A: SoftXpand is in fact not a thin-client solution; it is a high performance, software-only product that utilises non-proprietary hardware to create multiple virtual desktops. It offers organisations the full performance of a PC for a fraction of the hardware cost and additional long-term savings on power consumption and lower maintenance requirements.

A: The main hurdle for thin-client solutions is its poor performance, as the entire processing requirements of multiple users is handled by a single server. The units themselves do not contribute to the processing, and they are in fact a bridge between the server and the user desktop. While companies in the 90’s were mostly using less intensive applications for everyday business (office and Internet), today any modern company uses heavy graphic display, streaming video, presentations and other high performance applications on a daily basis. Thin-client hardware has simply not kept pace with the rapid development and demand of software. Being impossible to upgrade, an enterprise is forced to replace thin-clients every couple of years to accommodate additional processing requirements. Moreover, thin-clients require operational knowledge and expertise not necessarily found within the organisation and is commonly outsourced. As a mission critical part of the infrastructure, this is a risk factor that cannot be ignored.

A: India is a very cost conscious market. IT managers are reluctant to adopt solutions with limited life span. There is also high availability of lowcost hardware in India that can offer higher performance for the same price as thin-clients.

SoftXpand, in that respect, is a perfect solution as it significantly reduces the infrastructure TCO without compromising on performance. Unlike a thin client solution, SoftXpand is a software only solution that runs on your standard hardware.

A: Our strategy revolves around our three major strengths: performance, flexibility and Green IT. We firmly believe that our customers should not compromise on performance while making a decision as important as their infrastructure architecture. The solution should be simple, cost effective, offer faster ROI, but also allow for easy system upgrades and future compatibility.

Our India distributor, NewTecSol, has successfully leveraged these advantages when the solution was offered to SKS Microfinance.

The SKS project had to accommodate not only multiple installations in over 1,600 sites, but also the company’s rapid growth and future expansion plans. Being software only, SoftXpand does not require shipping or proprietary hardware and the number of workstations can be upgraded simply by using a different activation code.

Our approach has always been focussed on creating value both in terms of ROI / cost benefit and a truly green solution that actually reduces the carbon footprint & ewaste.

A: SoftXpand utilises the built-in multi user capability of Microsoft OS and enables users to work simultaneously with standard off-the-shelf hardware peripherals. Unlike competitive products, we deliver the full processing power of the PC to each user with near zero degradation. The system optimises the CPU & GPU usage and divides the PC resources intelligently between the users according to their needs. By doing so we are able to offer compatibility to heavy graphic applications and provide a working environment identical to standard desktops. We do not influence changing the existing customer working methods and deliver the same user experience in an economical and green way.

A: Reducing hardware cost is a goal for any company. By turning a single PC into multiple workstations we cut initial costs by at least 50 percent. Same applies to maintenance, as by using virtualisation there are far less PC’s to update, upgrade and fix. This accumulates to annual savings of hundreds of dollars per PC.

Other major long term saving are generated by reducing power consumption. Every 100 PCs tuned to virtual workstations with SoftXpand provide savings of over 250KWh per day!

Also, the hardware is fully upgradeable as no proprietary equipment is required. For example, the system administrator can add RAM to the host PC as per requirement. Any such investment is enjoyed by all users of the PC. You can also decide to upgrade some of the PC’s for specific users as each PC is totally independent.

rahul.mani@9dot9.in