The term "Zero Client Management" is misleading.
Anyone who thinks that a zero client is called that because it produces zero
management work is generally wrong. A zero client is operated statically only
in very few cases.
Variable zero client
settings
Even with a zero client, certain settings need to be changed
from time to time. These include the screen and mouse settings or the address
of the central server or cloud service which connects the
zero client user to their personal virtual desktop or cloud
service. In reality, no IT administrators want to make these settings manually
in the zero client setup. Indeed, the zero client is supposed to relieve
administrators of expensive "sneaker administration" which
dates back to the PC era.
Several hundred or
thousand clients
No company needs just one zero client – they need tens, hundreds
or even thousands of devices. When the zero client environment reaches a
certain size, IT managers will of course require a tool for managing the zero
client pool. Which devices are online, which ones are not working or are
obsolete? All of these questions can be answered with a reasonable amount of
outlay with just a single remote management tool including a monitoring and asset
management function.
A future-proof zero client
can be updated
Another rumor regarding zero clients is that a zero client does
not need to be updatable. But what happens if new virtual desktop infrastructure
(VDI) functions require new access software? For Citrix XenDesktop,
VMware Horizon View or Microsoft RDS? After all, these systems are being
further developed all the time. Or what happens if there is to be a change of
solution provider but the zero client does not support the new solution? In the
first case, regular firmware updates – ideally carried out in a remote manner –
must be possible. In the second, a completely new, multiprotocol-capable
firmware version would need to be installed on the zero client.
Zero client management in
practice
If the zero client is not remote administrable, updatable or
future-proof in some other way, the operating costs will increase
disproportionately as the size of the installation grows. Usability will be
restricted to only a few devices and the lifespan will not usually exceed three
years. A multiprotocol thin client or an updatable and expandable zero client,
e.g. an IGEL IZ3, does not pose these investment risks. The IGEL
Universal Management Suite (UMS) remote management solution which comes
supplied and allows any degree of scaling also ensures that each zero client
can be conveniently configured and updated via the network and, if necessary,
upgraded to a multiprotocol thin client in the IGEL Universal Desktop series.
For the benefit of its customers, IGEL offers a level of investment protection
which is unique for a zero client.
See more information about Windows thin
clients please visit website at: http://bit.ly/1SMIvfg