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Wyse adds wireless access to thin clients

Antony Savvas ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 24 Jul 2007 16:55 BST

Wyse has extended high-speed wireless connectivity and smartcard security support to its widely-used thin-client computing systems, with the aim of offering greater flexibility, mobility and security to users.

The new wireless access and smartcard security features can be added to the entire Wyse thin-client product line, with either integrated or external add-on solutions.

The updated platforms are fully compatible with the main thin-client delivery systems on the market, including Microsoft Terminal Services, Citrix Presentation Server, VMware VDI and Wyse Device Manager. Wyse Thin OS, Microsoft Windows CE, Windows XP Embedded (XPe) and Linux are among the operating systems supported on the enhanced devices.

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"Although wireless came somewhat late to the thin-client market, we expect it to have solid adoption over the next few years," said Bob O'Donnell, an analyst at IDC. "Desktop PC adoption of Wi-Fi is expected to reach just under 10 percent in 2010 and, with enterprise Wi-Fi installations available in about 80 percent of major businesses around the world, we expect wireless thin clients to grow even faster than desktops."

Wyse said the new units can securely connect to any supported wireless network without requiring any driver installation or assembly.

Jeff McNaught, chief marketing officer for Wyse, said: "The new wireless and smartcard capabilities open up new applications for thin computing, including kiosks, internet cafés, hospitals and school rooms. The simple, secure set-up of our Wyse wireless thin clients enables our customers to operate in places that can't be wired with traditional Ethernet."

The Wyse thin clients support WPA and WPA2 wireless security protocols and 802.1x-based network authentication.

US supplier NComputing recently entered the UK thin-client market with basic thin-client devices at just £35 a piece. Its units run off a basic PC and are aimed at schools and call centres, but don't include wireless access support.