings, businesses know the environment they are
and can even estimate the user productivity to work in.
Question: Virtualisation is transforming benefits from operating in a virtualised
the data centre – will it do the same for environment. AV: It’s starting to. It depends very much of
the Desktop? the class of asset.
HP’s Client Virtualisation ROI Tool will guide
IB: 2008 is going to be the year when Client customers to the savings opportunities and Question: Do you believe that enough
Virtualisation will drive the transformation of will help pinpoint their location so that they can attention is being given to policy
the office environment. Client Virtualisation will be collected for re-utilisation as a competitive issues? i.e. what companies will need to
enable the user to enjoy the same high-fidelity, advantage elsewhere. do to comply with future regulations?
high-performance experience in a virtualised
solution as in a fixed desktop solution. Client AV: Yes. SAP are building the software for it. IB: There are already regulatory policies in
Virtualisation decouples the user from the the pipeline to improve the eco-design of
fixed work environment, enables greater Question: Efficiency – be it via smart energy using products, such as IT devices.
mobility and greater user productivity, while at asset management or the lengthening These will certainly minimise the impact of
the same time provides the enterprise with of product life cycles – is being targeted technology products on the environment
centralised manageability of user services, across many organisations. Is the and establish a common performance level
greater security, better adaptability, better message getting through to the sector among manufacturers. More interestingly,
disaster tolerance, and reduction of total at large? the European Commission will soon launch
costs over the lifetime of IT. a consultation package exploring the benefits
IB: Efficiency can help any level of of Information Technology as an enabler of
According to IDC, only 1 per cent of desktop organisation, from a domestic network to the climate change solutions. It is increasingly
environments have been virtualised, but this data centres of multinationals, reduce their recognised that there needs to be a shift in
is poised for rapid change thanks to new environmental impact. Through reduction of investment from carbon intensive processes
Client Virtualisation solutions from HP. operations costs and resource consumption, to a low carbon economy, and IT can play a
efficiency solutions can benefit businesses big role that shift.
SB: Many companies are now asking why do in financial and productivity terms, and have
users need more than one device and for the positive implications for the environment. SB: Both the UK Government and EU
work they do, do they even need a PC? In will continue to introduce legislation and
most cases the extra features and functions Efficiency, through intelligent use of assets, regulation that will affect how CO2 emissions
of a PC, as opposed to a thin client, can add is crucial in moving forward as a sustainable are managed by business. That is certain.
complexity and cost to supporting them. company. HP provides a number of services, It would be wrong for me to comment on
particularly management solutions, to help future, as yet unknown, legislation. What I
There will continue to be the need for some in this area. Through consolidation of assets believe is right for business though is that
individuals to have the ability to use computing and virtualisation it is possible to reduce the it’s clear and consistent, so that it provides
devices, laptops and PCs whilst way from the energy costs, resource use and as such cut a stable business environment for all
office. However, in general, office-based staff the environmental impact of a companies’ IT. companies.
should expect to see the increasing use of
thin clients and reduced number of devices Virtualisation takes IT out of physical boxes, AV: I think the US government doesn’t give
per employee. through shared resources such as memory, enough attention to this topic. n
ecoexecutive | 58
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