IT Wise, a leading value-added distributor based in South Africa with a particular focus on the rapidly expanding thin client market, today announced that VXL instruments has announced its new Itona TC23xx series, a diskless, fanless desktop supporting a wide range of server technologies and costing significantly less than comparable thin client devices.
In addition, security is better and cost of ownership lower than a traditional PC, despite the functionality being the same.
The TC23xx is based on a 1GHz Via C7 processor that comes with Linux or Windows CE. Support for a wide range of client server technologies is available, including Citrix MetaFrame, Linux Servers, Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition, and Windows 2003 Server.
"By introducing the world's first fully featured thin client at this price, we are challenging the dominance of the PC as a corporate desktop," commented Frank Noon, VP of Sales at VXL. "In the majority of cases, the company PC is a waste of money and a security risk. Thin client technology pares the hardware on each desk right down while still giving users the software, data and performance they need."
The totally silent Itona TC23xx is not only a fraction of the cost of a typical business PC to buy, it costs far less to operate, says VXL. The thin client can be managed centrally, does not require backup, is more reliable, more secure, is the size of a hardback book and consumes just 11w of electricity.
Secure and reliable
The TC23 is diskless and does not allow users to load their own software. As it does not store data, no backup is required, and it is immune to Windows viruses. The machine is also far more reliable than a PC - there are no moving parts such as disk drives or fans. The company provides a three-year unlimited warranty on its products.
As PC sales slow, the market for thin clients is forecast to grow from four million in 2008 to over six millions units a year in 2010, according to IDC. At the same time, VXL Instruments is aiming to increase its market share from less than 10% to over 15%. VXL has been producing terminals and thin client computers for 30 years and is aiming to sell over a quarter of a million of its computers in the coming year around the world. Prices have steadily decreased in the last decade but the new TC23 represents a significant cost saving over any other model.
For mobile users, VXL has a laptop version of the thin client, which uses the latest mobile phone technology to stay in touch with the office server. The proliferation of low-cost, high speed 3G deals means the thin client laptop is set to increase in popularity as staying connected to the office network from anywhere in the world becomes commonplace.
For further information, please contact Nico Malherbe at telephone +27 12 665 2204; fax +27 12 665 2918; e-mail nico@itwise.co.za
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