Last week, Dell introduced the Dell On-Demand Desktop Streaming server which allows operating systems, applications and data to be streamed to up to 100 diskless workstations from a single server. The On-Demand Desktop Streaming server can eliminate the need for support technicians to visit a user's workstation to resolve problems.

The On-Demand Desktop Streaming server is available at a cost of approximately $1,100 per user. The approach allows the IT department to control security risks posed by viruses and spyware, and is also an effective deterrent to hacking. The centralized approach also allows an organization to maintain close control over software licenses.

The system resides on a PowerEdge 2950 server and uses Citrix software to stream the operating system, applications and data to the client workstations. The workstation provides CPU support, graphics processing and multimedia peripheral support. The user experience of the On-Demand server is identical to that of a disk-based workstation.

Dell is also offering an online IT Simplification Self-Assessment tool to help IT professionals determine whether the On-Demand Desktop Streaming server could provide a cost-effective desktop solution.