The Brazilian government has financed a virtualisation project
in schools that will virtualise 357,000 desktops nationwide.
Userful and ThinNetworks will supply the machines, designed to
increase PC use in schools and cut costs.
The project is one of the biggest virtual desktop projects ever
seen and will rely on Linux software driving the shared
machines.
The PC sharing hardware and software is costing less than $50
per seat.
Userful is supplying the
desktop virtualisation software and
ThinNetworks the
virtualisation hardware.
Other companies Positivo, Daruma, and Itaultec are providing the
PCs and services. Userful and ThinNetworks were selected in a
competitive bidding process for all three phases of the project.
The first phase - 18,750 workstations in rural schools - has
already been installed and they are now functioning.
Userful's cost saving ability to turn one computer into up to 10
independent workstations enabled the Brazilian government to supply
it's schools with savings of 60% in up-front costs, 80% in annual
power savings and additional savings in ongoing administration and
support costs.