Business Desktops

Dell's Juan Vega continues his five-part series on Flexible Computing, and in this very short video gives just a glimpse of what he'll cover in the last three videos in the series.

Dell offers customers three main client virtualization solutions, which are outlined below with links to pages where you can read more detail.

They are:

-- On Demand Desktop Streaming (ODDS): designed for stationary environments where control of manageability and data security (without sacrificing end-user computing experience or productivity) are critical. It’s ideal for office staff, government agencies, school labs and campus computing centers;

-- Virtual Remote Desktop (VRD): delivers centralized control of client/end-user data for IT managers while enabling common remote end-user needs. It’s ideal for medical, healthcare and education environments; and,

-- Dedicated Remote Workstation (DRW): delivers a world-class remote access solution. IT Managers retain centralized control of end user data and network security while delivering the most advanced levels of graphics applications and workstation-class performance. It’s designed for environments where real estate may be limited or restrictive, and end users receive secure access to all their data and advanced graphics applications, even though the datacenter may be centrally housed at a physically different location across the room or across the world.

Let's take a look.

Earlier this week, Dell's CIO and President of Global Services Steve Schuckenbrock was interviewed by Michael Vizard (the Gillmor Gang) for a podcast entitled "Dell In The Cloud" that appeared on eWeek.com's IT Infrastructure section. In the interview, Steve discussed what we're doing in the cloud computing space but also touched on Dell's flex computing strategy and how it relates to cloud computing. It's a great overview of the differences between the two approaches to computing. If you've got some time download the discussion or stream it live.

Because the interview runs about 21 minutes long, we got some time with one of our Flex Computing gurus, Juan Vega, to walk us through a very simple overview of Dell's strategy in a five-part video series and explains the similarities of client virtualization (essentially what flex computing is) and server virtualization.

Part one of the Flexible Computing series is below. Stay tuned for parts two through five later this week.

This may be too simplistic for some of you but every day we hear from customers who ask us to simplify our offerings for them, break them down into descriptions that are very simple to understand. I trust this video series will do just that.

Dell's Flexible Computing strategy consists of three main offerings, which Juan will outline in the coming videos.

If after watching this five-part vlog series you still have questions on Dell's flex computing solutions, check out this article written by Dell's Jeremy Ford and Roberto Ayala in the latest issue of Dell Power Solutions.

Dell has a long history of expertise in high-performance computing whether one is using a PowerEdge server or a Dell Precision workstation. Today we're taking the next step in the world of 'personal' supercomputing.

In today's keynote speech at SC08, Michael talked about the continued evolution of the world of supercomputing. He also outlined that Dell will soon be offering the Dell Precision R5400 and T7400 workstations with access to the capabilities of NVIDIA's Tesla C1060 GPU with up to two teraflops of computational power.

Imagine the customer who has one of these workstations in their data-center or under their desk - by simply adding one of these GPUs, they are discovering "their hidden supercomputer."

Want to know how it all works? Let's hear what Don has to say. (If you're interested in what else Michael discussed in his keynote, click here.)

One of the key attributes of the new Optiplex line is its energy efficiency. For example, when compared to older systems in a customers’ environment – say the Optiplex 170L from about 4 years ago – the energy savings can be up to 84 percent (actual performance will vary based on configuration, usage and manufacturing variability). In fact, we just did a green makeover with Robertson Homes, a green-builder based outside of Orlando, Florida, where we replaced aging Opti 170Ls and non-branded systems with eight Optiplex 960s, a PowerEdge 400SC server with a PowerEdge T300, and provided eight new 19-inch EPEAT gold-certified flat panel monitors.

To view details on the makeover and hear firsthand from Robertson Homes co-owner and IT manager Clint Robertson on the value of green to his customers and his business, check out the “green makeover” video. We’ll be going back to visit Clint and his team in three months to see the REAL savings based on how companies actually use our technology on a daily basis vs. relying solely on our own engineering tests! We’ll update you on those results here and on our small business blog. A few things we do know from our energy calculations:

• The Optiplex 960 enables up to 84 percent less power consumption over Robertson Homes older OptiPlex 170L desktops and up to 43 percent less power consumption over the previous generation of OptiPlex desktops to reduce energy costs (actual performance will vary based on configuration, usage and manufacturing variability);
• The new PowerEdge T300 server is 23 percent more efficient than their previous 400SC server; and
• Three CRT monitors were removed and replaced with EPEAT Gold-certified 19-inch widescreen monitors for an approximate 50-percent reduction in average power consumption per monitor.

Added up, these savings directly impact the bottom line! If you are in the market for new desktops and want to ensure you are getting the most energy-efficient Dell configuration possible to experience similar savings, consider these components and settings:

• Energy Star 4.0 Category B or C, EPEAT Gold, Dell ESMART Settings (additional $20)
• Intel Core 2 Duo Processors
• 88% efficient power supply
• Quiet Kit (50% less noise; additional $50)
• Integrated Graphics or DVI-add in card ($10)
• 2.5” hard drives (more energy efficient than 3.5” drives) ($16 more for 80GB 2.5” hard drive vs. 80GB 3.5” hard drive)

On average, this will add around $100 to the upfront cost per desktop, but with the energy savings expected over the life of the system, the benefits more than outweigh the cost.

For more Optiplex news, visit www.dell.com/seriousbusiness.  Here you can learn more about the productivity, manageability and serviceability gains and security features of the new systems – all the more reason to give the new Optiplex a serious look. And stay tuned for a follow-up post and video tomorrow featuring Leigh Stringer, aka Greenette, editor of The Green Workplace blog and author of the upcoming book, "The Green Workplace." Leigh will be sharing additional tips for “greening” your business to save even more in energy costs.

A lot of people don’t realize this, but as of Q2, about 83% of Dell’s revenue came from business products, and that's been pretty consistent for a while now.

That being the case, we receive a lot of feedback from customers looking for new features and functionality in their corporate systems. It’s pretty clear that commercial customers want desktops that are easier to manage, have improved security features and are more energy efficient. They also ask for the services and support options that help IT managers strip cost and complexity out of deploying hundreds or even thousands of desktops.

All that is part of the reason we’re introducing a new line of OptiPlex desktops, Flexible Computing products and desktop managed services designed to help IT departments reduce costs while simplifying their IT.

The new OptiPlex line is the most powerful, secure and energy efficient business desktops Dell has ever developed. Headlined by the OptiPlex 960, the new desktops are up to 43 percent more energy-efficient, include at least 10 percent post-consumer recycled plastic and shipped in 89 percent recyclable packaging. They surpass Energy Star 4.0 and EPEAT Gold certification requirements and are the greenest corporate desktop Dell builds.

Update: If you want to learn more... starting at 10am Central Time, you can view the webcast followed by a Q&A with Dell execs at http://www.dell.com/seriousbusiness.

The OptiPlex 960, 760 and 360 systems include more improvements like:

• Simplified management including remote system maintenance and ProSupport options
• Robust security features like full disk encryption, SSDs, Dell Control Point software and a stronger chassis to prevent intrusions
• More stability to support up to 36-month product lifecycles

For a bit more context behind these new OptiPlex desktop systems, here’s a vlog overview from Darrel Ward, a director in Dell’s Product Group.

Another thing we’re launching today is the FX 160, which is our first true thin client for Flexible Computing. The FX160 supports both embedded and streamed operating systems for virtual desktop deployments. New assessment, design and deployment services are now available to help customers get their Flexible Computing operation up and running. I’ve blogged about on-demand about a year ago when we first introduced it to customers in the United States. Now with today’s announcement, we’re making on-demand desktop streaming available to our global customers.

You can learn more about the concept of Flexible Computing from Jeremy Ford in this vlog.

To go along with these business systems, we’re also rolling out a new suite of managed services for IT departments to more efficiently manage desktop deployments by resolving more than 90 percent of desktop management issues. Delivered through a new cloud-optimized platform, these services give customers the flexibility to select the services that make the most sense for their business, including:

• Remote desktop management
• Software inventory and usage
• Back-up and restore
• E-mail Management Services
• Crisis Management and Alerting
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