Dell just released a thin client system that is clearly designed to address the needs of those having heavy computational, graphics and security requirements working in a virtual access/VDI computing environment. The Wyse 5060 comes equipped with an AMD 2.4GHz quad core processor that supports up to 8GB RAM and 64GB flash. The company claims this offering provides "up to 30 percent greater performance over the previous generation."
Features of the Wyse 5060
Dell made the following statements about the Wyse 5060:
- Broad operating system support: The Wyse 5060 is available with a choice in OS, giving customers the ability to configure the thin client based on their specific requirements. At launch, the 5060 can be purchased with Dell’s own Wyse ThinOS software or with Windows Embedded Standard (WES) 7p. In early 2017, an upgrade to Windows 10 IoT will be available for WES customers, and the 5060 will also then be available with Wyse ThinLinux.
- Innovative security: Dell provides more than one security layer with the Wyse 5060 thin client. The device includes an embedded Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chipset with the ability to recognize if a system’s integrity has been compromised while safely storing encryption keys, certificates and passwords. At the software level, Wyse ThinOS software is an ultra-secure, virus-mitigated operating system with unpublished APIs. For those opting for a Windows-based thin client, organizations can benefit from an additional layer of security with Dell Data Protection | Threat Defense, delivering advanced threat protection against 99 percent of executable malware (based upon Dell's own testing).
- Robust connectivity: To provide the seamless user experience and productivity demands of today’s knowledge worker, the thin client supports dual 4K (3840x2160) monitors and provides multiple connectivity options with six USB ports, two of which are USB 3.0 for high-speed peripherals, as well as two DisplayPort connectors, wired networking or wireless 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac.
- Easy manageability: Dell offers a full suite of on-premise, off-premise and auto management software options to deliver robust, enterprise-level manageability that can scale to tens of thousands of devices. Through the Wyse Device Manager, IT teams can streamline remote configuration and policy management of corporate and user-owned client devices—including thin and zero clients, iOS and Android devices—through a single, intuitive console.
Dell also said: "The Wyse 5060 thin client is compatible with all of the major virtualization software brokers, including Citrix XenDesktop, Microsoft RDS and VMware Horizon. VMware Blast Extreme remote protocol is also supported on the WES and ThinLinux-based versions."
IT solutions serve the needs of different people
Those in the IT industry typically segment users of virtual access/VDI solutions into two categories: task-oriented workers and knowledge workers.
Task-oriented workers make heavy use of specific applications that both guide them through and help them complete assigned tasks. If asked, many people in this category would say that they don't like computers, don't understand them and see them as a necessary evil. The IT solution that supports these folks needs to be simple, easy to operate and focused on the tasks they are assigned.
Knowledge workers, on the other hand, often gather data, analyze that data, turn it into useful information and then inform and advise others on the data, the analysis and the conclusions. Quite often these people are very knowledgeable about computers and many applications, and they use the system as an aid in their work on engineering, research, science, design or other complex task. They are likely to use a collection of tools to support the creation of documents, analyze data and model data, and, in the past, they thought the whole concept of VDI as an impediment to getting their work done.
Quick take on the Wyse 5060
While this device could be used to support the needs of a task-oriented worker, most of its capabilities would be wasted. The Wyse 5060 clearly offers a great deal of computational power and the ability to process and visualize large amounts of data.
Dell clearly designed the Wyse 5060 to remove as many impediments to the acquisition and use of this device as possible:
- Dell is offering Dell's own ThinOS and Windows Embedded Standard at product launch and plans to provide Windows 10 upgrades for WES users and ThinLinux in the future, which should remove the client operating environment as an objection.
- The customer's choice of access virtualization and VDI computing environment won't be an obsticle either. Dell's offering supports the approaches offered by Citrix, Microsoft and VMware.
The Wyse 5060 appears to be a good choice for thin client device for an organization's knowledge workers and is worthy of your consideration.