What is a Thin Client?

A Thin Client in essence is a computer stripped down to the bare minimum. All applications and data are hosted centrally on the server and are accessed by a simple graphics based terminal (A thin client). Thin clients are stateless, fanless desktop appliances that have no hard drives. All features typically found on the desktop PC, including applications, sensitive data, memory, etc., is stored back in the data center.

This in turn means less cost, less maintenance, more reliability and more time dealing with your business than your fleet of 'fat' computers.

Typically a server based solution will run on Citrix or Microsoft Terminal Services or VMware Virtualised Desktop.

Running Windows Terminal Services, Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), and/or virtualisation software, thin clients access hard drives in the data center stored on servers, blades, etc.

Thin clients, software services, and backend hardware make up thin client computing, an alternative desktop computing model.