Dell plugs thin client mid-market gap

Among the numerous announcements that flooded out of the Dell Partner World event in Las Vegas was the introduction of a mid-range thin client range.

Dell has been a player in the thin client and desktop virtualisation space for a number of years and back in 2012 acquired Wyse to give it even more muscle in that segment.

With security concerns on the rise and the growing trend in hot-desking the virtual desktop market has grown in popularity and the launch of the latest Dell products are designed to tap into an opportunity the vendor has identified in the mid-market space.

The Wyse 5070 replaces six former models, which should help the channel simplify the pitch, but also plugs a gap between the low end 3040 and high-end 7000 product ranges.

"For the channel part of the attraction is about simplifying the portfolio and taking the right product to market," said David Angwin, Dell’s cloud client computing lead.

He added that the technology had continued to improve and along with the security benefits the graphics were now powerful enough to run CAD/CAM programmes.

Security remains one of the main benefits of using a technology that can be easily managed and updated and the technology shone out as a solid alternative to more vulnerable desktops during the recent ransomware attacks.

"Virtual desktops have a very strong security message with patching once and everyone gets it and having a more secure endpoint really helps," said Angwin.

The mid-market also presented opportunities as an increasing number of users embarked on Windows 10 migration strategies.

"Only about 10 to 15% of organisation are on Windows 10 so the vast majority is still got to do it. It is a good opportunity to look at virtualisation and simplify the migration," he said.