HP Brings On The Skinny

Hewlett Packard Thursday began shipping three new thin-client computers, two months after integrating thin client vendor Neoware into the HP fold.

These are the first thin client products the computer giant has launched since its acquisition of Neoware, which closed on Oct. 1 last year.

Thin client computing is being driven by a need for higher security for companies complying with Sarbanes-Oxley regulations and HIPPA, said Klaus Besier, Vice President, Thin Clients, HP Personal Systems Group. Thin clients are also less power hungry than traditional desktop or mobile computers, he said, and they also offer the channel a way to tap into different revenue streams with customers.

"It is something that the channel is very much interested in because it also gives them an opportunity to capture some other revenues because thin clients are used for virtualization projects in general that normally come with some services revenues," said Beiser.

In response, the company has brought two desktop computers and one mobile thin client to market to capture dollars in the thin client space. HP expects to ship about 1 million thin client computers in 2008 and about 70 percent of that is expected to come through the channel.

HP launched two desktop thin client computers, the HP Compaq t5730 and t5735. The t5730 runs on Windows XPe and some models include integrated WLAN. The t5735 is based on Debian Linux and supports a variety of open source applications. Both include high-end graphics capabilities, USB compartments and HP Quick Release support.

Slide Show: HP's New Thin Client PCs

The t5730 and t5735 list for $499 and $450 respectively.

On the mobile side, HP is launching the HP Compaq 6720t mobile thin client. Based on Microsoft Windows XPe, it has a 15.4 inch display, a solid state design with no hard drive, fan or moving parts and is Wi-Fi certified with support for 3G wireless networking. No data resides on the machine, so information cannot be stolen. The mobile thin client 6720t will list for $725 when its available later this month.

"The great news for resellers is that we have really got now a Tier 1 mobile thin client that they can offer to their customers without fear or concern. They've really got the best mobile technology from HP combined with the mobile thin client expertise from Neoware and they can really go in and be confident in offering and delivering mobile thin client solutions and technology now," said Tad Bodeman, Director of Blade PC and Thin Client Solutions, HP Personal Systems Group.

"I think this is an area that's particularly ripe for [SMB] resellers to differentiate themselves. They haven't picked up and learned about these thin client solutions and how they can differentiate their offerings versus the reseller down the street talking about PCs. There's a real story for them on using thin client technology that's from a tier 1 leading vendor like HP and being able to go in and offer a security cost-of-ownership cost-saving value," he said.