Hosted PCs the answer for credit-starved SMBs?

 

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 17 Nov 2008 at 16:55

A new hosted computing service claims it could be the answer for SMBs and start-ups struggling to get credit for new PCs.

The UK-based ThinkGrid is offering hosted desktop solutions for £49 a month, where businesses can access a virtual Windows XP PC from either a thin-client in the office or any net-connected PC.

The £49 fee includes access to Microsoft Office Standard, 24/7 support and a managed daily back-up. There are a bevy of additional subscription services including hosted VoIP (£29 per month) and Exchange (£10 per month) that can be added on to the basic packages.

Will businesses really be tempted by a hosted desktop solution that costs almost £600 per seat a year, when you could buy two bog standard desktop PCs for that price? "The big thing is the soft costs," Rob Lovell, CEO of ThinkGrid told PC Pro, citing hidden variables such as software licences, support costs and the business time required to manage your own IT.

He says the service is also ideal for start-ups struggling to get loans for IT equipment. "Our service is like a menu - you can pick the things you want whether it's for one user or 500 users. It's all opex [operational expense] rather than capex [capital expenditure]."

Lovell also stresses that customers are free to install their own choice of applications on their virtual desktops. "Ours is a purely virtual machine-driven environment," he said. "Users can log in and install whatever software they wish."

Yet, with software-as-a-service providers such as Google providing hosted email and applications (for free in some instances), how will a small British start-up such as ThinkGrid compete? "If you're a business and you're reliant on these apps, you're not going to go to a company like BT or Google because you're a a small fish in a big pond," he claims.

The company says it offers a four-nines SLA to all customers, with clear financial rebates for failing to reach the stated level of uptime.