Only one problem. The NC was part of a crusade--which included alternative operating systems--against Microsoft. Few IT managers were willing to abandon the well-established standard and bet their networks on a new idea.

Three years later, thin client computing promises most of the benefits of the NC, without forcing customers to abandon Windows. In fact, it even has Microsoft's endorsement.

What Is Thin Client Computing?

Today, the term thin client computing defines a network-based approach to information processing that is comprised of both hardware and software elements. On the hardware side, thin clients do not require many of the features of a PC because network servers do most of the work running programs and storing data. Thin clients use less RAM and slower processors, and don't have their own drives, because applications and data are stored on the server. The emerging leader among thin clients are Windows-based terminals. These desktop devices are Windows CE-based optimized to access Microsoft's Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition (Terminal Server) and Windows 2000 Terminal Services.

On the software side, thin client software accesses practically any operating environment, permits local printing, audio and serial device support, and provides tools to deliver simple, cost-effective remote management and support of a thin client network, including both thin clients and PCs. From a software perspective, the advantages of thin client computing are fast performance, easy installation and upgrades, simpler administration and management, and enhanced security.

Together, thin client hardware and software translates to simpler, more cost effective access to information. Thin "intelligent" desktop devices are optimized for fast graphical display processing and "thin" software enhances the functionality of the desktop device--together, creating a computing solution that is easier to support and manage centrally. The devices access network-based servers that execute applications in variety of operating environments including Microsoft Windows, Legacy, UNIX and Java.

Why You Should Care

Benefits of thin client computing include a reduced cost of ownership and increased flexibility for both the user and the enterprise. However, ease of management and a lower cost of deployment aren't the big reasons experts expect the industry to double again this year and more than multiply six times over by 2003. What you should care about is the "total cost of ownership," which includes not only the up-front cost of the hardware, but also the much higher price of installing, supporting and updating the device over time. That is the real value of thin client computing.

And now with the new Windows 2000 release, Microsoft built support for thin clients directly into the standard server versions of the software. The vote of confidence from Microsoft eases the concerns of IT managers, gives a much needed boost to the thin client computing model and has already resulted in increased attention from the corporate IT marketplace.

According to preliminary estimates by International Data Corporation, worldwide thin client sales for 1999 amounted to about 700,000 units compared with about 113 million for PCs. But 700,000 represents an increase of nearly 90 percent from thin client volumes in 1998, and Eileen O'Brien, director of the enterprise thin client program at IDC, projects that sales will nearly double again this year and hit 6 million by 2003. Thin client computing is an attractive solution for organizations looking to control costs and complexity. Over the next few years, as the management headaches associated with heterogeneous, complex networks worsen, many organizations will consider switching to thin client computing model for the sake of simplicity, costs savings and ease of management.