Lowering the costs of administering your IT infrastructure

Transcription

1 Lowering the costs of administering your IT infrastructure CJAZ Consulting LLP. All rights reserved. 79 Nightingale Lane London N8 7RA. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. All product names are trade and service marks of their respective companies.

2 Table of Contents Introduction... 3 Benefits of Thin Client Computing... 4 Return on Investment... 6 Direct Cost Savings... 6 Indirect Cost Savings... 7 What do I need to start using Thin-Client Technology... 8 CJAZ s approach to the Thin Client Concept... 9 Summary CJAZ Consulting LLP. 2

3 Introduction With the widespread adoption of broadband and the demands of flexible working by many staff, the costs of administering a company s IT infrastructure is slowly rising. This is true not just for staff who would like to work away from the office or for companies who have several offices, but also for companies with a number of PC s situated in one location. This paper examines a technology that has been around since the 90 s and is generally accepted as being able to achieve significant savings over traditional PC s - Thin-Client technology. Thin Client technology, in its truest form, is essentially PC s without local and removable storage. Anybody that used Microsoft s Remote Desktop Client or Citrix has already experienced Thin-Client computing. This Whitepaper is not designed to be a technical document but a document which highlights the business benefits of moving towards this environment. As this whitepaper will explore, the major force behind the resurgence of Thin Client computing is the lowering of the Total Cost of Ownership as compared to the traditional desktop model. Savings can be made directly with the purchase of hardware but also more importantly indirectly through savings in administration backups, security and compliance. CJAZ Consulting LLP. 3

4 Benefits of Thin Client Computing There are a number of benefits to be gained by adopting this technology. Each organisation will identify in the table below some issues that it faces regarding IT. Benefit Rapid centralised deployment of applications Description Thin Client Technology is great for rapidly deploying Windows-based applications to computing devices across an organisation, especially deployment of applications that are frequently updated, infrequently used, or hard to manage. When an application is managed centrally, and not on each device, administrators can be certain that users are running the latest version of the application. Low-bandwidth access to data Thin Client Technology considerably reduces the amount of network bandwidth required to access data remotely. Using Thin Client Technology to run an application over bandwidth-constrained connections, such as dial-up or shared WAN links, is very effective for remotely accessing and manipulating large amounts of data because only a screen view of the data is transmitted, rather than the data itself. Eliminate expensive rollouts Consistency Now there is no need to have large roll outs of desktop operating systems. Everything is carried out on the server. All user profiles and desktop settings defined on the server, so a user can truly hot desk either in the office or from a remote location. Whether in the office, working from a remote office or from home, the user is presented with the same desktop and access to the same applications and printers. Remote Sites Branch offices or temporary sites can be easily set-up and controlled centrally. There is no need for a server or backups at the remote site as all data is held and backed up at the main site. Visits to deal with traditional PC issues such as hard disk failures are eliminated. The consequences of theft of equipment are minimised as there is no data on the devices and far lower re-installation costs. CJAZ Consulting LLP. 4

5 Compliance Time-to-fix Legal Viruses Sweating assets your One of the major issue that companies have is users saving or keeping data on the local PC s. This means that they are not accessible to everyone, typically do not comply to company standards and are also not backed up. With the Thin Client model users can be forced to save their documents to the server and therefore comply with company standards. When a traditional PC fails, the time to fix and get back up again is high depending on the failure. In a Thin-client environment the device is replaced and the user is backup and running. There is no rebuilding or re-installation. Companies are particular vulnerable to Licensing issues and unauthorised software being installed on a desktop. This is reduced at a stroke as all software is installed and licenses monitored centrally. Thin-client computers are virtually virus proof as no data is held on the thin-client device. Companies do not have to have the latest and fastest PC s available. The processing power is all on the server and therefore existing PC s can be made to last longer. Energy Savings A typical PC uses between 50 and 100 Watts per hour and are often left on all day and night rather than wait for them to power up. A thin-client device does not have moving media so consumes between 7 and 10 watts per hour. 3 rd Parties Many companies outsource key functions such as telemarketing to third parties. These third parties often need access to key applications and Thin-Client Technology allows them to do so in a secure low cost manner. Windows Anywhere Using a Thin-Client Technology such as Microsoft Terminal Server, helps users become more productive by enabling access to current applications on any device including under-powered hardware and non-windows desktops. And because Terminal Server lets you use Windows anywhere, you can take advantage of extra processing capabilities from newer, lighter-weight devices such as a Windows Mobile 6 device. CJAZ Consulting LLP. 5

6 Return on Investment The major cost components of any IT deployment are: 1. Loss of productivity, because of server, desktop and network downtime. 2. Desktop, including hardware, operating system licenses and support. 3. Application Maintenance. 4. Training. There are two types of costs, direct and indirect, which are described below. Direct Cost Savings These costs are for items such as hardware, software licenses and networking equipment. Below are a couple of scenarios which illustrate the direct cost savings that can be made using Thin-Client technology. Scenario 1 New Installation Items PC Thin-Client Hardware Terminal Server License 55 Installation Total Scenario 2 Replacement Installation Items PC Thin-Client Hardware Terminal Server License 55 Installation Assumptions: Total The PC Hardware is for a Dell Dimension with Windows Vista Business & 17 in Flat Screen Monitor For scenario 1 the hardware used for the Thin Client device is an HP Compaq T5530 with 17 in Flat Panel Monitor, keyboard and mouse. CJAZ Consulting LLP. 6

7 For scenario 2 the hardware used for the Thin Client device is an HP Compaq T5530. The Monitor, keyboard and mouse from the existing PC will be used provided it is compatible. In Scenario 2 an installation fee is only required if the user does not already have an existing Thin-Client profile. In Scenario 2 the labour costs are higher as with a replacement PC a user tends to have more settings to restore. Both scenarios do not include costs that are common to both e.g. purchase of Microsoft Office. Figure 1 HP Compaq 5530 Thin Client Device Indirect Cost Savings When comparing costs of Thin Client devices and PC s, hardware is only a small proportion. The large savings come from reduced maintenance needs. Most companies agree that the largest single budget item is the labour costs and this si where Thin-Client computing comes into its own. The savings that can be made by increasing compliance, reducing the cost of losing vital locally held documents and the reduced cost of re-installing a corrupted PC is hard to quantify but from experience, is normally higher than the savings made from the Direct Costs. CJAZ Consulting LLP. 7

8 What do I need to start using Thin-Client Technology For any company that has a Windows Server 2000/2003/ they already have the basis of a Thin Client environment. Two concurrent users can log on to the server and experience the concept. No special devices are needed and no PC s need to be replaced to do this. The Thin Client concept can be tried using a normal desktop PC running Windows XP or Windows Vista. CJAZ Consulting LLP. 8

9 CJAZ s approach to the Thin Client Concept As an advocate of the thin client concept, CJAZ s approach ensures that the migration takes into account the technical and cultural aspects. The process consists of a formal assessment of the company s requirements. During which CJAZ works with the management, key users and IT personnel to ensure that the financial and cultural benefits are realised. The whole assessment then produces a plan which includes the following: Return on Investment Estimated 5 year cost of ownership Transition of software licenses Deployment plan Training Support CJAZ project manages each step of the plan to ensure a smooth transition. At CJAZ we have experienced these savings first hand by moving clients to a Thin Client environment. Clients have experienced decreased set up times and a more flexible working environment. Users are able to access the same desktop from any location. CJAZ Consulting LLP. 9

10 Summary Thin-client technology can solve some of the most troublesome problems facing IT, including data security, staffing shortage and the investment in technology purchases. It is estimated that 70% of a technical consultant s time is spent on end- user issues. Utilising the Thin-Client technology allows IT personnel to look at strategic issues and add value to the business. It allows them to be pro-active rather than reactive. Thin-client computing should not be viewed as an all or nothing environment. Desktop PC s and Thin-client computers can sit alongside each other especially where the applications that have been described above make them unsuitable. It is clear that cost is a key consideration for any company considering a change of IT environment. Most companies will see a large return in the first year of deployment. Major Savings will result from reduced application downtime and diminished need for user support. At a time where margins are being squeezed in all industries and the true cost of IT is not in the hardware or software but the support, Thin Client Technology keeps costs low and manageability high. Thin Client technology is here and is making a difference not just from a technology viewpoint but the most important viewpoint the bottom line For further details on how CJAZ can help you lower your IT administration costs please contact us on or us at info@cjaz.co.uk. CJAZ Consulting LLP. 10