IGEL Thin Clients and Virtual Desktops: Perfect Synergies at Minimal Cost

IGEL Universal Desktop Thin Clients and Virtual Desktops (VDI) offer outstanding beneﬁ ts:

Set up your IT workstations effi ciently and exactly as you want them Increase the productivity of your personnel Manage your entire thin client environment centrally from one location Increase the security and availability of your enterprise IT Cut your annual IT costs – starting with only fi ve workstations Thin client computing with virtual desktops – both standardized and fl exible at the same time!

Thin client computing with IGEL Universal Desktops and virtual desktop infrastructures (VDI) is an unbeatable combination; it's fl exible and effi cient as well as secure and economical. You can have the right desktops available for your users at any location. What's more, you can do all this without having to sacrifi ce the convenience and security of a centralized computing environment. VDI allows you to standardize your desktops with commonly used desktop pools or by desktop cloning. Beyond this, you can even provide high-performance workstations for knowledge workers or power users, such as those for use in R&D or in graphic, web and product design – including CAD applications, image editing and graphic-design layouts. In view of these new and powerful options, the IT-sector analysts at Gartner predict that the market share of virtual hosted desktops will grow to 40 % by 2013.

IGEL’s VDI Strategy: more freedom to configure things exactly the way you want them IGEL Universal Desktop thin clients closely follow the roadmaps established by leading providers of virtualization technology, such as VMware®, Citrix® and Microsoft®. Our core competency is provisioning these solutions in an economical and ﬂ exible manner that is both easily managed and secure. IGEL thin clients support numerous connection brokers such as VMware View™, Citrix XenDesktop™ as well as the SPICE Device (open source) and hypervisor-independent solutions like Leostream®, Quest Software® vWorkspace and Ericom® PowerTerm WebConnect, which are compatible with all commonly used hypervisors, including Citrix XenServer™, Microsoft® Hyper-V™ and VMware ESX Server™. IGEL supports VDI in all three thin client operating systems: IGEL Linux, Microsoft® Windows® Embedded Standard and Microsoft® Windows® CE.

Industry leading hardware and software

IGEL has a broad range of models for use in accessing VDI environments, including standard desktop thin clients and integrated LCD units, as well as software for convert- ing standard PCs into thin clients. The powerful hardware featured in the IGEL Universal Desktop model series allows you to deploy virtual desktops in all areas of your business enterprise. Rich Multimedia: IGEL Universal Desktops support multimedia acceleration for VMware View™ 4 and PCoIP as well as Citrix HDX™. Local decoding and integrated codecs help to relieve the workload on central IT resources and the system network. For the greatest user convenience and easiest operation, IGEL thin clients also support the respective virtual appliance modes offered by various VDI providers. A well-designed, future-ready investment: In addition to being certiﬁ ed by VMware® and Citrix®, IGEL Universal Desktops also feature extra RAM and ﬂ ash memory. The best user experience in all VDI environments

IGEL thin clients in the Universal Desktop model series bring the latest improvements in leading VDI solutions directly to users, with no compromises. Everything that you need for perfect VDI access is already integrated and ready to go! With the compatible ﬁ rmware package from IGEL, you will need no additional software. Especially in VMware®- and Citrix®-based environments, you will enjoy maximum performance when it comes to speed, USB peripherals, multimedia and audio. Furthermore, IGEL's ﬁ rmware packages offer additional helpful software features, such as SPICE and NoMachine NX (for Linux-based VDI), a web browser with a Java environment (e.g. for cloud-computing services) and an SAP GUI. Case Studies: Software development without PCs!

A new VDI/thin client infrastructure with VMware View 4™ has improved productivity and cut annual IT costs at IGEL Technology's own R&D location in Augsburg, Germany.

At IGEL's own R&D facilities in Augsburg, all servers and desktops are virtualized by means of VMware vSphere 4™. The provisioning and managing of the virtual desktops is handled by VMware View™ 4, PC-over-IP (PCoIP) and IGEL Universal Desktops. In addition to its standardized and integrated server solution with server and SAN layers, including a management unit and a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) system, IGEL Technology is now mostly deploying IGEL UD5 (LX and ES) units at those workstations used for the more demanding tasks associated with software development. These IGEL UD5 (LX und ES) units are also being used in parallel as softphones for VoIP service. This whole package of consolidation measures has cut IT power consumption at the location by over 40%. What’s more, the investment in server hardware, software licenses and new thin clients will already pay off in only 27 months. “In our latest ﬁ rmware packages featuring VMware View™ 4, we’re passing along improved performance directly to our customers,” states Florian Spatz, Product Marketing Manager at IGEL Technology. “Even today, the TCO of VDI environments with thin clients is signiﬁ cantly less than that of comparable environments based on conventional physical PCs. The new software generation from VMware will accelerate the ROI even further and increase the demand for compatible thin clients.”

Virtual desktops really prove their worth in daily ofﬁ ce routines

The defacto call center is employing a VDI strategy for provisioning IT applications. Citrix XenDesktop™ and IGEL Universal Desktop thin clients are simplifying system administration and lowering operating costs.

“The advantage that thin clients with virtual desktops has over physical PCs lies in the benefi cial standardization effects and the lower costs for maintenance, administration and support,” explains IT manager Thomas Dürst. "Thanks to the lower costs for system maintenance and the standardized desktop structure, the higher up-front investment costs for the server system and the licenses for Windows Vista Enterprise Centralized Desktop (VECD) will balance out after only three years." Dürst also points out that managing PCs is signifi cantly more involved than caring for thin clients due to the numerous security and system patches that have to be separately installed on each and every PC. He notes that “thin clients only need a fi rmware update now and then; otherwise, they run with great stability. Besides, the service life of thin clients is at least fi ve years, whereas even three-year-old PCs start to need increasing attention due to hardware problems.” An overview of the most important virtualization technologies:

Below you will ﬁ nd short descriptions of the most important VDI approaches. Each one of them is fully supported by IGEL Universal Desktops.

Microsoft® VDI Microsoft VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) offers an alternative provisioning model to the terminal services of Windows Server™ 2008 R2. The user has access to a personal desktop via an end device with VDA license authorization. The global offer of Microsoft VDI Standard Suite and Microsoft VDI Premium Suite includes the scalable and stable high-performance hypervisor Hyper-V Server™ 2008 R2, the integrated management suite Microsoft System Center including Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 as well as technologies for application virtualization including Microsoft RemoteApp™. The dynamic desktop provisioning occurs via Citric XenDesktop™ or the integrated VDI connection broker from Windows Server 2008 R2 as part of the new platform for Remote Desktop Services (RDS). So both released and personalized desktops can be made available.

Citrix XenDesktop™ Citrix XenDesktop™ is part of the Citrix Delivery Center, and, thanks to its Citrix FlexCast and HDX technologies, can meet the needs of all desktop scenarios encountered in an enterprise environment. In this case, the virtual desktops are generated from three layers: the operating system, the applications and the user profi le. XenDesktop™ also contains Citrix XenApp™, which is used to virtualize applications and serve as an offl ine solution for mobile users. In addition to XenServer, Microsoft® Hyper-V™ and VMware ESX™ hypervisors are also supported. With FlexCast, hosted shared desktops, VM-based VDI desktops, hosted blade-PC desktops, streamed local desktops and local VM-based desktops can all be provisioned. Among other things, HDX technologies allow multimedia streaming including fl ash support, real-time teamwork via VoIP and webcams, USB and multi-monitor support and provisioning of 3D graphics applications such as CAD/CAM.

VMware View™ including PCoIP VMware View™ is based on the VMware vSphere™ virtualization platform and, using VMware View Composer, dynamically assembles desktops and applications as a managed service. Desktop operating systems, applications and user data are each encapsulated in their own dedicated layers and can be independently managed as needed. Desktop images are derived from a master image based on linked-clone technology. Along with the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), VMware View™ supports the PC-over-IP protocol (PCoIP), which employs dynamic bandwidth allocation to provide signifi cantly greater speed than RDP. Local USB peripherals, rich media content and multi-monitor confi gurations are also supported. With VMware ThinApp™, VMware View™ also offers a solution for virtualizing applications as well as a solution for mobile users (VMware Offl ine Desktop).

Vendor-Neutral Solutions There are also a variety of vendor-neutral VDI solutions marketed by third-party providers. Most of these not only work with the dominant hypervisors but also with server-based computing solutions and/or legacy-host systems. This approach allows VDI management to be set up as inexpensively as possible and still be kept consistent and remain compatible with all systems and providers. In this area, IGEL Universal Desktops support solutions like Leostream® VDI, Powerterm WebConnect™ and Quest Software® vWorkspace. Also onboard is the open source VDI client SPICE, e.g. to access the Red Hat virtualization solution. How exactly do IGEL thin clients support desktop virtualization?

IGEL's Universal Desktop approach does not tie you down to only using standard protocols like ICA, RDP or PCoIP. You can also use local protocols, software tools and software clients to access your centralized applications. What is more, you can use a web browser, Adobe Flash, Java Virtual Machine (JVM), terminal emulation or SIP client software. The closeness of these software features to users means that there are no limits to how you can provision a centralized application to them. In short, IGEL Universal Desktop thin clients combine the different protocols, clients and tools in a user-friendly manner that is comparable to the familiar "look and feel" of a conventional PC. This means that you have the choice of whether the communication occurs completely through the virtual desktop or not. Your beneﬁ t: Any possible network lag times can be greatly minimized, improving the user experience even further.

Solution matrix: IGEL's expertise for ensuring the best user experience

Challenges and solutions: VDI with VDI with Other VDI environments or VMware View ™ Citrix XenDesktop™ enhancements from IGEL

Local media player including Multimedia/audio Supported by VMware View™ codecs (local decoding acceleration Supported by Citrix ICA client client with PCoIP – comes conserves network resources) with HDX™ – comes stan- standard with all IGEL UD dard with all IGEL UD models Connection of local models (LX and ES) Integrated FabulaTech™ client USB peripherals (LX and ES)

SPICE client and NoMachine Thin client with up to 1.6 GHz; Thin client with up to 1.6 GHz; NX for Linux-based VDI; IGEL increased performance using increased performance using UD models offer high comput- Performance: VMware View™ client with Citrix ICA client with HDX™ ing and graphics perfor- PCoIP mance, virtual appliance mode as well as extra RAM

LX or ES: IGEL UD models with IGEL Linux or Microsoft® Windows® Embedded Standard Goodbye sneakers, hello remote management!

With VDI and thin clients, your IT administrators can leave their sneakers at home. Instead of running around, they will enjoy all the savings in power, system management and user support. In our sample calculation with 100 VDI/thin client workstations, the annual power costs are more than 1,300 Euros less than a comparable PC-based environment. When you examine the costs for system management, maintenance and repairs, the differences become even clearer: Each year, you will save around 42,000 Euros! Given the typical thin client service life of six years, the fi nancial advantage climbs to almost 216,000 Euros. IGEL Universal Desktops play a major role in achieving these signifi cant savings: That is because the IGEL Universal Management Suite, which comes standard with IGEL units allows them all to be readily managed in a standardized and economical manner – including all fi rmware components. This management can be accomplished through freely defi nable group profi les that can be readily applied by drag- and-drop to thin client groups located in individual stores, departments and the like. Furthermore, VNC shadowing – a function for remote mirroring of thin client user sessions – can help to optimize support services, further reducing their costs.

Cost comparison: conventional PC-based workstations vs. virtualized workstations (VDI) with thin clients

Costs in Euros for: Conventional setup (each workstation 1 PC) Thin clients and virtual desktops (VDI):

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6

100 workstations 48,000 48,000 25,000

File server 6,000 6,000 30,000 30,000

Peripherals 27,000 27,000 27,000 27,000 (printer, monitor, etc.)

Desktop OS 11,000 18,333 7,333 7,333 7,333 7,333 7,333 (Windows XP, VECD)

VDI licenses 7,6 0 0 7,6 0 0 7,6 0 0 7,6 0 0 7,6 0 0 7,6 0 0 (e.g. XenDesktopTM)

Initial installation 20,000 20,000 12,500 5,000

Energy costs 4,373 4,373 4,373 4,373 4,373 4,373 3,027 3,027 3,027 3,027 3,027 3,027

Maintenance and repair 63,000 63,000 63,000 63,000 63,000 63,000 21,000 21,000 21,000 21,000 21,000 21,000

Total costs (100 users over 6 617,235 Euros 401,260 Euros years)

Annual costs per 1,029 Euros 669 Euros workstation

Cost trend 179,373 246,745 314,118 482,490 549,863 617,235 144,460 183,420 222,380 323,340 362,300 401,260

Savings realized by VDI and thin clients 34,912 63,325 91,737 159,150 187,562 215,975

Notes on this calculation: Brand-name PC, dual-core processor, 2 GB RAM (480 EUR); thin client is an IGEL UD2 LX (approx. 250 EUR); professional-grade server (e.g. Dell Poweredge™ 2900) with 2x 2.0 GHz Quad Core Intel® Xeon® processor, 8 GB RAM, 2 x 1 TB hard drives in a RAID 1 array, VDI support and a second power supply (overall cost: approx. 3,000 EUR) Hypervisor software (e.g. Citrix XenServer™ Standard or VMware ESXi™) is available free for small groups of users. No Windows-based server OS. Desktop OS: Windows XP (SP3, SB license). The costs for additional software licenses and for data backups are not reﬂ ected in this calculation since they are the same for both system models. VECD license costs are also not included in this scenario. Installation and maintenance costs assumed to be: 70 EUR/hour. Source: IGEL Technology, Ditpro (www.ditpro.de), 2009 Small companies can also benefit: virtual desktops pay off with only five workstations

Free hypervisor software and economical IGEL thin clients are suitable for deploying VDI/thin client strategies at small companies. In fact, starting with only fi ve users a standard thin client workstation can cost 200 Euros or 25 % less than a conventional PC- based workstation per year. Take a good look at our sample calculation. It reveals that after six years, the typical service life of a thin client, this fi nancial advantage increases to over 6,000 Euros. The slightly higher initial investment costs for a thin client system already start paying off during the second year. Why, because thin clients have no moveable parts such as hard drives and cooling fans. Furthermore, they are more rugged and energy-effi cient than PCs. They also require less time and effort for device confi gura- tion and management. But their advantages do not stop there. Consider the following additional benefi ts: increased data security due to centralized data storage, higher availability due to minimum failure rates, easy connection of branch offi ces to the central IT infrastructure at company headquarters, even at lower bandwidths (such as with DSL 768 or ISDN).

Cost comparison: ﬁ ve workstations over six years

Costs in Euros for: Conventional setup (each workstation 1 PC) Thin clients and virtual desktops (VDI):

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6

5 workstations 2,400 2,400 1,250

Central virtualization 3,000 3,000 computer

Desktop OS 550 550 (Windows XP, SP3)

Peripherals 1,350 1,350 1,350 1,350 (1 printer, 1 5"x19" TFT)

Initial installation 1,050 1,050 560 280

Power costs for 5 204 204 204 204 204 204 217 217 217 217 217 217 workstations

Maintenance and repair 2,100 2,100 2,100 2,100 2,100 2,100 875 875 875 875 875 875

Total costs 23,972 Euros 17,891 Euros (5 users over 6 years)

Total annual costs per 799 Euros 596 Euros workstation

Cost trend 7,654 9,957 12,261 19,365 21,668 23,972 7,802 8,894 9,986 15,708 16,800 17,892

Savings realized by VDI and thin clients -148 1,063 2,275 3,656 4,868 6,080

Notes on this calculation: Brand-name PC, dual-core processor, 2 GB RAM (480 EUR); thin client is an IGEL UD2 LX (approx. 250 EUR); professional-grade server (e.g. Dell Poweredge™ 2900) with 2x 2.0 GHz Quad Core Intel® Xeon® processor, 8 GB RAM, 2 x 1 TB hard drives in RAID 1 array, VDI support and a second power supply (overall cost: approx. 3,000 EUR). Hypervisor software (e.g. Citrix XenServer™ Standard or VMware ESXi™) is available free for small groups of users. No Windows-based server OS. Desktop OS: Windows XP (SP3, SB license). The costs for additional software licenses and for data backups are not reﬂ ected in this calculation since they are the same for both system models. VECD license costs are also not included in this scenario. Installation and maintenance costs assumed to be: 70 EUR/hour Source: IGEL Technology, Ditpro (www.ditpro.de), 2009 Universal and Future-Ready Right Now – The Universal Desktop Concept from IGEL

Whether it is server-based computing, virtual desktops, legacy-host access, VoIP or cloud computing – IGEL’s Universal Desktops work well together with the greatest variety of centralized IT infrastructures. In particular, their powerful hardware and excellent graphics performance, along with continuously developed fi rmware, provide future-readiness that safeguards this major investment. Thanks to different unit designs, operating systems and alternative fi rmware features (software tools, clients and local protocols), the selection of a suitable model can be tailored to meet the exact needs of the installation and ensure cost effi ciency.

Furthermore, with their numerous hardware options, IGEL Universal Desktops can be integrated into environments with the greatest variety of peripheral devices because several USB ports, audio inputs/outputs as well as at least one DVI-I interface all come as standard equipment. With an optional “Y” video splitter cable, all models can even accommodate genuine dualview monitor setups. Additional options include the following: integrated smartcard readers, USB, serial or parallel adapters as well as special mounting bases with WLAN capability and/or additional serial and parallel interfaces. With available VESA monitor mounting systems and rubber mounting bases allowing horizontal positioning, the device footprints of IGEL Universal Desktops can be decreased even further, helping to conserve your valuable desktop space.

IGEL's advantages at a glance:

✓ Support for numerous connection brokers (even vendor-neutral ones) ✓ Full multimedia support, including Flash Video (FLV), VoIP and video conferencing ✓ A broad selection of models with support for virtual access ✓ Three operating systems to choose from: IGEL Linux, Microsoft® Windows® CE and Microsoft® Windows® Embedded Standard ✓ Virtual appliance mode: provides outstanding user ease and convenience for Citrix and VMware VDI ✓ Multi-protocol capability: RDP, ICA, PCoIP, NX, HTTP, terminal emulation, SIP (VoIP) and more ✓ Peripherals: several USB ports already onboard, with the following options available: WiFi, serial and parallel interfaces ✓ DVI dualview capability: high screen resolutions and widescreen formats ✓ Secure user authentication: optional integrated PC/SC smartcard readers ✓ Long service life and low failure rates (no moving parts!) ✓ IGEL Universal Management Suite: an unlimited remote management solution included at no extra charge

Now is the time to check out a free evaluation unit! www.igel.com/int/eval

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IGEL is a registered trademark of IGEL Technology GmbH. All hardware and software names are brand names or www.igel.com registered trademarks of their respective manufacturers. Errors and omissions excepted. Specifications subject to change without notice. [email protected] ©2/2011 IGEL Technology 155-EN-2-2