Wyse Beefs Up Thin-Client Offerings

Wyse is adding updated hardware and additional management capabilities to its portfolio.

Thin-client vendor Wyse Technology is adding new hardware and management capabilities to its portfolio. At the 2007 iForum in Las Vegas Oct. 22, Wyse is unveiling several new models that will make up its Wyse G class of thin-client PCs. In addition, the San Jose, Calif., company is announcing that its thin clients will now integrate with third-party management software, including offerings from CA, Citrix Systems, Altiris, Microsofts System Management Server and IBM Tivoli.
Unlike traditional desktops, thin clients do not have moving parts, and the operating system and desktop applications can be stored in a data center server. While these types of PCs have been considered a niche market for years, vendors such as Wyse and Neoware, which Hewlett-Packard acquired, are hoping to offer customers an alternative to the traditional desktop by emphasizing the security that comes with housing the operating system and applications in a centralized environment. Wyse is also emphasizing the low power use of its thin clients. For example, the two new models in the G class—the G90 and the G00—use about 13 watts of power. By contrast, a new HP desktop model—the Compaq dc 7800—can use anywhere between 55 and 100 watts. In addition, the G90 and the G00 thin-client PCs can now integrate with virtualization software from vendors such as Microsoft, VMware and Citrix, which will allow Wyses customers to create virtual desktop environments. For example, Wyse and Citrix are working together to support Citrixs new XenDesktop virtualization software on thin-client devices. While no specific plans have been announced, HP, of Palo Alto, Calif., also is looking to use its Neoware acquisition to offer its customers a chance to create a virtualized, centralized desktop environment. Read here about Citrix and virtualization at the 2007 iForum. "We have a lot of people looking at this much more seriously now, especially when we work with companies such as Citrix and VMware that allow our users to have a much richer user experience than in the past," said Jeff McNaught, Wyse chief marketing officer. By adding support for third-party management tools, such as IBMs Tivoli and Microsofts SMS, McNaught said Wyse is allowing its customers to add thin clients into a companys desktop fleet without having to change an enterprises established infrastructure and system management software. Check out eWEEK.coms for the latest news in desktop and notebook computing.