King of Prussia, PA, October 17, 2011 – Devon IT, a leading provider of thin client and VDI hardware and software solutions, today announced at Educause the availability of free VDI Blaster™ software for any current Dell K-12 and higher education customers. This offer is valid for 20 copies of VDI Blaster™ available through November 30, 2011.

Devon IT VDI Blaster™ is the most popular software tool that enables a PC to act as a thin client currently available in the growing VDI market. VDI Blaster™ converts PCs into secure and centrally manageable desktop appliances, enables organizations of all sizes to realize benefits of thin client computing, and extends capital investment in PCs. VDI Blaster™ offers the benefits of a thin client at a smaller cost than a new device.

There are many benefits that VDI Blaster™ offers. Once a PC reaches the end of its useful life, VDI Blaster™ provides a simple plug-and-play solution to transform the PC into a thin client, which is still able to run Windows OS and applications. It also allows the PCs to return to their previous state if necessary. It minimizes the risk of switching to a fully virtualized architecture. VDI Blaster™ makes centrally-managed desktops possible, which reduces risk and allows for synchronized system updates. Devon IT VDI Blaster™ will connect thin clients to Microsoft Terminal Services, shared services, and virtual desktops from Citrix XenDesktop, Microsoft, or VMware View.

“Virtualized desktop computing is gaining momentum in the education market as a cost-effective, secure, and manageable way to gain the advantage of a thin client in PC environments, and Devon IT is leading the charge,” says Joe Makoid, President, Devon IT. “Our offer of free VDI Blasters will help schools of all sizes realize the benefits of a VDI solution. Devon IT is running this promotion to expose customers to the power of virtualizing desktops with Dell servers and storage. By centralizing the management of all client devices, users will reduce operational cost by up to 50% while implementing leading virtual desktop approaches. This promotion will allow customers to test the VDI environment with very little upfront cost.”

VDI Blaster™ can be managed by Devon IT Echo™ – a universal thin client management software platform. Devon IT Echo™ ties everything together and is compatible with the entire Devon IT software stack. It manages every device running Devon IT VDI Blaster™ software and comes included with each VDI Blaster™ license. Features include thin client system image updates, maintenance and management functionality, including inventory, status, and remote service as well as profiling, logging, and shadowing.

“Customers will be able to experience the value of some of the world’s largest banks and corporations are already seeing,” concluded Makoid. “We are committed to expanding the market potential for server-based and virtual technologies, and are thrilled to share this offer to Dell customers at Educause.”

School districts, colleges and universities should contact their Dell sales representative to confirm eligibility for this program. For more information about virtual desktop hardware and software solutions orderable through Dell, or to schedule a private demonstration, email info@devonit.com or call 610-757-4220 or 888-524-9382. For more information about Devon IT DeTOS, Echo™, and VDI Blaster™, please visit www.devonit.com/software.

Phil Glover, a Devon IT sales engineer, outlines VDI Blaster™ in the first installment of the “Software Education Series.” VDI Blaster™ is software that turns PCs into thin clients, and Glover discusses how to download the software via USB/CD, full hard drive installation, or dual-boot. Going forward, Glover will answer technical questions asked by the VDI community and customers.

“Technology pros and executives in companies from all industries routinely ask us questions about our products, the VDI space, and how we’re helping Dell focus their virtual desktop solutions efforts,” says Makoid. “Videos are a quick and engaging outlet for us to help answer these questions. Our goal with these video series is to perpetuate the online conversation around thin clients and virtualization and help communicate the benefits of switching from the pure desktop PC model.”

For more information about virtual desktop hardware and software solutions orderable through Dell, or to schedule a private demonstration, email info@devonit.com or call 610-757-4220 or 888-524-9382.
About Devon IT

Devon IT, Inc, (www.devonit.com) is an information technology company that offers advanced thin client hardware and software for alternative desktop solutions. The company’s products and services provide enterprise customers with greater security, enhanced manageability, improved reliability, and lower costs. Devon IT develops products that support Dell’s virtual desktop computing solutions, and all of its products are orderable from Dell. Devon IT is also the creator of VDI Blaster™ (www.vdiblaster.com), a software suite that transforms existing Windows® PCs into virtual desktops. Engage with Devon IT online through its technical blog, “Thin Tank” (http://www.devonit.com/blog), on Facebook (www.facebook.com/devonit), on Twitter @DevonIT and @jmakoid, and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/thinclienttv).

© Copyright 2011. All company, brand, or product names are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective holders

Information technology executives in all-sized industries are invited to attend the seminars. Executives from Devon IT and IBM will host a series of discussions about the benefits of desktop virtualization. Industry experts will also demonstrate how virtualized desktops can save thousands of IT dollars and transform various IT infrastructures into powerful, high-performance cost-saving and energy-saving environments.

Presentations will begin at 9:00AM and the event will conclude at 11:30AM. Space is limited and interested customers are encouraged to register here: https://www-950.ibm.com/events/wwe/grp/grp017.nsf/v16_events?openform&lp=eastnextgenerationvirtualclientsolution&locale=en_US.

“In these difficult economic times, companies are looking to cut costs in any area of business, including IT,” notes Joe Makoid, President, Devon IT. “Virtualized desktops boast significant cost-savings benefits, from cost of deployment to energy use. I encourage any IT administrator who is struggling with managing costly desktops to attend.”

For more information about the event, Devon IT thin clients, or server-based computing, or to arrange for a proof-of-concept, email info@devonit.com, or call 610-757-4220 or toll-free 888-524-9382. Information is also available at www.devonit.com.

Secondary and higher education institutions are finding ways to use less energy and operate in a more environmentally-friendly fashion. GSI is designed to help schools customize the implementation of thin clients and deploy green technologies within their specific computing environments. As part of the program launch, Devon IT has created a GSI lab that allows IT personnel to test and validate common education applications in a green environment, either live by bringing hardware and software into the lab or via remote connection.

“Thin clients are being used in almost every aspect of education,” noted Joe Makoid, President, Devon IT. “Classrooms, labs, libraries, and administrative computing environments are ideal for thin clients. Our customers have benefited from maintaining the same level of desktop performance while saving significant money on energy costs.”

Devon IT thin clients are small, light, compact, and have no moving parts. They also emit less heat and use less electricity, consuming on average 75%-85% less energy than traditional PCs. Customers have saved up to 7,000 kilowatt hours for every software application put onto a virtual machine.

“Especially in difficult economic times, schools of all sizes are looking for ways to save money across-the-board,” says Michael King, Vice President, Global Education Industry for IBM. “Information technology expense is clearly an area where costs can be reduced by implementing green approaches. Green IT programs give schools an opportunity to realize potential space, power, and time management savings that allow them to reallocate funds to other areas of operation.”

“Implementing 100 thin clients in place of PCs can drive tens of thousands of dollars in energy savings each year,” explained Makoid. “And by deploying Devon IT thin clients and our partners’ virtualization, and server solutions, our customers have saved an average of 60%-80% on their annual electric costs.”

Devon IT is launching GSI with special pricing for education. For more information, contact Devon IT at info@devonit.com, 610-757-4110 or 888-524-9382.