TCO Certified, a worldwide third party sustainability label for IT products, has launched TCO Certified Tablets, saying that it’s the program’s first sustainability certification for tablet PCs.
To IT buyers, the TCO Certified Tablets label offers a way to identify tablets designed to help them meet sustainability demands while not compromising the user experience.
Sören Enholm, CEO at TCO Development, the organization behind TCO Certified, said that the tablet is rapidly becoming part of personal and business PC environment. Expanding TCO Certified to include tablets is a natural step, considering that almost 20 years of experience certifying PCs and displays.
“As users, we should demand that all our IT products feature good image performance, environmental design and that they are manufactured under socially responsible conditions,” Enholm said, adding that this is the assurance that a TCO Certified tablet delivers to the user.
The launch coincides with the announcement that the Samsung (News - Alert) SLATE PC Series 7 is the first tablet to meet the label’s demanding criteria for environmental design, ergonomics and social responsibility.
“Samsung Electronics is proud to fulfill TCO Certified for the SLATE PC Series 7 and it meets our goals towards sustainable development,” said Kyuho Uhm, senior vice president of the IT Solutions Business at Samsung Electronics.
In keeping with TCO Certified requirements for PCs and displays, criteria for TCO Certified Tablets cover multiple attributes. These attributes include minimal use of hazardous materials, energy efficiency, visual and workload ergonomics, design for recycling as well as corporate social responsibility in the production phase.
The product models that carry the TCO Certified label meet all requirements and are rigorously tested and verified in an accredited third party laboratory.
“We at TCO Development see our role as a catalyst for moving IT in a more sustainable direction,” Enholm said. “As awareness of sustainable development and social responsibility grows in the IT industry, so does our engagement with key stakeholders in making progress towards remaining targets in the product lifecycle.”
This year in September, InfoComm International’s new sustainability rating system for AV installations, Sustainability Technology Environments Program (STEP), recognized TCO Certified.
Anshu Shrivastava is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Anshu’s articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Rich Steeves
