[thinnews] ClearCube expands reach, usability of blade PCs
- From: "Jim Kenzig http://thethin.net" <jimkenz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: thinnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2003 12:06:11 -0400
Now that Clearcube have extended the reach of these "blade PC's" from only
660' to "any distance" this is a very compelling technology.
JK
ClearCube expands reach, usability of blade PCs By Tom Krazit IDG News
Service, Boston Bureau 07-10-2003
Blade PC vendor ClearCube Inc. Monday announced an updated version of its
technology for connecting users to its blades that uses IP (Internet
protocol) as the transmission standard. ClearCube introduced the I/Port, a
small device that sits on a user's desktop and connects via standard
networking devices to a server room cabinet with racked blade PCs, said
Chief Marketing Officer Raj Shah. The I/Port also allows multiple users to
share the same PC blade, he said. A blade PC deployment is a relatively new
strategy for reducing the amount of hardware on a user's desk and increasing
the IT department's control of individual PCs. ClearCube sells enterprise
customers on the idea of connecting users to PC blades with Intel Corp.
Pentium 4 processors that can be stacked in a central location for easier
maintenance and software upgrades, Shah said. With ClearCube's older
technology, the C/Port, users were connected to their blade PCs via a
proprietary transmission protocol that ran over a standard Category 5 cable
from the server room to the C/Port on the user's desk. Both the C/Port and
the I/Port measure about eight inches wide by five inches deep by one inch
thick. The C/Port or I/Port don't have any moving parts, just connections
for a keyboard, mouse, and monitor. All of a user's data resides on the
blade PC. The transmission protocol limited users to a range of about 660
feet (198 meters) from the blade to the desktop, Shah said. The I/Port will
allow PC blade users to work any distance away from their blade cabinets
because the IP signals can be sent through a company's standard networking
equipment, he said. This fills a big hole in ClearCube's technology that
other blade PC and thin client vendors such as Hewlett-Packard Co. were
quick to exploit when demonstrating the technology to customers, said Roger
Kay, vice president of client computing for IDC in Framingham,
Massachusetts. The new I/Port will also allow up to four individual users
to share the same blade. This feature is well-suited for call-center
environments or financial trading floors, Shah said. The blade-sharing
technology also improves the availability of a user's PC, Kay said. In the
event of a system failure, IT administrators can simply transfer users to
another blade without having to replace the I/Port, he said. The I/Port
will be available in the fourth quarter, Shah said. Pricing for a ClearCube
deployment is based on volume, and is negotiated with the customer, but an
average-sized deployment of the I/Port and blade PCs would cost about US$900
per user if multiple users share each blade, he said. Thin client
technology has been a fringe part of the PC business for years, but users
have traditionally balked at the poor performance and loss of individual
control. Deploying either thin clients or blade PCs becomes more intriguing
as processor performance improves and power consumption decreases, but the
technology is unlikely to create a large market, Kay said. ClearCube would
have more potential to grow the business if it could partner with a large
systems vendor such as HP or IBM Corp., Kay said.
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