Server based computing is becoming more and more popular in today’s computing environment for a variety of reasons. The concept goes back to the 1980’s, prior to the explosion of the personal computer (PC), where all the computing power was centrally located. This ensured all the server power and resource was kept at the centre of the business and “remote sessions” were made available to the user base. Since the advent of the PC, the processing power has been decentralised and distributed to the desktop. Today, the benefits provided by the server based computing model have made it a popular choice for many organisations.

Business Benefits of Server Based Computing

• Significant reduction in energy costs
• Centralised administration and support
• Faster-time to deployment for applications
• Greater manageability of applications, including patch management and upgrades
• Reduced reliance on “scarce IT personnel”
• Improved end-user service and availability
• Reduction in loss of corporate data
• Reduction in user introduced viruses

As adoption rates of thin clients increase, the benefits and cost advantage of this solution will become increasingly well-known in the IT community, driving further growth in the market.

The growth of high-bandwidth solutions such as ADSL / SDSL and cable modems - are also spurring on adoption of server based computing. IT Managers have traditionally been concerned that moving applications away from the desktop would impact on network performance. However, the availability of high bandwidth has made thin clients a particularly attractive option.

With the improvements in Windows Terminal Services technologies, the advent of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) from VMware, the continuing success of Citrix and the potential cost savings, the server based computing market seems set to flourish even further in the coming months and years.