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The Limitations of Desktops
Your company’s
growth has resulted in a collection of computers, with some
PCs running Windows 98, a Mac or two, and a few Windows 2000
machines. Now you need all of your departments to be on the
same page, but are you forced to replace every aging machine
to do it? The Freedom of Server-Based
Computing Wouldn’t it be great if you could
run the latest software and access your files from any
machine, anywhere, even that old Windows 95 laptop with a dial
up connection? Declare your digital independence and find
financial freedom too. Server-Based Computing is a proven
solution for fast, simple, and cost-effective computer access.
It can reduce the cost of hardware upgrades, software
installation, and training.
Shiloh Service, a leader in providing computer services for
over three decades can help you implement the industry’s best
server-based computing solutions.
Microsoft Windows 2000 Server, Terminal
Services Your first option is Microsoft
Windows 2000 Terminal Server. With Terminal Services, your
applications reside and run on the server, not your PC. This
means any Windows based computer, even that old 90 MHz,
Windows 95 system (assuming it is network ready) could be
resurrected and used to access the latest programs. Terminal
Services eliminates the need to update hardware for each
employee, not to mention the time to install and manage
software packages on individual PC’s. Only keyboard strokes,
mouse clicks, and display information are transmitted over the
network, saving network resources.
Microsoft’s Terminal Services is ideal for the quick
deployment and efficient updating of new software packages,
and with its remote administration capabilities, it can be a
dream for IT managers to monitor and control from anywhere,
anytime. On the Road with Terminal
Services Take your office with you, and enjoy
full access to your most powerful applications, whether you’re
on the road or visiting a client. Because of the low bandwidth
required, you can freely use data-heavy applications over an
ordinary 28.8 KBPS dial up connection! That means you take
your Windows 2000 Professional desktop with you, wherever you
go. Access the programs you need from your hotel, a client’s
office, or a laptop, anywhere you can connect to the Internet.
Citrix MetaFrame XPs One step beyond Windows
Terminal Server is Citrix MetaFrame XPs. The history of
cooperation and cross licensing between Microsoft and Citrix
goes back to 1989. In fact, Microsoft investment in Citrix
resulted in the co-development of Microsoft’s Terminal Server
products. This makes Citrix’s Server-Based solutions not a
competitor to Windows 2000 Terminal Services, but a powerful
extension.
With Citrix MetaFrame XPs, the limitations of Windows Terminal
Services disappear. MetaFrame XPs comes with 21 native clients
(compared to 4 for Terminal Services), and this means you can
run your applications uniformly on Linux, Mac, Java, DOS and
Unix based systems. The ability to access your Windows
applications from devices running non-Microsoft operating
systems is a real strength for Citrix. You can even work with
your Outlook email on a Pocket PC, or a Mac, or use your
handheld to run any desktop application!
Citrix has developed its MetaFrame technology to speed up and
enhance the remote user experience (making on-the-road access
even faster and smoother). MetaFrame XPs’ efficient use of
bandwidth is critical in highly congested LAN environments, or
where slow dial-up connections are a problem. Where Windows
2000 Terminal Services can publish your entire desktop to a
web page for you to access, MetaFrame takes this further with
its NFuse add-on, allowing you to publish individual
applications rather than the entire desktop. In this way you
can deliver mission critical applications on an as needed
basis.
MetaFrame boasts enhanced 24-bit color, screen resolutions up
to 64,000 X 64,000, and 16-bit audio support (allowing music).
You can also display one image over multiple monitors
simultaneously.
With both MetaFrame XPs and Windows Terminal Services,
employees can be anywhere and access the programs they need at
any time. With centralized management, tasks like software
installation, upgrades, and downtime can be significantly
reduced, saving you money. Access to standard software, even
from handhelds, can save on training time. Hardware upgrades
become less critical, as older machines become terminals for
the latest Windows Applications. These products can even help
reduce costly bandwidth and telecommunication charges. Call
your Shiloh representative today to see if these are the right
solutions for you. Go Wireless with the
SMC Barricade Plus Whatever server-based
computing solution you choose, you can enhance the experience
by going wireless. Recently introduced, the SMC Barricade Plus
Cable/DSL Broadband Router provides high-speed, 10/100 WAN
port integration into your network. Able to access the network
and the Internet simultaneously from up to 1,000 feet away,
it’s the full-featured wireless router and firewall you need,
connecting up to 253 PCs. The SMC Barricade Plus is the
perfect solution to do away with networking cables in a small
office or home environment. Combine the convenience of the
Barricade Plus with the power of server-based computing, and
you can reconfigure your office space without worrying about
network hook ups, or set up a home network without stringing
cables from room to room. Take that laptop to the porch and
realize that you not only have the full power of your office
at your fingertips, you are at the office!
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