Wyse Technology Inc., Neoware Systems Inc. and Maxspeed Corp. are rolling out hardware and upgraded management software that the companies say will make it easier to deploy and administer thin clients.
Wyse, at Citrix Systems Inc.'s iForum show in Orlando, Fla., will unveil two new devices—the Winterm 3150SE and 9150SE—and two new thin-client platforms built through partnerships with chip makers Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Transmeta Corp. In addition, Wyse will announce an upgraded version of its Rapport management software.
The new Winterm systems, powered by AMD's Geode GX 533 chip, will feature the latest operating system upgrades from Microsoft Corp. in the traditional form factor, officials said. The 3150SE will offer Windows CE Version 5.0, and the 9150SE will run Windows XP Embedded.
The new platforms—known as the S and V Winterm thin clients—offer a smaller footprint, with the S class being about the size of a videotape cassette, officials said. The S class will run on the Geode chip, while the larger V class will be powered by Transmeta's Crusoe processor. The V-class systems, which will start shipping late next month, will offer a number of features not found in the S class, including parallel ports, and will offer as much as 256MB of flash memory. The S class, which will be available later this month, will have as much as 32MB of flash memory.
Version 4.4 of the San Jose, Calif., company's Rapport management software will offer an easier installation process, documentation updates, consolidation capabilities and a simpler discovery process, along with an upgraded user interface, officials said.
Neoware, of King of Prussia, Pa., is adding greater security and manageability to Version 5.0 of TeemTalk, its emulation software. The company is adding Secure Sockets Layer and Secure Shell security to the upgrade, which will provide enhanced encryption and authentication capabilities.
Maxspeed, of Palo Alto, Calif., is unveiling what it calls a "value line" of systems—the MaxTerm 101, 301 and 501 devices. The 101 and 301 are Linux systems, with the 301 offering a terminal emulation suite and local browser. The 501 runs the Windows CE operating system.
Customers must consider the cost of the devices, of shutting down PCs and of buying more servers when first deploying thin clients. "Thin clients really are a great solution for a lot of people," said Bob O'Donnell, an analyst with IDC, in San Mateo, Calif. "These are all good steps in the right direction. But ... the transition is not cheap."
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