DevonIT and IBM

DevonIt often shows up as an advertiser on this Blog. Received this press release in my email Inbox today from them and thought it appropriate to give them some space. I use one of their thin client devices, 6020A , as a testing device on my test bench. Works good.

2007 Press Releases

IBM Unveils New Blade "Eco" System for Next-Generation Client Computing

Blade.org Partner Devon IT Invests $8M in R&D with IBM BladeCenter;
New Solution Eliminates 90 Percent of the Energy Consumed by Desk Side Computing

ST.LOUIS, MO., PartnerWorld 2007 - May 1, 2007 - Today at its PartnerWorld 2007 Conference, IBM (NYSE: IBM) previewed the latest in next generation client computing with the new BladeCenter "Workstation Blade", developed in collaboration with Blade.org partner Devon IT. The new offering will include the new IBM Workstation Blade and its associated "eco" system of connection broker software and desktop device from Devon IT, designed to help customers host workstation environments remotely to significantly reduce energy consumption in the workplace.

The new blade-based solution from IBM and Devon IT will be ideal for traders in financial services and CAD design engineers, who find themselves traditionally surrounded by several workstations generating heat and noise. By moving desktop and applications to blade servers designed to more efficiently dissipate heat, and utilizing a desktop device with no spinning hard drives for storage or fans needed to dissipate heat, the energy consumed desk side can be reduced by up to 90 percent. While a typical workstation can consume up to 300 watts, a desktop device from Devon IT consumes merely 15 watts, the equivalent of the amount of energy consumed to run an electric shaver.

"Prior to the desktop PC boom 25 years ago, desktop client computing was hosted by networks of connected servers. By the 1990s PCs became connected and played a driving force in server and networking advancements," said Doug Balog, vice president and business line executive, IBM BladeCenter. "Today, new advances in servers and networking is helping to enable efficient hosting of complex client environments on servers allowing centralized management and security under the control of the datacenter. With its highly efficient design, IBM BladeCenter has arrived as the ideal platform for server-hosted client computing."

The new solution will also help improve business security and privacy by moving desktop assets and corporate IP back into the data center. Business productivity can be realized by providing users with a more flexible environment with free seating, and a robust infrastructure that enables access at ranges up to 2500 miles, comparable to the distance between San Francisco and New York. Lower management and traditional desk side support costs can also dramatically reduce IT operating costs.

The IBM Workstation Blade will also offer unique, breakthrough and leading edge remote display and graphics acceleration. Unlike competitive offerings, IBM's Workstation Blade relies on hardware compression techniques in the render and transfer of I/O and graphics from blade server to desktop device, drastically improving the quality of image delivered and the performance and speed of the process. In addition, end users will be able to use a full array of USB devices, beneficial for less demanding graphics applications. The IBM Workstation Blade will extend the infrastructure integration capabilities of IBM's family of BladeCenter systems, and will complement IBM's Virtual Client Solution, introduced in 2005. IBM can offer customers a wide range of 'remote desktop' computing options. These include, publishing server based applications, offering a server based Virtual Client Solution, as well as the ability to offer a high end workstation class blade computing environment.

Investing in the Promise of IBM BladeCenter
When IBM opened up the specifications to IBM BladeCenter in 2004, it took a unique stance in the industry enabling entrepreneurial innovation to drive the development of blade-based computing. Since then customers have benefited from the collaborative approach that has kept IBM at the forefront of blade system design and solution innovation.

Devon IT began its collaborative relationship with IBM in 2005 and has since invested over $8 million dollars in research and development with IBM to drive innovation in next generation client computing.

"IBM is clearly the leader in Blade computing technologies, and we are proud to offer our technology as part of the Workstation Blade initiative," said Joe Makoid, president, Devon IT. "As a founding member of Blade.org, Devon IT has collaborated with industry leaders like IBM to help establish a framework for alternative desktop computing methods. This has given Devon IT the opportunity to drive our business and embark on future server-hosted desktop projects with IBM that will continue to reduce desktop computing costs for enterprise IT customers."

Devon IT recently launched its Server Desktop Solution Center at its headquarters in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. The Server Desktop Solution Center is the industry's first facility where companies can bring their own servers - either physically or virtually - to test and implement server-centric computing environments. Customers can test Devon IT desktop devices, IBM BladeCenter systems and servers, software from Citrix, and virtualization solutions from VMware, along with products from other server-based computing companies. Industry experts from Devon IT and CentriServ also offer seminars, classes, and comprehensive solution and integration services to help companies understand and implement server-centric computing environments.

About Devon IT
Devon IT is an information technology company that focuses on offering desktop devices, alternative desktop computing methods, and ultra-secure remote access solutions that provide enterprise customers with greater security, enhanced manageability, improved reliability, and lower costs. Devon IT develops products which support IBM's Hosted Client Infrastructure and Blade Computing ecosystem and is a founding member of Blade.org. More information is available at www.devonit.com

About Blade.org
Blade.org is a collaborative organization and developer community focused on accelerating the development and adoption of blade server solutions. The organization provides leadership to the blade market and fosters a thriving industry ecosystem focused on delivering valuable solutions to blade computing customers.

For more information about IBM BladeCenter, please visit www.ibm.com/bladecenter.

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Media Contacts

Vineeta Durani IBM Media Relations 415-545-2350 vdurani@us.ibm.com

Paul Mancini Devon IT 610-757-4108 pmancini@devonit.com

Until the next post,

Steve