Wyse

Last updated

Wyse Technology
Type
  • Public
  • Subsidiary (2012–present)
Industry Computer systems
Founded1981;42 years ago (1981)
Founder
  • Garwing Wu
  • Bernard Tse
  • Grace Tse
DefunctMay 25, 2012;11 years ago (2012-05-25)
FateAcquired by Dell
Headquarters Santa Clara, California, United States
Key people
  • Tarkan Maner
  • Curt Schwebke
  • Jeff McNaught
  • Anthony Armenta
  • Adiya Fotedar
  • Daniel Barreto
ProductsCloud client computing, device management software, virtualization software, cloud software, zero client, thin client, virtual desktop hardware
Owner Dell (2012–present)
Website dell.com/wyse

Wyse Technology, often shortened to Wyse, was an independent American manufacturer [1] of cloud computing systems. As of 2012, Wyse is a subsidiary of Dell. Wyse are best remembered for their video terminal line introduced in the 1980s, which competed with the market-leading Digital. They also had a successful line of IBM PC compatible workstations in the mid-to-late 1980s. But starting late in the decade, Wyse were outcompeted by companies such as eventual parent Dell. Current products include thin client hardware and software [2] as well as desktop virtualization solutions. [3] Other products include cloud software-supporting desktop computers, laptops, and mobile devices. [4] Dell Cloud Client Computing is partnered with IT vendors such as Citrix, IBM, Microsoft, and VMware. [5]

Contents

On April 2, 2012, Dell and Wyse announced that Dell intended to take over the company. [6] With this acquisition Dell surpassed their rival Hewlett-Packard in the market for thin clients. [7] On May 25, 2012, Dell informed the market that it had completed the acquisition, [8] renaming the company Dell Wyse.

History

Wyse Technology logo.SVG
First logo of Wyse Technology

1980s

The Wyse 100, Wyse's first product
(Further images: Wyse 50 / Wyse 120) WyseTerminal100.jpg
The Wyse 100, Wyse's first product
(Further images: Wyse 50 / Wyse 120)

Wyse Technology was founded in 1981 [5] by Garwing Wu, Bernard Tse, and Grace Tse. [9] The company became famous in the 1980s as a manufacturer of character terminals. Most of these terminals can emulate several other terminal types in addition to their native escape sequences. [10] These terminals were often used with library card catalogs such as Dynix. [11] In 1983, Wyse began shipping the WY50, a terminal that was priced some 44 percent lower than its nearest competitor. It became their first big-selling product, and had a larger screen and higher resolution than competitor products at the time. [12] Following the WY50 was the WY60, the best-selling general purpose terminal of all time. In addition to standard character-mode operation, the WY60 supported box graphics that could be used to produce more attractive displays. The Wyse 99GT and 160 terminals added graphical capability through Tektronix 4014 emulation. [13] The WY325 and 375 models added color support with Tektronix graphics.

In 1984, Wyse entered the personal computer marketplace. The first of these was the Wyse 1000, a computer based on the Intel 80186 (which did not see huge volumes because its integrated hardware was incompatible with the hardware used in the original IBM PC). Next came the WYSEpc, an IBM-compatible computer based on the 8088 processor, which had a good following due to its slim-line design. Later, Wyse introduced personal computers compatible with the IBM PC/AT based on the 80286 and 80386, which were top sellers. Wyse sold through 2-tier distribution, which limited growth in the late 1980s as mail order companies like Dell and Gateway entered the marketplace. In 1984 Wyse became one of the leaders in the general purpose text (GPT) terminal industry and on August 17, 1984, went public on the New York Stock Exchange. In the following years, Wyse added the PC product line Wyse pc3216. [12] The Wyse 3216 was based on Intel's newest 386 chip. It sold for $1,500 less than a comparable Compaq DeskPro, $2,000 less than an IBM System 80, and performed at a higher speed than both. In 1989, Wyse developed LAN-attached communication devices. [10] [13]

1990s

Wyse was an early innovator in off-shore electronics production, with its products being built in Taiwan in company owned facilities. In 1990 Dr. Morris Chang organized Channel International, a Taiwan consortium, which gathered business owners together and was a booster for Taiwanese individuals owning U.S. companies. [10] In 1990, Channel International acquired Wyse. [13] [14]

Wyse Winterm Thin client Wyse Winterm.JPG
Wyse Winterm Thin client

From 1990 to 1994 Wyse focused on PCs with CPU upgradability. Wyse created a proprietary upgradability concept called Modular Systems Architecture, or MSA. [13] In October 1992, Wyse became ISO 9001:2000 certified. [13]

In the mid-1990s Wyse Taiwan became the parent company of Wyse Technology. As the PC and server industry became more competitive, in 1994 Wyse management began to focus on making the next generation of terminals. [10] Four employees were directed to investigate and chart the next product course for the company. In 1994, executives Curt Schwebke and Jeff McNaught proposed a new type of terminal that would combine the low costs of terminals with the advanced display capability of Windows PCs. A year of R&D resulted in the most advanced terminals Wyse had developed to date. They worked on enabling them to support the graphics and capabilities needed to display Microsoft Windows and Internet applications. In late 1994, the company developed two thin client prototypes, and selected Citrix, then a small company, to provide the protocol and server side of the model. [14]

The machines differed from traditional text-mode terminals by supporting modern GUI applications using a mouse and windowing systems. The clients are able to access these applications using protocols that send drawing commands or raw pixel data (instead of strings of text characters) over the data connection. Because of the greater bandwidth this requires these machines typically use ethernet connections to the server, rather than the RS-232 links used in the past. [13]

In November 1995, Citrix and Wyse shared a booth at the Comdex tradeshow. Wyse introduced the Winterm windows terminal (now referred to as a thin client) models 2000 and 2500. Citrix introduced WinFrame, the Windows NT-based “Windows mainframe” software it connected to. At the show, the Wyse Winterm was awarded the “Best of Comdex” award. [14] Later, Wyse secured a patent (# 5918039) for the thin client design. [15] In 1997, Microsoft released Windows NT Terminal Service Edition, which supported the Wyse thin clients.

After the thin clients were well received by the market, Wyse introduced several additional models, including stand-alone (Winterm 2300), LCD monitor-integrated (Winterm 2600), and the tablet-shaped mobile Winterm 2900 and 2930 models. In 1997, Wyse introduced the first thin-client remote management software system, Wyse Remote Administrator. [14]

In 1999, Wyse Technology once again went public, but this time on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE). [13]

2000-present

In 2000 Wyse acquired Netier Technologies of Texas, and turned Netier's Rapport thin device management software into the Wyse Device Manager. [14] In 2003 Wyse went private and company shareholders reorganized the company, [16] selling assets such as real estate and company-owned manufacturing facilities in favor of contract manufacturing. [14] In April 2005 [14] the controlling interest of Wyse was acquired by Garnett & Helfrich Capital, a private equity firm specializing in venture buyouts. [16]

The "no-PC" logo used by Wyse to promote thin clients NoPC Wyse.png
The "no-PC" logo used by Wyse to promote thin clients

In 2005, Wyse, working closely with Citrix, Microsoft, and VMware, [18] [19] expanded thin clients to support the newly introduced virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). In April, Wyse and IBM signed a Joint Initiative Agreement (JIA). [14]

Tarkan Maner was appointed CEO [9] in February 2007. [20] Under Maner, the company significantly expanded research and development. [14] [21]

In August 2007, Wyse recapitalized, with overseas investors regaining the controlling interest from Garnett & Helfrich Capital. In March 2008 the company formalized a partnership with Novell. In October of that year, Wyse formed a global partnership with IBM under the Global Alliance Agreement. [14]

In August 2010, Wyse created its Mobile Cloud Business Unit with the introduction of Wyse PocketCloud. [22] The mobile cloud app allows users to access their desktop on iOS or Android devices. [23] In the same month, Wyse became ISO 9001:2008 certified, and in November became ISO 14001:2004 certified and announced a "Strategic Collaboration Partnership with Cisco. [14]

The company introduced zero clients in 2010. [14]

According to the IDC, as of 2011 Wyse is an international leader in what are called "enterprise devices" (terminal clients and thin clients combined). [24]

In April 2012, Dell announced an agreement to purchase Wyse for an undisclosed amount. [25] The acquisition was completed on May 25, 2012. [26]

Recent awards

Notable employees

Martin Eberhard began his career as an electrical engineer at Wyse Technology, where he designed the WY-30 ASCII computer terminal as his first product. Eberhard went on to be a founder of Tesla Motors.

David Dix worked first on the very first Wyse terminals and later the high end personal computers. David also worked at HP prior to Wyse. Dix is working at ShoreTel.

Wyse CTO Curt Schwebke and CMO Jeff McNaught prototyped and led the design of the first Winterm products. They are also holders of the first thin client patent. [15] McNaught later architected the idea of a Citrix-focused "Zero Client", Called Wyse Xenith. Citrix and Wyse partnered to make the Xenith one of the best-selling thin-clients of all time, based on its ease of use, support of Citrix key features, and improved data security capabilities.

Phillip E. White, President/CEO [28]

Tarkan Maner was appointed CEO in February 2007. [20]

Facilities

Wyse Technology is headquartered in Silicon Valley in Santa Clara, California. It also has development centers in India, and Beijing, China. It has sales offices around the United States and in:

Environmental initiatives

Wyse has published research on the environmental benefits of cloud client computing. [20] According to the company, to minimize environmental impact, their cloud client computing products are smaller than that of competitors. Up to 90 percent of Wyse products can be recycled, and the hardware meets WEEE recycling process guidelines. The company also has an e-waste recycling program. [20] [29]

Products

Software

Management Software
Virtualization Software

Hardware

Thin Clients
Zero Clients
Cloud PCs
Mobile Clients

Terminals

Personal Computers

Wyse PC with 286 CPU Living Computer Museum IMG 0025 (9639450074).jpg
Wyse PC with 286 CPU

Personal Computer video cards

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thin client</span> Non-powerful computer optimized for remote server access

In computer networking, a thin client is a simple (low-performance) computer that has been optimized for establishing a remote connection with a server-based computing environment. They are sometimes known as network computers, or in their simplest form as zero clients. The server does most of the work, which can include launching software programs, performing calculations, and storing data. This contrasts with a rich client or a conventional personal computer; the former is also intended for working in a client–server model but has significant local processing power, while the latter aims to perform its function mostly locally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desktop computer</span> Computer designed to be used at a fixed location

A desktop computer is a personal computer designed for regular use at a stationary location on or near a desk due to its size and power requirements. The most common configuration has a case that houses the power supply, motherboard, disk storage ; a keyboard and mouse for input; and a monitor, speakers, and, often, a printer for output. The case may be oriented horizontally or vertically and placed either underneath, beside, or on top of a desk.

In computer networking, a rich client is a computer that typically provides rich functionality independent of the central server. This kind of computer was originally known as just a "client" or "thick client," in contrast with "thin client", which describes a computer heavily dependent on a server's applications. A rich client may be described as having a rich user interaction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Citrix Systems</span> American software company

Citrix Systems, Inc. is an American multinational cloud computing and virtualization technology company that provides server, application and desktop virtualization, networking, software as a service (SaaS), and cloud computing technologies. Citrix products were claimed to be in use by over 400,000 clients worldwide, including 99% of the Fortune 100, and 98% of the Fortune 500.

JavaOS is a discontinued operating system based on a Java virtual machine. It was originally developed by Sun Microsystems. Unlike Windows, macOS, Unix, or Unix-like systems which are primarily written in the C programming language, JavaOS is primarily written in Java. It is now considered a legacy system.

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is a proprietary protocol developed by Microsoft Corporation which provides a user with a graphical interface to connect to another computer over a network connection. The user employs RDP client software for this purpose, while the other computer must run RDP server software.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diskless node</span> Computer workstation operated without disk drives

A diskless node is a workstation or personal computer without disk drives, which employs network booting to load its operating system from a server.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ThinkCentre</span> Desktop computers by Lenovo

The ThinkCentre is a line of business-oriented desktop computers designed, developed and marketed by Lenovo, and formerly by IBM from 2003 to 2005. ThinkCentre computers typically include mid-range to high-end processors, options for discrete graphics cards, and multi-monitor support.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sun Ray</span>

The Sun Ray was a stateless thin client computer aimed at corporate environments, originally introduced by Sun Microsystems in September 1999 and discontinued by Oracle Corporation in 2014. It featured a smart card reader and several models featured an integrated flat panel display.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs</span> Thin client operating system from Microsoft

Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs ("WinFLP") is a thin client release of the Windows NT operating system developed by Microsoft and optimized for older, less powerful hardware. It was released on July 8, 2006, nearly two years after its Windows XP SP2 counterpart was released in August 2004, and is not marketed as a full-fledged general purpose operating system, although it is functionally able to perform most of the tasks generally associated with one. It includes only certain functionality for local workloads such as security, management, document viewing related tasks and the .NET Framework. It is designed to work as a client–server solution with RDP clients or other third party clients such as Citrix ICA. Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs reached end of support on April 8, 2014 along with most other Windows XP editions.

Desktop virtualization is a software technology that separates the desktop environment and associated application software from the physical client device that is used to access it.

Adaptive Internet Protocol (AIP) is a multi-channel protocol that allows an application running on any of multiple platforms to be displayed on any of a wide range of client systems. It supports rich remote display and input services with a number of display options to deliver the presentation of the remote applications onto the local display either as a standalone window, or within a contained remote environment delivered full-screen or in a standalone window. The protocol also supports audio, printing, and other device mapping services.

Ericom Software, Inc. is a Closter, New Jersey-based company that provides web isolation and remote application access software to businesses.

Remote Desktop Services (RDS), known as Terminal Services in Windows Server 2008 and earlier, is one of the components of Microsoft Windows that allow a user to initiate and control an interactive session on a remote computer or virtual machine over a network connection. RDS was first released in 1998 as Terminal Server in Windows NT 4.0 Terminal Server Edition, a stand-alone edition of Windows NT 4.0 Server that allowed users to log in remotely. Starting with Windows 2000, it was integrated under the name of Terminal Services as an optional component in the server editions of the Windows NT family of operating systems, receiving updates and improvements with each version of Windows. Terminal Services were then renamed to Remote Desktop Services with Windows Server 2008 R2 in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pano Logic</span>

Pano Logic was a manufacturer of devices which present virtual desktops to the end user with no local processing power. They describe this concept as "zero client". This is perceived as offering benefits in end-user support and in power provision to desks. OEM versions have been included in displays from some vendors, allowing a single unit to be deployed. The company failed in October 2012. In March 2013, Propalms announced they had acquired the rights to support Panologic customers, and will "help transition the customer base to a new platform".

User environment management is the management of a computer user's experience within their desktop environment.

In computing, virtualization or virtualisation is the act of creating a virtual version of something at the same abstraction level, including virtual computer hardware platforms, storage devices, and computer network resources.

ClearCube is a computer systems manufacturer based in Austin, Texas, owned by parent company ClearCube Holdings. The company became known for its blade PC products; it has since expanded its offerings to include desktop virtualization and VDI. It was founded in 1997 by Andrew Heller and Barry Thornton as Vicinity Systems.

A Nirvana Phone was a marketing phrase coined by Citrix for a smartphone that could be docked with external displays and keyboards to create an alternative desktop or laptop computer system. It was to define a new category of mobile device with a capability beyond a conventional smartphone computer. The NirvanaPhone provides the processor, storage media, display adapter, communication channels, and operating system. The docking station provides power, and connectivity. To be useful the NirvanaPhone differs from a simple smartphone by having significant processing power, video output at high resolution, plus keyboard and mouse input. A smartphone is generally accepted as a device that has both mobile phone capability as well as an operating system that can run applications such as email, web browser, media player and personal organizers. The NirvanaPhone adds external monitor capability which could be a computer monitor, an HDTV, or a video projector. The dock could be a cradle, cable or a wireless connection. This allows the NirvanaPhone to run applications that can utilize a full-sized display for better readability or collaboration. Or in combination with a keyboard and mouse, perhaps using Bluetooth, the NirvanaPhone could act as a thin client connected to a virtual desktop for business use.

Founded by Alex Vasilevsky, Virtual Computer was a venture-backed software company in the Boston area that produces desktop virtualization products, which combine centralized management with local execution on a hypervisor running on PCs. By running the workload on the PC, Virtual Computer enables companies to have centralized management without servers, storage, and networking required for server-hosted VDI.

References

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Further reading