Wyse sounds PC death knell

Thin client vendor claims VDI may be hastening the demise of the traditional PC

Thin client vendor Wyse has used the UK release of its latest product to hail the decline of the traditional PC.

Earlier this week, the vendor launched its SMB-focused T50 thin client device, which allows end users to take advantage of the virtual desktop technology offered by VMware, Citrix and Microsoft.

Speaking to ChannelWeb, Andy Gee, UK sales director at Wyse, said the company has already secured three significant customer wins in the education and commercial markets with the product.

"If a customer is working to a very tight budget, the product can take a lot of the cost out [of replacing a PC] because it has a very low price point and does not consume as much power," he explained.

"Traditionally, with these kinds of products, customers used to have to trade-off on functionality to get a lower price, but the advances in VDI mean that is no longer the case."

In competition terms, Gee said the firm is focused on taking market share from the traditional PC vendors, rather than going head-to-head on price with other thin client players.

"There are vendors that build products to hit a particular low price point and that is not a market we want to play in. Wyse is not out there to be the cheapest in the market," said Gee.

"Our target is the PC market. We offer a PC alternative to SMBs and enterprise customers and the demand for that is growing."

As proof of this tendency, Gee cited the widening scale and variety of projects on which Wyse partners are now working, adding that installations involving 100,000 users are becoming increasingly common.

"What we are seeing is the decline of the PC. The number-one PC vendor just announced that it is thinking of moving out of the market, and I think that speaks volumes," added Gee.