by Revel Arroway

Created on: August 26, 2010   Last Updated: September 10, 2010

Power management in the working environment is quickly becoming not only an area related to potential savings for the company in energy cost and hardware depreciation; it is also part of an overall responsibility to the environment which is gradually being recognized by clients as a positive approach to global issues such as CO2 emissions and the so-called Global Warming phenomena. IT professionals who are looking for solutions to cost-effective management of the power use of their company's computer network would also need to take into account the impact of this power use on the environment and the image that an environmental-friendly company will project to its customers. 

Power management is common to the use of portable devices, such as laptops and cell phones. The energy source for these mobile devices, some type of battery, not only has a limited usage time but also a limited recharge life. A user who will be away from a reliable source of energy would configure the device to “shut down” or “hibernate” after a certain time had passed without use. Perhaps the earliest form of power management was the “screen saver”; however, a traveling laptop user who faces long hotel stays or a long trans-continental flight needs additional tools to make sure that the source of power is adequate for use. In the hotel room that tool might once have been the power cord; on the airplane, the need to carry an extra battery. Now-a-days those tools would involve power management solutions.

Businesses with numerous terminals need to be cost-effective in the management of all of the devices used to process their information. Besides the overall cost of having servers and computers turned-on 24/7, the impact on the environment of this energy use has become a concern to both companies and clients. Through the use of more comprehensive power management services, companies can both save energy costs and project a responsible, environmental-friendly image to their workers and clients. 

Windows 7 Power Management 

In the case of individual computer power management, the objective may simply be the conservation of battery charge or energy costs. Older systems offered options of automatic shutdown or hibernation that could be set by the user. Newer operating systems, such as Windows 7, offer a more comprehensive power management solution to users with a variety of options, from dimming screen brightness to DVD power-down and USB turn-off.

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