Thin Client

Leading UK College Transforms its Campus with Wyse Cloud Client Computing | Business Wire

New College Durham Replacing PCs with Wyse Zero Clients and Desktop Virtualization for Improved Security, Manageability, Total Cost of Ownership and User Experience

LONDON & SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wyse Technology, the global leader in cloud client computing, has announced a major virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) implementation at New College Durham, a leading further education college in the North East of England. The college will be replacing 1,200 PCs with Wyse zero clients - delivering students, faculty and visitors an improved desktop experience that also saves on operational costs and is significantly more energy efficient.

“Most traditional thin clients run a small, onboard operating system such as Linux or Windows XP Embedded. However, a growing percentage of units are shipping without a local OS, a category of products we call Thin Clients with No OS (also sometimes referred to as Zero Clients)”
New College Durham serves over 10,000 full and part-time students who study a wide range of courses in a purpose-built campus on the outskirts of Durham. Following the completion of a project to virtualise its server farm, the college decided to complete the solution with a virtual desktop infrastructure environment running VMware View 4.5.

Having reviewed the marketplace, the college selected Wyse P20 zero clients because these answered the requirement for a virtual desktop client that had no operating system. The Wyse zero clients can be deployed much faster and are easier to replace and re-deploy as campus requirements change. The college will avoid the high maintenance costs associated with supporting traditional PCs, which tend to require more frequent and time-consuming support both remotely and at the desktop.

The Wyse zero clients consume 10 percent of the power used by an equivalent workstation desktop, furthering the college's carbon reduction goals and helping to save on energy costs. With a lifespan of up to 10 years, the Wyse zero clients will last two to three times longer than a PC, meaning the college avoids the costs of more frequent PC replacement. This also guards against future technological obsolescence and e-waste.

New College Durham required the new desktop systems to deliver a high-quality end-user experience for students and staff. Notably, the Wyse P20 supports the widest range of applications from standard office applications to high-end multimedia and CAD packages. This is critical for the college given the breadth of courses taught, and a capability lacking in competing zero clients. With no operating system, the zero clients turn on immediately and provide access to personalised data and applications on which every client is used across the campus.

The first phase of the project was completed over the summer with 400 Wyse zero clients installed in the open learning centre and classrooms for the new academic year. A further 800 zero clients for the rest of college students and staff will be deployed by 2012.

George Wraith, head of systems at New College Durham said: "Migrating to virtual desktops with Wyse zero clients means our students and staff will enjoy a better end user experience even when using the most intensive multimedia applications and data. The feedback from the first users is extremely positive as they notice how much faster and more responsive the zero clients are. Ultimately the whole project will make greener, more cost-efficient computing integral to how the college provides a first class education."

David Angwin, Director of Marketing EMEA at Wyse Technology said: " Wyse brought the world's first zero client to market in 2006 and our next generation of zero clients continue to set the standard for the industry, proving that not all zero clients are created equal. Education providers want to deliver the best possible computing experience for their students and staff within ever tightening budgets. New College Durham is a great example of how this can be achieved through an ambitious virtual desktop infrastructure that transforms how people learn and teach while cutting down on support and energy costs."

"Most traditional thin clients run a small, onboard operating system such as Linux or Windows XP Embedded. However, a growing percentage of units are shipping without a local OS, a category of products we call Thin Clients with No OS (also sometimes referred to as Zero Clients)," according to Tom Mainelli, Research Manager, IDC Clients and Displays. "Thin Clients with No OS can offer some notable benefits over traditional thin clients, including better manageability and greater security."

According to IDC, Thin Clients with No OS represented about 10% of worldwide thin client shipments in 2009, but IDC expects that percentage to grow to nearly 22% of the market by 2014. IDC expects even more robust growth in the United States, where the percentage will grow from about 13% in 2009 to nearly 31% in 2014.

About Wyse Technology

Wyse Technology is the global leader in Cloud Client Computing. The Wyse portfolio includes industry-leading thin, zero and cloud PC client solutions with advanced management, desktop virtualization and cloud software supporting desktops, laptops and next generation mobile devices. Cloud client computing replaces the outdated computing model of the unsecure, unreliable, energy-intensive and expensive PC, all while delivering lower TCO and a superior user experience. Wyse has shipped more than 20 million units and has over 200 million people interacting with their products each day, enabling the leading private, public, hybrid and government cloud implementations worldwide. Wyse partners with industry-leading IT vendors, including Citrix®, IBM®, Microsoft, and VMware® as well as globally-recognized distribution and service partners. Wyse is headquartered in San Jose, California, U.S.A., with offices worldwide. More information can be found at www.wyse.com or call 1-800-GET-WYSE.

* All brands and names mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective holders.

Contacts
Wyse Technology
Media Contact:
Allison Darin, 408-473-1223
[email protected]

Leading UK College Transforms its Campus with Wyse Cloud Client Computing | Business Wire