Thin client technology has been around for a number of years. Until now it has failed to take off for a couple of reasons:
- Cost. Ultimately thin client are not that much less expensive than full PCs. This becomes clearer especially when figuring in the back-end costs of the supporting infrastructure, such as Citrix servers.
- End-user resistance. User experience on thin client was compromised by lack of user control and customization options as well as application latency and other performance issues. Users want PCs and desktop environments to call their own.
Decision makers faced with user backlash and no immediate savings have said, “No thanks.” IT managers are right to be wary of short-term pain for promises of long-term gain. The potential payback for thin client has always been longer term savings due to reduced desk side support and better management of application delivery. Alongside these, we see another compelling driver: savings of electricity for green solutions.
