On Saturday 12th 2015, the world reached a landmark accord that will see 195 countries commit to lowering their greenhouse gas emissions to help stave off the effects of climate change. That means there will soon be stricter guidelines on energy usage and recycling methods – especially for businesses.
However, making your business environmentally friendly does more than just reduce greenhouse gas emissions. ‘Going green’ has many benefits, including saving your company money and improving its public image. Now, there are many ways for your business to do its part for the environment, but there is one way that can also boost productivity and streamline your workflows: Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI).
Here we have broken down exactly how VDI can help your business go green:
Thin clients: less power, more powerful
If your company switches over to Hosted Desktops, you no longer have to support and power a large group of traditional desktop towers. You can use thin clients instead. This will dramatically reduce your energy bill because thin clients consume less power. You’ll no longer need an on-site server either because all of your company’s data will be stored securely in the cloud. So, that’s one less computer to power altogether.
As well as reducing electricity bills, your office will also reduce the amount of CO2 it produces. According to a report by IGEL, a compact thin client with a service life of three years causes just 122 kg CO2eq, while a desktop PC used for the same amount of time causes between 417 and 692 kg CO2eq (ranging from medium-level user to power user).
Desktops don’t need to be replaced as often
Speaking of replacing desktops, that’s one thing you’ll have to do less often with thin clients. Because thin clients utilise the power of the cloud, they don’t have to be upgraded every time a new operating system or program comes out. Our servers are not only upgraded constantly to keep them at the peak of performance, but they are also updated on a daily basis. So, you’re always getting the best performance possible and the latest security updates. Another win for VDI.
By managing these processes, we can actually reduce the amount of downtime you would normally suffer due to software updates or hardware upgrades because we can schedule updates to occur out of hours. Plus, if your computer stops working for whatever reason, you’re not left out in the cold. You can use another computer to access your hosted desktop if necessary – just in case you have to access your data for a last-minute change to a presentation or poster.
Old machines can be repurposed to work as thin clients
But what if you’re a charity or a small startup? What if you’ve just invested in hardware? Well, fear not, because we can convert new and old machines into thin clients as well. Perhaps you could keep an old computer as a backup or as a guest computer. You can even set up personal laptops to be used as thin clients. So, if someone has to take a day off to look after their kids for instance, they can still work from the comfort of their own home. Some companies even reduce overheads by removing the office altogether. This kind of remote working means you can also hire talent from further afield, attracting the best talent possible.
Not only can VDI help your business go green, but it can also save your company money at the same time. But did you know that being environmentally friendly can be good for business in more ways? Going green is proven to boost employee satisfaction and brand awareness which, when coupled with the money-saving benefits, can give your business a competitive edge. It’s a great PR piece and can really set you apart from the competition, which is especially helpful when your company is pitching for contracts.
If your company is looking to reduce overheads and expenditure, improve productivity or future-proof its workforce, talk to Synextra, we’re VDI, Hosted Desktop specialists. We can help your business go green.
