Thin Clients Are in (Again): Server-Based Computing Improves Security, Simplifies Management, Lowers Total Cost of Ownership and Saves the Environment

Thin clients are back in vogue, and this time it's not just hype. IT organizations today are giving thin-client computing a closer look because they are continually bombarded by daily security threats, overburdened by help-desk requests and hamstrung by the high cost of purchasing and managing PCs. In thin-client computing, much like the old days of mainframe computers, the data center powers the computing functions and stores all the applications and data. Information flows back and forth to thin clients, which are small desktop devices with no hard drives and limited functionality. As a result, data is more secure, and hardware and software is easier to manage and update because everything is stored centrally on servers. That, in turn, will save money.