He said NComputing enables a single PC to be virtualised so that many users can tap into this resource and share it as if each person had their own computer with their own user profiles and with administrator-assigned user rights.
"With multiple users sharing the host PC, there is only one host to manage, reducing the solution cost," said Robinson.
"The reseller or system integrator can build a services contract into the solution price and make even more profit margin."
The X350 turns one PC into four virtual desktops. With a second X350 kit, a total of seven users can share a single PC. The X350 is a lower-cost, version of NComputing X550, which supports up to 11 users on a full-sized PC.
"Whilst the subject of Server Virtualisation has been topical for the past couple of years, this is in a specialist field, requiring strong expertise, technical support and skills," said Robinson.
"And whilst the virtual server is quite important, the actual volume for that server space is rather limited.
"The real 'hard-core' business is at the desktop where there is significant volume and opens up huge potential business for the channel players. Desktop virtualisation is the next logical step."
NComputing provides Desktop PC solutions from $140 per seat through its combined hardware/software technology.
Robinson said the NComputing solution is based on the fact that today's PC's are so powerful that the vast majority of applications and users employ only a small fraction of the computer's capacity.
He said the savings it can offer in a total solution are approx 50 percent hardware costs, 70 percent management costs and 90 percent operational (energy/power)costs.
"What this means to the reseller or the system integrator is it gives them a significant competitive advantage when they offer a multi-user desktop total solution," he said.
"They can now go to market confidently up against the traditional multi-national discrete PC solutions, offer a host PC, an NComputing kit, monitors, keyboards, mice and quote 50 percent below the general market pricing for hardware solution.
"And what's more, they can make good profit margin which would be a lot better than the skinny margins that discrete PC's attract these days.
"All in all, a win-win situation - the client/end user wins, the reseller/system integrator wins and everyone is happy except the traditional desktop PC supplier."
Robinson added that the current state of the global economic situation plays into its hands because whilst there is an ongoing need to procure or replace desktop PC systems, the affordability and reduced IT budgets make this a lot more challenging.
Issue: 277 | March, 2010