Dell Expands Its Virtual OptiPlex Thin-Client Lineup

Dell, claiming that the trend toward virtual desktops is still ramping up, is not wasting any time moving ahead with its virtual desktop infrastructure and thin-client product lines.

On May 25, the company  introduced an enhanced Dell Virtual Lab 2.0 package, aimed at education, along with new Dell OptiPlex FX170 and FX130 thin-client offerings.

Dell Targeting Education

Virtual Lab 2.0, Dell’s higher-education package designed specifically for colleges and universities, has added validation testing on six of its popular applications, allowing students and faculty members free access to secure, lab-based software at any time – and from any device – they choose.

Seven more applications for this package are scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. The currently available applications are Adobe Premiere Pr CS3, AutoCad 2DLT, Wolfram Mathmatica 7, Mathworks MatLab, SAS and IBM SPSS.

OptiPlex thin-client systems offer connectivity for task workers in mobile, contract, and remote situations who use a desktop virtualisation infrastructure. They are aimed at organisations in the education, financial, health care and retail fields.

Specifically, the OptiPlex FX170 (pictured, left) is designed for knowledge-based workers focused on multimedia and content creation, while the FX130 (pictured, right) is good for application and task-based environments. They both provide the following features:

• optional support for dual monitors;
• the ability to centrally manage data and images in the data centre;
• fan-less systems with no moving parts;
• measurements less than 1.5 inches wide and weight less than 1.5 pounds; and
• Standard Dell ProSupport for simple, quick hardware replacement.

Software options include Devon IT Echo, Management Console Dell Edition and Devon IT DeTOS Dell Edition, which 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.

Less than three months ago, on March 10, Dell and long-time virtualisation partners Citrix and VMware unveiled a group of enterprise desktop virtualisation packages.

These desktop virtualisation systems can be cloud or locally based and are comprised of pre-packaged services with pretested hardware and software, Dell director of solutions programme management Terry Vaughn told eWEEK.

Very little IT-specialist work needs to be done for installation. Citrix and/or VMware supply the virtual desktop software secret sauce for these new packages. Dell supplies its PowerEdge servers, EqualLogic storage and PowerConnect networking.