Thin Client Cloud Management with Praim ThinMan

Today’s organizations are working in a more hybrid configuration than ever before and supporting a diverse hybrid workforce, working in corporate headquarters, remote branches, from their homes, and managing thin client cloud environments. It often includes continuous mobility or commuting. This has introduced challenges around managing end-user clients and carrying out tasks such as lifecycle management (i.e., updates) and remote support. Praim ThinMan Server provides robust features and capabilities related to cloud management that allows businesses to have the tools necessary to support seamless local and remote thin clients from the cloud effectively. Let’s look at Thin Client Cloud Management with Praim ThinMan and see how the Praim solution helps organizations today solve the very diverse requirements of the hybrid workforce.

Praim ThinMan Server provides effective thin client cloud management

With ThinMan Server, Praim has provided the architecture needed to effectively manage thin client cloud connections without the challenges of on-premises network connectivity. Businesses can publish and use ThinMan Server in their cloud environment, allowing remote clients to connect from anywhere over the standard TCP 443 SSL port.

This network design and architecture eliminates hurdles, even if remote workers work from their home network. However, when non-standard ports are required, they can present challenges with firewalls, NAT configurations, and port forwards, causing unnecessary troubleshooting and additional support burdens on the IT helpdesk.

However, ThinMan Server provides much more than simple network connectivity with thin client cloud management. It is a robust management solution allowing enterprise environments to have the tools and features needed to meet the needs of a wide range of devices, users, configurations, policy, and security requirements.

Note the following thin client cloud features provided by Praim ThinMan Server:

• Automated management – ThinMan Server is a single-pane-of-glass dashboard displaying all the pertinent information for the environment and allowing IT admins to deploy, configure, and support endpoints.
• Remote support for endpoints – ThinMan Server provides remote support capabilities natively in the solution, without the need for a bolt-on product to remotely connect and support remote devices. Using ThinMan Gateway, remote devices can be managed from one single workstation, even without a VPN connection.
• Endpoint security – ThinMan Server provides a robust set of user policies and multi-factor authentication that can be used to ensure remote devices are secure and compliant with the governance policies established by the business. It also eases the management and distribution on remote devices of certificates.
• Modular design – ThinMan Server provides a modular, extensible design, allowing the installation of various feature packs, including Network+, Admin+, and User+.

Let’s look at the Feature Packs that help organizations customize the features and capabilities needed to meet their individual priorities and requirements.

ThinMan Server “Admin+” Feature Pack

With the ThinMan Server Admin+ Feature Pack, Praim helps organizations to solve many fundamental challenges in the enterprise, raising the levels of reliability and security for many critical business sectors. It has been conceived to provide added value features to structured IT departments seeking the highest standard in service levels and business continuity. Note the following capabilities built into the Admin+ Feature Pack for thin client cloud management. These include:

• Access Control Lists – This feature allows businesses to define the access levels of the IT team members by being able to connect to one or more Active Directories via LDAP connections. It enables very granular control over permissions granted based on predefined RBAC built on Active Directory organizational structures.
• High Availability – With the Admin+ pack, organizations can activate a secondary instance of ThinMan Server to strengthen and ensure business continuity.
• External database connectivity – Businesses can house the ThinMan database externally by defining an external database location, allowing integration with the other corporate DB, and using the same security and backup policies and SLAs.
• Corporate certificates – The Admin+ feature pack also allows distributing corporate certificates to improve the security of connections between the endpoints and the ThinMan Server.

ThinMan Server “Network+” Feature Pack

The Network+ Feature Pack has a focus on connectivity features and functionality for thin client cloud management. It has been created, in particular, to provide added value capabilities and optimization opportunities to organizations with relevant remote locations or with a large number of widespread branch offices. Organizations that manage many devices remotely will benefit from the focused connectivity features of the Network+ Feature Pack, including:

• Wake on LAN (WOL) Relay – This feature provides the ability to switch on devices remotely without physical interaction
• Gateway + Repository – This feature helps to improve connection efficiencies and reduce the load on ThinMan Server by allowing remote office devices to download updates from a local repository instead of hitting ThinMan Server directly. This design allows optimized updates and application distribution policies, reducing bandwidth use and other inefficient network hairpinning back to the corporate office.

ThinMan Server “User+” Feature Pack

The User+ Feature Pack has a focus on customizing and automating access to IT resources and company applications. It also allows basing these customizations on roles and user profiles while strengthening the authentication mechanisms. It is thought, in particular, for those organizations requiring a high level of environment personalization for their users and with a specific focus on the user experience while accessing the thin client.

• ThinMan Login – This feature allows connecting ThinMan Server to your corporate Active Directory identity and access management to provide authentication via ThinMan also for the end-users on their endpoint;
• User profiles – The user profiles allow customizing resources and connections to be made available dynamically to different users;
• Multi-factor authentication – With User+, organizations can effectively and seamlessly implement multi-factor authentication for the end-user, allowing the fast and secure access to devices using smart cards/badges managed directly from the ThinMan Server

Thin client cloud management

ThinMan Server provides an excellent solution for thin client cloud management. It allows organizations to overcome cloud connectivity challenges to manage endpoints, no matter where they are located. It also provides the features and functionality required to meet the needs of businesses to solve the modern challenges of the hybrid workforce. IT admins, as well, can access management features from the console in the cloud.

Organizations are increasingly looking to leverage cloud connectivity and infrastructure as they provide many advantages in connecting users. Gone are the days when all users work onsite in a corporate campus environment. The highly distributed workforce requires this shift to cloud-native technologies and solutions that can leverage cloud connectivity.

You can learn more about Praim ThinMan Server thin client cloud management and see how it can help your organization meet the needs of the modern hybrid workforce here: Praim: Thin Client Solutions for Unified Endpoint Management