Ibexx & all, - "FedEx Backs Away From NCs In Favor Of Windows Machines"
(02/17/98; 12:46 p.m. EST)
By Mary Hayes and Stuart J. Johnston, InformationWeek
A closely watched thin-client computing
company is moving toward a strategy that
would deal a giant blow to Java-based NC
proponents such as Sun Microsystems.
Federal Express, after months of testing
different thin clients -- including Sun's
JavaStations -- for a planned deployment of
up to 75,000 desktops, is now focusing on a
Microsoft Windows-oriented approach that
includes both PCs and Win-based
terminals.
"We haven't found any NC product that
would meet our needs," said Dennis Jones,
executive vice president and chief
investment officer for FDX, a newly formed
holding company for FedEx. "With PC
prices coming down to where NC prices
were a year ago, we may very well choose
PCs to serve in a thin-client role."
FedEx was set last week to ink an initial deal
with Hewlett-Packard, its primary PC
supplier, for up to 1,000 HP PCs and Wyse
Technology-built Win terminals. FedEx
said it is not ready to award a contract for
the full deployment, which sources said
could be worth as much as $75 million. But
several factors have caused FedEx to move
away from Java-based NCs toward the
Microsoft platform.
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Full text is in techweb.com
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