Thin Client System

Home and business computer systems revolutionized the world during their initial introduction in the 1970s, and now, newer and more advanced computer systems are helping to revolutionize business once again through the standard evolution of basic computer principle.  Introducing a thin client system to your business can help to reduce overall cost, increase data security, help transfer your business over to a greener business plan, and help to increase the productivity of individuals and employees inside the business itself.  There are many great advantages to take into consideration when moving over to a thin client system, but first, you should understand exactly how a thin client workstation operates.

What is a Thin Client?

Your basic thin client system is a computer with fewer parts that is designed to run off of another computer, typically a server or a network or servers.  Since a server has more available resources, it can allow for several separate thin client computers to run off of its resources, allowing all of those computers to become more centralized while still allowing for individual usage.  Where you normal PC has a number of working parts, including a large amount of RAM and memory, a large hard drive, and an on-board cooling system, the thin client has a reduced amount of these elements.

While this may seem to put the thin client at a large disadvantage when compared to the standard PC, the server makes all the difference.  Most servers come with enough available resources to make up to 20 thin clients just as powerful as that standard PC.  Think of it this way, you are not really using the thin client computer.  It is more like the thin client is allowing you to access the server, a far more powerful computer for optimal business use.

Centralized Information

Data security is on the mind of most companies, especially with phishing, pharming, and hacking attempts being frequently attempted to mine sensitive data from individuals and businesses.  With a traditional PC-based computing environment, data is scattered among several different computers where it could be stolen or damaged, making it unusable.  With a thin client system, all data is centrally located on the server, making it easier to protect and organize for maximum usage.  Think of it like this, if you have five filing cabinets in five different buildings, your data will be harder to organize and keep safe.  But if you put all your filing cabinets into one secure building, everything will be much easier to protect and keep organized.  This is just what a thin client system can do for your information and sensitive data.

Production and Network Monitoring

Thanks to thin client management suites and programs, you can effectively monitor what is going on in your business and secure all entry points into your digital data.  These management suites, like the IGEL Universal Management Suite, allow for easy maintenance of user accounts and allow for complete monitoring capabilities of what every person connected to your network is doing.  This level of managerial monitoring can help lead you to an easier time monitoring employee productivity.

Going Green

Almost all businesses are attempting to make the transition into a greener way of doing business, and one of the easiest ways to do this is by converting over to a thin client system.  While it may not seem like it, adjusting over to this kind of computer environment not only reduces the amount of energy your business consumes performing daily operations, but the recyclability factor of thin client workstation is greatly increased, giving you yet another example of how this kind of computer network can be more environmentally friendly.  Here are the basics on the power consumption of a thin client computer when compared to a standard PC.

* Prices are based on a rate of 0.18¢ per kWh (kilowatt hour).

This is a big difference between the two kinds of systems, and this is just for a single machine.  If you have a business with 100 people, each requiring a computer station, a PC-based system will cost you $2,682 a year, while the thin client system will cost you only $1,296.  That is over a 50 percent reduction in your power consumption annually, and it will hold true for those who need thousands of workstation rather than just 100.

With all of these advantages, a thin client system is really the only choice when preparing to upgrade your current technological infrastructure.  Not only are all of these advantages evident, but the thin client tends to have a shelf live of 5 to 6 years when compared to 3 for a standard PC, is 99 percent recyclable while a PC is only 76 percent, and it leaves a far smaller carbon footprint when compared to other computer systems.