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ACP Thin Client Newsletter Article |
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One of our customers was asked to do a presentation about his Thin Client deployment and asked for a list of the top ThinManager benefits.
I suggested the following bullet points:
Unlike many Thin Clients, every ACP Enabled client constantly monitors the server, and will automatically switch to the next server in the list if it detects a problem. This feature is especially important for industrial users - many other clients indicate server failure by freezing the display, depending on the user to reboot when the client is unresponsive. Industrial displays usually are simply glanced at to check production or alarm status, and could be locked up for hours before anyone noticed.
A single Thin Client can control an almost unlimited number of sessions on any number of Terminal Servers. Users are able to switch between sessions with a drop-down menu or with a hot-key sequence.
With ACP ThinManager simply plug in a new Thin Client and turn it on. Configuration, including user account creation, can even be done completely automatically, and no software has to be installed.
If something does go wrong with the Thin Client hardware, even in the middle of the night, anyone in the plant can replace the unit without having to access the Server or configure the client.
No matter who the vendor, if the product has the ThinManager Ready label it will function exactly like all other ACP Enabled Thin Clients. This means that a unit from Xycom is a drop-in replacement for a unit made by Allen-Bradley.
Add to that the fact that our network boot technology keeps clients from ever becoming obsolete (some of our customers are still running hardware they installed in 1999) and you have a very stable platform for the long haul.
ACP Enabled Thin Clients keep the configuration for each client on the Server, so particulars such as touch screen model, Server IP addresses, I/O port configuration, initial application, and user login preferences all transfer to any replacement Thin Client without any customization from the operator. This means no local storage is necessary, so even if the client is removed from the area it will not contain any of your data. And the proprietary Thin Client operating system (and lack of a local boot device) makes the client impervious to any traditional hacking methods.
ThinManager will direct connecting Thin Clients to the least loaded Terminal Server from a list of those available. No software needs to be installed on the Terminal Server, and the operator can view graphs showing the load of each machine.
With ACP's latest Terminal Server Enhancement, TermSecure, administrators can control user access with a ThinManager user name and password and allow manual or automatic login using passwords, proximity cards or USB flash keys - or a combination. Add Windows Permissions and you have an additional level of granting or denying access. Users will not even get on your network unless they get through this proprietary security layer.
With TermSecure you can login at any terminal, at any time, and your current terminal server sessions and the applications you are running in them come right back to you.
Of course there are many other features that set ThinManager apart from the competition - want to know more? Send me an e-mail and I will be happy to drop some material in the mail so that you can do your own investigation.
For more information on ACP Industrial Thin Client computers, please visit our web site at http://www.thinmanager.com
For an archive of past newsletter articles, or to sign up for this monthly newsletter online, please visit our newsletter index at Past Articles
(c) Copyright 2006 Automation Control Products. All rights reserved. All product names contained herein are the trademarks of their respective holders.
