Thin is In, "Fat" Desktops are Out in Insurance Industry IT

Increased flexibility, security and speed of deployment of thin and zero client devices are key benefits to industry, research shows.

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IGEL Technology

Oct 13, 2014, 08:35 ET

VALLEY COTTAGE, N.Y., Oct. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Insurance industry IT managers in the UK plan to put their desktops on "diets" over the next 24 months. Research shows that thin and zero client adoption will increase by 19%. Flexibility, security and speed of deployment are the main advantages of deploying thin client devices, according to the managers.

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Of the insurance companies recently surveyed, 78% currently run a centralized IT infrastructure. Eighty percent of these organizations have at least some thin or zero client desktops deployed. While PCs still dominate the desktop landscape (they're at 42%), thin and zero client deployment has risen to 20%. Other players in the arena are notebooks—23% of users prefer these—and tablets with 19% of the user base. According to the managers running insurance industry IT departments, however, thin clients will rise to 39% of desktops within two years, because of the advantages they offer in regard to flexibility (56%), improved security (46%) and speed of deployment (44%). Despite the near doubling of thin and zero client deployment predicted, obstacles to broader adoption remain. Primary among these are concern over user frustration if the system goes down (42%), the cost of implementation (40%) and user resistance to adoption (40%).

Ninety-four percent of the IT managers surveyed indicated that the number of thin and zero client desktops at their company would likely or very likely increase. One third (32%) of them noted that using software to convert their existing hardware into centrally manageable thin clients is an attractive option and would very likely constitute part of their thin client expansion.

The research, conducted by Dynamic Markets on a sample of 50 UK insurance companies on behalf of IGEL Technology, also found no real preferences regarding server-based computing providers. Industry leaders Citrix, VMware and Microsoft were present in about half of the companies using thin clients.

Insurance companies that took part in the survey count multiple thin client brands among their desktop devices. Seventy percent have more than one brand, 58% use three or more brands and 28% have four or more deployed.

Adam Brush, Vice President of Sales and Alliances in North America, notes that the research results from the UK would probably be similar if conducted in the US. "There is no doubt that flexibility, speed and security are prime drivers in thin client desktop implementation. Thin is definitely in." That's not say, he notes, that thin client vendors don't still have a lot of convincing to do in regard to the benefits, both in the insurance industry and in other industries. "The advantages of thin clients are tremendous, but vendors have to demonstrate that clearly in order to overcome the concerns many management teams raise when considering their desktop options."

For an executive summary of the research go to: http://www.igel.com/ES_Insurance

About IGEL Technology

A world leader in thin and zero client solutions, IGEL Technology helps organizations improve the agility, efficiency, and security of their virtual desktop and application delivery systems. IGEL produces one of the industry's widest range of hardware thin and zero clients, based on Linux and Microsoft Windows, and leads the market in software based thin clients allowing customers to access a broad spectrum of server-based infrastructures and applications. IGEL also offers powerful and intuitive management software for easy deployment and administration of thin clients throughout any size organization. Partnerships with industry leaders like Citrix, VMware, Red Hat, and Microsoft ensure that IGEL provides the most up-to-date technology and trustworthy security to clients in industries that include Healthcare, Education & Research, Public Sector, Financial, Insurance, Retail, Logistics, and Manufacturing. IGEL has offices in the United Kingdom, Australia, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden, the United States, Germany, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing and Singapore and is represented by partners in over 50 countries worldwide. To learn more, visit www.igel.com.

Editorial Contacts:

IGEL Technology GmbH
Dr. Frank Lampe
Hanna-Kunath-Str. 31
28199 Bremen
Tel.: 0421 / 52094 1300
Fax: 0421 / 52094 1399
E-Mail: Email
Web: www.igel.com

IGEL America Sales Corporation
Adam Brush
616 Corporate Way
Suite 2-3263
Valley Cottage
NY 10989
Tel: 610-420-7470
Email: Email
Web: www.igel.com

SOURCE IGEL Technology