Dell Expands Desktop Virtualization Solutions Portfolio

• Customized Virtual Lab 2.0 available for colleges and universities
• New Dell OptiPlex FX170 and FX130 thin clients complement Dell Desktop Virtualization Solutions, a solution portfolio designed to help organizations quickly deploy desktop virtualization
• Simplified management and security creates added benefits and ease of implementation for IT teams

ROUND ROCK, Texas, May 25, 2011 – Dell today announced additions to its desktop virtualization solutions portfolio including an enhanced Dell Virtual Lab 2.0 solution and new Dell OptiPlex FX170 and FX130 thin client offerings. The new Virtual Lab 2.0 solution, designed for colleges and universities, now comes with validation testing on six of the most popular applications, affording students and faculty the freedom to access secure, lab-based software virtually anytime, anywhere and from any device. The new OptiPlex thin client solutions, designed for organizations such as, education, financial, healthcare and retail, offer seamless connectivity for organizations that have implemented or plan to implement a desktop virtualization infrastructure.

The new desktop virtualization offerings will complement the recently launched Dell Desktop Virtualization Solutions (DDVS), a comprehensive solution portfolio that leverages pre-packaged services with configured and tested hardware and software to deliver the datacenter architecture necessary to provide desktop virtualization capabilities. DDVS addresses the design and implementation complexities associated with desktop virtualization and accelerates it so organizations can adapt to the changing dynamics of today’s more mobile and efficient global workforce.

Dell Virtual Lab 2.0

Whether you’re a student, faculty member or administrator, there is a need for anytime access to data and applications bringing increased expectations of support from IT staff. Desktop virtualization can help by delivering easy management, disaster recovery and flexibility, while allowing access to information virtually anytime and anywhere – in an office, on campus or at home.

Virtual Lab 2.0 takes the advantages of the solution one step further by addressing the need for improved application accessibility and creates increased global learning opportunities. It comes with validation testing on six leading applications used on campuses, with seven more anticipated to be completed by the end of the year. Applications include Adobe Premiere Pr CS3, AutoCad 2DLT, Wolfram Mathmatica 7, Mathworks MatLab, SAS and IBM SPSS.

Dell OptiPlex FX170 and FX130 Thin Clients

The new OptiPlex thin client solutions offer mobile, contract, remote and task workers connectivity within a desktop virtualization infrastructure. The FX170 is designed for knowledge-based workers focused on multimedia and content creation, while the FX130 is ideal for application and task-based environments.  The solutions provide the following features:

• Productivity and Connectivity designed for quick and easy deployment and management with optional support for dual monitors;
• Business Class Control by allowing IT to centrally manage data and images in the data center;
• Reliable and flexible fan-less systems and with no moving parts are designed for a long life of service and as the smallest OptiPlex systems at less than 1.5 inches wide and weighing less than 1.5 pounds, are designed to fit in a variety of environments; and,
• Dell ProSupport comes standard for simple, quick hardware replacement.

Dell offers a comprehensive set of software solutions to improve the manageability and control of the new OptiPlex thin clients. These solutions, including Devon IT Echo™ Management Console Dell Edition and Devon IT DeTOS Dell Edition, provide support for Microsoft Windows Embedded and DeTOS thin clients and allow access to Citrix XenApp or XenDesktop, Microsoft Remote Desktop Services, VMware View™ and web-based applications. Additionally, Devon IT VDI Blaster Dell Edition supports a wide array PCs while maximizing life and extending capital investments by allowing quick conversion to a thin client system.

Dell OptiPlex 390 Desktop

Dell also announced the availability of the OptiPlex 390, the newest member of OptiPlex business desktop PC family complementing the OptiPlex 990 and 790.  The 390 features minitower, desktop, small form-factor chassis with an optional all-in-one stand.  The system offers essential productivity for organizations that need affordable in-band management with a minimum 20 month product life-cycle management and stability, including newly added Global Standard Platforms in this product class. In addition to supporting second generation Intel® iCore™ processors, the 390 offers a minimum of 10 percent post-consumed recycled plastic chassis and recyclable packaging.

Dell Services
Dell offers a comprehensive set of services that help customers automate the deployment and management of thin clients, commercial laptops, mobile devices and desktops, as well as the ability to securely dispose of outdated or retired assets. Examples include:

• Deployment Services - Designed to simplify and accelerate the customization and utilization of new systems. Dell Deployment Services include everything from order consolidation to coordination of deployment resources.
• ProSupport Services - Designed to minimize disruptions and maintain high levels of productivity across end-user PCs. Dell Support Services help protect client investments and free businesses from IT maintenance so they can focus on running their business.

Quotes

“Our goal is to make the kinds of software products accessible to students from their dorm room to their home or when they’re traveling on the road. By providing a desktop virtual solution where students leverage their own technology, we are able to extend the boundaries beyond the campus. By working with Dell, we believe that we’re going to create something that will not only work for University of Maryland, but for the higher education system as a whole,” said John Seuss, VP for Information Technology, University of Maryland.

“With Virtual Lab 2.0, we’re bringing a set of solutions that faculty and administrators have told us are particularly difficult to manage in a virtual environment and have now made them easy to implement. Students increasingly need access to data and curriculum. Virtual Lab 2.0 enhances their tools and gives them access regardless of where they are and what device they use.” John Mullen, vice president, Global Education, Dell.

“Dell is one of the only IT vendors in the world to deliver end-to-end desktop virtualization capabilities that span data center and end-user technologies,” said Steven Lalla, vice president and general manager of Commercial Client Product Group, Dell. “The OptiPlex thin clients are designed to deliver the reliability, productivity and business-class control of a traditional OptiPlex system in an organization’s desktop virtualization environment.”

Pricing and Availability:

• With availability on May 26 in the U.S. and Western Europe, the starting price for the Dell OptiPlex FX170 is $449 USD and $349 USD for the OptiPlex FX130.  The OptiPlex 390 is available now with a starting price of $ $671 USD.

Additional information:

• Dell Higher Ed – The Connected Campus
• Dell Image Gallery
• Inside Enterprise IT Dell Blog
• Dell OptiPlex
• Efficient Workforce
• Dell Services
• Dell on Twitter

About Dell

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services that give them the power to do more. For more information, visit www.dell.com.

Dell and Dell OptiPlex are trademarks of Dell Inc. Dell disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others.

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Partners Comment on Dell’s Enhanced Desktop Virtualization Portfolio

“With the launch of Dell’s broader portfolio of thin client devices, customers can leverage the power of Citrix XenDesktop to tailor their desktop virtualization solutions to achieve their specific end-user needs. Dell’s new OptiPlex thin clients specifically have been verified as HDX Ready, giving mutual customers added assurance that they are compatible with Citrix desktop virtualization solutions,” said Joe Keller, vice president, community and alliance marketing at Citrix.

“Devon IT is committed to providing industry-leading virtual desktop technology for users. When a market and technology leader such Dell is progressing virtual desktop computing solutions and collaborates with industry leading software vendors it is obvious that something exciting is happening.  We have always been proponents of server-centric computing and centralized management as a way for IT managers to reduce costs dramatically. These new Dell OptiPlex thin client solutions provide Dell’s customers an easy and cost-effective way to implement complete VDI solutions from one source.  We are excited and proud to be working with an industry leader such as Dell,” explained Joe Makoid, President, Devon IT.

“Microsoft Desktop Virtualization solutions provide customers with the flexibility to access their applications, data, and a rich Windows desktop from anywhere. The launch of Dell’s broader portfolio of thin client devices, enhanced by Microsoft RemoteFX for a local-like remote user experience, gives organizations additional deployment flexibility at the end point when leveraging the power of Microsoft Desktop Virtualization,” said Mike Schutz, Senior Director of Windows Server and Virtualization, at Microsoft.

“The new Dell OptiPlex thin client devices alongside the Dell Desktop Virtualization Solutions portfolio will help joint customers take advantage of a complete virtual desktop infrastructure that frees end users and IT organizations from a dated and complex device-centric computing model,” said Chris Young, vice president and general manager, End-User Computing, VMware. “Together with VMware View™, VMware and Dell are providing a clear path for organizations to rapidly deploy a modern, end-user computing architecture that helps change the role of IT from a cost center to a center of strategic value.”

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“Devon IT is committed to collaborating with our reseller partners and providing them with vital resources, from sales support to technical demonstrations and webinars,” says Joe Makoid, President of Devon IT. “We have received tremendous interest in our VDI Blaster software suite due to its ability to transform PCs into near-zero clients, and our reseller partners have also been frequently contacted for demonstrations. This program is designed to make proof-of-concept presentations and demos easier for these valued partners.”

Users download VDI Blaster™ to existing PCs via a USB key or a network install. VDI Blaster™ deploys Devon IT’s thin client operating system, Devon Terminal Operating System (DeTOS™), and  Devon IT’s proprietary thin client management software to help IT administrators manage enterprise-wide deployments from a central location. Users can select to boot into their normal Windows operating system, DeTOS™, or VMware View 4, the industry’s only purpose-built desktop virtualization solution. More information about Devon IT’s VDI Blaster is available at http://www.vdiblaster.com .

Devon IT’s thin client management software combines thin client management capabilities with connection management features.  This management software works for large-scale, complex virtual-desktop deployments and smaller-scale environments using Devon IT thin clients and repurposed PCs.

Resellers can obtain a trial (not for resale) copy of the latest version of VDI Blaster by visiting http://www.vdiblaster.com/reseller/.  More information about the company’s hardware and software solutions is available at www.devonit.com.  Resellers can also email info@devonit.com or call 610-757-4220 for more information.

The VDI Blaster software suite was launched in August 2009 to help users repurpose PCs into thin clients, extending the useful life of PCs while testing virtual desktop environments. Version 1.1 now supports VMware View™ 4 and PC-over-IP® (PCoIP®) which gives users true PC experience, including with multimedia. The upgraded version 1.1 also includes the ability to boot VDI Blaster from a USB key or CD-ROM, in addition to network installation.

“VDI Blaster gives organizations the ability to transform portions of their IT infrastructures from PC environments to virtual desktops overnight. We’ve found that the ability to repurpose and reuse existing PC asseys has not only extended organizations’ capital investments, but also helped them realize the cost, security, and manageability benefits of switching to hosted clients,” says Joe Makoid, President, Devon IT. “This new release of VDI Blaster expands this effort and gives IT teams and users the chance to experience the power of PCoIP with VMware View 4 and other applications, and the flexibility to boot in various forms. The software’s price point is also very appealing to customers.”

Once VDI Blaster is deployed, users can select to boot into Devon IT’s newest thin client operating system, Devon Terminal Operating System 7 (DeTOS™). Devon IT’s thin client management software is also downloadable for free to help IT administrators manage enterprise-wide deployments of thin clients and/or repurposed PCs from one central location.

Devon IT engineers are available for technical demonstrations of VDI Blasters and informational webinars for the media, and are available to comment on all topics relating to thin clients, alternative desktop solutions, desktop and server virtualization, and cloud computing. More information about the company’s hardware and software solutions are available at www.devonit.com.

According to Gartner Inc., the worldwide hosted virtual desktop (HVD) market is expected to reach 49 million units by 2013, up from over 500,000 units in 2009. Worldwide HVD revenue is expected to grow from about $1.5 billion in 2009, which is less than one percent of the worldwide professional PC market, to $65.7 billion in 2013, equal to over 40% of the worldwide professional PC market. U.S.-based Devon IT works with over 100 European distributors and resellers, including TDIST, a leading provider of IT products to the value added reseller channel.

“The European thin client market has always been larger than that of the United States, and our precipitous sales growth in the region sparked the need for expansion,” says Adrian Hedges, general manager of European operations for Devon IT. “We’ve seen an uptake in virtual desktop deployment worldwide, fueled by VMware’s View software, and tremendous interest in centrally managing desktops. Our Intel Atom processor-based TC5 thin client and thin client management software fit perfectly with virtualization software, and we are poised to increase our global presence in the booming virtual desktop market.”

“It is no secret that users are increasingly deploying virtualization and wireless technologies across Europe, and that this trend will continue indefinitely,” says Steve Hawes, Marketing Director for TDIST. “Companies like Devon IT have introduced advanced thin client hardware and software technologies to the marketplace and have destroyed performance and cost barriers formally prohibiting widespread adoption of hosted virtual desktops. We expect Devon IT to continue its exceptional growth into the European market, and are proud to expand revenue opportunities for resellers with Devon IT.”

Devon IT engineers are available for technical demonstrations and webinars for the media, and are available to comment on all topics relating to thin clients, alternative desktop solutions, desktop and server virtualization, and cloud computing. For demonstrations in Europe, please call +44 (0)121 222 5500. More information about the company’s hardware and software solutions are available at www.devonit.com.

VDI Blaster™ extends the life of existing desktop computers by converting them into thin clients. The software deploys Devon IT’s thin client operating system, Devon Terminal Operating System (DeTOS™), and  Devon IT’s thin client management software, ThinManage™, to help IT administrators manage enterprise-wide deployments from a central location.  Once VDI Blaster™ is deployed, users can select to boot into their normal Windows operating system or into DeTOS™.

“Using VDI Blaster to convert aging enterprise PCs into secure, managed thin clients enables organizations of all sizes to extend their capital investment in PCs while testing thin client computing models,” explained Joe Makoid, President, Devon IT.  “Traditional desktops typically need to be refreshed or replaced every three or four years, but companies and organizations can now extend the life of these PCs by converting them into thin clients. Users can simultaneously test hosted client computing methods, and we hope VDI Blaster will continue the momentum of IT administrators moving from desktop PCs to hosted client environments.”

Users can purchase up to 25 VDI Blaster™ packages using Google Checkout for US$19.99 each. Previous Google Checkout just need their usernames and passwords.  Customers can create Google Checkout log-ins quickly by submitting a brief form.

For more information about VDI Blaster™ please visit www.vdiblaster.com. For more information about Devon IT, thin client computing, or virtualization, or to arrange for a demonstration, email info@devonit.com or call 610-757-4220 or 888-524-9382.   Follow Devon IT updates on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DevonIT and read the “Thin Tank Blog” at http://www.devonit.com/blog.

“Citrix is the established leader in remote desktops and application delivery solutions, and we have worked with their executives, engineers, and marketing teams for years to implement our thin client and alternative desktop solutions,” stated Joe Makoid, President, Devon IT. “We are very excited to share with the industry our newest Citrix-ready thin clients and some of our newest software releases.”

Devon IT will be demonstrating Citrix solution using IBM’s industry leading Blade Center S Chassis.  Demonstrations will include Citrix Provisioning Server, XenDesktop, and XenApp, all accessed through Devon IT’s Citrix Ready thin clients.

“The IBM Blade Center S Chassis provides businesses of all sizes with an optimal approach to hosted and virtual desktops,” said Alex Yost, vice president, IBM Systems & Technology Group.  “The Blade Center S and thin client solution offers a alternative to the traditional desktop PC.  The variety of virtual client solutions, coupled with Devon IT’s thin client, is a potent combination that makes it easy for IT managers to evaluate, assess and ultimately implement their own virtualized desktop environments.”

Devon’s Line of Thin Clients with IBM part numbers provide a complete set of desktop, mobile and specialized thin client solutions that will meet any end user requirement.  Devon IT will display its newest thin client, the TC5, in booth #544. The high-powered TC5 is the leading thin client on the market with an Intel® Atom^TM processor and supports dual DVI, an internal wireless solution and either a DeTOS or XPe operating system. The company’s TC2 thin client and SafeBook LVO, a mobile thin client laptop built on the Lenovo ThinkPad platform, will also be available for demos.

Devon IT executives will be holding media-only demonstrations in their booth at various times throughout the event. For more information, please contact Paul Mancini at pmancini@devonit.com.

Users download VDI Blaster to PCs via a USB key or a network install. VDI Blaster deploys Devon IT’s thin client operating system, DeTOS^TM, and upon restart users can choose to run DeTOS and connect to a network.  In future releases, VDI Blaster will support other brands of thin client devices and allow administrators to manage them all from a single management interface.

VDI Blaster:

•  Extends the useful  life of aging PCs

• Use virtual desktops, simply and cost effectively with no hardware replacement necessary   

• Maintains Windows desktop experience

• Centrally manage converted PCs

• Plug and play replacement of PC to a thin client when ready

• Convert back to Windows operating system as needed

 ”Using VDI Blaster to convert aging enterprise PCs into secure, managed desktop appliances enables organizations of all sizes to extend their capital investment in PCs while testing thin client computing models,” explained Joe Makoid, President, Devon IT.  “Traditional desktops typically need to be refreshed or replaced every three or four years, but companies and organizations can now extend the life of these PCs by converting them into thin clients. Users can simultaneously test hosted client computing methods, and we hope VDI Blaster will continue the momentum of IT administrators moving from desktop PCs to hosted client environments.”    

“The ability to re-purpose existing PCs into thin clients allows organizations to leverage their investments in existing desktop hardware while fully realizing the benefits of centrally controlled and managed desktop environments,” said Jerry Chen, senior director of desktop virtualization, VMware. “The combination of Devon IT’s VDI Blaster and VMware View^TM  helps equip enterprises with a cost-effective desktop solution that eases the migration from a distributed desktop model to a more secure and  flexible virtualized environment.”

“Despite the well-known benefits of virtual desktops, there are cost and operational barriers to overcome in the early stages of deployment,” explained Adan Martinez, IT Manager, BlueArc Corporation.  “Many IT administrators struggle to justify additional hardware investments into thin clients when current PCs are functional, and rollback strategies must be created during the virtual desktop infrastructure.  VDI Blaster installs a dedicated thin client on any PC without disrupting the existing operating system installation, making it the perfect strategic solution to eliminate these virtual desktop deployment obstacles.”

Devon IT’s VDI Blaster is currently available directly from Devon IT for $19.95USD.  For more information about VDI Blaster and Devon IT’s server-based computing, or thin client technologies, or to arrange for a demonstration, email info@devonit.com, or call 610-757-4220 or toll-free 888-524-9382. Information is also available at http://www.devonit.com/software/vdi-blaster/overview .