We’re talking almost daily with System Center shops that have tried SCCM 2007 R3 for power management and now realize that it’s a dead-end. Energy savings goals are not realized, and IT expectations for a low TCO solution are not fulfilled either.

I heard recently about a big Spanish bank that published a request for proposal (RFP) to buy computer monitors. In evaluating the various RFPs, the bank calculated the effective cost of the monitor as the purchase cost plus the incremental energy cost for the less efficient models over five years. That got me thinking about the logic (or lack thereof) in this approach. I’ve worked closely with a number of banks over the past few years including a very large bank. So, with some “real” numbers in mind, I ran some comparisons to determine if there might be a more effective approach.

Taking advantage of IRS rules in the last days of 2011 will cut the already quick payback period for PC power management software by up to 35%!

Recently, Pike Research – a leading cleantech research firm – predicted that the PC and server power management software market would increase five-fold by 2015. While that sounds bold and aggressive, the reality is that PC power management is now gaining mainstream adoption. PC power management has been adopted by less than 25% of organizations. If you subscribe to Geoffrey Moore’s theory on technology adoption, PC power management is about to “enter the tornado” for rapid adoption. Why? Cost is a leading factor.

We often take for granted the amount of energy personal computers consume. A typical PC will draw anywhere from 20 to 300 watts depending on usage patterns and configuration.

A recent story from the cleantech space caught my attention – “CA School District Spends $23M on Solar Panels, Won't Break Even for 16 Years”.

In a move that is proving to be controversial with some, some California school districts are looking to a high-tech way to save money, even if the payback won't be achieved until well over a decade later.

We recently announced the results of our work with USC Marshall School of Business. As part of their sustainability initiative, they achieved over 30% IT energy savings, just with their initial conservative power saving policies. Equally important, they are improving their IT efficiency through centralized management of their PC and Mac fleet – facilitating patch management, troubleshooting problematic devices, and extending PC refresh cycles.