Modus launches automated PC turn off software

UK-based desktop management specialist Modus Interactive has today become the latest software firm to attempt to tackle the problem of PCs that are always on with the launch of a new product designed to automatically turn them off overnight and at weekends.

The company said its new Powerwise suite allows firms manage all their PCs centrally, providing them with the ability to create "power profiles" for individual or groups of PCs that ensure machines are turned off when not in use.

Mark Taylor, head of sales and marketing at Modus said the new product would meet growing demand for energy management systems. “Businesses can no longer afford to ignore the rising cost of energy," he said. "Especially with current estimates [from the Carbon Trust] suggesting that office equipment power consumption will double in the next 10 years."

Based on a trial of the software at the London headquarters of Bank Leumi, the company estimates the product can save a typical 500 person office up to £20,000 in energy costs.

Stephen Lang, IT and Support Manager at Bank Leumi, said savings in cooling costs and improvements in staff productivity were also delivered as a result of the software. "If every machine is on in the Bank all the time, then the air conditioning has to work much harder to keep the building cool, increasing power consumption," he explained. "Also, our support department doesn’t have to ask people to re-boot so often because of the automated management going on over night, this saves everyone involved a lot of time."

The launch pushes Modus into an increasingly crowded PC energy management market. Incumbent software specialists Verdiem and 1E have enjoyed considerable success over the past few years as concerns over energy costs have climbed, while Microsoft also unveiled new power management capabilities last year with the launch of its Vista operating system.

In related news, a survey of over 1,100 working adults from business-focus electricity provider Opus Energy last week highlighted the scale of the problem posed by always on office equipment, finding that a third of employees admit to leaving on individual appliances on overnight, such as monitors and PCs.