Category Archives: Environmental

iSupportU Now Offers Computer Recycling

With the help of Eco-Cycle we are now offering recycling services for your used computer equipment. Here’s how the process works:

Drop Off: Drop off your items at our shop. For a list of equipment we accept and pricing information, see our price sheet.
Test Item: We test the item to see if we can refurbish or repurpose any of the parts.
Wipe Data: We wipe all data before refurbishing, repurposing or recycling any electronics.
Refurbish/Repurpose Parts: If possible, we refurbish or repurpose parts for use in our shop.
Recycling: Everything else will be sent to Eco-Cycle’s Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials (CHARM).

Spread the word about our new program!

Hard Drive Signal Mirrors

At iSupportU, we do lots of Data Recovery. When a hard drive fails, we wonder what we can make out of it. Then the following thought occurred to us:

When you go into the back-country, it’s important to bring emergency equipment. One of the simplest and most effective back-country safety devices is a signal mirror. Here at iSupportU, we all have a background in backpacking as well as IT. We realized one day that hard drive platters make excellent signal mirrors. Not only are you doing your part to keep them out of the landfill, you are also getting an affordable and effective signal mirror. These mirrors have a hole in the middle to aim the direction of the reflection from the mirror.

If you want to find out more about how hard drives platters are manufactured, take a peek at this info. Lightweight and shiny. That’s what you need.

E-waste is a big problem in the world of IT. We do our best to re-purpose as much of this material as possible in-house before we have to add it to the e-waste stream. This is another one of our projects in that area. This is better than recycling. It’s re-using.

Cloud Computing Reduces Carbon Footprint

We love cloud computing. There are so many ways that cloud computing improves a business. Businesses can expect to lower their power usage when not hosting their own server environment. There is also the cost saving associated with not purchasing or leasing server hardware. Servers do not take care of themselves, so businesses get the added benefit of lower IT admin costs. For now, we’ll focus on the environmental sustainability aspect of cloud computing.

We wish there were more studies on this topic. That being said, we are thankful that Accenture, Microsoft and WSP Environment and Energy have done a study on the environmental benefits of utilizing cloud computing in a business environment. The study is focused specifically on the benefits of utilizing Microsoft Cloud Computing systems (Sharepoint, Exchange and Dynamics CRM). While this study may focus on these products, the results could easily be applied to other cloud solutions such as Google Apps, cloud CRM solutions and Dropbox file sharing.

At iSupportU, we always try to find ways to use technology in a more sustainable manner without compromising efficiency. The great thing about cloud computing is that there are gains in both efficiency and sustainability. After implementing Google Apps as a solution in a business, their total IT costs drop, their power consumption drops and their efficiency increases. This means benefits in the bottom line for these businesses. That excites us.

For more information on the benefits of Google Apps, check out our blog post, “10 Reasons Why Google Apps is the Perfect Solution for Your Business“.

To read the Cloud Computing study in its entirety, just download it here Cloud Computing and Sustainability – Whitepaper – Nov 2010.

Biking to work is cool

At least, we think so.

According to Slate, however, Hollywood’s been using biking to work as shorthand for ‘loser’ for quite a while. Tom Vanderbilt’s article argues that Hollywood, existing in the heart of car-heavy LA, can’t conceive of a person willingly biking to work. If they aren’t driving it’s because they cannot afford a car, are socially oblivious or lost their license.

For example, take Steve Carrel’s character in The 40 Year Old Virgin:

Steve Carell is that rarest of filmic creatures: a bona-fide bike commuter, shown pedaling to work, navigating the various hazards of the traffic landscape. A boon for alternative modes, perhaps, except for the fact that the bicycle, like the character’s penchant for collecting action figures and his virginal status, is treated with a certain condescension. “I’m not the only person in the world who rides a bike,” he protests to his co-workers, one of whom replies: “Yeah, everyone rides a bike, when they’re ******* six.”

Obviously our commitment to bicycle-based IT means we think otherwise. Every member of our team owns a car and can drive, but actively decides not to use it for work. We do this because of our commitment to sustainability and providing the front range with carbon neutral IT support.

We in the lab couldn’t think of a single bicycle commuter portrayed positively in any movie. Can you? Share in the comments below!