Microsoft announced today that it has rolled out a public test version of its Windows Thin PC (WinTPC) software technology.
WinTPC is described by Microsoft as a "locked down version of Windows 7" that's designed to allow organizations to reuse their PCs, including older equipment, as thin clients. It's the virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) successor to Microsoft's Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs solution, which is based on Windows XP Service Pack 3.
The WinTPC solution will be available to customers with the Software Assurance licensing option in place. Software Assurance is an added licensing cost that provides educational resources and no-cost software upgrades within the specific contract interval. However, even though users must have Software Assurance to use WinTPC, the community technology preview (CTP), announced today, will be open to all to try.
The public CTP of WinTPC is currently available at the Microsoft Connect portal here (requires Windows Live ID sign-up). At that page, look for the Windows Embedded Standard product, and there will be a link to join the WinTPC trial.
Microsoft Windows Thin PC (WinTPC) enables customers to repurpose existing PCs as thin clients by providing a smaller footprint; a locked down version of Windows 7. This provides IT with significant cost savings for their thin client computing model since WinTPC is a benefit of Software Assurance (SA) and does not require the Windows VDA license that other thin clients would need to access VDI desktops.
WinTPC empowers enterprises to maximize their end point hardware investments to access virtual desktops that are delivered using VDI or sessions. Windows Thin PC improves security and compliance on the device, by preventing data writes to disk. Leverage your existing management strategy and tools such as System Center to centrally manage Windows Thin PCs through accelerated role based deployment of applications, security patches, updates, and data. Windows Thin PC also provides IT with the flexibility to revert back to PCs if necessary, in case the thin client computing model does not provide the benefits they were after.
Microsoft recommends that customers begin their journey to thin clients by first repurposing existing PCs as thin clients with WinTPC and evaluate the benefits they would get with this architecture. Once WinTPC device hardware get decommissioned, customers can then purchase new Windows Embedded Thin Clients from our OEM partners without having to make changes to their existing management and security policies.
Click here to get a pre-release beta version of Windows Thin PC. We encourage you to evaluate the beta product, and provide us with feedback.
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