At Dell Technologies World (DTW) 2024, the Cloud Client Workspace team spotlighted how the world’s #1 thin client company1 continues to innovate its thin client solutions to simplify IT management. Focusing on our software – Dell ThinOS, Dell thin client solutions with Windows 10 IoT Enterprise, Dell Hybrid Client, and Wyse Management Suite – allows us to develop and implement new features faster and be more responsive to customer needs. The following is a summary of new thin client software functionality that was featured at DTW 2024 and demonstrated in the Cloud Client Workspace breakout session.
Addressing IT Management Challenges
For IT Administrators responsible for deploying and managing large fleets of end user endpoints, particularly across geographically dispersed locations, ease of management is key. That’s why VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) and thin clients are an attractive strategy. Designed with a lightweight operating system with only the required software components to access the VDI data center, a thin client has less to manage and minimizes security exposure without local data or apps. However, not all thin clients are alike, and you can start seeing some big differences when you dig into IT management capabilities.
Simplifying deployment is often top of mind for centralized IT departments, how to efficiently get new client devices set up and running with minimal involvement from IT personnel. This was a key need discussed by Topgolf in our Dell Technologies World breakout session. With more than 100 venues across the world and 8300+ Dell thin clients in operation, Topgolf is managing their entire fleet with a 7-man IT team.
Another common challenge is remote troubleshooting. It’s a big part of the job but easier said than done because the required technology to support screensharing, grabbing control, etc. can be complicated. Additional software needs to be set up in your environment and this software requires that firewall ports be open to contact remote clients which can lead to security breaches.
And then there is the task of patch management and keeping fleets up to date with the latest versions of applications. There is an art to rolling out updates to large, geographically dispersed fleets with the need to balance urgency and efficiency while minimizing end user downtime.
Dell Thin Client Innovation
The latest ThinOS and Wyse Management Suite (WMS) software releases include several features that greatly improve thin client device management capabilities and they are only available from Dell Technologies.
Dynamic Wyse Management Suite dashboard makes it easier to monitor and manage fleets
Dell’s Wyse Management Suite is flexible management software that allows IT admins to centrally configure, monitor, manage and optimize Dell thin clients. WMS is the industry's only hybrid cloud management solution that offers floating license allocation between on-premises and public cloud2 instances, giving IT department the ability to centrally manage a geographically dispersed fleet without the need to set up firewalls, zones, and VPNs (Virtual Private Networks).
Recently, Wyse Management Suite (WMS) introduced a new dynamic dashboard presenting a user-friendly view of real-time device insights and telemetry data, making it easier for IT admins to monitor and manage their Dell thin client fleets. Admins can track job status, compliance, and fleet health. With convenient hyperlinks, an admin can click on a graph segment or metric and quickly see a list of devices that make up that metric, making it easier to investigate and take action.
Easier troubleshooting for remote clients with enhanced P2P shadowing capability
The new “Peer-to-Peer Remote Shadow” functionality available for ThinOS and Wyse Management Suite Pro customers allows IT personnel to shadow a ThinOS client user display from anywhere, even small remote and home offices. This feature is available out-of-the box with new ThinOS clients. For existing ThinOS clients, you just need to upgrade your software to the latest version and start the shadowing session from the Wyse Management Suite console (either on-premises or public cloud instance) even if the device is behind a firewall. This built-in feature requires no additional firewall or device configurations – nor is third-party software or subscriptions required. All you need to do is go to the WMS console, select the device, and start the shadowing session.
While remote shadowing is not new to the industry (Virtual Network Computing/VNC technology has been around for decades), this new remote shadow experience offers security advantages because it does not require the opening of incoming firewall network ports to initiate a session. Both security and ease of use are accomplished by leveraging TLS protocol to the signaling server and DTLS protocol when transferring media data securely peer-to-peer between ThinOS and the Wyse Management Suite console.
Minimize user downtime and disruption to the business with wave deployment
Wyse Management Suite now offers Wave Deployment for ThinOS devices which provides more automation and customization options for scheduling and pushing out device updates, giving IT admins more control over scheduled maintenance and ensuring operational stability. With this feature, admins can define and schedule updates in waves (groups of devices) and set threshold types as well as thresholds for the next action based on a user-defined success or failure percentage. For example, a scheduled update can be set to abort and revert to the previous state if the failure rate for a wave exceeds the pre-defined threshold. The functionality helps IT departments mitigate the risks of rolling out an update to an entire fleet. Each wave provides valuable feedback, giving IT admins the time to make adjustments before broader deployment. Additionally, the ability to schedule updates in batches eliminates network congestion, further minimizing disruption to the business.
Get remote employees up & running faster using QR codes
Another enhancement, designed to simplify the set-up of devices for remote and home office employees, is QR code registration. An IT department can simply ship out a ThinOS thin client, email the recipient a secure QR code and password, and with the ThinOS Quick Start wizard, the end user will be up and running in just a few clicks. The QR code contains the necessary information for the device to attach to the Wyse Management Suite server, automatically populate the configuration settings from the user’s defined group and provide instructions for successful VDI connection. The QR code registration process is intuitive, eliminating the need for user set-up guides or a second-touch service that configures the device before it reaches the end user.
Conclusion
The above enhancements are examples of Dell’s continued investment in thin client innovation and our focus on making IT management easier. For more information about Dell’s Cloud Client Workspace software and thin client solutions visit us at dell.com/CloudClientWorkspace.
1 - Source: IDC Quarterly Enterprise Client Device Tracker, 2024 Q1, May 2024. CLM-012221.
2 - Requires Wyse Management Suite Pro edition. Based on Dell Internal Competitive Analysis, December 2022.