How Your Specific Industry Will Prosper with Thin Clients

By Lael Long

Businesses are integrating thin clients into their infrastructure at an increasing rate as they learn how their functionality offers greater benefits than that of a typical PC. The versatility of thin clients allows businesses to modify it to fit each individual environment whether that means standing it, mounting it, or laying it flat for optimal use. [1] Thin clients also help save time and money “by cutting deployment times for IT” as well as “simplifying the imaging and setup process.” [1] An increase in productivity is seen “at shared workspaces” with thin clients simple login procedures and “support for industry standard SSO options.” [1] Thin clients enable this productivity by providing users a secure, accessible device that performs as a PC with added mobility. [2] A thin client computer “provide[s] leaders with a computing infrastructure that can be centrally controlled.” [3] Along with the increased security, thin clients use less electricity, cost less, and have a longer lifespan than that of a typical PC. Concerning the cost, these energy efficient devices only require about half the funds to produce, transport and deploy. Their increased lifespan means that they only need replacing half as often, “making upgrades much less expensive.” [3] Thin clients can also be in use for a greater period than PCs. According to Cody Gerhardt, HP’s Client Virtualization Pre-sales Technical Consultant, thin clients were designed to run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which is why their uptime is much greater than that of typical PCs which were designed for a 9 to 5 workday. [2] Superior to their predecessors, thin clients are helping various industries to grow and prosper.

Below is a list of fields that will benefit from thin client acquisition:

1. Government

The government has always been at the forefront of modern technology acquisition. Updating their technology is imperative to maintaining contact between the various branches and ensuring sensitive data stays secure. “In today’s fiscal climate, government agencies are making strategic IT investment decisions to spur efficiencies and innovation to meet growing agency demand.” [2] Government agencies are utilizing thin clients to provide government employees virtual desktops where they can access the necessary information wherever they may be. [2] Over the past decade, the government has come to realize that thin clients are important devices that allow operations to run smoothly.

2. Telecommunications

“Telecommunications companies typically employ thousands of workers in corporate headquarters, regional offices and in the field.” [4] For these companies, using a typical PC creates security risks as the actions of each employee cannot be accounted for. Therefore, sensitive data could easily be stolen or destroyed. They also must worry about making sure the necessary information is available to employees at all their locations. Thin clients’ increased levels of security and their centralized control makes them an asset for Telecommunications companies.

3. Healthcare

The added security is a benefit to the healthcare industry that must keep patient records confidential while still allowing medical workers easy access to “relevant data” whether in a hospital room or at an in-home visit. [4] Todd Colliver, the Manager of Client Systems at Kindred Healthcare, expresses that thin clients “help [hospitals] support strict data privacy standards, deliver reliability in a variety of environments, and streamline IT.” [1] He then goes on to say that “a single model front-ends our clinical records system in patient rooms and also equips home health division desktops.” [1] Due to Colliver’s supportive words, it is reasonable to claim that the implementation of thin clients in hospitals should be prioritized to ensure the safety of patient records and increase the efficiency of the healthcare industry.

4. Retail

Retail uses a point-of-sale terminal which requires very little power to run; “an expensive PC contains more power than is necessary.” Thin clients could cover this simple task without the exorbitant price of a PC. They would also allow IT to provide support to multiple stores in various geographical locations and “even bring new stores online remotely.” [4] Thin clients are ideal for enclosed locations as they “produce next to no noise, dust or heat and can withstand temperatures in enclosed spaces like kiosks.” [1] The resilience of thin clients in a high-traffic environment make them the perfect tool for retail.

When the usage of thin clients is broken down amongst various industries, it becomes clear that businesses are experiencing a rise in efficiency. As a result, there has been an increased demand for the security, versatility, and high functionality provided by thin clients. The next step for your business is to make the switch from your uneconomical, unreliable PC to a thin client. Thin clients are advancing business performance and are exactly what your company needs to maintain its competitive edge.

References:

1. HP Thin Clients. HP, 2019, h20195.www2.hp.com/v2/getpdf.aspx/4AA7-5985ENW.pdf.

2. Fiorenza, Patrick “6 Benefits of the Best Kept Secret in IT: Thin Clients.” GovLoop, HP, 1 Aug. 2013, www.govloop.com/resources/6-benefits-of-the-best-kept-secret-in-it-thin-clients/.

3. Wohlleben, Paul. “The Business Case for Thin Clients Is Clear and Positive.” Technology Solutions That Drive Government, FedTech, 5 Aug. 2013, fedtechmagazine.com/article/2013/08/business-case-thin-clients-clear-and-positive.

4. Hardy, Ed. “Build Your Business Case for Thin Client Hardware.” SearchVirtualDesktop, TechTarget, 3 Jan. 2019, searchvirtualdesktop.techtarget.com/feature/Build-your-business-case-for-thin-client-hardware.