My article posted here was publishd in the Summer 2013 edition of FedTech Magazine. Thin clients offer a number of benefits as end-user replacements for PCs, including lower cost, longer useful life, enhanced security, improved mobility. In today's cloud-based computing environment, why haven't more Federal agencies implemented thin clients as their primary end-user platforms?

1. FedTechmagazine.com | summer 201334
By PaulWohllebenThe Business of IT
ThinValue
Thin clients give end users a PC-like
experience while providing IT leaders
with a computing infrastructure that
can be centrally controlled.
Thin computing delivers benefits in
several key areas.
First, security is improved in a variety
of important ways. Data is stored on the
server, not the client device. This means
that CIOs can worry less about client
computers, hard drives or thumb drives
being stolen or otherwise compromised.
In addition, CIOs can focus their attention
on securing the servers that power thin
clients. It is much easier and less costly to
DrewMyers/GlowImages
The numerous benefits that thin
clients bring should make them a
federal priority.
in 2009 and, with several advances in
technology, much easier to adopt and
implement. The rationale for moving to
thin computing was strong then, and with
the proliferation of mobile devices, it is
even stronger today.
What Is Thin Computing?
Thin clients are essentially desktop or
notebook computers with no internal
or attached hard drives for data stor-
age. The client must be connected to
a server to operate. In this model, the
server provides the bulk of comput-
ing functionality and stores the data.
I
wrote in 2009 that federal CIOs
should adopt thin client technology
as their main client devices for a
variety of reasons.
Since then, several CIOs have adopted
thin clients, but most have not. In addi-
tion, while the Office of Management
and Budget has pushed heavily for adop-
tion of other sensible initiatives — most
notably data center consolidation and
cloud computing — there has been no
central initiative pushing the adoption
of thin clients.
In my view, the business case for thin
remains as clear and positive as it was

2. summer 2013 | fedTechmagazine.com 35
secure a manageable number of servers
in a data center than to protect data
stored on thousands of widely distributed
devices. This architecture also makes it
simpler to ensure continuity of operations.
Second, thin clients cost less. Thin
devices cost roughly half as much as a PC
and require replacement roughly half as
often, making upgrades much less expen-
sive. Since thin devices have fewer com-
ponents that can malfunction, servicing
themislesscostly.Inathinclientarchitec-
ture, most software resides on the servers,
not the clients, significantly reducing the
labor involved for upgrades and patches.
CIOs realize the full benefits of remote
client management from the data center.
To summarize, thin clients have a lower
total cost of ownership than PCs.
Third, a thin client infrastructure
is also more environmentally friendly
because it uses fewer components and
can operate on less power. With today’s
focus on green IT, this becomes both a
cost and political advantage over more
traditional PC usage.
Why Now?
Since 2009, the availability and usage
of smartphones has exploded. Billions
of people around the world enjoy a thin
client experience every day. Thousands
of free or low-cost applications improve
the daily lives of many users, and make
their mobile technology more useful and
their lives more productive.
Although somewhat slow to adapt,
most federal agencies have delivered appli-
cations to mobile users that bolster access
to government information resources
and improve the interaction between
government and its citizens. The move to
mobile is a very good thing and a great
opportunity for government to continue
to improve relations with citizens.
The emergence of mobile computing
in recent years has had a profound effect
on federal IT. Mobility is an unstoppable
force in government computing, and thin
clients represent a powerful way to lever-
age this technology.
Target Acquired
CIOs have embraced mobile computing
for interacting with citizens. This trend
will continue and intensify. The access to
government and the value that citizens
receive will continue to improve. Busi-
ness processes for government-citizen
transactions will continue to be simpli-
fied by use of technology, and citizens
will both demand and appreciate these
improvements.
The pace of change within government
organizations is, unfortunately, much
slower. To better align citizen-based
external interactions with employee-
based internal interactions, and to cap-
ture the advantages of improved security,
lower cost and reduced environmental
impact, CIOs must aim for the following
achievements:
• Extensive use of mobile devices based
on thin technology
• Cloud-based data and applications
• No permanent local client storage or
storage devices
• Full-service managed security of
servers, with 24/7 monitoring and
quick-reaction capability.
Agencies that reach these goals will find
that they can expect a variety of benefits:
• Improved security
• Improved customer satisfaction
• Enhanced productivity via improved
business processes
• Reduced cost per comparable usage.
The administration has a lot on its
plate, but I still wonder: Why isn’t thin
computing considered an important fed-
eral priority?
Paul Wohlleben is a former federal CIO who
currently consults in the federal sector. Email him
at paul.wohlleben@gmail.com or visit his blog at
businessofinfotech.blogspot.com.
5.6 million Number of thin client devices
expected to be shipped worldwide in 2013
SOURCE: IDC
How Thin
fits in
During President Obama’s time in office, the
Federal CIO’s office has pursued several key
initiatives into which thin computing could fit:
• Cybersecurity — Implemented
appropriately, thin computing improves
security by reducing client storage and
enabling CIOs to focus on securing servers.
• Cloud computing — Cloud computing
is designed to be device-independent. It
achieves its maximum advantages when
client security is ensured by storing all data
on the server.
• Data center consolidation — Federal
efforts to consolidate computing power
and thereby reduce infrastructure costs are
minimally affected by the type of devices
connected, but thin clients contribute to
an overall lower cost of ownership for the
entire computing infrastructure.
A key trend — bring-your-own-device —
has also emerged in recent years.While it is
unlikely that agencies will require employees
to provide their own computing devices as
their primary client device, the thin client
model is quite compatible with the BYOD
trend, and agencies will increasingly connect
with citizens using whatever devices citizens
decide to use.
The bottom line:Thin is very compatible
with current initiatives and trends.