In March I posted an entry on a significant enhancement in the computing realm, the thin client. That post focused on how thin client computing is changing the net assessment in computer security (see: http://www.ctovision.com/2008/03/computer-securi.html ).
I’ve been really pleased to watch thin client computing take off. How widespread is adoption now? In August Sun announced that they had nearly doubled their shipments of thin clients from the previous quarter. That’s pretty cool. In fact, it is Kurzweilian.
What do I mean by Kurzwelian? Advanced technologies like this can sometimes creep up on us because they seem like they are just growing slowly. Doubling from a low number doesn’t get your attention at first. But when a technology continues to double in adoption year after year pretty soon it becomes almost ubiquitous. Seems like thin client computing is right on that curve.
But what about today’s mobile user? As previously mentioned I’ve been using a Sun Ray thin client laptop. Adoption of these devices will probably follow the same Kurzweilian curve that other thin clients will. Since it is a new idea not everyone will jump immediately. First only those enterprises that care about protecting information will adopt them. Then the savings in terms of cost and the enhanced functionality provided by thin client approaches will drive more competitive benefits to the corporate world and more efficiencies in the public sector and adoption will grow fast.
