Multi Workstations Sites

Software-Only Solution Multiplies your Workstations while Minimizing Expenses

Committed to top performance and high flexibility, SoftXpand simplifies operating your Multi workstations site, and offers a reliable computing experience while drastically reducing your TCO. With only one host computer needed for up to 8 different workstations, SoftXpand allows multiple users to concurrently share a single PC. You can connect workstation clusters to form a network of up to 32 workstations running on only 4 computers!

SoftXpand offers solutions that are adapted to different types of users.
Each solution is designed to provide added-value for niche-specific implementations.

SoftXpand is used in many sectors, including:

• Educational Institutions – for schools, colleges and universities
• Banks
• Libraries
• Call Centres
• Internet cafes
• Hotels

What Makes SoftXpand the Ultimate Desktop Solution for your organization?

Entirely software-based, SoftXpand allows for up to 8 independent workstations to be created from a single PC. The SoftXpand innovative, award-winning technology enables users to work simultaneously, independently and seamlessly while relying on a single powerful host. Additional monitors and keyboards are plugged into a host computer, in effect allowing one computer to be used by eight users at once.

The result: SoftXpand provides the ability to expand digitally while dramatically reducing TCO and significantly increasing operational productivity.

How does it work?

• Multiple sets of workstations, each consisting of monitor, keyboard and mouse are connected to a standard PC (minimum requirement is a Pentium 4). The monitors are connected via video cards, while keyboards and mice are connected to USB hubs.
• Aligned with industry standards, SoftXpand's proprietary resource-sharing and load-balancing algorithm maximizes the utilization of a PC's power and cleverly allocates its resources among the different workstations.
• Video cards are equipped with a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) and VRAM (Video Memory Card). SoftXpand runs on this power and automatically balances it among the multiple workstations according to the needs of the applications that are running.

Bringing a new category to the multi-user market, MiniFrame leads the Next Generation PC industry. It provides both state-of-the-art or basic PCs at minimal cost without on their quality and top performance.

SoftXpand is dedicated to offering software-only technology that is a true replacement for hardware, and it thereby offers exclusive, unmatched benefits:

Significant TCO Reduction

• Approximately 70% savings in:
  • Hardware costs
  • Energy consumption
  • CO2 Emissions
  • Installation time
  • Maintenance
  • Network connections
  • Space required
  • Noise
  • Heat
• Do more with less: Maximize computer effectiveness where there are multiple users without buying additional PCs.
• Save more with less: Dramatically reduce your TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)!
• Save money on additional hardware: any hardware installed on the PC is shared with the other users /workstations.
• Save money on software and hardware license purchase
• Promote maximum usage of existing hardware (screens)
• Save valuable IT Dept. Time: IT administrators only support only one PC for 8 users, from a single location.
•  
• Allocate resources efficiently by rethinking IT budget
  • SoftXpand reduces frequency of PC purchase
  • Expanding maintenance license periods (from one year to a three-year agreement) may cost the equivalence of a new computer. With SoftXpand, you can buy a new computer every year and stay constantly covered with a maintenance agreement
  • Stay up-to-date with the latest technologies: You don't have to compromise on quality or cost when you wish to introduce new versions or software solutions.

By taking advantage of the host PC's ample and unused computing power to connect the workstations, the* bank will also be able to drastically reduce energy expenditure and curb electricity bills.

* Cote D'Ivoire National Bank- Caisse d'Epargne

More Flexibility, Maximum Functionality

• Regardless of your industry, SoftXpand provides your users with the ability to use all connected hardware functionalities while eliminating the need for a special server. However, each implementation is niche-specific and designed meet the exact requirements of your multi-station site.
• Add new workstations in no time: Simply plug a monitor, keyboard and mouse into the SoftXpand host PC, and create an additional workstation.
• Add and withdraw devices (e.g. USB memory sticks, printers, RAID, UPS, etc.)
• Build your network: Workstations are connected in a SoftXpand cluster: a group of workstations connected to a PC with SoftXpand installed. Connecting SoftXpand clusters enables you to build a network of up to 40 workstations with only 5 PCs.

Reduced Carbon Footprints with Green IT Solution

Reduction in energy consumption: Fewer computers, therefore, less heat, less noise and more efficient use of space.

Increased Efficiency and Productivity

• SoftXpand is fully integrated into the Windows XP environment and supports any application
• Quick IT response = Less downtime: SoftXpand enables you to provide instance response to your users' IT needs.
• Gain improved control and provide better IT management by smart asset allocation. Supporting one PC per 8 users means providing a quicker service to your users, and a significant reduction in handling hardware issues.
• 1:8 Maintenance ratio: A massive improvement in your time management
• When adapting to a new OS, you will have to replace only one PC instead of 8. Less hardware means lower overheads and a smaller workload.

SoftXpand Education

Education institutions worldwide face a unique challenge: Budgets are tight, on the one hand while, on the other, the demand for computational environment keeps growing. Computer assisted learning has been shown to have a positive effect on academic results. The Boston Indicators Project's studies show that, on average, students learn more than 30% faster in computer-assisted learning environments than in traditional learning environment.

A Pan European survey indicates that almost 80% of European schools use computers for teaching. However they have, on average, only a single PC per student.

With SoftXpand, these statistics can be dramatically improved by allowing 8 students to work on different workstations that rely on one robust host PC.

• SoftXpand functions in exactly the same manner as a standard PC
• The user enjoys a high definition experience
• Since SoftXpand increases a PC's processing power, you may run several heavy applications simultaneously, including, for example, a heavy graphic application, multi-media software, integrated learning systems and curriculum-oriented programs. Teachers and students may share documents and tutors can control students' screens without needing to implement a server.

The PCs work well and they are very reliable. It's saved us a lot of money and cut down on the technician time we need to manage our computers.

Sam Fisher, Headteacher, Hope Primary school, UK

 

Learn more about SoftXpand's benefits