Thin-clients for clusters: working ourselves out of a job?

Thin-client technologies provide an alternative to the traditional desktop computing platform for the delivery of computer services to students in public clusters on college campuses. The Academic Computing Systems group at the University of New Hampshire has conducted a series of investigations and tests of Windows Terminal Services and Citrix systems to determine the possible applications and limitations of these technologies with respect to academic computing needs. These tests have illustrated the limitations of thin-client systems as well as the advantages. For the time being, the decision has been made to not look to thin-client solutions as a replacement for the traditional computing cluster environment. Our group is, however, conducting a pilot project with Windows Terminal Services in the summer and fall 2004 to offer students access to course-specific computer programs from their own computers in the dorms or at home. These are applications that have traditionally only been available in the Student Computing Clusters. If this pilot is successful, will we be further reducing the need for public clusters on campus in a world of ubiquitous computer ownership, wireless networking, and easy access to basic productivity applications? Will we be working ourselves out of a job.