Library Director Discovers How To Lower Technology Costs While Solving A Number Of Computer Support Problems

“Our new Thin Client network saved us a lot of money and a lot of headaches.”

Stella Wheat, Lamar Library System Director

Stella Wheat is not a computer “guru”, but as the Director of the Lamar County Library System, she knew she needed a way to lower the cost of maintenance and support for the computer network and public access terminals in her library.

“We had 3 branches to support that were spread over 30 miles, with plans to add a 4th branch and 8 more public access terminals,” says Stella.

“The problem was I only had one person on staff who knew anything about supporting our computer network. He also happened to be the only person I had on staff to do cataloguing so I couldn’t afford to have him out of the office for too long.

When one of the branches needed support, I either had to let this one person make a 30-40 mile round trip to work on one computer, or call in outside support vendor to fix it. Of course it was less expensive for us to fix it ourselves, but with limited resources and budgets, we were stuck either way,” she continued.

A Solution Is Discovered

After doing some research, Stella discovered how a few other library systems were successfully converting over to “Thin Client” networks in an effort to ease or eliminate the same problems she was faced with.

In a Thin Client network, the operating system, data, and software applications like Word and Excel are stored on a central server instead each individual machine. End users then access those applications and data through “dumb terminals” or other inexpensive network devices.

The end user experience is exactly the same, but you eliminate the need to purchase and maintain stand-alone PCs which are expensive to buy and require a lot of on-going maintenance.

“When I read what a Thin Client network could do, I immediately knew it was the solution I had been looking for,” says Stella, “It was a complete no-brainer.”

Saves Time, Saves Money, And Saves Room!

After installing the new Thin Client network, Stella realized several major time and money saving benefits.

“First of all, the new Thin Client terminals are less expensive to purchase, they last longer, and you don’t have to worry about a visitor damaging the hard drive or tower which is by far the most expensive piece to repair or replace on a machine,” says Stella.

“Second, the terminals are much smaller and do not require the large tower to operate, saving critical desk space and leg room for library patrons,” she continued.

“But the biggest problem solved is the remote support issue. Now my technician can support, upgrade, and troubleshoot every machine in every branch without leaving his desk, freeing up his time to do other critical projects. It has also has reduced our outside computer support costs significantly,” she concluded.

Could Thin Client Be The Solution You’ve Been Looking For?

If you are an organization with multiple locations and a limited IT support staff and budget, then you’ll want to know about Thin Client networks.

For a no-obligation Thin Client consultation, call Kenny Lance at 601-264-1606 ext 101.