Thin-Client Computing

In a Thin-Client Computing environment, applications traditionally resident at the desktop are stored in centrally located servers or server farms.   Users access the servers to run application sessions, and only keyboard, video and mouse (KVM) updates are transmitted across the link.   The need to support software and applications at the desktop is eliminated.   Desktop devices and PCs are transformed into intelligent devices that are now free of all moving parts, CD and floppy drives, hard drives and operating systems.  

The cost savings are very real - let us show you.  

Allow Interactive Technologies to perform a free analysis of your costs, and provide you with a calculation of the savings you will realize through adoption of our Thin-Client Solutions.  

There are a number of areas in which Thin-Client Solutions translate directly and/or indirectly into big savings and improved operational efficiencies.  

Desktop Devices

Thin-client desktop equipment designed with significantly less overhead, such as Windows-based terminals and browser-based and handheld devices, are considerably less expensive.   What's more, Thin-Client devices have a life expectancy of 5 years or more, 2-to-3 times that of a PC.  

Licensing Costs

It is no longer necessary to purchase software or licenses for each and every workstation, or to visit the desktop to load software and insert authorization codes.   License availability is checked centrally at the server and access is granted dynamically as needed.  

Centralized Support - Costs Down, Quality of Support Up

Since servers are centralized, it is not necessary to have support staff based at or going to remote server sites.  

Since applications are resident in centralized servers, it is not necessary to dispatch support staff to desktops to install, upgrade, troubleshoot or otherwise maintain desktop applications.   Generally, the more an organization has its facilities and employees geographically dispersed, the more savings are realized.  

Maintenance of applications running on centralized servers, as opposed to maintaining a far greater number of applications distributed to desktops, is more straightforward and better controlled.   Risk is greatly reduced.  

Backup, Failures and Recovery

When applications reside in PCs distributed to the desktop, data back up is generally performed by servers deployed to each site.   Backup file servers can and have been centralized in fat client scenarios, but at the expense of beefing up WAN links.  

Conducting backups at each site is expensive, considering the additional equipments costs, storage media, support costs and travel expenses.  

In a Thin-Client environment these costs are all but eliminated, as all data is stored, managed and maintained centrally.   Application bugs and server faults are also addressed at the central location.  

As Thin-Client desktops have far fewer elements subject to failure, repairs are far less prevalent and devices have a much longer effective life.   Thin-Client desktops have few, if any, components subject to virus attack.   The technical team, relieved of making desktop repair rounds, has more time to apply to safeguarding server sites and addressing other critical issues.  

Bandwidth Requirements and Utilization

Since Only key strokes, mouse clicks and screen updates are transmitted over links to the user, transmission speed requirements are greatly reduced and actual traffic drops considerably.   And, what data there is can also be compressed, driving costs even lower.  

Studies have shown that average bandwidth utilization in a thin-client environment drops to 1/8 or less of that in a traditional fat client LANs and WANs.  

Remote or mobile devices can be supported on 20 kbps or less links and users still enjoy the same robustness and full featured access as those on the corporate LAN.  

The telecommunications cost savings are substantial.  

Overall lower traffic demand throughout the network means forestalling expensive upgrades of the backbone or even downgrading WAN links.   Again, significant cost reductions - particularly in areas where carrier service rates are extraordinarily high.  

Power

PCs consume 7 times more power than Thin-Client devices.  

Studies have shown that lower air conditioning costs for Thin-Client devices result in an average savings per user range from $21 to $32 per year per user.  

Power consumption and other environmental cost savings are a part of our sophisticated cost analysis.   Let Interactive Technologies calculate your savings in this area and across a comprehensive set of variables - for free.  

Security

With respect to the risk of having transmissions intercepted, remember, the only data flowing over the links are mouse clicks, keyboard strokes and screen updates.   There is less information subject to capture, and the data streams being sent are not likely to provide anything meaningful to anyone or any device except the destination server providing the application session.  

Still, if preferred, various encryption schemes and products can also be added to Thin-Client links.   There is cost saving here too.   Since there is less data being encoded, the encryption algorithm does its work faster, degrading overall link speed less.  

Saving you money and increasing your organization's performance through Thin-Client and other solutions is what we're all about at Interactive Technologies.  

Interactive Technologies puts Thin Client Solutions to work for you.  

Your bottom line is at the top of our list.   Thin Client Computing solutions impact all departments, saving money and increasing your organization's throughput across the board.   Sales, Operations, Finance, Corporate Services, Customer Satisfaction - they all benefit.   Improve the components and enhance their interoperability.   Profitability goes up.   Consult us, and let us show you how.