There
is no obstacle that can stand in the way of millions of voices calling for
change." President Obama’s words are a noble call to us all to rise to meet the
best in ourselves. But many of us are wondering, "How do I tangibly effect
change in my own life? Or in my own organization?"
President
Obama built his campaign on the promise of economic stimulus and aggressive
support for green technologies. He selected alternative energy supporter and
Nobel-prize-winning physicist Steven Chu to head the Department of Energy. He’s
loading his guns and locking his economic stimulus package. He’s poised to
begin executing his gleaming mission. Are we ready to execute ours?
The
realities of the current economy are daunting. We have organizational goals to
meet, and smaller budgets with which to meet them. Businesses are closing.
People are losing jobs and homes. Amidst all this, our planet is increasingly facing
the specter of radical climate change. The need for change is breathing hot in
our faces, yet the challenges we face seem insurmountable.
As
Confucius said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." If
so, then what tangible solutions are available that can help us directly impact
change in our organizations now? Help us effectively meet our goals while
lowering our costs and reducing our environmental impact?
The
functional area where organizations can most effectively and immediately cut
costs and positively impact environmental change is in IT. Using powerful,
low-cost desktop virtualization tools, you can reduce your IT maintenance and
support costs by up to 80 percent while also reducing electricity usage and
electronic waste by up to 90 percent.
Desktop
virtualization technologies leverage the unused computing power of a single
computer, creating an efficient alternative to traditional desktop-per-user
computing. I’ve evaluated many companies hawking products in this space, and
the one I’ve been most impressed with is Userful
(userful.com). Putting it plainly,
Userful doesn’t talk-they just walk. In an age where rampant over-rhetoric
still rules the virtualization marketplace, those who let their demonstrated
commitment to serving their customers and impacting organizational change speak
for itself speak the loudest of all.
Userful’s
PC sharing and virtualization technology turns one computer into 10, allowing
up to 10 users to work on a single computer by simply attaching extra monitors,
mice and keyboards. It delivers full PC performance, including full-screen
streaming video for a fraction of the cost of using a PC-per-user solution.
Userful also enables users to manage and monitor their desktops through a
central administrative website, allowing them to control their desktops from a
simple web browser, and generating significant savings in administrative tools.
Because
of the radical reduction in electricity and electronic waste (up to 90%),
Userful’s solutions are immediately eco-friendly. For example, a recent
deployment in South Africa, which delivered 2,205 virtualized desktops to 105
South African schools using only 315 computers, saves the equivalent of over 4,000
tons of CO2 emissions-the equivalent of taking 700 cars off the road. And with
over 30,000 desktops successfully deployed in governments, schools, libraries,
businesses and military uses in over 100 countries, Userful’s virtualization
tools are proven market leaders.
Perhaps
change begins with a simple intention. And renewal begins when a simple
intention becomes a single step, multiplied. With Obama’s call to us all to be
the change we wish to see-and his strong commitment to stimulating the economy
and supporting green technologies-companies like Userful are well-prepared to
help organizations who also embrace the call to change to lead the way. iBi
Voted one of the the "Top 25 Women in
Technology" by ZDnet and one of the "Top 10 Media Thinkers of the
21st Century" by Nikkei Electronics, Lisa Voldeng is an industry analyst
and CEO of Sugarlab Corp.
