Lenovo made a new commitment to cloud computing April 12 with the introduction of Cloud Ready Client, a software package designed to ease the process of accessing applications and services from a cloud infrastructure.
In addition to the new cloud software, Lenovo is rolling out its SCA (Secure Cloud Access), which is powered by Stoneware’s webNetwork. This complementary delivery network lets smartphones, tablets and other devices access Web or local applications through an interface that mimics a standard Microsoft Windows desktop interface.
Cloud Ready Client is compatible with all Lenovo ThinkPad laptops and ThinkCentre desktops powered by Intel’s 2nd generation Core and Core vPro Processors, as well as Intel-developed APIs (application programming interfaces) that expose the client’s key hardware attributes to the cloud applications.
SCA is the first commercial application Lenovo is offering through Cloud Ready Client.
“When users access a cloud service from their Cloud Ready Client or from a different device, SCA recognizes situational cues, including the user-authentication method, capabilities of the device being used, time of day, location and network,” according to Lenovo.
“SCA secures and guides the delivery by allocating local or cloud-based resources based upon these situational cues,” the PC maker added. “If the user is operating a Lenovo Cloud Ready Client, SCA detects the device’s capabilities, such as processor performance, free memory, graphics and available bandwidth and takes advantage of those capabilities to optimize application delivery and end-user experience securely.”
SCA also allows businesses to deploy private, hybrid clouds inside a data center on physical or virtual servers. Lenovo is also offering a Cloud Ready Client with a built-in fingerprint reader, as well as single sign-on to applications that are expected to further reduce the IT overhead associated with password resets.
Technology Business Research Analyst Ezra Gottheil wrote that Lenovo is trying to differentiate its enterprise PC offerings from other business computers. Gottheil added that the Cloud Ready Client “will help make its ThinkPad PCs more attractive to businesses, and that the new solution is a leader in an emerging trend of improving user experience on a widening array of client platforms.”
For more, read the eWEEK article: Lenovo, Intel Offering Cloud Ready Client, Secure Cloud Access .
