BARROW-IN-FURNESS SIXTH FORM COLLEGE SWAPS PCS FOR NCOMPUTING DESKTOP VIRTUALISATION SOLUTIONS

• College Reduces PC Replacement Budget by 58% Over Five Year Period with NComputing N-series Thin Clients Built for Citrix
• NComputing Technology Provides Students with a Superior High-Definition Experience, Advanced Performance, Low Cost
• College Plans to Replace Every PC with NComputing Thin Client Devices by 2016

SLOUGH, United Kingdom – November 7, 2012 – NComputing, the world leader in end-to-end desktop virtualization solutions, today announced its virtual desktop solutions have been selected by Barrow-in-Furness Sixth Form College to replace over 200 desktop computers located throughout the campus. Phase one of the project is already underway, with 75 PCs already replaced by N400 and N500 high-performance thin clients built for Citrix HDX, from NComputing. The college plans to replace every PC on campus with an NComputing thin client by 2016.

N400 and N500 thin clients from NComputing are initially available in the three key teaching rooms, as well as kiosks attached to the walls around the college so students can access email and library services “on-the-move.” In addition, there will be a hot-desk study area open to all. The kiosks and hot-desk areas have been made possible due to the almost-invisible nature of the N-Series in comparison to the real estate needed for a PC.

NComputing was selected over alternative thin client providers due to the superior High Definition (HD) experience, advanced performance and low cost.

About the N-series from NComputing

The N-series is NComputing’s latest portfolio of high-performance thin clients built for Citrix HDX, which transform the economics of desktop virtualisation and enable organisations to extend their Citrix desktop virtualisation deployments. They deliver a high-performance HDX™ experience from £85, a fraction of the cost of existing HDX-capable thin clients or PCs. Powered by the third-generation Numo™ 3 System-on-Chip (SoC), the N-series devices exclusively support Citrix XenDesktop®, Citrix XenApp™ and Citrix VDI-in-a-Box™ deployments with rich multimedia using less than 5 watts of power.

The NComputing offerings are purpose-built to support all three Citrix desktop virtualisation solutions – XenDesktop, XenApp, and VDI-in-a-Box – and any deployment model – whether 1-1 VDI or other session virtualisation models. With deep technical expertise in SoC design and Linux software development, NComputing is well qualified as an experienced solution provider for delivering next-generation HDX Ready SoC Thin Client devices to the Citrix user market.

Supporting Quotes

Darren Stevens, IT manager at Barrow-in-Furness Sixth Form commented, “With the move to virtual applications, cloud deployments, mobile working and BYoD, the need for simple, low cost, high-performance end points has never been more important. We simply cannot support cumbersome and expensive PCs, there simply isn’t the budget or the resources.

He continued, “Aside from the initial cost savings in hardware acquisition, our projections also indicate that we can expect at least a 42 percent reduction in the college’s computer client energy usage over 5 years, reduced maintenance costs and more flexibility for fixed and temporary deployments.”

Mark Pilgrim, vice president for EMEA, NComputing commented, “As well as providing desktop computers at a fraction of the purchase price of a traditional PC, NComputing solutions require 75 percent less support and maintenance and consume significantly less energy. NComputing devices use less than 5 watts of electricity compared to 45-120 watts for a PC; an important advantage when IT budgets are stretched but often there is money set aside for energy saving projects.”

Simon Greer, sales manager at IT Solutions Provider, C1 Systems, a virtualisation solutions provider specialising in thin client and server-based computing technology who worked with Barrow-in-Furness Sixth Form on the new NComputing installation commented, “We were initially approached for a price on an alternative thin client product, however, on speaking with Barrow-in-Furness Sixth Form, it fast became apparent that the N-series would offer better performance for a fraction of the price.”

“We experienced excellent support from the NComputing channel model, working directly with distributor e92plus,” said Simon Greer, sales manager at C1 Systems. For instance, although the initial testing phase with Barrow-in-Furness went well, the customer made us aware of several minor issues. We were able to work through the solutions very quickly. The N-Series removes complexity, price barriers and integration issues, and replaces them with performance, flexibility and manageability. In my view NComputing represents a real opportunity for resellers to offer innovative solutions that solve genuine customer issues without the need for huge investment or a radical overhaul of IT systems.”

About Barrow-in-Furness Sixth Form College

Barrow-in-Furness Sixth Form College was established in 1979. It is the only sixth form college in Cumbria and occupies a single site in an attractive rural setting to the north of the town. Students are recruited from six 11 to 16 partner schools in Barrow-in-Furness, two rural 11 to 16 schools at Coniston and Cartmel and from 11 to 18 schools. A significant number of students are from the independent sector and from further afield in the South Lakes area. Although the college's main work is to provide full-time courses for students aged 16 to 18, an increasing number of adult learners are also recruited. The college offers 35 general certificate of education (GCE) subjects and one OCR Level 3 National Certificate. Approximately 80% of the students aged 16 to 18 are enrolled on to advanced level courses. At Level 2 students can select from one of 4 OCR National courses which they can study alongside GCSEs. The college is an active member of the Furness 14-19 Education Consortium and works in close collaboration with other education providers in the area.

About C1 Systems

C1 Systems is a virtualisation solutions provider specialising in thin client and server-based computing technology. Since 2007 it has helped organisations to lower their operating costs whilst centralising, securing and enhancing their desktop environments. C1 Systems provides its customers with a full service - from initial design through to implementation and post-sales support. It has established an excellent reputation for providing customers with high levels of customer service and delivering effective solutions that solve real business issues.

Relevant Links

• NComputing
• NComputing blog
• NComputing Twitter
• www.c1systems.co.uk

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About NComputing

NComputing, Inc. is the fastest growing desktop virtualization company in the world with over 20 million daily users in 140 countries. The company's award-winning, patented technology lowers desktop computing costs, improves manageability, and reduces both energy consumption and e-waste. It is the perfect solution for leveraging the power and potential of PCs and cloud computing.

To learn more about NComputing, visit http://www.ncomputing.com.

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