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Possible benefits include:

  • Security (stored data, working session, physical, etc.)
  • Disaster recovery (at the individual, or more importantly, enterprise level)
  • Scalability (adding users, changing workloads)
  • Reliability (What pieces can potentially break?)
  • Availability (What's affected if a piece breaks?)
  • Compatibility (Will it work with software/hardware/processes already in place and going forward?)
  • Upgradability (Is it possible/how difficult would it be?)
  • Performance (Is it equal/better to what exists?
  • Remote accessibility (work-from-home/travel, pandemic planning, etc.)
  • Manageability (How much support complexity does it add?)
  • Limiting changes to user experience (People don't like change!)
  • User session continuity (Will users always get their familiar experience?)
    *Thin clients are stateless and store no data of any kind.
    *All session data is encrypted RC4/128 (possibly TLS). Software client sessions are also SSL enabled.
    *RSA SecurID 2-factor authentication is available
    *With proper architecture, client VM-to-resource traffic can be kept on an internal network, since that traffic doesn't go to the end user.
  • Disaster recovery
    *Possible to use virtual server BC/DR techniques to desktop VMs, including full-VM copies, storage replication. Doesn't require imaging of full PCs to use.
  • Scalability
    *Adding users and increasing client workloads are handled centrally and dynamically at the servers. Client devices do not change.
  • Reliability
    *No moving parts at client.
    *Server hardware is inherently more reliable and is run in a controlled environment
  • Availability
    *Overall environment should be designed to minimize single points of failure
  • Compatibility
    *Standard desktop OS means no software incompatibilities
  • Upgradability
    *Server upgrades can be done with no downtime. Client VM upgrades can be done in parallel to working client VMs. Endpoint devices are stateless so are easy to upgrade.
  • Performance
    *CPU/memory/disk/network performance should be equal better due to improved hardware and consolidation efficiencies.
  • Remote accessibility
    *User sessions/data not tied to any endpoint device. Can be accessed from any compatible web client, or any client device within the environment without loss of (active) session data
  • Manageability
    *All OS/app/data operations being performed centrally will decrease management efforts in all areas, including patching, utilization, troubleshooting, etc.
  • Limiting changes to user experience
    *Standard desktop OS means familiar user experience. Ability to import existing environment directly.
  • User session continuity
    *Sessions are endpoint-device independent, so they follow the user
  • Energy savings
  • 65w net savings per user
  • 110BTU/hr heat dissipation decrease
  • (long-term) Capital cost reduction
  • Disposal
    • e-waste: 15lb per unit
    • packaging: 3lb per unit