Reading, UK April 17th 2012 Fast growing Executive Search company Freshfield Services has cut its annual IT budget by more than 35% per year after switching to Alchemy Systems hosted virtual desktop solution and IGEL thin clients.

Freshfield Services, which specialises in finding talent for the Outsourcing, Information Technology Services and Business Consulting sectors, switched from a traditional PC and server IT system to the virtual hosted desktop solution just over a year ago.

Alchemy recommended its Windows Hosted Desktop Solution using IGEL thin clients devices. With this approach Freshfield Services was able to effectively outsource its IT requirements, removing the need for any capital expenditure, upgrade and maintenance costs and replacing it with a standard monthly rental fee.

Everything is hosted and secured centrally by Alchemy Systems and accessed by the customer using IGEL Universal Desktop thin clients, accessing applications and information via the Internet using the software as a service model (SaaS). The Alchemy virtual desktop system gives users access to exactly the same features and benefits as having a Windows 7 desktop locally on a PC. The information is transferred using Citrix XenDesktop running over 2 separate VDSL connections for built-in resilience.

IGEL’s Universal Desktop strategy then enables organisations to deliver all their server-based applications, anywhere, with the best user experience, security, ease of management, and lowest total cost of ownership (TCO). The software, or firmware, embedded in every IGEL Universal Desktop contains the industry’s largest collection of server-based protocols for connecting to centralised applications. With Linux and Microsoft® Windows® Embedded Standard operating systems available and IGEL’s different Feature Packs (Entry, Standard and Advanced), customers only pay for what they need.

Roll-out and management of the new desktop regime was straightforward using IGEL’s Universal Management Suite software. This UMS software can be used to set-up, maintain and upgrade all IGEL thin clients from a central location. It is a simple to use management tool, which can have thin clients up and running in minutes. Intuitive to use, secure and scalable up to 100,000 thin clients, the IGEL UMS drastically reduces management time for IT administrators. Alchemy is then able to provide effective telephone, remote and onsite support as required.

Mr Melvin Keeshan, Managing Director of Freshfield Services, said: “We have saved a minimum of 35% on our annual IT budget, not even including the additional ad hoc project costs, which we now don’t have to think about.”

“From a cost perspective it has allowed us to standardise and fix our costs based on the number of users. We have access to the technology on a per user basis and we can take advantage of the economies of scale. We also don’t have to worry about updates and new technology.”

Nathan Mills, Managing Director at Alchemy Systems, commented: “In today’s difficult economic climate, small and medium-sized business owners need to be able to concentrate on their business rather than worry about their IT infrastructure. Our approach solves this problem, providing carefree computing at very low cost, from as little as £50 per user per month including an IGEL thin client and 20 inch screen.”

“The solution is ideal for small to medium-sized business businesses with multiple sites because they can ditch their IT infrastructure and the capital expenditure that goes with it and move to a regular monthly rental proposition with all the support they could need.”