Microsoft to Join Intel, HP and Citrix in Government and Industry Efforts to Power Down Computers and Peripherals

Citrix Systems, Inc. announced that Microsoft will join Intel, HP and Citrix in encouraging government and industry to be responsible with energy consumption on the second annual Power IT Down Day, scheduled for August 27 of this year.

Microsoft, with Intel, HP and Citrix, will promote Power IT Down Day through a series of activities and educational events.

"Last year, over 2,800 government and industry employees pledged to power down their computers, printers and monitors when they left their offices for the evening, which resulted in over 37,000 kilowatt-hours saved," said Tom Simmons, Citrix area vice president for Government Systems. "Imagine the number of kilowatt-hours we could save this year if just half of the 1.8 million civilian employees registered for Power IT Down Day."

Personal action, combined with new computer settings, can make significant impacts. Built-in power saving settings and automatic shut down capabilities in Microsoft's Windows Vista and the upcoming Windows 7 showcase such advances in power savings.

"Individual choices for responsible energy consumption can have an enterprise-wide effect," said Teresa Carlson, vice president of Microsoft Federal. "Power IT Down Day creates the perfect opportunity to highlight the collective impact of individual and enterprise power-saving actions in government and industry."

Last year's Power IT Down Day results showed what can happen when government and industry do indeed power IT down. With the new administration leading the charge for the reduction of government's carbon footprint, Intel, HP, Citrix and Microsoft see great potential for 2009 as another successful year for Power IT Down Day.

"HP is investing in technologies that simultaneously address customers' business issues, such as lowering operating costs, and support environmental goals, including carbon reductions," said Tom Hempfield, vice president of the U.S. Federal Business Organization at HP. "Through HP's own experience with renewable energy programs and investments in Research and Development in HP Labs, we move closer to operating in a sustainable IT ecosystem."

"We can't just sit back and leave it to the next person in line to fix the planet," said Nigel Ballard, federal marketing manager for Intel. "By turning off our own computers each and every night, we make a positive environmental impact, and we proved that last year. At the end of the day, we're in this together so let's power IT down on August 27 and be part of the solution."

Schedule of events, along with more information about Power IT Down Day:

www.hp.com/go/poweritdown.

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