Cranberry shows that using a secure and efficient computer offsets CO2 emissions equivalent to a 2½ hour business flight every year
According to estimates by the leading industry analyst, Gartner Group, the global information and communications technology (ICT) industry generates as much CO2 as the Aviation industry. Growing pressure on companies and governments to act responsibly and reduce carbon emissions has led to growing frustration. In offices around the UK, managers and staff struggle to both cut costs and save greenhouse gas emissions.
The new Cranberry Smart Client computer, the SC20, is the industry’s energy-efficient alternative to a desktop computer. The computer represents a significant breakthrough for aspiring ‘Green’ offices in private and public sector organisations. Now businesses can reduce the carbon footprint of their employees’ computers by up to 95% - just by buying a different computing device.
No bigger than a paperback book, the SC20 consumes on average only 9 watts of power compared to a mid-range PC that has an average power consumption of 175 watts. As well as being 19 times more efficient, the SC20 comes with management software to further reduce power consumption by automatically turning off unused powered-on devices overnight.
To put the energy-efficiency of the SC20 into context, Cranberry’s research calculates that an average office PC in use 9 hours a day, 5 days a week, 48 weeks a year is responsible for 176kg of CO2 each year. A Smart Client would produce just 9kg, a 95% reduction. If applied to the 12.6 million office PCs in the UK today, this is a reduction in CO2 emissions is equivalent to 6.3 million people taking an annual return flight from London to Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon or Rome.
Simon Ponsford, CEO of Cranberry, commented: “Business struggles to make energy savings and there is growing awareness of the environmental implications of IT. Our new computer can instantly save power use and CO2 emissions while improving the bottom line. This is a fantastic win-win situation. The Smart Client will make businesses operate more effectively while providing a greener, more efficient office environment.”
Cranberry’s SC20 Smart Client computer is a fusion of ‘thin’ and ‘fat’ client technologies. The SC performs the business functions of a fat PC, including web browsing, but has easy management and security features of a thin client device. Uniquely for a computer, the SC is immune to the consequences of viruses and spyware as it loads a fresh copy of the operating system every time it starts. Due to its ultra-efficient microprocessor, the Smart Client consumes less than 10% of the power of a standard PC while using Microsoft Windows XP Embedded operating system.
The device is an IT manager’s dream as it uses Cranberry’s patented Freshboot technology to prevent unauthorised changes to both applications and the operating system. Operating system changes and software updates can be added easily at any time – even when someone is working on the SC. Because the SC is provisioned automatically, it is easy to deploy and staff can plug and work from home or any office desk.
With an entry price of just £349, the SC20 Smart Client is now available to UK customers through CDG, Cranberry’s distribution partner.
