Dell Launches Global Initiative To Simplify IT

Debuts first of new services to accelerate IT Simplification. On-Demand Desktop Streaming Can Reduce IT Labor Costs by Up to 56 Percent.

Orlando, FL.-Dell On-Demand Desktop StreamingTM , a solution that provides tighter security, easier manageability and better reliability in desktop environments, was announced here today at the Gartner IT Expo.

Targeted at medium and large commercial and institutional customers, the offering can lower information-technology labor costs by up to 56 percent1 while greatly simplifying data and image management.

On-Demand Desktop Streaming is available today in the United States at an average cost of $1,100 per user. It is a tested and validated solution where operating systems, applications and data are streamed to 100 diskless desktops from a shared, standards-based server. Designed for desk-based workers, such as those in education computer labs and call centers, On-Demand Desktops Streaming eliminates almost all desk-side administration visits because software and data reside in the data center.

In other news, the company is championing IT simplification with a new global business strategy. “IT complexity has become a barrier to efficiency and growth,” said Mark Jarvis, Dell’s chief marketing officer. “Today we’re putting a stake in the ground and forging a new path to IT simplification for all customers that will reduce the cost and complexity of enterprise technology.”

Automated Deployment, Easy Administration, Maximum Flexibility

On-Demand Desktop Streaming differs from similar offerings by providing centralized IT control and data security without compromising end-user productivity. It also incorporates the company’s breakthrough EasyConnect™ technology, making client deployment easier by removing manual licensing and enabling an instant boot to the server.

“Dell’s On-Demand Desktop Streaming solution can eliminate many of the security risks associated with viruses, spyware and hacking attempts,” said Lee Steinsdoerfer, technology director, Zion-Benton Township High School, Zion, Ill. “We have fewer security concerns and can focus our resources on other pressing needs.”

Dell’s On-Demand Desktop Streaming solution is comprised of diskless OptiPlexTM 745 and OptiPlex 755 desktops (available in November), a PowerEdgeTM 2950 server, a PowerConnectTM Gigabit switch, Citrix® Provisioning Server for Desktops Software, and a PowerEdge 2900 storage server. Dell is the single source for all components of the solution and offers a complete set of professional services, including pre-sales sizing, assessment, deployment and ongoing support.

Additional features of Dell’s On-Demand Desktop Streaming include:

* Virus resistance, making malware less of a concern because each re-boot restores the original image.
* Image roll-back, which allows IT administrators to roll out a new OS or application and restore the previous production image if there is a problem.
* Support for up to 100 end users with one server, versus a blade PC for every user, making manageability and maintenance easier.
* Standard Image Mode, which can deliver one standard image across all systems for quick and easy changes while minimizing impact on network resources.
* Flexibility to easily expand, change or move users or redeploy data center infrastructure for other uses.

“Our flexible computing approach is markedly different from other architectures which lock customers into inflexible and proprietary solutions that can hamper end-user productivity,” said Jeff Clarke, senior vice president, Dell Product Group. “Having deployed On-Demand Desktop Streaming in several customer environments, we know that the solution works and have integrated efficiencies that we’ve found every step of the way.”