Utility giant gets Wyse to thin clients

The UK's largest water and wastewater operator, United Utilities, is working with IT service provider Esteem Systems to extend thin-client network access to up to 7,000 employees.

In a contract worth over £1.5m Esteem Systems will replace legacy PCs with Wyse Windows-based terminals that use Citrix software to access applications from a range of devices.

The core business reason for moving to thin clients was cost, said Andy Harper, head of IS at United Utilities.

United Utilities, which also runs electric and networks business in the north west, expects to see cost savings through the ability to monitor and track support costs.

Harper said that the system would also be much more cost-effective to procure and maintain than its former Windows NT 4-based clients.

"There are softer benefits, such as hot-desking, and it will be possible to roam between different sites," he added.

"We also save time deploying new applications, upgrades and patches. The applications are spread across a large number of servers so there is less chance of failure."

The centralised system will allow United Utilities to manage and control software licences. "We can assign centralised applications to individual names, and quickly and remotely monitor usage of applications," explained Harper.

The company started by installing thin clients for up to 3,000 users in Warrington, Manchester and Preston, where 80 per cent of the staff are based in five offices.

"Users vary from standard white-collar workers in administration roles, to contractors and network operators and field-based staff who access thin clients at their depots," said Harper.

United Utilities plans to extend the system, including access for field-based workers, to its remaining 4,000 to 5,000 users within 12 to 24 months. But Harper added: "It will be trickier to roll out to the more remote areas, and tougher logistically."

The system will eventually enable United Utilities to introduce handheld thin clients to mobilise field executives and boost their efficiency, said Harper.

He added that the company chose to work with Esteem Systems because of its thin-client experience.

"Esteem have been exceedingly knowledgeable about the Citrix environment. They have also been responsive to our needs," he said.