With an increased momentum towards virtualization technology to deliver apps and desktops, the competition for a reliable endpoint device has also been getting stronger. This has led to some very interesting use cases for virtualization service and endpoint device providers. What matters most is not the capabilities, but rather the set of features the overall endpoint solution provides. For example, the type of operating system, overall security mechanisms, device management capability, device deployment easiness, etc.

Many companies in many domains are providing Chromebooks to their end-users as an endpoint device in their VDI environment even though they are not designed as an endpoint device. Considering only the price as a factor, it is a good business decision. Also, on top of that, you get a sense of reliability and confidence due to the brand value. Chromebooks use an HTML5 browser client for remote access and this reduces a lot of configuration work. The only thing required for an end-user is a browser and an URL and they are good to go.

High bandwidth consumption for graphical performance

But like every coin, there are 2 faces. While an HTML5 VDI client is cost-effective it also comes with its own set of limitations. The big VDI vendors such as Citrix, VMware have developed their proprietary display protocols (ICA, Blast, etc.). These protocols are optimized to provide optimal graphical performance during remote access. But an HTML5 client is not able to take full advantage of this. This in return leads to higher bandwidth consumption at the endpoint level. For heavy or graphic-intensive applications this can lead to a bad user experience.

Can your device support peripheral and customization ?

Apart from this, if the end-users are using certain peripheral devices, it can get a bit complicated to use them through an HTML5 client. The latest native VDI clients have inbuilt support for most of these peripheral devices but an HTML5 client does not support them. The major reason being, providing access to these peripherals to a browser can lead to some severe security concerns. So, an HTML5 client might not be an ideal solution in such scenarios.

Also, the interesting use cases sometimes can come with special needs like supporting a passport scanner device. Many customers have such specific and unique requirements which might not be possible to achieve via the available options. This is where small or specialized vendors get higher ground. Their endpoint solutions can be customized to address very specific needs in terms of hardware or software to complete the client’s requirements. These customization options are much more difficult to implement in a mainstream and locked solution such as Chromebooks.

Update frequency can be a hassle

As Chrome OS is based on chromium, the frequency of the updates is quite high if compared to traditional Thin Client vendors who provide their own OS. While the updates ensure the OS is up to date, too much of them can be a hassle for the administrator as well as the end-users. 

ZeeTim provides a couple of solutions for endpoint devices, one being hardware-based and the other being software-based for refurbishing your old devices. To know more please get in touch and we will be glad to take you through our endpoint solutions for any type of virtualization infrastructure.