Industrial PC (IPC) Motherboards For Increased Reliability

Industrial PC (IPC) Motherboards increase the reliability of thin clients.
 
As more organisations embrace virtualisation and employ client-server models, they bank on a few key aspects that virtualised desktops bring to the table:
 
1)  Security
2)  Control and Ease of Administration
3)  Reliability
 
Thinlabs' Industrial Thin Clients are exceptionally suited for long term projects with significant development phases - this is because thin client manufacturers have a long product life cycle - device components such as the motherboard, software and drivers are supported over an extended period of time.  This ensures that software updates are minimal (i.e. you can buy the exact same thin client model over a number of years, unlike consumer models which will feature latest hardware enhancements in every model).
 
While security and control are standard features across the thin client marketplace, product reliability depends mainly on the Industrial PC (IPC) motherboard.  Here are several differences / benefits that IPC motherboards bring to thin clients:
 
Greater reliability:  IPC motherboards are designed for ‘industrial’ conditions.  The connectors in IPC motherboards have thicker gold plating in comparison to the gold plating used in connectors of conventional motherboards.  They are geared for 24x7 operation and will generally be more reliable in comparison with standard commercial motherboards, plus are designed to handle the additional dust, heat and humidity typically found in such conditions.  
 
Support for legacy ports:  While serial ports and parallel ports are not seen in the consumer marketplace now, they are still quite popular with businesses that utilize them for running crucial hardware.  Many of these ports are now available as an extra on Industrial PCs.
 
Conformal coating:  Thinlabs offers conformal coating on our IPC motherboards as an added option.  Conformal coating helps improve reliability and reduces the risk of errors/malfunctions in areas experiencing higher levels of dust and/or humidity.
 
So the next time you’re in the market to procure thin clients or industrial PCs, make sure to procure devices that feature IPC motherboards - you will experience better reliability in your virtualised environment.
 
For more information, check out Thinlabs' Industrial Computer offerings or contact a representative today!