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SustainIT
Newsletter September 2008
SustainIT
& PC Pro Partnership Environmental Innovator
Award
SustainIT has teamed up with
PC Pro to spread the word of sustainable development to a wider IT
audience. PC Pro and SustainIT have created the Environmental
Innovator of the Year Award for this year’s PC Pro and eWell-Being
Awards. This award acknowledges either the policies
or products produced by companies to reduce their carbon footprint,
or the amount of environmental waste produced by their customers, as
part of PC Pro’s Reliability and Service Awards.
The finalists in the Environmental Innovator
category are:
D-Link, Gigabyte, gm2, Memset, Tranquil PC,
Very PC, VMware, Google and BT Global Services.
Winners will be announced at the prestigious
Reliability & Services and Editorial Awards on the
17th September.
Special offer for
SustainIT newsletter readers
Try Pc Pro, the
UK’s No.1 magazine for IT
professionals and enthusiasts with 3 issues
for just £1. Every month it’s packed with the latest news,
reviews and labs tests you need to stay informed – and comes with a
cover DVD packed with free applications and software. Plus,
we’ll send you a handy 26-piece toolkit, worth £9.99 as your free
welcome gift.
General
News
Making Sustainability Real
– A Challenge for Regions
Future ICT Leader Tackling
Skills Shortage
Printer Prices Halved for
the Public sector
Better
Ways of Working
10,000 Handheld
Computers for police forces
RDA Boost Smarter Working
Campaign
Broadband on the Move
GreeningIT
Plugging into the Green
Agenda
World’s first zero-watt
monitors
Governments Bid for
Carbon Neutral IT
Google goes Geothermal
Improving
Public Services
Metropolitan Police put
Online Crime Mapping on Trial
Hackney Tenants and
Leaseholders to benefit from a 1.9 million IT
transformation
Manchester to Deliver
City Wide Wireless
Interactive Crime
Maps for England and Wales
General
News
Making
Sustainability Real – A Challenge for Regions
UK CEED’s SustainIT programme has published
a new report which seeks to identify how sustainable development has
been addressed in the development of regional economic policies and
strategies by the devolved administrations of Scotland and Wales and by the Regional Development
Agencies of England. It also seeks to
highlight examples of good practice which we suggest can be built
upon.
The report, sponsored by BT, has called for
a more “joined up” approach between the UK’s regions and
countries. It recommends better sharing of best practice and calls
for “more crossing of regional boundaries” by successful
initiatives. Despite the growing importance of sustainable
development in national politics, if found there is “little
consistency in the way it is addressed”.
It says
communication between regions could be improved by initiatives such
as an online directory of sustainable development case studies,
policies and practices, and an annual UK-wide conference or
roundtable.
“There is a real need to improve the way
in which the experience gained from these initiatives is shared and
used to stimulate further good practice,” states the
report.
Click here
to read the full report. Top
Future ICT
Leader Tackling Skills Shortage
Intellect, the UK Technology industy’s trade
association, has celebrated its Young Professionals Network’s (IYPN)
first anniversary. The network now has over 200 members, who
networked with key industry leaders at the IBM-hosted
reception.
Speaking at the reception, Brendon Riley
Chief Executive, IBM UK & Ireland said:
“The continuation
of a healthy technology sector in the UK requires talented and
innovative young individuals. Intellect’s Young Professionals’
Network gives them a forum in which to collaborate and promote their
talents.”
Andy Roberts, Chair of Intellect Young
Professionals Network stated,
“The network gives the team a real
foundation for learning and personal development. It’s amazing how
much you can pick up from your peers. We have a lot of innovative
plans in the coming months which will diversify and grow the
network.”
More
Top
Printer
Prices Halved for the Public sector
Public sector buyers should now see a 50%
reduction in the price of commonly purchased printer devices, thanks
to a deal agreed by OGCbuying.solutions & HP.
This agreement will be available until the
end of October 2008, and is expected to save significant amounts of
public money.
David Parker, IT Category Manager from
OGCbuying.solutions said:
"This is an exceptional deal for
our customers. We have worked hard with HP and its channel partners
to ensure it delivers cash savings. It hits all the right buttons in
terms of cash savings and green technology issues."
More
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Better
Ways of Working
10,000
Handheld Computers for police forces
£50 million capital fund has been allocated
to 27 police forces to deliver a total of 10,000 handheld computers
to help increase police officer time on the beat.
Cable&Wireless has signed a three year
framework agreement with the National Policing Improvement Agency
(NPIA) to offer an integrated, managed, mobile information solution
for use by police forces across the UK, to equip officers
with instant information when out on
patrol.
Under the agreement, Cable&Wireless will
offer police forces an off-the-shelf managed solution, which
includes software and hardware. The solution works by interfacing
with force systems and applications, giving police officers access
to vital information while they are out on the beat. The solution
runs on handheld computers and works as a functional mobile computer
unit.
Tony McNulty, Minister for Policing,
said,
"We are investing in new technology to make
crime fighting more effective and to save officers' time. This £50
million capital fund will deliver 10,000 mobile data devices to
forces. It is just one element of a range of improvements we are
delivering to cut unnecessary bureaucracy, exploit new technologies
and enable police officers to spend more time on front line
policing."
More Top
RDA Boost
Smarter Working Campaign
Plans to put the North East a step ahead of
the rest of the UK in Smarter Working
have been given a helping hand by One NorthEast.
The RDA has promised over £154,000 of
funding to the Work Wise North East Campaign over the next two
years. Some of this cash will pay for a Work Wise leader, who will
motivate regional employers to enhance smarter working practices, as
well as giving the campaign greater visibility. Ultimately this
project will drive economic growth and increase productivity and
competition in the North East.
Simon Roberson, chairman of Work Wise North
East and regional manager of BT said: “The Work Wise campaign has
gone from strength to strength over the past 18 months, resulting in
many employers adopting smarter working practices. This would not
have been possible without the support of all our
partners.”
“Thanks to One NorthEast, we will now be
able to appoint a full-time resource to ensure that workers and
employers are getting the advice and guidance they need to help them
work smarter – this in turn will improve their businesses and will
make a real impact on people's working
lives.”
More
Top
Broadband
on the Move
A new report by Ofcom has concluded that
Mobile broadband sales reached
unexpected highs in June this year with subscriptions and one-off
dongle purchases reaching around
133,000.
Following the launch of marketing campaigns
for mobile broadband devices which enable consumers to access the
internet on the move, there has been a surge in take-up with around
2 million adults in the UK saying that they had
used a data card, USB modem or dongle to access the internet in
March 2008.
The driver of this has been the sale of
dongles – small devices plugged into the USB port of laptops
enabling internet access via a mobile network. Between February and
June 2008, the number of dongle sales to consumers nearly doubled
from 69,000 to 133,000 a month. During this five month period, there
were 511,000 new mobile broadband connections in the UK.
More
Top
GreeningIT
Plugging
into the Green Agenda
No longer a luxury, being green has clear
advantages both corporately and financially.
Simon Mingay, research vice principal at
analysts Gartner, says IT is central to many green innovations. He
says “Operating in a low-carbon economy is not about doing the same
things with less energy and lower carbon dioxide emissions, but
about doing different things and thinking differently about how
things can be done.”
Recent research by DMW Group revealed that
82 per cent of businesses have a generic green policy, however data
showed that the area of ‘green technology remains largely untouched.
With the knowledge that IT can be responsible for as much as 40 per
cent of an average firm’s carbon footprint, it would appear to be a
good place to start. With this in mind, many organisations are
addressing data center efficiency.
Professor Andy Hopper of Cambridge
Universities Computer Laboratory says “Data centers and server farms
play an important role in the modern information infrastructure” and
therefore do not need to have a detrimental effect on the
environment.
More
Top
World’s
first zero-watt monitors
The world’s first monitors to feature power
supplies that automatically switch off completely in power-save mode
start shipping today. Developed in-house by Fujitsu Siemens
Computers, the leading European IT provider, the revolutionary new
power-saving technology goes on sale in the SCENICVIEW Premium Line
ECO range.
Since Fujitsu Siemens Computers announced
the zero-watt monitor concept, advance orders running into the
thousands have been received from customers across the EMEA region.
The first zero-watt monitors are now coming to market as
scheduled.
Patent-pending zero-watt power save
technology means the new SCENICVIEW ECO monitors draw no power when
not in use – as the DC power converter shuts down completely. This
is a first, because monitors in standby mode normally continue to
draw between one and six watts of power. The Eco mode is enabled by
default. The display includes a switching element in the power
supply, controlled by the PC. When the monitor powers down, it
triggers the power supply to totally disconnect from the mains. When
the PC next sends output to the monitor, a small electrical pulse
restores display power. This function works with analogue and
digital monitor outputs.
More
Top
Government
Bids for Carbon Neutral IT
The government hopes to be the first in the
world to make its computer system "carbon
neutral".
The environmental audit committee has warned
that the government is "lagging behind" its own emissions targets
and IT systems are among factors to blame.
The British government says it wants to be
the first in the world to make its computer system's energy output
"carbon neutral" - through a combination of reducing energy use and
offsetting schemes - such as buying carbon credits.
Information and communication technology
(ICT) is responsible for up to 20 per cent of carbon emissions
generated by Government offices – around 460,000 tonnes a year.
Under the plan announced by Cabinet Office Minister Tom Watson the
Government aims to make energy consumption of ICT carbon neutral
within four years.
More
Top
Google goes
Geothermal
The web search company's philanthropic arm
announced that it will invest more than $10m (£5.4m) into ways to
tap geothermal energy in locations where the technology has
traditionally not been applied. The money is part the organisation's
wider mission to find renewable energy sources that could replace
coal in the future.
To advance EGS, Google.org announced funding
for two companies and a university:
- AltaRock Energy,
Inc.: $6.25 million investment to develop innovative technologies
to achieve significant cost reductions and improved performance in
EGS projects. For more information, please visit www.altarockenergy.com/.
- Potter Drilling,
Inc.: $4 million investment in two tranches, to develop new
approaches to lower the cost and expand the range of deep hard
rock drilling, a critical element to large-scale deployment of
EGS. For more information, please visit www.potterdrilling.com/.
- Southern
Methodist University Geothermal Lab: $489,521
grant to improve understanding of the size and distribution of
geothermal energy resources and to update geothermal mapping of
North America. For more
information, please visit www.smu.edu/geothermal/.
More
Top
Improving
Public Services
Metropolitan
Police put Online Crime Mapping on
Trial
The Metropolitan Police have introduced a
pioneering trail crime map, showing London’s burglaries, robberies and
vehicles crimes.
The ‘Online Crime Mapping Project’ makes use
of data as recent as the end of June this year, and is the first
part of a reform of the police service, announced in a green paper
by home secretary Jacqui Smith.
Using Google maps, combined with crime data
from the home Office, London boroughs with crime levels
above or below average are highlighted and rates can be compared for
different months and years. A postcode search facility also enables
neighbours to zoom into the map and see specific rates for their
neighbourhood.
A Met spokesman emphasised that this version
of the map is a test phase and will be subject to a technical
review. "The software development will enhance the service that we
currently provide regarding the number, rate and geographical
location of defined crime types within the capital," the spokesman
said.
"The electronic crime maps will sit
alongside the crime statistics that are published monthly on a ward,
borough and pan-London basis." He added that the initial version
will be limited to burglary, robbery and vehicle crime data and that
the software will be enhanced before a formal launch in
September.
More
Top
Hackney
Tenants and Leaseholders to benefit from a 1.9 million IT
transformation
Hackney Homes has revealed plans for a £1.9
million IT overhaul. Plans were launched following a shared risk and
reward agreement with Civica.
Using its Universal Housing and Servitor
solutions, Civica will deliver new contact centre software, online
services, workflow systems, mobile working and home working
facilities. Over the next two years, Civica hopes to completely
transform Hackney Home’s approach to resident service.
John Hood, Managing Director, Housing,
Civica comments: “As housing organisations are under increasing
pressure to deliver outstanding customer service to tenants, Hackney
Homes has seized the challenge with gusto to introduce an
outstanding array of tenant-based services. We are looking forward
to the project as it unfolds over the next two
years.”
More
Top
Manchester to
Deliver City Wide Wireless
Manchester City council has announced plans to extend
its Eastserve wireless broadband service across the whole city - the
largest IT project of its kind in Europe.
This is part of the city's new Digital
Strategy for Manchester which aims to ensure that all residents have
access to "universal, affordable next generation broadband access"
which it says "is essential to connect all residents and businesses
of the Manchester City-region to the social, educational,
informational and economic opportunities they
deserve."
Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City
Council, said: "I very much welcome this new development. Manchester has
a very strong track record of putting together imaginative
partnerships with the private sector and then using these to bring
real local benefits to residents and businesses across the city.
This proposed joint venture will help to make Manchester a
world-class digital city and help to ensure that all our residents
can benefit from the opportunities being created by the digital
world."
More
Top
Interactive
Crime Maps for England and
Wales
England and Wales will have access to
the latest local crime information through new interactive crime
maps, Home Office Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced.
 The rollout of interactive crime maps
follows the announcement made by the Home Secretary earlier this
month, as part of the Policing Green Paper, that every police force
in the country has now delivered monthly crime information to the
public on their websites. New interactive crime maps will take the
rollout of local crime information to the next
level.
By the end of the year, every police force
will begin mapping crime online so that residents
can:
- see where and when
a crime has happened, down to street level for some
crimes
- compare crime
rates in their neighbourhood to other
areas
- learn how crime is
being tackled by local neighbourhood policing
teams
More
Top
About
SustainIT
SustainIT
is an initiative of The UK Centre for Economic and Environmental
Development (UK CEED), an independent, entrepreneurial research
foundation. It conducts research on, and provides good practice
examples of, synergies between ICT and sustainable development.
For more information visit www.sustainit.org or contact us
on +44 (0)1733 311644.
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