Pilot Project Proposal
Proposed by: Dennis Heltzel
Executive Summary:
A practical implementation of Thin Client Computing has been elusive in
the industry. About a year ago, IKON conducted a "Network Computer
Pilot Project" with the hopes of providing a lower-cost migration
strategy for the hundreds of "dumb terminals" presently in use. Two vendors
were invited to participate (IBM and Oracle). This pilot quickly unearthed
the flaws in these systems. Our conclusion was that they could not be used
by IKON with out a lot of customization. That customization would
have been very costly and the results still probably not optimal, so the
project was terminated. Since that time, I have created a system which
meets or exceeds all the goals of that project, and am proposing another
pilot of thin client computing using the system that I developed.
Goals:
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To demonstrate whether the Linux Thin Client (LTC ) can meet the needs
of the IKON terminal user community in a cost effective way.
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To determine whether the expertise involved in configuring and maintaining
a network of LTC's is transferable to other IT workers, and the approximate
amount of time required per system for maintenance.
-
To compare the productivity and effectiveness of employees using an LTC versus
those using a terminal.
Resource Requirements:
Equipment:
Labor:
Scope:
Number of sites:
Number of systems per site:
Time for completion of pilot:
Anticipated outcome: