Thin is in once again in client/server computing, but this time it looks set for the long haul as its influence extends beyond the desktop, through the datacentre and on across the enterprise. So what’s so different this time round?

Despite being saddled with a somewhat weedy,  needy name compared with those of its younger, trendier, macho-sounding cousins (Blade servers! Consolidation! Virtualisation! Grrrrr!!) – thin client technology is actually a great deal tougher, more sturdy and more resilient than its unfortunate handle would suggest.

Put bluntly, while it might sound like a bit of a 9-stone weakling, it’s got a hell of a chin. Because as many times as the poor old thin client gets sand kicked in its face and goes off to sulk for a while, it just keeps right on reinventing itself and coming back for more. In fact, with thin computing already into perhaps its ninth or tenth incarnation, the aforementioned so-called slim technologies are mere pups and Johnny-come-latelys in comparison. 

As if to prove the point, thin is suddenly back in once again. Back in the headlines, back on the desktop, and right back on the agenda. And it appears to be on a mission. According to David Angwin, EMEA Director of Marketing at thin client giant Wyse, thin technology has been away and taken a hard look at itself over the last three years and is now well and truly on the comeback trail.

“Three years or so ago not all applications would work in a server-based environment, there were no multimedia capabilities, peripheral support was difficult and poor, thin computing was only available for desktops, and users were resistant to it due to the perceived reduced functionality.”

Though some resistance and misconceptions remain, he says, it’s been all change recently, with things shifting “dramatically” and significant changes taking place in the capabilities of thin computing solutions.

“All solutions are not the same anymore, with thin computers being made as close to ‘real’ computers as possible and software developments making the user experience very close to that of a PC. Thin computing now offers better hardware and network performance and mobile form factors; virtual desktops are enabling full application compatibility so all apps will run on VMware VDI and Citrix XenDesktop.” And so it goes on.

Chris Barclay, Director of Product Management at Virtual Iron sees the renaissance of virtual desktops as a particularly important factor. “What makes them so compelling is their efficiency vs. PCs both in terms of networking (with virtual desktops, only keyboard, video and mouse updates are sent over the network, reducing overall network traffic by up to 80% in many instances); power, (thin clients typically use around 80-85% less power than PCs), and cooling”, he says. 

Another important factor in the thin client’s re-emergence in the late naughties has been that corporates are not so much more accepting of the technology now, as actively pulling it towards them.

“Organisations are increasingly looking at alternative options which enable them to step out of 3-4 year PC replacement cycles”, says Angwin. “Over the past two years (we) have seen a big increase in the number looking to use thin computing strategically across the organisation instead of just tactically for specific departments or applications as they may have done in the past.”

Jamil Aboulzelof, CEO of Netvoyager concurs. “IT Managers are under growing pressure to reduce carbon footprints, reduce their electricity consumption, and reduce the real-estate they consume. Departments no longer insist on having their own servers to run the business-critical applications they’re writing.”

“Organisations are increasingly looking at alternative options which enable them to step out of 3-4 year PC replacement cycles...”

The fact that thin machines can now serve knowledge workers and mobile taskforces as well as office-based task-workers where they couldn’t before is another key driver, says Angwin.

However, suggests Malcolm Wilkes, Strategic Director at Avanquest, its own past failures are less important to thin computing’s current success than the myriad of other changes and dynamics currently pushing IT directors toward leaner
IT models.

“A few years ago there was a drive towards ASP (Application Service Provision) whereby applications were held centrally and accessed remotely by users via the Internet. It failed because the reliability and speed of the Internet couldn’t support the applications or satisfy users. Today, the Internet is more resilient and with the advent of broadband and wireless technology speed is no longer an issue.” Because of this, he says, new models such as ‘Cloud computing’, SaaS (Software as a Service) based around SOAs (Service Orientated Architectures) are now increasingly commonplace – with SOAs driving multi-tenanted applications enabling centrally supported applications to be utilised by multiple users from multiple organisations simultaneously in a highly secure manner.

“The recent purchase of hosted desktops for over 800 users by Allied Healthcare Group across 100 UK offices is a good example of the type of operation that can benefit. Smaller organisations that rely on IT but don’t have the skills in-house will too”, says Wilkes.

The ground is also better prepared culturally for thin architectures, with people already accepting, accessing and even relying upon server-based applications everyday as consumers – online banking, Hotmail, GoogleApps, and BBC iPlayer to name but a few.

And Simon Ponsford, CEO of Cranberry and famed green evangelist, cites the drive to be greener as a further key reason for the recent resurgence in thin client interest.

“Thin clients can certainly be greener than standard fat desktop PCs. While the power consumption for business desktops has fallen over the past 12 months the average is still in excess of 120watts.

Thin clients consume significantly less, with more powerful models rated at around 25watts and Chip PC’s 3.5watt client at the other end of the spectrum.”

“Total power consumption should be taken as the power being used on the desktop and a fair share of what’s being consumed on the server infrastructure.”

The power consumption of the desktop device should not, however, be taken in isolation, warns Ponsford. “A PC will normally connect to a file and mail server, which often accommodate hundreds of users. The total power consumption should be taken as the power being used on the desktop and a fair share of what’s being consumed on the
server infrastructure.”

“Thin clients typically connect to Citrix or Terminal Servers, which generally accommodate relatively few users in comparison with file and mail servers. So the average power usage per desktop here (according to our research) is closer to 40 watts. Still a significant saving over the PC, but not as much as some thin client vendors
might suggest.”

Reiterating Angwin’s earlier point, Ponsford also believes the rise of VMWare’s Virtualised Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) has been vital. “One of the drawbacks of traditional thin client infrastructures was that not all applications could be installed on a Terminal or Citrix server. They simply weren’t compatible. VDI has overcome this by giving each user a virtual PC in the datacentre.”

That’s it then. The thin client is surely set to take over the world? Well not quite. Not yet. Because contrary to official thin vendor line, some issues remain that mean thin clients still aren’t always an ideal alternative. For instance, says Ponsford: “Thin clients don’t work well when there are local peripherals to attach, be that digital cameras, bar-code readers or mobile phones. In these cases using a thin client even in a VDI environment is likely to be less than ideal.”

In a more general sense, some businesses and users can’t or won’t convert. There’s an argument that some perhaps even shouldn’t. In many circumstances the economics still don’t stack up, especially for smaller enterprises; while in other organisations there are deeply ingrained cultures that run completely contrary to the spirit of the thin client and so simply aren’t conducive to thin deployments. 

 It’s also important to view the thin client marketplace in the context of the rest of the desktop sector – where PC shipments (around 3million annually) still dwarf those of thin clients (around 1% of that). Even in most server-based computing environments – Citrix, Terminal Services, VDI – more than 90% of users will still connect to the infrastructure with PCs and laptops.

Accordingly, some providers – Cranberry for instance – are pinning their hopes on the success of hybrid desktop clients. Cranberry’s is called the Smart Client; a locked down machine that runs a Windows operating platform and Windows applications but via a management console. Only one server is required per thousand Smart Clients so the overall power consumption is less than 10 watts per desktop.

 However, while such broadening choice is certainly helping thaw corporate attitudes to thinner computing paradigms, they’re not warming up quickly enough for some. “The ethos is changing”, avers Aboulzelof, “but not as fast as it should. Across the pond, the adoption rate is still faster than here.”

For Angwin, it’s all about the thin computing mindset moving beyond merely what sits on the desktop. “Making thin computing deliver real value is about much more than just the hardware”, he says. The ability to run multimedia and streaming video and audio for example; software, multi-monitor support, peripheral support – all these and more will be essential for the thin client’s future.

With this in mind, notes Aboulzelof, it’s a good idea to look carefully before you leap. “One advantage of not jumping immediately is that there are too many emerging solutions – VMWare, Citrix, Parallels etc., – and they all have their own advantages; coupled with a confusing array of supporting technologies like VDI brokers and virtual storage and backup mechanisms. That said, it seems the current trend is to bucket everything together and go for a solution that seems to offer all the answers.”

“Making thin computing deliver real value is about much more than just the hardware.”

“I come from a different camp. Consolidate, virtualise, and economise your current infrastructure. Then look at technologies such as VDI and virtual machines – but only after you’ve shown the board that your investment in virtual servers and consolidation really has delivered. Then find out what the business bottlenecks are against progress, and use virtualisation extending technologies to deliver real business benefits rather than invest in technology for a short-term gain.”

“Business must remain agile in good times as well as in economic turmoil”, he says. It is a lesson that, properly heeded, might just help us stay out of economical turmoil in the first place.

Hiscox Wyses Up

Hiscox, the international insurance group, specialises in protecting people and businesses with unusual and often complicated insurance needs. It chose a thin computing solution from Wyse to help make its business more responsive to customer requirements – the challenge being to provide a flexible and secure  IT infrastructure to support all its staff, including advisers and brokers, working internationally. 

The company has since installed more than 650 Wyse thin client terminals operating via Citrix XenApp (formerly Citrix Presentation Server), Leostream VDI broker, and VMware virtual desktops, providing personal information services and access to 230 business and specialist insurance applications. 

The result is a secure infrastructure offering easy access to information tools and data; simplified support and maintenance leading to higher end-user satisfaction; and a more flexible information infrastructure with personal settings and data accessible on secure terminals wherever a Hiscox employee is working in the business internationally.

The benefits of a calorie-controlled client diet

Thinking about switching to a thin computing model? Headline benefits include:

Enhanced security and centralised management - Thin environments with diskless clients help mitigate security and compliance risks as the data – and its management – are kept safely within the confines of the corporate datacentre.

Easier management, lower TCO - Add the cost of deploying a PC to the cost of supporting, patching, and updating its OS and applications and the initial capital outlay can rise by a factor of ten. Basing the OS and apps server-side means cheaper, easier, faster management, lower headcount, and lower TCO.

Lower capital hardware costs  - Because most of the processing is devolved to the server and because there is no local storage and fewer moving parts, thin clients are typically 40 to 60% less costly than PCs.
It is even more compelling allied with server virtualisation (where perhaps ten servers can take the place of 50.)

Reduced energy costs - Thin clients consume much less power than conventional PCs – delivering major cost savings, especially in large installations. Again compelling when used in conjunction with server consolidation (which can drive £150 to £300 in energy savings per year per server removed according to research), and with energy consumption and prices on the rise.

Various web-based tools exist (e.g. Citrix’s Application Computing Environment (ACE) Cost Analyzer and VMware’s TCO calculator) for calculating the financial benefits.