NEC calls for return to thin computing
NEC calls for return to thin computing
March 7, 2007: Although Senator Coonan’s announcement today of its $162million plan to subsidise broadband access where it is unavailable in metropolitan areas is conspicuously well-timed for a looming Federal election year, it certainly supports NEC's push for a return of thin computing.
Today NEC launched its Experience road show at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Circular Quay, Sydney. NEC has changed its structure also, announcing the unification of NEC Australia and NEC Business Solutions on the basis that it will be better positioned to meet the demands of convergence between IT and communications.
“The lines between IT and communications technology are becoming increasingly blurred,” said NEC Australia and NEC Business Solutions Managing Director, Toshiharu Iwasa. “The integration of NEC’s Australian businesses reflects this trend, and is designed to better align NEC with current and future market opportunities.
A key announcement was its new Virtual PC-Class Thin Client System. Called the US100, it is a next-generation thin client computing device which integrates with NEC’s VoIP technology and provides impressive video processing quality in the smallest thin client footprint.
NEC says the device is designed to achieve extensive multimedia performance through the employment of NetClient - a systems-on-a-chip solution that incorporates leading-edge technologies from NEC and ServerEngines LLC. The new system includes VMware Virtual Desktop Infrastructure pre-installed and pre-integrated with NEC systems.
Using NEC's Virtual PC-Class Thin Client System, it claims enterprises large and small can experience “true convergence of data, computing and telephony” with lower installation costs and functionality previously unavailable.
“As broadband network access continues to surge in Australia, NEC believes the time is right for businesses to evolve from a PC-based computing model to a network-centric computing model,” said Seán O’Halloran, NEC Business Solutions’ Group General Manager.
“Thin client computing allows extraordinary potential for advanced, organisation-wide information and communication applications. Even better, they come at significantly lower set-up costs and use far less power.”
NEC says the US100 can help reduce power by more than 60 percent compared with PC networked environments.
In addition to the robust security and mobility of Thin Client systems, the new offerings are able to deliver a business environment that utilises IP telephony and video that is comparable to that of an environment known to standard business PCs or rich clients but at a lower cost. NEC's US100 helps to reduce power consumption by more than 60 per cent as compared to conventional systems that employ business PCs.