HP Expands Remote Client Offers

Hewlett-Packard is expanding its remote client offerings by unveiling a list of new products and upgrades next month.

The computer and printer maker company said it is coming out with two new thin clients, enhanced features for its blade PC architecture, and upgraded functionality for its recently announced blade workstation package. HP also announced it is expanding the global availability of its Consolidated Client Infrastructure (CCI) software package for blade servers and thin clients to Europe, Canada and China.

For the thin clients, the company is unveiling the HP Compaq t5135 Thin Client and the HP Compaq t5530 Thin Client. When the entry-level HP Compaq t5135 is powered up, it's designed to find its settings automatically from the server. The settings are retained only for the duration of the session.

The t5530 model, which is based on Windows CE, is designed more for business use. The client comes with features such as a Web browser, media player, and terminal emulation.

As part of its CCI blade PC package, HP is adding application streaming technologies such as Softgrid from Microsoft and SVS (Software Virtualization Solution) from Altiris. The Altiris software provides both system deployment and software application virtualization, HP said. HP said its Session Allocation Manager, the manageability focal point of the CCI package for blade server allocation, will be updated in February to include new features. Among the changes are improved use of smart cards and the ability for customers to completely customize the look and feel of the client interface. Additionally, the management feature also will provide support for HP's Blade Workstation Solution to act as a single management and allocation tool between these two solutions.

The t5135 Thin Client will be available in the U.S. Feb. 1, with a starting list price of $199, while the t5530 Thin Client will be available March 1 worldwide with a starting price of $299.