eLearning Africa platinum sponsor Wyse Technology has now been acquired by Dell Inc thus bringing two of the world’s leaders in desktop virtualisation and cloud computing under one roof. What will the new-look company offer its customers and partners?
Dell’s Wyse move brings the company a thick slice of the thin-client computing market. “We’re excited to officially welcome Wyse to Dell and help extend its industry-leading efforts to a broader range of customers and partners,” said Jeff Clarke, Dell Vice Chairman and President, Global Operations and End User Computing Solutions. Since 2009, Dell has been on a concerted investment drive, and with 180 patents both issued and pending, the company’s portfolio now comprises a wide range of thin, zero and cloud client computing solutions, desktop virtualisation and cloud software for desktops, laptops and next generation mobile devices.
The acquisition therefore does not mark the end of Wyse’s range of products and services. Tarkan Maner, Vice President and General Manager Dell Wyse, Cloud Client Computing said, “Wyse and Dell share the vision and passion in helping our customers and partners create a frictionless user experience via the cloud.” Maner, who gave a riveting keynote speech at eLearning Africa 2012 in Cotonou, Benin, described the acquisition as an example of ‘relentless IP innovation’. “Dell cloud client computing will develop and deliver the most advanced solutions globally, from the data centre to the end user,” he added.
Just as the acquisition was being finalised, Wyse exhibited some of its newly-minted digital classroom and IT lab solutions at eLearning Africa 2012. Conference participants were able to see in living colour the working of Wyse E01 and Wyse E02, two thin client programs used with Microsoft Windows MultiPoint Server 2011. Being centrally-managed, the programs allow for ease of scalability and can be used on a few PCs within a classroom, several PCs within IT labs and on even more units throughout an entire school. The programs were designed with Africa’s energy and educational requirements in mind in that both consume less than three watts when in full operation, and they are also an efficient way to give students and teachers alike a colourful, interactive and rewarding desktop experience.
Mark Jordan, the Vice President and General Manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Wyse Technology, was present at eLearning Africa 2012 and spoke at the opening plenary session. He explained that between Facebook’s 800 million users and the 500 million people already owning smartphones, there was no doubt that technology was the leading force uniting people worldwide. Speaking of the need for providers to supply IT resources that improve the quality of teaching and learning, Jordan indicated that 64% of higher education chief information officers expect to migrate more than 50% of their infrastructure to the cloud by 2015. Dell Wyse is now posed to be part of this educational transformation, and clients can perhaps expect a few surprises.
Photo credit: Dell Wyse
