February 2008 - Direct2Dell

Just like a small plant, this competition has grown and flourished into a large movement from a very simple idea.   We were originally thinking about how to nurture an open and honest dialogue with academics and design students around the world about the designing for next level of environmentally responsible computing technologies.

A big break-through came when we decided not to claim any intellectual property rights from the entries and instead share the ideas with the world so we could build a global community around what it means to be a green computing product, now and into the future.  Students make up a big part of what we’ve already received.

One of the common inquiries  we’ve been getting is “what should I submit?”   That’s a good question.   The competition was purposely set up to allow for broad interpretation of what the future of green computing truly means so we wouldn’t blind people with current thinking and current paradigms.  We’re also looking for exciting ways in which to express these new ideas.  Sketches, a video, renderings, CAD drawings, photography, etc.  The judges for the competition were recently announced on the ReGeneration blog.  All we need now are your submissions. 

What do you think?  What would make for a winning submission?

Yesterday,  Microsoft introduced Windows Server 2008 (WS08), along with SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008. You can see more details on the Windows Server Division blog.

Folks from Dell took part in Microsoft's "Heroes Happen Here" launch event in Los Angeles, kicking off a series of more than 225 other events that Microsoft has planned in coming months around the world. Rick Becker, our VP of solutions participated in a luminary panel during the event that focused on data centers of the future.

We like that WS08 as it enables us to make further progress against our goal of simplifying IT for customers. In other words, WS08 on Dell is greener, more flexible and is easier to configure and deploy. It's greener because the power management features of WS08 combined with Dell's PowerEdge servers will enable a more energy efficient computing solution. For example, Dell's PowerEdge M-Series blade server solution running WS08 consumes up to 11 percent less energy and achieves up to 28 percent better performance per watt than similarly configured systems from our competitors. What this means overall is that WS08 on Dell enables customers to create more energy-efficient data centers and effectively deliver on their corporate green IT initiatives.

Dell also makes it easier for customers to migrate to WS08 by leveraging a validated, repeatable migration process. Our infrastructure consulting services is a key component to all of this. Through Dell's unique Longhorn Early Adopter Program  our solution providers have obtained  hands-on expertise, preparing them to assist customers in the evaluation, assessment, design, migration to and implementation of WS08.

PowerEdge servers with Windows Server 2008 will be available worldwide for order  in the first week of March.

The other thing that really impressed me was that almost all the presenters focused on green IT. It’s great to see Dell as well as other companies putting such a focus on ReGeneration.

At the Dell booth I met with John Joseph, VP of marketing for Dell EqualLogic storage solutions, and Tim Sherbak, Dell’s manager of virtualization solutions marketing. You can hear from the vlog that there was a lot of footfall and buzz in the Dell area.

I also attended a breakout session with John where he shared that Simplifying IT with virtualization goes beyond the server. Storage infrastructure needs to be easy to deploy, manage and scale as well.

It was great to meet our new EqualLogic team. I saw a demo of Site Recovery Manager (SRM) on the stand, an integrated snap-in to VMware VirtualCenter that provides a way to set up and test your disaster recovery strategy before you need it. Even at a first glance I could tell that with SRM, disaster recovery and business continuity are no longer expensive, complicated, uncertain processes. Another example of how Dell solutions do simplify IT.

Today Dell announced we are the first computer company to join The Climate Group, a leading global organization working with political and business leaders on carbon reduction strategies. We made the announcement at a conference in Houston organized by The Climate Group called: Challenges and Opportunities in a Carbon Constrained World.

This move helps Dell meet goals outlined in our climate policies. We'll be connected with leaders from other companies and policy makers around the globe addressing carbon reduction and have access to shared resources on policy development and renewable power access. Dell will be involved with TCG working groups on carbon neutrality and supply chain operations.

Dell's climate policy continues to address emissions from:

• Supplier operations: We joined with the Carbon Disclosure Project's Supply Chain Leadership Collaboration late last year to make it easier for suppliers to report emissions. We began requiring suppliers to report emissions last June - the first step in a long term strategy of emissions reductions.Supplier operations: We joined with the Carbon Disclosure Project's Supply Chain Leadership Collaboration late last year to make it easier for suppliers to report emissions. We began requiring suppliers to report emissions last June - the first step in a long term strategy of emissions reductions.
• Dell operations: Dell committed to making the impact of Dell owned and leased buildings and employee air travel carbon neutral beginning this year. We are meeting this goal through an aggressive strategy of driving efficiency, purchasing renewable power and where necessary employing offsets.
• Customer product use: We continue to provide our customers that deliver the most performance per watt. Energy-efficiency of our products helps our customers meet their own emissions reduction goals and helps them save money. Customers can also join our Plant a Tree for Me program - through which they can offset the impact of using the computer products they purchase.

We'll continue to report our progress on working towards our climate protection goals in this space.  As always I look forward to your comments and questions.

We're committed to becoming the "greenest" technology company on the planet and packaging is an important part of this. We welcome your thoughts and ideas on how we can work together toward going forward.