In 2007, Dell launched the sale of its Thin Clients which allows any organization or business to switch to a central server which allows more than one computer terminal to access the operating system, the applications and the data for the company. Call centers and education computer labs benefit from this technology.

You may ask “What is a Thin Client?” A thin client allows for computers to share information. For example, the public libraries use thin clients. When you go to the public library, you go to the library to find the location of the book you wish to locate. You search, log out and go to the stands to find your book. You decide to find another book and the computer you were using to being used by someone else. However, there’s another computer to use. You go to the unoccupied computer and begin your search. The ability to use more than one computer for the same purpose is allowed by the thin client.

If a computer crashes, information is not lost with a thin client. All information is stored on a general server which allows all information to be retrieved from other computers hooked up to the server. Individuals can easily access information at home with the proper log-on and password information which allows jobs to be completed. This is an excellent idea for education; teachers can take their work home and still have access to all pertinent information at the school. Dell Thin Clients are beneficial for all businesses and organizations where more than one employee needs access to the software which allows work productivity to increase.

Founded in 1981 and based in San Jose, California, Wyse Technology leads the world in thin computing technology. Wyse Thin Clients and Wyse Zero Clients offer large organizations a means of boosting their computer productivity at a much lower cost than providing and maintaining fully loaded PC’s to each of their employees. Thin Computing technology provides the hardware and software necessary for Wyse Thin Clients to operate. A Thin Client has a very basic operating system pre-installed that lets the user connect to the much larger central system that houses all of the software and databases necessary for the organization’s information technology operations. Zero Clients work much like Thin Clients, except they do not come with a pre-installed operating system. Instead, a Zero Client is custom configured with its operating system to fit the precise function of the user. Thin Computing systems save companies money in up-front hardware and software costs, as well as saving money in operating costs, since maintenance is much simpler and the system consumes much less energy than conventional PC-based networks.

Wyse Thin Clients range in price from a couple of hundred dollars up to eight hundred dollars. Since they tap into a larger network for all of their software applications, they cost less than a fully loaded PC setup, plus they are much smaller and easier to fit into a comfortable work space. By using a central system to run software, they are extremely energy efficient, earning the Energy Star Partner endorsement. Thin Clients, Zero Clients, and cloud computing will be the wave of the future in IT systems, making businesses more competitive at the same time they get more “green.”

For many business owners it is necessary to have more than one computer for all of the office work that must be done on a normal day. However, paying up to a thousand dollars and having several unsecure terminals isn’t the best or the safest option for the business or its clients. This leads many to set up a network, but that too can still cost thousands of dollars with individual terminals and they will still be less safe than if stored in a single, centralized location. Because of this, HP has introduced their thin clients, below are a few points if you’re considering a network that may help you decide if the thin client is right for you.

To know if you need a thin client you must understand how they work.

With thin clients, you’re not actually processing or storing anything on the system that hooks into your monitor. Instead they are pulling the data and transferring it from the main terminal or server. This allows a secure setup where you don’t need to copy and store data on all terminals in order to access it.

Another benefit to thin clients is the lower cost of maintenance and other fees.

As they are not a computer and rely on the server for all of the data processing, there is less of a chance of virus or other glitch in the system. Furthermore, because there are no hard drives of fans there is a reduced risk of failure from moving parts which further reduces maintenance costs.

If by chance your thin client does go the way of the dodo there are options.

One of these options is, as with other computers, you can have the thin client repaired, if it’s possible to do so. However, unlike standard computers, in the event of catastrophic failure, the cost of a replacement isn’t going to put too much strain on the company. Nor will a complete failure result in the loss of vital data.

Imagine an everyday computer which could do nearly everything because it has very nice hardware. Now imagine removing the software aspect by routing the machine to work through a server to store and share files and more. This is called a thin client and it is a special type of computer that connects through a server to have access to the operating system and more. This option cuts down on the cost of the computer while providing a way to still get better hardware for the machine which will perform well even with heavy strain. This type of computer will primarily be used in a business-type setting, where there will be many computers running off of a single server (or multiple servers).

Thin clients can perform very well and make it possible to lose less data if a computer indeed crashes. This allows the computer to be easily replaced or repaired without the loss of data for employees which could simply log back into their specific settings through a new computer. Everything is hosted on the server, files and all. This solution is very good and can even be extended outside of the business setting through a connection through to the server. It is a very important option for companies that need a powerful system which can be upgraded easily and without loss of data. Regular backups of data are possible through secondary servers and on physical media if needed for extra precautionary measures.