Compute and save (the planet too)

Userful (no that’s not a typo) is a Canadian company which has realised that its PC-sharing software, Desktop Multiplier, is a boon to the environment as well as being a great cost saver.

It works by letting up to ten users share the same PC but without leaving their own desks to do so. It would appear to make a lot of sense in small businesses and work groups in larger organisations as well.

The workstations can run Windows or Linux applications. The software works because PCs are idle most of the time – even when people are typing. But think about the time that users spend reading, thinking, on the phone or away from their desks. It’s a rare person who hammers away at a PC all day long. And, even if they did, it’s a rare application that hogs the machine resources totally.

You buy one PC and a bunch of screens, keyboards and mice. They all hook up to the PC running Desktop Multiplier and each user feels they are using their own PC.

In the last year, the company reckons its software has saved over 13,250 tons of CO2 emissions, the equivalent of taking 2,300 cars off the road. Here’s an extract from the official chart:
The blue figures are for a ten station setup and the black figures are for ten conventional PCs. As you can see, the major short-term savings come from not having to manufacture processor boxes. But continuous savings come from operations as well. In addition, water and chemical usage is reduced during manufacture and the end-of-life environmental costs are lower too.

According to Tim Griffin (in a middle-of-the-UK-night email), the company founder and president, the company has an extensive UK reseller network. Using various search engines, I’m having trouble nailing them down and Tim’s still asleep as I write. Actually I found one, but they weren’t happy about me mentioning them without them reading the copy first. Best thing, if you’re interested, is to drop a note to Userful.

David Tebbutt is an award-winning columnist and feature writer who specialises on the subject of using software and technology to increase business productivity. He's an analyst with Freeform Dynamics but, in previous lives, wrote for Director magazine, Real Business and was also editor of Personal Computer World. http://freeformdynamics.com