PALO ALTO, CA — Hewlett-Packard yesterday unveiled new additions to its line of thin computing products that aim bring virtualization and cloud computing to more organizations, while also helping to cut the costs of expanding and maintaining computer fleets.
Among the new releases are HP MultiSeat, a hardware and software combination that lets multiple users run thin clients from the same computer, and SchoolCloud, an education-specific cloud computing platform that lets students and teachers alike access their data and applications from anywhere on campus or off.
HP also added new thin clients to its lineup yesterday, partly tied to the new school-oriented offerings, but also aiming to capture increased awareness of and interest in simpler and more affordable IT products. HP's three new thin client models range from $199 to $429, and will all be available by Dec. 1.
The MultiSeat technology makes virtualized desktops more accessible to the masses; it allows users to power up to 10 workstations with a single PC and runs fully supported and licensed versions of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system. HP says that organizations using MultiSeat can cut their energy consumption by as much as 80 percent over a standard single-seat desktop workstation.
The additions to HP's lineup come as more companies and organizations are embracing virtualization and cloud computing as a way to save on hardware and software costs as well as to simplify management of large or complex IT needs.
Cloud computing -- the use of central servers to provide applications and data to remote and/or virtualized workstations -- is at the top of Gartner's latest Hype Cycle, but as a result is increasingly on companies' radar for cost- and energy-saving IT measures.
And for schools, which often face the twin constraints of small IT departments and even smaller budgets, virtualized platforms like HP's MultiSeat can give more students access to the latest technology without taking a bite out of the budget.
More details about the new products are online at HP.com.