Looking to seize a greater share of the growing Linux-based thin-client market, Wyse Technology Inc. on Monday introduced enhanced management, security, and Web-browser capabilities on two of its Winterm desktops. Wyse also introduced version 3.2 of its thin-client Linux operating system.

Both the 5125SE and 5455XL models of Wyse Winterm support Wyse Linux 3.2, based upon version 2.4 of the standard Linux kernel. This latest version of the operating system offers remote management using the company's latest Rapport 4.0 software and security via Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol when connecting to corporate VPNs.

Although Linux has been slow to gain acceptance on PC desktops, the open-source operating system's improving manageability and security capabilities have left a mark on the thin-client market once dominated by Microsoft, says Mike DeNeffe, senior director of Wyse's Winterm products.

IDC research backs DeNeffe's assertion. Linux-based thin-clients comprised nearly 22% of the thin-client market during the first quarter, up from about 16% for the same quarter a year ago. Microsoft's most common thin-client operating systems--Windows CE, NT Embedded, and XP Embedded--held about 63% of the first-quarter market, down from 72% a year ago.

"More and more people are getting comfortable with Linux on the desktop," says Bob O'Donnell, IDC's director of personal technology. He added that Microsoft's declining market share indicates there's an "anti-Microsoft" contingent among businesses worldwide that's looking to replace Windows as open source matures.

The 5125SE, priced starting at $349, runs Wyse Linux 3.2 on 32 Mbytes of flash memory and includes 64 Mbytes of RAM. The 5455XL, priced starting at $449, runs Linux on 64 Mbytes of flash, supports the Mozilla 1.6 browser, comes with Java Runtime Environment 1.4.1., and features 128 Mbytes of RAM.