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| 199$ Thin Client Challenges Corporate PC The days of the corporate PC may be numbered, following the launch of a fully-featured 199$ (approx. 145 Euro) thin client by VXL Instruments. The company's new Itona TC23xx series is a diskless, fanless desktop supporting a wide range of server technologies and costs around 40% less than comparable thin client devices. Security is better and cost of ownership lower than a traditional PC, says the company, but functionality is the same. The TC23xx is based on a 1Ghz Via C7 processor and comes with Linux or Windows CE. Support for a wide range of client/ server technologies is available, including Citrix MetaFrame, Linux Servers, Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition, and Windows 2003 Server. The totally silent Itona TC23xx is not only the quarter of the cost of a typical business PC to buy, it costs far less to operate, says VXL. The thin client can be managed centrally, does not require backup, is more reliable, more secure, is the size of a hardback book and consumes just 11w of electricity. The TC23 is diskless and does not allow users to load their own software. As it does not store data, no backup is required, and it is immune to Windows viruses. The machine is also far more reliable than a PC – there are no moving parts such as disk drives or fans. The company provides a 3-year unlimited warranty on its products. As PC sales slow, the market for thin clients is forecast to grow from 4 million in 2008 to over 6 millions units a year in 2010, according to IDC. At the same time, VXL Instruments is aiming to increase its market share from less than 10% to over 15%. VXL has been producing terminals and thin client computers for 30 years and is aiming to sell over half a million of its computers in the coming year around the world. Prices have steadily decreased in the last decade but the new TC23 represents a 35%+ cost saving over any other model. For mobile users, VXL has a laptop version of the thin client, which uses the latest mobile phone technology to stay in touch with the office server. The proliferation of low-cost, high speed 3G deals means the thin client laptop is set to increase in popularity as staying connected to the office network from anywhere in the world becomes commonplace. write your comments about the article :: © 2008 Networking News :: home page |