NComputing has some very interesting technology. It's all about utilizing your hardware resources more effectively. Nothing new right? This is what server consolidation in virtual infrastructures are all about. NComputing takes this vision of utilizing your hardware resources more effectively to the PC-level. They look at it this way: since all these new desktops have so much processing power, memory and diskspace that usually only is used for about 5%, why not make better use of these resources? To that end they have developed a technology that allows one PC to be used by a lot more users. Basically turning a PC into a Terminal Server.

With the NComputing solution, each user still has their own monitor, keyboard, mouse and speakers. However, instead of connecting directly to a PC, these peripherals connect to a small NComputing access terminal on their desk. The access terminals then connect either directly (X Series) or over Ethernet (L Series) to the terminal services software using the high-performance User eXtension Protocol (UXP).

The NComputing terminal services software divides the PC's resources into independent sessions that give each user their own full PC experience. By delivering all of the key components of the solution including the access terminal, extension technology and terminal services software, NComputing uniquely delivers a high performance solution at the lowest cost. Best of all, your IT staff and end users don't need special training since the end-to-end solution is very easy to setup and maintain and is compatible with standard PC applications.

Now, NComputing has traditionally been active in the educational and developing world. Recently however they secured $28 million in funding to enable NComputing to start entering the enterprise market. Al though I think it's a little bit early to start yelling " NComputing is going after VMware" it is interesting to see where this technology is going to go. At least they seem to have a protocol that is not RDP or ICA.

Hooking up 30 users to a PC does not sound like the future to me right now but who knows? They are innovative that's for sure.

Read more about NComputing (raising the $28 million).

Comments (2)

written by leftystrat, January 29, 2008
Allow me to speak from the other side of this technology.
This hardware/software combination is apparently not ready for prime time. I have deployed a number of terminals in all sorts of MS environments. The results have been either complete happiness or disaster. Unfortunately we haven't figured out how to predictably acquire the former.

My opinion is that the software hasn't been perfected yet. I can't speak for the linux side, but the Windows side could stand some stability. The units also abhor multiple hops to the server.

This is a package with great potential but it hasn't realized it yet.

written by Airmoe, March 29, 2008
I agree! We tried to deploy 100 of the L200 clients and have spent hundreds of man hours trying to get these to work as advertised. We have rewired, bought new switches, and done every software update they asked us to do. They just do not work consistently and create a ridiculous amount of network traffic. I suppose if I were running Gigabit everywhere they may work as advertised. They are not ready for prime time.

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