HP pads out thin client

By Staff Writer for HP
Johannesburg, 05 May 2009

Hewlett-Packard (HP) has upgraded its thin client portfolio with the aim of assisting customers to extend client virtualisation across the enterprise.

The new upgrades include the HP gt7720 Performance Series, HP t5730w, and HP t5630w Flexible Series thin clients. According to the company, these enhance the core features of Microsoft Windows Embedded Standard and next-generation Windows XP Embedded. They achieve this by providing a richer multimedia experience and improved deployment and management functionality for Windows-based remote computing architectures, says HP.

Also available is HP Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) Enhancements software, a collaboration between HP and VMware, and HP Client Automation support for HP thin clients.

“The combination of HP software and thin client hardware ensures the enhanced productivity and superior user experience needed to deploy remote client virtualisation to all levels of users across the entire enterprise,” says Jeff Groudan, vice-president, thin clients and virtualisation solutions, HP.

Thin clients with Windows Embedded Standard, says HP, provide access for any remote client virtualisation infrastructure. They also feature Microsoft Internet Explorer 7, Windows Media Player 11, and the ability to run applications locally.

Groudan says HP has incorporated HP RDP Enhancements multimedia and USB redirection into its Windows Embedded thin clients to enable users to easily run Web applications, videos and other files within a virtual desktop environment without audio or video synchronisation issues and additional loads on servers.

The company notes that HP RDP Enhancements, available on HP thin clients with Windows XP Embedded, create a near-desktop experience for VMware View environments, including support for the latest VMware View Manager 3 broker.

HP RGS software includes expanded, real-time collaboration features to allow multiple professionals working from remote locations to see and share content-rich visualisations, the company adds.

HP's Client Automation comes preloaded on new Windows Embedded Standard-based thin clients and enables customers to manage both physical and virtual clients with a single solution and a common methodology to reduce management complexities, says the company.