Free Software Saves Water and Electricity for World Water Day and Earth Hour

CALGARY, AB, CANADA, March 31, 2011 (Press-News.org) Userful Corporation, the worldwide leader in green computing, today announced a giveaway of it's software that turns one computer into many in celebration of World Water Day 2011 today, and Earth Hour 2011 on March 26. It takes over 1000kg of water to manufacture a computer, so turning 1 computer into 10 saves over 9000kg of water that would otherwise have been used in manufacturing. That's the equivalent of 37,000 cups of water, or enough drinking water for 4,500 people for a day. It also reduces electricity use by up to 90%. Userful is giving away a free-2-user version of their software that enables users to turn their existing computer into two independent stations by simply plugging in an extra monitor, mouse and keyboard.

Desktop computers sit mostly idle while we check our e-mail, surf the web, or type a document. Userful's shared resource computing software leverages this excess computing power to create an environmentally efficient alternative to traditional desktop computing. Up to 10 users can work independently on a single computer at the same time, each with their own monitor, keyboard, mouse, and applications.

"Most people know about saving water by turning off the tap when it's not needed, or turning off lights when they aren't needed," said Bev Gallagher, VP Strategic Partnerships at Userful. "We wanted to raise awareness that there are also software solutions like Userful that you can use to save water and electricity. This free two-user giveaway doubles the utility and value of your existing computer with minimal cost. In fact, if you already have an extra monitor and keyboard, it's like getting a free computer."

Celebrated around the globe, World Water Day has done a tremendous job of raising awareness of the more than a billion people world wide do not have access to clean drinking water. Dirty drinking water kills 2.2 million people per year, including over 1.5 million children under the age of five. If just 1% of the worlds computers ran Userful MultiSeat, it would be equal to saving 9 billion kg of water, or enough drinking water for a billion people for four and a half days!

Like World Water Day, Earth hour has done a tremendous job of raising awareness of the environmental impact of electricity use. Userful MultiSeat reduces electricity use by up to 90%, enabling organizations to recover the cost of their computers through electricity cost savings over a few years. If just 1% of the worlds computers ran Userful MultiSeat, it would be equivalent to taking 26 million cars off the road, or planting 37 million acres of trees!

Userful's shared resource computing has additional earth-friendly benefits. Electronic waste is an increasing problem globally due to the quick obsolescence of electronics. This is compounded by the fact that computer waste is high in many toxic materials such as heavy metals and flame-retardant plastics, which easily leach into ground water and bio-accumulate. Using Userful MultiSeat can reduce electronic waste by up to 80%, further decreasing its environmental footprint.

The free two-user licenses distributed under this giveaway enable users with an extra video head, or a DisplayLink based docking station, to add an extra station by simply plugging in a spare monitor, keyboard and mouse. Thousands of users have already obtained free two-user licenses and information about the promotion from: http://userful.com/products/downloads/free-2-user

Userful also offers a free 11 station, 90 day pilot for any department of education worldwide so that educators can easily experience first hand the high performance, and ease of use of the solution. To learn more and to download, visit http://userful.com/products/userful-multiseat-linux, email getstarted@userful.com, or phone +1.403.289.2177 ext.795.

For the full version of the press release please visit: http://userful.com/press/water-day-earth-hour

Trademark notice: Userful MultiSeat Linux 2011 , and Userful MultiSeat are trademarks of Userful Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Note to editors: For more information, news, and photos from Userful, please visit the Userful press kit at: http://userful.com/company/news-and-reviews/press-kit . A video to embed is available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cfu5GSS664Q

*Calculations based on 2L drinking water/day, 1035kg water/PC for production, 526kWh/PC/year for operation; 1818 kWh/PC for production; electricity generated at 0.70 kg (1.55 lbs) of CO2/kWh, 5243.53 kg (11560 lbs) of CO2 per car per year, 1 billion PCs worldwide.

Press Contacts:
Sean Rousseau, Marketing Manager
Userful
Phone: +1.250.590.7791
srousseau@media-userful.com

Userful Corporation is the world's leading Linux Desktop Virtualization company with millions of users in over 100 countries. The company's software which turns 1 computer into 10 lowers desktop computing costs, improves manageability, and reduces both electricity consumption and e-waste. Userful's software is sold through a partner network of resellers and OEMs worldwide. Privately held and founded in 1999, Userful launched their flagship product in 2002, and has since sold 750,000 seats. To learn more about Userful, visit: http://www.userful.com