In recent years we have learned to understand that working remotely, in whatever form, is not only possible, but also potentially more efficient than working in the office (or at least it appears to be a valid alternative). We have also learned how to implement solutions that guarantee security just like in the company and, finally, we have learned how to better organize the device estate in order to be able to open up to mixed working methods, flexible hours, differentiated management requirements and increasingly dynamic and diverse needs of our staff.
What’s sure is that, in all of this, it’s necessary to have secure and effective solutions suitable for the purposes, which are easily manageable and which minimize the stress of the IT departments in companies, as well as governments, schools, universities, etc.
Praim offers solutions that can make remote working (in all its forms) easier; in particular, the ThinOX4PC operating system on the one hand guarantees security and simplicity of implementation for administrators and, on the other, the ability to work from anywhere and with any connection for all users.
ThinOX4PC: overview
But what is ThinOX4PC? It’s a full-fledged operating system, based on Linux, and is a solution capable of transforming any third-party device, with any operating system, into a secure and fully managed device through the Praim ThinMan centralized management console. There are various methods of installing ThinOX4PC: directly on the device, supply it (by IT administrators) via an ad hoc generated USB support (in “live” mode), or purchase the ThinOX4PC USB version. Supplied by Praim already on a very high quality and reliable USB support, it’s ready to use, can also be installed on personal devices and creates a secure disk partition, without touching the pre-existing operating system and without modifying any type of user’s personal data.
What are the peculiarities of ThinOX4PC?
- It’s a secure solution, separate from the disk and the pre-existing operating system on the device and, therefore, risk-free as regards disk writing.
- Speaking of security, in fact, it’s possible to disable disk writing at any time, so to have a device that’s always “clean” at each start-up and thus avoid the risk of tampering (intentional or not).
- Thanks to ThinOX4PC it’s also possible to block USB mass storage and thus regulate the permissions regarding the USB ports of the device.
- It’s a solution that can be managed entirely by ThinMan Server, so as to also guarantee the necessary remote support.
- Thanks to the combination with ThinMan, it’s also possible to manage, organise, schedule and control all firmware updates and all configuration changes.
- Another fundamental feature is the possibility of using the so-called Wake on LAN (or WoL), to manage the switching on and off of devices even located geographically, in order to be able to implement power management policies.
- Planning of activities, again thanks to ThinMan and its centralized management.
- With ThinOX4PC it will also be possible to bring homogeneity to the company’s endpoint estate, even in the case of extremely heterogeneous devices, both in terms of type and operating system.
- Still following the previous point, therefore, it will be possible to have Praim thin clients, third-party thin clients, PCs, notebooks, Windows and Linux devices in your hardware infrastructure.
- Last, but certainly not least, is the possibility of implementing the so-called PC repurposing, refurbishing obsolete devices and with no longer supported Windows versions, giving them new and longer life, in order to save budget and, why not, to give a slightly “greener” look to your business.
Portability and Flexibility with ThinOX4PC
The main objective of ThinOX4PC is to increasingly disconnect users and, above all, IT administrators from the hardware factor. As already mentioned, in fact, there will no longer be the need to adopt a specific hardware model, bind to a particular vendor or provide users with devices that are not suitable for their needs, with ThinOX4PC it will be possible to homogenize the company hardware estate, equip all the devices with standard configurations, simplify their management and significantly increase the level of security of the entire infrastructure. Even in USB mode (live or preconfigured by Praim), the configuration process will prove to be really simple and intuitive, allowing the device to connect to the corporate VDI in just a few minutes and clicks.
In fact, starting the USB stick allows you to reboot the system and consequently access a completely separate environment from the pre-existing one on the device, thus dividing personal matters from work ones, even using a home PC or a private notebook. Thanks to ThinOX4PC USB you won’t need to install anything on the device but simply restart the system from USB to be able to work at home, as in any other place, as well as from your workstation in the office, guaranteeing continuity in your work. This favors a modern, intelligent and dislocated type of work, which suits the needs of the company and of the individual worker.
How ThinOX4PC is able to offer flexibility and better mobility to users? Thanks to:
- Simplified configuration
- Extended network access
Easy Configuration Workflow
ThinOX4PC USB is the secure and efficient solution for accessing corporate resources in VDI, even from devices outside the company: but how long and difficult will the configuration be, in order to make employees work efficiently?
ThinOX4PC configuration is quick and easy! Only two guided actions allow to perfectly configure the solution:
- The first step is to enter the address of the ThinMan Server to point to;
- The second one is the configuration of the local network (also wireless).
The wizard starts automatically when you first start it, in order to further speed up the preliminary operations and the customization of your work environment (for example as regards the setting of the mouse, keyboard, audio output, etc.). In particular, the wizard consists of the following few steps:
- Enter the address of the ThinMan Server to be able to point to the correct company resources, also allowing centralized management from the console by IT administrators, who will thus be able to proceed with more detailed and complex configurations and provide, if needed, the necessary remote support.
- The device can now receive its standard configuration and its access to remote resources.
- The wireless network search and configuration procedure (where present) will then start.
- Everything is ready to be able to work, in total autonomy and security, from anywhere.
The ThinMan Server wizard prompts the user for the ThinMan Server address
ThinOX4PC allows easy connectivity to either wired or wireless networks
To make ThinOX4PC the most flexible and complete solution capable of meeting the needs of users and IT administrators, a new extended and simplified network architecture has been made available in ThinMan Server (starting from version 8.0). The Web Socket Secure (WSS) architecture guarantees maximum security in connecting the device to the infrastructure, whether in the Cloud or on a company server, and at the same time allows for much simpler network requirements on remote user workstations.
The only requirement will be to make TCP port 443 of the machine hosting ThinMan accessible during the setup and to enable the same outgoing port on the endpoint.
The remote user is not required to carry out difficult configurations, just to add his own Wi-Fi network through an intuitive interface and a wizard, very similar to the tools he’s probably used to work with.
All these pre-configurations and the increased simplicity of the initial client settings make the ThinOX4PC+ThinMan combination a winner also from the point of view of saving time, limiting to a minimum the possible helpdesk and remote support interventions from part of the IT departments; a combination that also translates into greater flexibility, both as regards the choice of hosting ThinMan Server locally or in the Cloud, and as regards the possibility for users to take advantage of a standard internet connection via SSL port capable of guaranteeing data protection and encryption of all the data flow between the centralized console and the endpoint.
Closing Thoughts
Thanks to ThinOX4PC Praim offers users mobility and flexibility; allowing to use a personal PC (or laptop, notebook, etc.) or other devices (other than Praim Thin Clients) and connect it to any network. It also allows to boot from a simple USB stick, creating a completely separate environment from the device’s hard drive with a separate Linux-based operating system. Finally, it allows to create a simple and quick configuration workflow for connecting to ThinMan Server with only one requirement.
ThinOX4PC is the Praim software solution capable of guaranteeing companies and their employees effective, efficient and secure remote working.
