Wyse and Novell announce enterprise-class Linux thin client 23 September, 2008 By Liam Lahey

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Wyse Enhanced SUSE Linux Enterprise is a combination of Wyse's thin computing and SUSE Linux Enterprise. The Wyse Enhanced SUSE Linux Enterprise would be available pre-loaded on the Wyse thin client devices in Q408.

Citing a 2008 IDC report which stated the Linux thin client market would grow from nearly 1 million units in 2008 to 1.8 million units in 2011, and with Linux anticipated to reach a 30.5 percent share of all operating system (OS) shipments on thin client devices by 2011, Jeff McNaught, CMO for Wyse, said Linux-based thin clients and their lower total cost of ownership would help enterprises gain a more secure and flexible computing environment.

"Wyse has seen its business grow dramatically from our work with Citrix and Microsoft in the terminal services space but ultimately our thin client technology . . . while attractive, what was holding us back was application compatibility on the server," he said. "We also identified real issues that had to be addressed on the client side. Some had to do with mobility . . . and we had to resolve that user experience issue."

In emerging areas such as desktop virtualization, the OS used by client devices is becoming less relevant, as long as it is an enabler of virtualization technologies, and not the limiting factor, McNaught continued.

Meanwhile, the partnership between Wyse and Novell was born of the Linux market growth, he explained.

"It became clear to us the obvious partner for our Linux strategy was Novell," he said. "Customers want a trusted, branded Linux distribution . . . Wyse Enhanced SUSE Linux Enterprise is a product that has the same management profile as other devices an enterprise might have installed. We also needed to deliver a Linux distribution that wasn't Microsoft hostile.

"Being able to integrate with Microsoft's technology was critical."

"We are pleased that Wyse has selected SUSE Linux Enterprise as the platform for their next generation Linux-based thin clients," said Carlos Montero-Luque, vice president of product management for Open Platform Solutions at Novell, in a statement. "This is clear indication of the readiness of desktop Linux overall to meet the needs of enterprise customers, including lower costs, stronger security and improved manageability. All kinds of organizations are finding Linux thin client deployments to be a good fit for their hardware, security needs and budgets, and we are excited to partner with Wyse to deliver a market-leading solution."

Integration with Microsoft Active Directory and unparalleled driver and software support would drive enterprise deployments, officials said. The Wyse Enhanced SUSE Linux Enterprise includes built-in support for Wyse's suite of virtualization software, enabling enterprises to take advantage of third-party desktop virtualization solutions such as Citrix XenDesktop and VMware VDI.

Wyse Enhanced SUSE Linux Enterprise includes the GNOME desktop, Firefox browser, a terminal emulator, as well as pre-built technologies for connecting to thin computing architectures. These architectures include the VDM client from VMware, the ICA client from Citrix, and the RDP client from Microsoft.

For more information on Wyse Enhanced SUSE Linux Enterprise and the Wyse line of thin clients, visit www.wyse.com/products.