CALGARY, AB (April 15, 2008) - Userful Corporation, the worldwide leader in public computing, today announces that in the past year its software that allows up to ten people to work from one computer has saved 29,000* tons of CO2 emissions, the equivalent of taking more than 5,000 cars off the road!
Modern desktop computers sit idle virtually the entire day while we read or type. Userful leverages this unused computing power to create an environmentally efficient alternative to traditional desktop computing. Up to 10 users can work on a single computer by simply attaching extra monitors, mice and keyboards.
"Computer hardware production and disposal is one of the fastest growing threats to our environment. Powering and cooling computers is an increasing contributor to global warming," says Timothy Griffin, President of Userful. "It feels good to help people around the world Go Green. In fact, last year our users more than doubled the previous year's savings, meaning that in the last 2 years Userful technology has eliminated the equivalent CO2 of taking over 7300 cars off the road!"
Userful desktops have been deployed around the world with a typical configuration of 6 stations per computer. In the past year, Userful's ability to minimize wasted computer power has eliminated 29,000* tons of CO2 emissions, the same as taking more than 5,000 cars off the road. Reducing the number of computers in use has additional earth-friendly benefits. Electronic waste is an increasing problem globally due to the quick obsolescence of electronics. This is compounded by the fact that computer waste is high in many toxic materials such as heavy metals and flame-retardant plastics, which easily leach into ground water and bio-accumulate. Using Userful products can reduce electronic waste by up to 80%, further decreasing its environmental footprint.
Need an extra PC around the house this Earth Day? Userful is giving away a free version of its innovative software that gives you a second computer for free! This is the perfect way to reduce line-ups for the computer as spouses, parents and children battle for a turn.
"The free two-user giveaway doubles the utility and value of your existing computer with minimal cost," says Griffin, "In fact, if you already have an extra monitor and keyboard, it's like getting a free computer for Earth Day.”
The free two-user licenses distributed under this promotion enable users with an extra video card (or a dual-head video card) to add an extra workstation by simply plugging in a spare monitor, USB keyboard and mouse. Thousands of users have obtained free two-user licenses and information about the promotion from http://userful.com/products/free-2-user. There are two free downloads
available: a Live CD, which lets you turn your PC into 2 independent workstations without affecting any of the software on your hard-disk, and one for users already running Linux.
For more information on the environmental benefits of Userful software, please visit http://userful.com/greenpc
*(Based on 526kWh/PC/year for operation; 1818 kWh/PC for production; electricity generated @1.55 lbs of CO2/kWh; and 11,560 lbs CO2 per car per year)
About Userful (http://www.userful.com)
Userful software lets you multiply and manage your desktops:
multiplying your hardware investment by delivering up to ten workstations from just one standard PC, and managing them all at once through a central web-portal. Privately held and founded in 1999, Userful was recently named Alberta's 10th fastest growing company under $20 million in revenue. For more information, visit http://www.userful.com
