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Which environments make the best fit for thin clients? There are many. But the best and most obvious are companies in transition. For example, any company that is transitioning from a centralized information management system to a network-centric model now can choose between implementing a system with PCs, a system with thin clients, or a combination of the two. Given the need for global information access and a desire to minimize total cost of ownership, thin clients offer advantages that didn’t exist a few years ago.

Other environments include those in which task-oriented users need to run only a few applications, or in which technical support services are limited. Forward-looking companies that are replacing terminals can also benefit by investing in thin clients now and upgrading them to include PC-like capabilities, as needs dictate.

Although thin clients or network computers are often associated with JAVA environments, we have always believed that thin clients must give users the ability to run existing Windows, UNIX, and other legacy applications while providing a future path to access Internet/Intranet and JAVA applications. The Boundless approach means that businesses can enjoy the benefits of thin clients today while being assured of compatibility with the environments of tomorrow.

A strategy for success

Boundless Technologies’ ultimate objective is to aggressively build on its leadership position in the global thin-client market while continuing to claim a larger share of the worldwide market for conventional text terminals. To achieve this goal, we have developed a strategy to leverage our products, operations, and channels of distribution – each of which is well-suited to the task.

We understand that for our customers to be successful, they must have continued access to the business applications they are using today. Therefore, our thin clients are designed to provide a clear, "customer-paced" migration path to new computing platforms at minimal cost.

Central to the Boundless Technologies strategy is a comprehensive family of products that provides on-demand access to a very broad range of corporate information and applications. Integral to that capability is support for Windows 3.x, 95, and NT, as well as the World Wide Web, the Internet and Intranets, UNIX systems, mainframes, minicomputers, and JAVA applications.

By leveraging our expertise in terminal design and manufacturing, we have been able to create a family of thin clients that has achieved virtually all its goals. Unique to our offering is our pacesetting Viewpoint Administrator Software, featuring software modules that allow system administrators to upgrade the Viewpoint TC thin client’s features and functionality with ease. Users can begin with a base hardware/software configuration that can be upgraded by the administrator from simple terminal-like capabilities to multi-user Windows, local browser support, and full-fledged graphical desktop performance without sacrificing the original investment.

Making the most of channels

Boundless Technologies’ channel strategy is simple: leverage existing relationships with our OEM and distribution partners around the world, as well as capitalize on the large worldwide installed base of terminals manufactured by Boundless. To a great extent the end-user customers and channels of distribution are similar for both terminals and thin clients. Therefore, as companies transition from legacy and UNIX-based systems to network-centric computing, they will look to the same suppliers for support. By expanding and strengthening our existing channel relationships, the stage will be set to better meet customer demand for terminals and thin clients alike.

Streamlining operations

Another key element in our strategy for success is the company’s ability to manufacture products for a worldwide marketplace with speed and efficiency. To that end, our 155,000-square-foot, ISO 9002-certified facility based in the USA has been specially designed to allow products to be customized to specific customer requirements – a unique capability that supports our customer-focused marketing approach. We have also successfully implemented a "just-in-time" flexible manufacturing system in such a way that we can react more quickly to customers while minimizing inventory costs. An additional benefit of the operational strategy is that the company’s family of products now offers a level of reliability that is well matched to mission-critical applications.

A commitment to research

In a rapidly changing world, the need for continued research and development is a given. At Boundless Technologies we will continue to invest in the development of products that make a positive difference in our customers’ businesses. Whether through internal development, partnerships, or alliances, we are committed to advancing our core competencies and the state of the art in computing access solutions for a network-centric world. As a result, Boundless Technologies’ customers and channel partners are assured of the most advanced, full-featured products both today and in the future.

A vision shared

There can be no question: the world is undergoing a dramatic shift in the manner in which information is made available to people. With the global need for low-maintenance information access driving widespread adoption of Windows, the Internet, and JAVA, network-centric computing is the obvious choice for many enterprise environments. Thin clients now offer the ability to deliver broad access to data and applications at a demonstrably lower total cost of ownership.

The Boundless Technologies vision will soon be shared by businesses on every continent. With leading-edge products, expanded channels of distribution, and world-class manufacturing operations, we are ideally positioned to become the global leader in computing access solutions for a network-centric world.