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Mini-PCs are beginning to change the IT landscape

The small form factor, robust nature and sheer versatility of the new models of mini-PCs make these devices suitable for a wide number of industry sectors.

Johannesburg, 19 Aug 2020
Xavier Nel, head of product, CloudGate
Xavier Nel, head of product, CloudGate

The rise of the mini-PC has been relatively stealthy, but the impact of these devices is beginning to be felt across multiple industries. This is because mini-PCs have reached the point where they are powerful enough to work well across a wide range of tasks, from general computing through to gaming.

The growth in popularity of these devices is also being driven by the uptake of the cloud, since the first key pillar of cloud enablement is to have the right hardware interface between the user and the cloud. As mini-PCs are small, versatile and cost-effective, they fit the needs of cloud users perfectly.

To demonstrate the impact of this hardware, Xavier Nel, head of product at CloudGate, suggests looking at how they can be used successfully in two sectors at opposite ends of the spectrum.

“In the manufacturing industry, the technology that governs factories and keeps production lines moving smoothly is becoming more computerised and automated all the time. Therefore, manufacturing relies increasingly on the front-end hardware to interface with the machines on the factory floor. Such devices need to be compact and robust – many manufacturing environments are hot and dusty, for example – not to mention heat and corrosion resistant,” he explains.

“With mini-PCs, their size immediately makes them an asset here, as the small form factor makes it easier to install the device somewhere safe. Moreover, in these times of ever-tightening IT budgets, a mini-PC can allow you to sweat existing assets further, by serving as the interface between the machinery with its life being extended and the more advanced technology required to keep the production line operational.”

The biggest challenge to even more widespread implementation in this sector, continues Nel, is the lack of knowledge about these product offerings, something that remains true for all industries. When people hear the term ‘mini-PC’, their first thought is that this is similar to a TV box or a smart media centre. The other main challenge is that there are fewer use cases to work from, and since many manufacturing set-ups have unique and individual environments anyway, an organisation implementing one would need to look carefully at the various components to ensure they interface in the right way.

“With regard to their longer-term impact, I think we will see manufacturing become increasingly less human-intensive owing to increased automation. This will, in turn, require robust, cost-effective devices to control the automation, which dovetails nicely with what mini-PCs can offer.”

“Looking at the opposite end of the spectrum, the education sector can benefit enormously from these devices too, since not only are school budgets tight, but implementing smaller devices will take up less space and enable more work stations to be housed in an individual lab. Also, mini-PCs use less power – reducing costs further – and being small, are easy to place unobtrusively, so that curious children do not fiddle with them.”

The same goes for the current lockdown situation, continues Nel, pointing out that these devices are perfect for parents whose children are currently undertaking remote schooling. Mini-PCs are ideal as an end-point to allow both home schooling and to connect users to a cloud-based educational platform, he explains.

“Remember that mini-PCs can also be hooked up to a full-size keyboard, screen and mouse, which are all much easier for children to use than the small ones that are built into laptops. As with manufacturing, one of the major impediments to adoption is the lack of knowledge around their capabilities, and the belief that something this small can perform as well as a desktop PC.”

He believes that moving forward, however, mini-PCs will become a key driver in respect of the digital school of the future.

“This belief is driven by the understanding of the benefits it offers in terms of price, size, robustness and its ability to meet the needs of the individual learner. The cheaper and more reliable these devices become, the more schools will rush to adopt a technology that can help them overcome the twin challenges of tightening educational budgets and increasing digital requirements,” he concludes.

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