Devon IT Launches Thin Client Notebook PC

Published: October 18, 2006

by Alex Woodie

CIOs and IT managers have a love-hate relationship with notebook PCs. On one hand, notebooks are extremely powerful tools and are nearly inseparable from the road warriors who depend on them. On the other hand, the power and access afforded by notebooks can turn around and bite you in the bum should a notebook become lost or stolen. Devon IT aimed to close this love-hate gap last week when it launched a new diskless thin client notebook called the SafeBook.

With the SafeBook, Devon IT is trying to bring to notebook computers the same level of security and ease-of-management that thin client computers have brought to desktop PCs. Because it doesn't have a disk, the SafeBook cannot store data (or viruses or spyware, for that matter), and must rely on network connections to access data residing on corporate networks. An embedded version of Microsoft Windows XP runs on the computer, while Windows emulation is provided via Citrix ICA or Microsoft RDP protocols.

The SafeBook, which starts at $799, is powered by a Via C7-M X86-compatible processor, and has a single DDR memory socket that accepts from 225 MB to 1 GB of memory. The computer features a 12-inch XGA screen, three USB slots, integrated wireless LAN, and weighs about 4 pounds, according to Devon IT.

"Security, manageability, and lower total cost of ownership are demonstrated benefits of implementing thin clients in an enterprise IT environment," says Joe Makoid, president of Devon IT. "But what has been missing until now is a cost-effective solution that offers thin client security combined with notebook-style mobility."

The SafeBook could be just what the doctor ordered in the healthcare industry, which just so happens to be an area of expertise for Devon IT, which was formed from the IT department of Devon Health, a healthcare organization located in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

Ron Endo, a medical doctor with Valley Pediatrics of Warrington, Pennsylvania, gave the SafeBook a thumbs up. "Data security is a mandate in the healthcare industry," Endo says. "Health providers must be able to have access to patient data while ensuring that data is safe and secure. SafeBook offers the ideal combination of data access, portability, and security for all types of healthcare organizations."

For more information, visit www.safebook.net.