White Paper | October 2005 When LCD Monitors can reduce TCO
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Power consumption:
• The monitor represents up to 35% of the total power costs of desktop equipment, so monitor power con-
sumption should be as low as possible
• A centralized power shutdown mode is recommended. PC power management places the monitor in standby
mode, further power savings (typically 3 to 8 watts) can be achieved by shutting down monitors individually or
collectively from a central location - especially useful during weekends, holiday periods and employee illness
Security (to prevent hardware theft):
• A built-in Kensington lock should be a standard feature, enabling companies to prevent the theft of LCD
monitors
• An alarm feature to alert central IT or corporate security in case a monitor is disconnected is highly recom-
mended. This is an excellent alternative for companies that do not want to use (space-occupying) Kensington
cables, and is also an effective way to ‘catch the thief’ before he or she leaves the building
• The ability to lock a monitor as soon it is disconnected from the PC will further reduce hardware theft.
In-house theft is often done repeatedly by a single individual. Someone who steals a monitors and finds that
it does not work at home will not steal another one. A prominent sticker stating the presence of anti-theft
measures will help to reduce theft further
Asset management:
• Monitoring of operating hours: this is recommended on a centralized basis, preferably automatically by means
of a software asset management system. This will eliminate time-consuming manual logging and possible unreli-
ability or inconsistency of data entered by end-users
• Remote configuration: centralized control is recommended to facilitate restoration of default or preferred set-
tings without the need for constant local intervention by support personnel
4.4 Retirement phase
Organizations are increasingly faced with the hard costs of disposing of IT equipment at end-of-life.
This also applies to LCD monitors, even though these costs are now only a quarter of those for
monitors based on conventional CRT technology.
During this end-of-life phase, time is often lost in tracking the physical location of all deployed
monitors. Moreover, companies often decide to retain a couple of monitors for special purposes,
and may face difficulties in selecting those that are best suited for this ‘post-life’ use. These poten-
tial difficulties should be addressed by a number of measures to reduce the administrative work-
load on end-of-life disposal, for example including:
• Asset tracking: through asset management software that allows easy tracking of monitors and identification of
their locations
• Operating hours registration: allows determination of which monitors should be disposed of and replaced first,
and which can be retained for ‘post-life’ use
• Weight restriction: low-weight monitors provide small savings on disposal costs but big environmental benefits
• RoHS compliance: like all the other parts of the desktop configuration, LCD monitors should comply with the
European directive on Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) which takes effect from 1 July 2006. This
limits the permissible concentrations of lead and other toxic substances. Customers should assure themselves
that the products they purchase are RoHS-compliant in relation to their own substainability programs, as well
as possible environmental certification requirements.
