Dell intensifies its green strategy with a pledge ... and "greener" Windows Server 2008 offering

Dell has taken two steps this week to brighten up the spectrum of its green efforts.

First, the Texas technology giant says it has become the first computer company to join The Climate Group, a non-profit organization that focuses on working with both the public and private sector to inspire action intended to aid a broad shift to low-carbon business policy.

Perhaps even more compelling, however, Dell says it plans to make Windows Server 2008 available on its PowerEdge M-Series servers during the first week of March.

Dell is positioning its configuration of Windows Server 2008 as a better green alternative to blades from both Hewlett-Packard and IBM. Specifically, Dell says when these servers are configured with its Energy Smart PowerEdge features, they have been show to consume 10 percent less power than the HP BladeSystem c-Class and about 11 percent less power than the IBM BladeCenter H. It also describes its platforms as virtualization-ready. And, if you think about it, virtualization is probably the greenest of all the green tech right now.

Let the marketing claims begin. The environment can only benefit.