SAN JOSE, Calif. — Wyse Technology, a manufacturer of thin computers, announced last week a program to encourage its clients, suppliers, and government agencies to develop immediate plans to reduce energy consumption and the amount e-waste created by the computer industry.

Wyse's EarthSmart Computing initiative will obviously focus on the benefits of thin clients, but a larger goal is to raise awareness, both among suppliers and consumers of computer systems, about the sheer amount of wasted energy from most computers in use today.

"At Wyse, we're passionate about making our company a green computing champion, and we're committed to being a model for others in our industry," said Wyse's CEO, Tarkan Maner. "This is just the first step, which will see thin computing play a more prominent role in creating a long-term sustainable energy solution for public and private enterprises worldwide."

The company plans to focus its R&D efforts on making the most energy efficient thin clients possible, which, according to company statistics, use as much as 90 percent less energy and prevent the emissions of more than 100 tons less CO2 than full computer systems.

Additionally, Wyse said its thin clients by design contain fewer parts that need to be recycled or disposed of, and meet the growing list of environmental standards and regulations, including Europe's RoHS and WEEE directives.

Among the next-generation technologies that Wyse plans to incorporate into its machines in the near future are energy saving 'power over ethernet' capabilities, which allow thin clients to be powered solely by ethernet, rather than needing to be plugged into an outlet; and going beyond thin clients to 'zero clients,' by stripping away a layer of circuitry that runs the machine, Wyse believes it can make an even more energy efficient device without the need of a local operating system or applications.

"A big part of the solution to the problems of climate change and energy usage will be technological innovations," said David Yarnold, Wyse's Executive Vice President for Environmental Defense. "It's going to take bold initiatives to lower CO2 emissions and e-waste. The challenge ahead is massive but innovation and technology are critical catalysts."