WinTPC Extends Infrastructure Lifecycles

Microsoft announced today that Windows Thin PC will be generally available for download on July 1. Noting that it has responded to customer demand for the ability to repurpose their existing PCs as thin clients--significantly extending their lifecycles--Microsoft says WinTPC, which is built on Windows 7 and features RemoteFX, will also bolster the company's overall desktop virtualization strategy. The goal of that strategy is "to deliver the flexibility to work from anywhere, improve compliance and business continuity, and simplify management so that IT professionals can deliver better service to employees." Just to make it perfectly clear, another goal is to also drive down the sometimes prohibitive costs of VDI.

According to Microsoft blogger Karri Alexion-Tiernan, the company listened to feedback from its Community Technology Preview customers, which led to three noteworthy new WinTPC features. The first of those three is a Keyboard Filter which was designed to give customers the ability to have more control and security by preventing certain key combinations, such as Ctrl +Alt Delete from taking effect on a WinTPC.

Also included is International IME (Input Method Editor) support, which gives WinTPC the ability to support international keyboards. The third new feature is Key Management Server (KMS/Multiple Activation Key, or MAK), which allows WinTPC to offer "quick and easy activation mechanisms that customers currently use for their Windows desktops."

Because the product is built on Windows 7, organizations can leverage existing management strategy and tools such as System Center to centrally manage it. These management capabilities include accelerated role-based deployment of applications, security patches, updates, and data.

Alexion-Tiernan paraphrases Scott Valeri, Manager of Enterprise Desktop & Mobile Architecture & Engineering at Deluxe Corporation, saying that as Deluxe migrates additional users to virtual desktops, WinTPC will play a primary role.

Posted by Bruce Hoard on 06/07/2011 at 12:48 PM