New study shows thin clients are more energy efficient than comparable PCs by more than 50 percent
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Businesses in the United States are home to approximately 22.9 million desktop PCs. By switching from PCs to thin clients, U.S. businesses could save about $354.7
"Energy consumption for thin clients when in operation was up to 51 percent lower than for conventional PCs," concluded Dr. Hartmut Pflaum, the Fraunhofer researcher. "While PCs consume about 85 watts on average, thin clients including their server and data room cooling get by with only 40 to 50 watts. In view of climate change and the need to reduce CO2 emissions, this is an important factor."
Using an estimate of 22.9 million business desktop PCs in operation around the U.S., businesses could be saving a total of about $354.7 million a year and cutting CO2 emission by about 2.45 billion pounds.
"The financial savings are significant but the impact on cutting CO2 emissions is what's really impressive," said Stephen Yeo, strategic director of worldwide marketing for IGEL Technology. "Saving 2.45 billion pounds of CO2 emissions would remove the equivalent impact of 106,521 average U.S. households each year."
"Add to this the typical 25 percent total cost of ownership (TCO) savings of buying and running a thin client compared to a PC and there can be no doubt that server-based computing is the economic and eco-friendly way forward," added Yeo.
Thin clients are designed as a "super slimmed down" alternative to the PC. Accessing information stored on the server, thin clients have no moving parts and little memory while maintaining all the functionality of a PC. Due to this superior design, thin clients use less power, are more reliable and simpler to centrally manage.
Notes to Editors:
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1 Average active power
2 Electricity tariff = 0.15 kWh
3 Worst case: 20 User / Server
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1 Average active power
2 The production of one kWh from the electricity network gives rise to 1.39 lbs CO2
About IGEL Technology
IGEL Technology is one of the world's top 5 thin client vendors and is market leader in its home country of Germany (2006 IDC). The company produces the industry's widest range of thin clients, based on Linux and Microsoft Windows, giving customers access to the richest set of digital services through the very powerful, IGEL designed, firmware. All IGEL thin clients come with the bundled, easy to use, IGEL Remote Management software, giving customers maximum remote control with the minimum cost and hassle.