VXL Attacks Vertical Markets with Launch of Thin Client Laptop

Itona TL targeted at Education, Health, Manufacturing & Warehousing market sectors

Manchester, UK, 12th September 2005 – VXL Instruments, one of the worlds’s leading manufacturers of Windows based Terminals and Thin Client devices, today announced the launch of its Itona TL range of Thin Client Laptops. Aimed at key vertical market sectors including Education, Health, Manufacturing and Warehousing, the Itona TL provides all the advantages of Thin Client computing in a lightweight, powerful, portable and secure laptop form factor. The Itona TL is a strategic addition to the VXL Thin Client portfolio, extending its proposition beyond the desktop in support of its customer’s growing mobile requirements. Furthermore, VXL sees this vertical market opportunity as a strategic play in achieving its aggressive growth targets of reaching 25% market share by 2007.

“This is an exciting new development for VXL which allows us to strategically target key vertical markets that we believe are ripe for a Thin Client Laptop solution,” explained Frank Noon, VXL’s VP of Sales. “Take education for example. There are tremendous price pressures on the IT budget so from a cost perspective a Thin Client Laptop represents excellent value for money. Generally, we’re starting to see the natural evolution of Thin Client technology as it matures and becomes a truly viable option to traditional PCs. Markets such as education that have a need for graphically rich, bandwidth intensive, multimedia applications can now benefit from Thin Client technology that is secure, flexible, mobile and above all cost effective.”

Dave Morris, Product Manager at VXL sales partner Avnet Visual + Data Solutions concurs with Noon’s view of the market opportunity. “We’re seeing Education as a prime market opportunity for VXL’s Thin Client Laptop. We’ve been speaking to a number of both Local Education Authorities and Education establishments themselves and they are all very keen to evaluate the technology. Apart from the obvious cost saving benefits of a Thin Client solution the other major driver is the mobility element. The ability to equip mobile ‘IT trolleys’ with Thin Client Laptops, as opposed to traditional PCs, taking computing facilities to any classroom environment rather than using a fixed location, is a very attractive proposition. The embedded wireless LAN in each thin client laptop means that classrooms no longer need to be ‘wired for LANs’ – this cost saving and flexibility is a key factor in the acceptance of this type of solution”.

Itona TL is available in a variety of operating systems – Gio Linux, Microsoft Windows CE and Microsoft Windows XP Embedded. It connects easily to a wide range of servers and networks via integrated 54Mbs wireless LAN, 56K/V.92 modem or 10/100/1000 Ethernet. The Itona TL has an extensive range of ports (x4 USB, x2 PS/2, audio, headphone, 10/100/1000 Ethernet, wireless LAN, VGA out and S-Video TV out), 32-bit graphics display and a removable battery. RAM can be upgraded to 2GB and Flash memory to 1GB. Secure mobile computing is achieved through central data storage, remote management software, BIOS password protection and a Kensington lock, delivering workstation-class security – in a mobile device. Every Itona TL comes with VXL’s latest remote management software, XL manage Workgroup Edition.

About VXL

VXL is one of the world’s largest suppliers of Windows-based Terminals and Thin Client hardware and offers a comprehensive portfolio of solutions spanning a range of customer requirements and applications. A Citrix Premier Partner since 1996, VXL has also attained Windows Embedded Partner status from Microsoft. Established in 1976, VXL has grown steadily and now has over three hundred people worldwide, with offices in Australia, Germany, France, India, the United States and the United Kingdom. The company’s headquarters are in Bangalore, India.