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NoMachine has announced the release of its remote access and hosted application solution, NX, aimed at helping reduce IT costs for small to medium-size businesses.
The NX Small Business Server (starting at $744.50) offers up to 10 concurrent sessions, allowing businesses to access files, e-mail, applications and network resources in real time. Using NX, midmarket companies will be able to run their “virtual” applications and access databases, which are actually at central offices, from any remote PC or thin client connected to the corporate network.
The NX Small Business Server is designed for midmarket companies with strict IT budgets that require a product to provide access to small workgroups and branch departments, according to the company. NoMachine notes businesses can upgrade to NX Enterprise Server or NX Advanced Server to scale their network to match growth and support unlimited users and connections.
According to Spiceworks’ annual survey of SMB tech departments, 39 percent of small and medium businesses reported budget cuts in 2009, averaging a 22 percent reduction in IT funding. The survey found many companies are focusing on long-term IT investments that contribute directly to their bottom line, such as reducing costs and boosting productivity. NoMachine’s cost-savings argument states NX provides SMBs with a server consolidation and desktop virtualization solution to reduce their IT budgets by providing an all-inclusive, per-server pricing structure.
The company points to Commerce, a distributor for manufacturers in the lawn and garden industry. Commerce chose NoMachine NX as the most cost-effective remote access solution for its geographically dispersed sales reps. NX enabled Commerce to expand into a premier supplier of exclusive products and value-added services, said Commerce’s application developer, Steve Romanow. “NoMachine has been flexible enough to provide numerous implementation choices,” he said. “As we expand our business, I am confident that NoMachine will continue to provide us with the most cost-effective, well-managed remote access anywhere we need it.”
According to a report from Forrester Research, which surveyed small businesses during the second quarter of this year, SMBs are still depending on outsourcing IT solutions and consulting services to improve their bottom lines and provide specialized skills and knowledge, strategic tactics, a depth of experience, and access to the most current technologies. Keeping travel and energy costs to a minimum is also essential to reduce spending for many SMBs. Solutions like NoMachine’s NX server and others can offer midsize businesses the ability to connect a geographically distributed work force, allowing employees to access centralized office-based applications from home or other remote locations and at the same time enhance productivity.