HP Brings Greater Simplicity, Flexibility and Intelligence to Client Virtualization Portfolio

HP (NYSE:HPQ) today announced additions to its desktop-to-data-center client virtualization portfolio that offer users improved flexibility, security and productivity.

Announced at Citrix Synergy™ 2011, the offerings include:

• Too smart to be called "zero,” the affordable HP t5335z and t5565z Smart Clients are first-of-their-kind, reprogrammable zero clients that can support a choice of Citrix-, Microsoft- or VMware-based infrastructures.
• The HP 6360t Mobile Thin Client provides greater security and productivity features for remote and mobile workers, with a durable aluminum design that shares common docking with HP notebook PCs.
• The HP Client Virtualization Enterprise Reference Architecture with Citrix XenDesktop® and Microsoft® Hyper-V is a preconfigured and performance-optimized solution that simplifies customer integration and testing, while reducing risk for deployment. Combining compute, storage, networking and system management, the solution is tuned for client virtualization efficiency for all enterprise users and includes options to scale up and out to meet changing customer requirements.

"Only HP, the worldwide market share leader in thin clients,⁽¹⁾ has the depth of expertise and global scale to meet customer requirements from the data center to the end point in client virtualization and cloud computing deployments,” said Jeff Groudan, director, Commercial Desktop and Thin Client Marketing, HP. "With industry-leading flexibility and performance at the lowest price points, these new offerings reinforce our leadership in this market and commitment to delivering the best possible experiences in Citrix environments.”

"Desktop virtualization is rapidly being adopted by organizations of all sizes as a means to transform traditional desktop computing into a people-centric, on-demand service,” said John Fanelli, vice president of product marketing, Enterprise Desktops and Applications, Citrix. "Through our broad collaboration with HP, we are delivering jointly tested and verified desktop virtualization solutions that are helping enterprises meet the unique computing needs of all their workers. Citrix desktop virtualization solutions combined with HP thin clients and Smart Clients enable unparalleled business productivity by providing customers with virtualization solutions that span the data center to the desktop.”

HP Smart Clients: Zero configuration, management, compromise

The new HP t5335z and t5565z Smart Clients deliver an unmatched combination of flexibility and affordability to the zero client market. The HP Smart Clients’ intelligent capabilities allow end users to be up and running in seconds with no configuration or management required on the device side.

HP Smart Clients are the only zero clients to offer device repurposing, which delivers the same great hardware platform independent of the virtualization solution deployed (Citrix XenDesktop via HDX, VMware View or Microsoft Session Virtualization via RDP) and gives customers the option to migrate to any of the three solutions at any time.

Using HP Smart Clients with Citrix XenDesktop, customers benefit from the HDX optimizations, including HDX MediaStream for smooth multimedia rendering, HDX Plug-n-Play for USB redirection, Citrix Smooth Roaming for secure access from any physical location on the network, and a dock bar for toggling between multiple published applications running through Citrix.

The HP t5335z Smart Client uses a powerful, yet efficient ARM chipset with integrated graphics optimized to deliver a rich, full-screen 1080p HDX™ multimedia experience in Citrix environments, all while its energy-efficient design uses less than 5 watts of power at idle.

The HP t5565z Smart Client is among the first thin clients in the industry to earn an EPEAT® Gold designation. The t5565z features native dual digital display support and a Superscalar VIA Nano u3500 CPU and VX900 Integrated Graphics Processor to deliver hardware-assisted multimedia decoding for performance rivaling a traditional PC.

Both HP Smart Clients use HP Auto-sensing Technology to automatically connect to the HP Smart Client Service, which delivers the appropriate configuration. The HP Smart Client Service enables new software infrastructure configurations, which are inherited upon the next boot.

Simple and secure mobility for remote workers

The Microsoft Windows® Embedded Standard-based HP 6360t Mobile Client provides a flexible, PC-like experience with support for more applications and multiple simultaneous environments, such as VDI- or session-based desktops, without sacrificing the security of sensitive or mission-critical data. Users store data on a secure, centralized server rather than on an internal hard drive, ensuring data remains safe in the event a device is lost or stolen.

With minimal moving parts and a new more durable, modern aluminum design, the 6360t offers enhanced reliability for a longer life cycle than traditional PCs. Its 13.3-inch diagonal LED-backlit high-definition (HD)⁽³⁾ display provides improved brightness, contrast and clarity, and the device comes with flexible battery options, including a 6-cell Li-Ion battery for lighter weight or the HP 9-cell Li-Ion Primary Battery for extended battery life.

For mixed environments, the 6360t also shares a common docking solution with traditional HP business notebooks. The preinstalled HP ThinState, HP Device Manager and Altiris Deployment Solution⁽⁴⁾ management software options help reduce the workload and simplify device management for IT staff.

Pricing and availability

The HP t5335z Smart Client is expected to be available worldwide in July at a starting price of $199.

The HP t5565z Smart Client is expected to be available in August at a starting price of $249.

The HP 6360t Mobile Thin Client starts at $649 and is expected to be available on June 15 in North America and Asia-Pacific Japan.

HP’s virtualization offerings, including technology demonstrations of Citrix receivers on the HP Slate 500 and HP TouchSmart 9300 Elite Business PC, will be on display at Citrix Synergy 2011 in HP booth 312. Additionally, HP will provide industry insight and expertise in a panel session and technical breakout.

More information on HP’s virtualization solutions is available at www.hp.com/go/thincomputing.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure at the convergence of the cloud and connectivity, creating seamless, secure, context-aware experiences for a connected world. More information about HP is available at http://www.hp.com.

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