Dell plans to transition all of its new laptop displays to light-emitting diode (LED) in the next 12 months, a major achievement in its commitment to become the 'greenest' technology company on the planet. "Our customers have made it clear that they want the greenest technology possible," Jeff Clarke, senior vice president, Dell Product Group said during the company's mobility summit in Monte Carlo today. "As an industry, we can shape the future of green innovation and significantly reduce the carbon footprint associated with mobile computing. Dell is committed to leading the transition to energy-efficient LED technology."

Effective Dec. 15, 2008, two-thirds of Dell Latitude E-Family laptops will be shipped with mercury-free LED back lighting as a standard feature. This includes the Latitude E4200, E4300, E6400, E6400 ATG and E6500. Also shipping with LED back lighting as a standard display will be the Dell Precision M2400 and M4400 mobile workstations.

In addition to being mercury-free and highly recyclable, LED displays deliver significant energy savings compared to cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) technology. For example, Dell's 15-inch LED displays consume an average of 43 percent less power at maximum brightness, resulting in extraordinary cost and carbon savings. The company estimates customer savings of approximately $20 million and 220 million kilowatt-hours in 2010 and 2011 combined, the equivalent of annual CO2 emissions resulting from energy use of more than 10,000 homes.

Dell also estimates that at least 80 percent of its total laptop volume will be delivered with LED as a standard back-lit display by the end of 2009 and 100 percent in 2010. The company's progress in LED technology is evidenced not only by this long-term commitment but also by development efforts over the past 18 months. Dell expects the development and supply chain enablement efforts to pave the way for others in the industry to follow.

Becoming the 'Greenest' Technology Company on the Planet
Dell is fulfilling its commitment to become the 'greenest' technology company on the planet. In August, the company announced that it had met its carbon-neutral goal five months ahead of schedule through a combination of operational efficiencies, greater investment in green power and responsible offsets to cover remaining impacts.

In June, Dell achieved an energy efficiency milestone by becoming the first company to introduce an "80 PLUS Gold-certified" power supply for servers, exceeding 2009 targets outlined by the Climate Savers Computing Initiative.

Dell also introduced its first "hybrid" PC that is about 80 percent smaller than a standard Dell desktop and consumes up to 70 percent less energy.

Based on worldwide unit sales beginning in 2005 with power-management features enabled, Dell estimates that OptiPlex desktop systems alone have helped customers save more than $2.8 billion and avoid approximately 27 million tons of CO2.