Lenovo today announced Secure Managed Client (SMC), a storage-based desktop computing solution that can dramatically help businesses reduce IT costs and security risks by turning off hard drives and storing all data in a non-server remote location – all while offering users the flexibility and performance of a traditional desktop PC.
The SMC solution consists of a client, a hard drive-less ThinkCentre desktop PC Intel vPro technology, a Lenovo co-developed software stack and a centralized Lenovo Storage Array, powered by Intel.
SMC offers several significant benefits over current server-based computing options such as blade PCs, thin clients or desktop virtualization, most notably:
- Preserves PC fidelity – SMC gives the end user a full Windows experience
- Avoids IT complexity – SMC works with and enhances current IT process and tools
- Safe and flexible investment – An SMC ThinkCentre can easily be converted back to a traditional desktop PC by re-enabling the hard drives
- Energy efficient – An SMC ThinkCentre uses less energy than a traditional desktop PC
- Security – Information from all desktops in an SMC fleet is stored in a safe, single location, significantly reducing the threat of on-site theft of data
Lenovo estimates that large enterprise customers in North America typically spend about $120 a month to fully manage a PC. This expense takes into account such things as deskside IT visits, call center support, and management costs. Lenovo further estimates that using the SMC solution can potentially reduce this expense to as low as $70 per PC.
The SMC solution is currently being offered on the ThinkCentre M57p1 desktop PC, and can also be offered on the ThinkCentre M58p2 in early 2009. The recently launched M58p is the greenest, most secure and most manageable ThinkCentre desktop yet.