Power management to maximize reduced power state for virtual machine platforms

Power management in a virtual machine environment that includes at least one virtual machine platform providing a plurality of virtual machines, and a plurality of separate (user) computers, each connected to a respective one of the virtual machines in a typical virtual machine distribution environment. There is also provided a function, independent of the connections of the user computers to the virtual machines, for determining if each of said computers connected to the virtual machines is in an active state together with a function for switching the virtual machine platform into a reduced power consumption state in the platform when all of the computers connected to virtual machines are in a non-active state.