Through the use of inexpensive thin client hardware, you can save an astonishingly large amount of money. With inexpensive thin clients, you can create remote access networks and virtualized desktops.
     

 

 

 

  

Inexpensive Thin Client Computer Hardware

 

With overall business profits on the decline and overhead on the rise, finding most cost effective strategies for businesses is very important.  Taking advantage of inexpensive thin client computer hardware can help to reduce the overall operational cost of a business through software and desktop virtualization practices, creating a company tech plan that is not only cutting edge, but will save money in the short and long run.  A thin client, which is also commonly referred to as a slim or lean client, is a computer with reduced local resources, relying instead on another computer, typically a server or a number of servers, to provide those resources.  All the programs, data, and necessary business resources that are normally stored locally on a computer have now been transferred onto a server, helping create a virtual desktop the thin client accesses.  Not only does this mean a more inexpensive thin client computer, but data, programs, and individual desktops can then be accessed from any location, including through smart phones and other computers.

There are a number of advantages to using an inexpensive thin client computer over a traditional desktop, primarily relating to creating a virtual desktop infrastructure.  With a virtualized environment for computer programs, there is a natural reduction in program licensing fees, software updates and upgrades are much easier to implement, data and information can be easily organized, security is much tighter with all programs and data being centralized, and overall operational costs are reduced due to the lower resources (primarily electricity) needed to operate the thin client.  Not only is an inexpensive thin client cheaper than a regular computer to begin with, but overall, it will be far more cost effective to operate with thin clients over a long period of time.

On paper, the budget saving through direct and indirect costs is really amazing.  In direct cost, companies deploying thin client hardware can expect an overall cost reduction of between 10 and 25 percent when compared to purchasing traditional desktop computers.  While this savings, especially for large businesses, can be hundreds or thousands of dollars, even smaller businesses can save thousands by converting to a thin client system.  In indirect costs, which can include customer support, data management, and educational programs, the thin client can save between 25 and 50 percent in overall costs.  The only major cost of a thin client is the conversion to a newer system, which will require a certain degree of network setup and programming.  Still, even with migration costs, the reduction in overall IT cost can be between 5 and 25 percent.

 

The Advantages of Green IT

Since many larger companies already have the server and network hardware available, the use of traditional fat clients is not only poor for the environment, but it is also costing you more in operational costs.  By taking advantage of inexpensive thin client computers, you will need less power to run a more effective system, saving on your bottom line and helping the environment at the same time.  Comparatively, a thin client, including the server systems needed for optimal functionality, uses between 50 and 60 percent less power than just a standard PC.  Your standard PC uses 85 W of electricity per hour.  While this may not seem like a large amount, your standard inexpensive thin client uses around 16 W of electricity per hour, a drastic reduction.  The server allotment needed for optimal performance of the thin client adds another 12 W or power per hour, and when cooling systems for the servers are included, you can adding another 13 W per hour.  This means that a thin client with everything on the back end included uses 41 W of electricity per hour, where just a standard PC uses 85 W.  With the reduction in power needs, energy bills alone can be cut at least by half for primary IT needs.  This can leave more in the budget to make additional improvements or upgrades.  The choice is almost obvious.

In a report put out by the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental Safety and Energy Technology and IGEL,® one of the world's leading manufacturers of thin client computers, charted the environmental impact of a standard PC and an IGEL® thin client, proving that not only does a thin client have a greatly reduced Global Warming Potential, but it has a reduced carbon footprint, including everything from the manufacturing of the machine to its disposal.  Thin clients, as found through this study, have half the negative environmental impact than your traditional computing environment.  This is one of the first truly advantageous green business options businesses have available to them.

 

Through IGEL®, one of the leading manufacturers of inexpensive thin client computers, desktop virtualization software, and thin client system migration, the most technologically advanced computer systems and network options can actually be saving your business money.  Through the use of IGEL® hardware and migration strategies, backed with customer service and support options, you can start shaving your IT budget considerably and reduce overhead while increasing profits almost instantly.