05 Mar 2009

Hanging on to old computers 'can help the environment'

Firms looking to enhance their green credentials can help save the environment by hanging on to old computers, a specialist claims.

Companies seeking to use new applications are often of the opinion that new PCs must be bought in order to utilise the software, according to Rob Lovell, chief executive officer of industry solutions specialist ThinkGrid.

"You can take Office 2010 from a cloud computing company and use your existing machine to access it, so you can keep hold of that machine longer," he says.

The process will extend the life of the machine and reduce the worry of disposal and any costs associated with it, Mr Lovell adds.

Holding on to machines and using them in a slightly different way is far more appealing than the "expensive" process of removal, the expert concludes.

According to recent research conducted by sector analyst Gartner, desk-based PC shipments are expected to reach 101.4 million in 2009, a decline of over a third compared with last year.