Computer labs
Since curriculum is increasingly dependent on technology and computer access, schools of higher education have an ever-growing obligation to provide adequate access for those who otherwise couldn’t afford it. Just as some people wrote off the computer lab as a relic, it is evolving into a flexible space used for collaboration and socialization as well as computing. Now that technology is so intertwined into learning, computing is no longer a solitary activity. Students see computer labs as natural settings for group work where they can share technical as well as subject-matter expertise. But most colleges face budget cuts, outdated PCs, limited IT support staff, crowded computer labs, growing student populations, limited PC access time for students, and high costs of electricity, including air conditioning due to the heat output of traditional PCs.
Libraries
While the digital age has changed just about everything, for college libraries the mission remains the same: ensure that information is readily available for students and faculty. With the majority of that information now found on the Internet and in electronic databases, ensuring access usually means adding PCs. Unfortunately, budgets are being cut while demand for access grows faster and faster. That’s where NComputing comes in. NComputing's economical and eco-friendly award-winning virtual desktops help libraries stretch their computing dollars to the point that you can install four times as many seats, with no increase in your budget. Today's college libraries are highly automated information resource centers, and the more access you can provide, the happier (and more successful) your students, faculty, and staff will be.
Classrooms, staffrooms & open areas
Where do people congregate on campus? In student unions, visitor centers, classrooms, staffrooms...and more. And without Internet access, these places are like deserts in the middle of an oasis. Virtual desktops make computing affordable, manageable, and a prerequisite to a dynamic and engaging learning environment.
Digital signage
Now that flat-screens are reasonably priced, digital signage is driving a new wave of student communications. They're useful in cafeterias, residence halls, athletic facilities, and student unions. But if each screen is driven by its own PC, the costs (especially for maintenance) add up quickly. Plus, locating the PC can be a challenge (think theft, dirt, and heat). And getting to those PCs every time they crash is a major pain. But drive them with virtual PCs and your school gets honors in applied technology.
Notice any patterns?
All of these scenarios involve seemingly insurmountable tasks. Solve them all easily and economically with NComputing's eco-friendly award-winning virtual desktops. Because our solution is so affordable, you can install four times as many workstations with no increase in your budget. With NComputing, more students get more access to PCs. The result is a vital and vibrant campus scene. No wonder more than 4,000 schools have already enrolled in the benefits of NComputing's virtual desktops.
How it works
Today's PCs are so powerful that the vast majority of applications use only a small fraction of the computer's capacity. NComputing taps this unused capacity so that it can be simultaneously shared by multiple users. Each student’s monitor, keyboard, and mouse connect to the shared PC through a small and very durable NComputing access device. And they’re everything you want them to be: rugged, durable, and easy to deploy and maintain (because the device itself has no CPU, memory or moving parts like a PC), so you can:
- Cut PC acquisition costs by 60%
- Reduce IT complexity dramatically
- Lower electrical consumption by 90%
- Minimize risk of theft
- Increase security from viruses and malware
- Accommodate 30% more students in the same PC lab
There are two ways to equip your labs
The NComputing X-series is best for workgroup clusters, where all of the users are located close to the shared PC. It also is the most economical solution and provides the best multimedia experience. The L-series has no distance limitation because it uses standard Ethernet network equipment and cables. That way, the shared PC can be located as far away from the users as you like—locked in a closet or all of the way across campus in a datacenter.
Getting started
Institutions of higher education have established a predictable and repeatable formula for success that you can follow, too. Set up a pilot test of the X-series or L-series in a computer lab or public area (because all educators know that nothing beats empirical evidence). It won’t take more than a couple days of testing to make you a believer. When it comes time to evaluate your first rollout, be sure to talk to everyone involved.
Do the students notice a difference (don’t be surprised if they say the NComputing solution is faster if you install it with a new model PC)? Does your support staff like the reliability? Do the numbers make a difference for your budget? At this point, it usually isn’t a matter of if you should expand your population of NComputing virtual desktops, but how quickly. Talk to your NComputing representative or reseller about the best approach to spreading the solution campuswide. Your students, faculty, and staff will all be glad that you did.
Next steps