Cutting the cord on thin clients

Cutting the cord on thin clients

By John Cox

Thin clients were once as chained to the corporate desktop as full-blown PCs. But that’s changing now as wireless LANs and 3G cellular networks become more common.

Using both types of wireless networks, end users can have a relatively simple, diskless notebook-style or handheld device that connects securely, often via a Web interface, to their full suite of enterprise applications running on centrally managed server farms.

The benefits are extensive:

* Minimal or no application development for mobile computing.

* Data remains on servers, not on clients that can be lost or stolen.

* Software updates are made on a few servers, not on many clients.

* Real-time access to enterprise data for mobile workers.

A number of recent developments, besides better wireless connections, are fueling interest in wireless thin clients.

To find out more about those developments, please go to:

https://www.nwfusion.com/news/2005/022105specialfocus.html?nlt