BCS Industry Awards 2008 Finalists

Carbon Control Software (CCS) has announced today that its PC power management software has won a place in the finals of the British Computer Society Industry Awards. The CCS software can reduce the power consumption of an organisation’s computer network by up to 40%. This in turn leads to a reduction in the amount of CO2 the organisation produces.

The BCS IT Industry Awards, supported by Intellect and NCC, are the leading hallmark of success amongst practitioners today. The cross industry awards form a central element to the BCS’ professionalism in IT initiative and recognise, promote and acclaim excellence, professionalism, innovation and the outstanding achievements to which individuals and groups contribute.

Carbon Control Software is one of 10 green IT initiatives chosen from among many entries to move through to the final of the BP-sponsored Environment Award category of the BCS competition. This category recognises methodologies or products which allow others to bring benefit to the environment, including energy savings.

The greening of the IT industry is becoming more of an issue with every year that passes. It is estimated that the industry currently contributes 2% of global carbon emissions annually, a similar figure to the aviation industry. For this reason a lot of emphasis has been placed on promoting products and solutions which can reduce the impact that computing has on the environment. David Clarke, BCS chief executive says: “In the current economic situation it is rewarding to see that IT is continuing to lead through innovation and deliver real business benefits. These projects reflect the fact that technology is an integral and expected part of everyday life and is at the heart of literally every business – even farming. I am particularly pleased to see the number and quality of entrants we've had for the green awards as this represents one of the biggest issues for the industry to address now and in the future.”

The CCS power management software works by placing inactive PCs into power saving mode or switching them off. Trials have shown that this action can reduce the energy consumption of an organisation’s computer network by up to 40%, which brings with it associated cost savings and emissions reductions. With energy prices rocketing and carbon reduction policies being implemented by governments worldwide, CCS has provided a solution which can actually offer users a return on investment whilst reducing their carbon footprint. A key feature of the software is the reporting module which allows system administrators to view their organisation’s exact energy savings down to an individual user level for any period of time thus allowing them to demonstrate both the monetary and emissions savings achieved. The software is unobtrusive to the individual user, can be configured to encourage regular breaks in line with DSE regulations and is a much more effective method of reducing energy usage than attempting to change employee working practice.

One feature of the CCS software which may have caught the judges’ eyes in particular is the link between the software and the global carbon disclosure network CarbonEarth. This website allows individuals to download a free edition of the software to run on their home computer. They can then upload their energy savings to the CarbonEarth site allowing other users to view their green credentials. The site also acts as an eco conscious social network; those who sign up can use the carbon calculator to work out how much CO2 they produce every year and watch as the map interface plots their carbon footprint on their location. They can also build a profile page and use the friend finder to search for other green-minded individuals and match their carbon emissions statistics to their own.

Stephen Grant, Managing Director of Carbon Control Software, said, “We’re delighted that the British Computer Society has recognised the potential of CCS to reduce the impact of the IT industry on climate change. The software is an innovative and effective method of reducing the computing carbon footprint of organisations and individuals. I’m glad that the industry is rewarding companies who make a commitment to producing environmentally friendly IT solutions.”

The judging for the award will take place in October with a winner and two medallists in each category announced at the black-tie gala Awards dinner in December at The Grosvenor House Hotel, London.