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| HSE Integrated Chooses a 2X ApplicationServer Solution 2X Software announces that HSE Integrated Ltd. has chosen a 2X ApplicationServer solution to ensure efficient remote application delivery. HSE Integrated is Canada's largest national industrial safety services provider, with operations across the country and into the United States. The company has consolidated 19 regional, private industrial safety companies into an all-inclusive public corporation with 25 locations and more than 600 employees. Each of the company's locations requires access to their Calgary centralized data center, to access applications and centralized storage. The company deployed Microsoft Terminal Services to handle remote network access, with 10 terminal servers hosting their ERP software (Microsoft Dynamics AX) and other relevant applications such as Microsoft Office. Although their Terminal Services solution initially met their basic needs, IT Director Ryan Barg found that it "fells short in several key areas as our complexity increased. We desired a simplified user experience, easy software administration, and the ability to publish applications seamlessly to our client devices based on Active Directory groups. We were also interested in better printer support, multiple monitors, and single sign-on." After evaluating several high cost solutions, Ryan found that his requirements were easily with the much more affordable 2X ApplicationServer solution. To solve their Terminal Services dilemma, the 2X ApplicationServer and 2X Loadbalancer were added to the company's Terminal Services environment, which enabled the addition of necessary functionality as their infrastructure grew in complexity. Ryan notes that he "found that our requirements were met in other high-cost solutions, such as Citrix; however, 2X solutions were a fraction of the price with similar core functionality." The company currently uses 10 32-bit terminal servers running Windows Server 2003, functioning as 2X ApplicationServer agent servers, and one 64-bit 2X ApplicationServer VM running Windows Server 2008, as well as one 32-bit 2X Loadbalancer VM running Windows Server 2003. Ryan notes that "he is in the process of upgrading all servers to 64-bit Windows Server 2008 machines", and that his selected hypervisor is "VMWare ESXi 3.5, which will soon be upgraded to VMWare ESX 4.0." Ryan mentioned the two biggest benefits of HSE Integrated's switch to the 2X ApplicationServer were the ability to seamlessly publish applications and desktops from a central location, and the ability to service more users through 2X's unlimited number of allowed concurrent connections.Using the 2X ApplicationServer, HSE was able to publish all core applications from a centralized source. Ryan notes that he "has also been able to improve service delivery by publishing resource intensive software from higher- powered farms seamlessly to the end user. Using a 2X ApplicationServer solution, users are filtered for the specific applications they need in a single session, removing licensing and administration challenges and providing for a great end-user experience. In addition to centralizing HSE's application delivery process, Ryan noted that the 2X ApplicationServer allowed improved virtual computing service to his user base, since "using the 2X ApplicationServer, we were able to service more users on fewer terminal servers." A reduction in the number of required terminal servers meant that Ryan and the rest of the HSE IT team could focus on discerning what applications were most critical for the company's needs, rather than wading through necessary licensing and administration hassles. Having available resources within his terminal server farm also allows for the seamless inclusion of additional users, should the need arise, without delays from additional license purchases. Ryan notes that the 2X ApplicationServer has provided these advantages to HSE with a performance so flawless he has never been forced to call the 2X Support staff for assistance. write your comments about the article :: © 2010 Computing News :: home page |