I work as the team lead for the Desktop Virtualization Practice at our company.

Here are my findings what are your thoughts?

These are the devices we have in our demo area to showcase to our clients.

We have them connecting to both VMware View and Citrix XenDesktop

We currently have V10L/V90L/S90/R90LE from Wyse using Wyse Device manager connecting to thin clients for device management.

We currently have t7725/t5145/t5730 From HP using HP Device manager connecting to thin clients for device management.

Both Wyse/HP have linux and XP embedded versions flash installed OS's

Both While thin clients powered off has sustained power utilization of 2 watts using our energy reader from kilawatt.

Wyse sustained power utilization from the smallest devices to largest thin clients are ranges from 11 watts to 17 watts from 512MHZ processors to 1.5GHZ

HP sustained power utilization from the smallest devices to largest thin clients are ranges from 10 watts to 43 watts

from 512MHZ processors to 2GHZ

Wyse also has a Wyse OS version that doesnt have to be patched but lacks a local web browser.

As for device management software both have simliar capabilities like remote shadowing, patching, image flashing with usb keys as well as server based. I find the Wyse one is a littles less complex. But they been doing this for a while.

I give the edge for Wyse for now for the enhancements with there TCX Suite product line for the multimedia support which is also been licensed to VMWare and WSM streaming capabilities which is the technology behind Citrix XenApp (previously know as provision server). Thin clients is Wyse's livelyhood and they should be good at it HP does everything and then some.

Both are good products but HP seems to be catching on fast in features and functionality.

Curious to see what you guys think?

HP caters to 80% of the Thin Client population, and is in fact working diligenty on the multi media front. When I say this I mean that they build their base OS images to suite almost any typical scenario. They are not big on creating custom images for idividual customer environments, so they charge a huge amount of money for it as a deterent. However, when they do custom images, they leverage all the good feature requests (requests that benefit ALL customers ultimately) and add them to their base OS image which is good for the Thin Client customer. Wyse has always been better about creating one off or custom images for customers, but that path causes sustainability issues for Wyse. They have to assign support engineers to a specific customer SKU, instead of just having a pool of engineers who have the master images down cold and can support ALL customers. That said Wyse is smaller and much more agile, their R&D cycles are faster, but HP spends millions on R&D QA, just on Thin Clients. My two cents anyway.

Thanks Glenda I will be posting my findings on NEC thinclients as well as Sun Ray products in the next few weeks as I get that evironment all set up.

Thanks for doing the legwork David:) Look forward to your findings.

Hi David

Geoff Kline is experiencing issues with VMware View, so I have mentioned that he try the VDA trial to see if it alleviates any issues.

I do not know if he will, but the feedback could be useful.

http://www.vdi.com/vGeoff/

VDA willl only be helpful in situations with WAN like environments over many router hops who have latency issues. Local lan environments usually do not have such issues and shouldnt get much benefit from the VDA accelerator from wyse. Wan excellerators would help a little but since underlying RDP stream is encrypted it would not benefit a great deal as well. Possibility of application accelerators would work a lot better. Ofcourse that all depends on the type of application the user has and if there is a app accelerator for it.

It ALWAYS comes down to the application. A resource hog is a resource hog.

Do not under estimate the value of the TCX's... Flash, MMR, Rich Sound, USB...

I don't think that is really an issue. Right now Wyse is the only Thin Client Manufacturer with a Multi Media solution that is not based on only one OS (i.e. XPE). TCX works with Linux as well. The fact is at this point it is a matter of over-valuing these features. Not that many companies have the back end infrastructure to support high end multi media distro. When infrastructure catches up to the TC capabilities is when this will be truly leveraged in mass production.

I have a question if someone could help me out. We are planning a pilot VDI deployment. We want to choose the right thin clients. We want to be ready for the VMware View 4 with PCoIP. Are there allready any solutions on market, we are choosing beetwen Wyse and HP:

If Wyse did not continue development in this area they definately would go the way of AOL or netscape but these guys that started the market in 1992 seems to still be putting a lot of money into there products with new product releases and new software. They lead the market and still seem that way in feature and functionality. Remember this is Wyse's livelyhood and thats all they do and they are certainly resting on there leadership. And HP is catching on fast. Your certainly welcome if your in NYC to check out for 4 Thin client vendors and both connection brokers we have on showcase onsite.

Hi Miha

Here is the PCoIP OEM product links, there are also the add-ons link at this page.
http://www.teradici.com/pcoip/pcoip-products/oem-solutions.php

You may wish to trial the Wyse VDA software to test the installation as it has a free trial an accelerator add-on and can be used on cheap desktops and iPhones

Just a few point corrections to previous comments:
Wyse WSM is not the basis of Citrix's XenApp or Provisioning Server, which are different products. Provisioning Server OS streaming is based on Ardence which Citrix purchased in 2007 and was in production for 6 years before that.

I spoke to Wyse and the only device they will have that could use PCoIP is a new device they will be selling, and it will be the hardware based Teradici chips that will be used. He said that there will not be any software based PCoIP support in Wyse devices. I don't know about HP.

-RB

Wyse purchased Ardence OEM licenses which turned into Wyse Streaming Manager and then Citrix purchased Ardence turning it into Provisioning Server. Today Wyse WSM is a much different beast than Ardence/Provisioning Server but built on the same foundation as Brian Madden highlights here

Hi RB, Wyse - PCOIP Demo ( Software )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APVP0DUu34c