PC server power management software is an excellent way to reduce costs and emissions for companies. This software provides a fast ROI and may sometimes be totally free when you factor in rebates from utility companies. Because the IT department doesn't usually deal with power costs directly, they may overlook this important area of savings.

Yet power management is an important issue because it's estimated that idle servers use up to 60% of their maximum power, and that they frequently run at just 15% utilization. In the marketplace today, there is a competition between two models for the provision of power management software. Some software providers are offering it as a dedicated, standalone product while others are offering it as part of an integrated lifecycle solution. Which model wins out in the long run will probably depend of how data center standards for product integration develop over time.