Leading internet and email security and management provider NetBox Blue has announced the release of the UTM industry's first carbon offset program. The scheme comes in response to the growing demand for greener solutions and the emerging carbon controlled regulatory environment.

Independent auditor Carbon Planet has measured the emissions of NetBox Blue's appliances, enabling customers to accurately assess the impact of their solutions and buy legitimate credits to offset their greenhouse gas emissions.

The initiative is just one of the ways that NetBox Blue is leading the field in energy efficient and green policies.

"This is a very important scheme for the environment and one we believe will be of great value to our customers," NetBox Blue Chairman John Fison says.

"I think most businesses are concerned about their carbon footprint and we are delighted to offer a legitimate way to offset it."

Customers can buy legitimate credits from NetBox Blue that are provided by organisations such as  the New South Wales Government's forestry management service, Forests NSW. Each forestry credit certifies that one tonne of CO2 has been removed from the atmosphere and stored on the company's behalf for 100 years. In addition the land the forests have been cultivated upon must have been cleared prior to 1990, and should any harm come to the trees themselves within that 100 year period the carbon credits will be replaced from an alternative source.            

"We haven't just put our finger in the air and given it our best guess," Mr Fison says. "This is a reliable audit of our product and customers can be assured of an accurate assessment of their greenhouse emissions for the lifetime of their appliances. They can also be assured that the credits they buy are being genuinely used to reduce green house gases."

The NetBox is already recognized for its energy efficiency. The solution which combines email and internet filtering, internet monitoring and traffic management into one appliance enables businesses to consolidate their platforms, greatly reducing energy consumption, cooling requirements and hence the overall green house gas emissions.

NetBox Blue's low end solutions are designed to be used in a regular office environment. There is no need for energy draining air-conditioned computer rooms.

The company's high end solutions, which do require air-conditioning, are installed on IBM platforms. IBM is a leader in green solutions for the IT industry. Their hardware is specially designed to draw a minimum of power and require less cooling than other systems.

"We are all seeing the emergence of a carbon constrained economy," Mr Fison says. "This initiative is a vital tool in dealing with the restrictions of that environment in a financially sustainable and socially responsible way."

"A carbon offset scheme is not only good sense for the environment, it is a strategic imperative for all businesses and we are delighted to be leading the field and taking the initiative."