HSBC Trinkaus uses IGEL thin clients as graphics-intensive desktops in a Citrix-type, server-based computing (SBC) environment. The new dualview workstations are much more reliable, easier to maintain and use less power than the previous terminal PCs. In fact, they can even be administered in dualview operation.

HSBC Trinkaus, a private bank located in Düsseldorf, Germany, is well known for making fast, well-informed decisions and having the highest degree of flexibility. This applies to its duties as a securities dealer for other financial institutions as well as a partner for wealthy clients, sophisticated small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), corporate groups and institutional customers. In its efforts to consistently ensure the highest levels of banking technology and services, HSBC Trinkaus constantly upgrades its information and communications systems to meet the latest expectations of the market. This general policy also firmly applies to its IT workstations used by some 3,000 employees in 15 offices located in Germany and Luxembourg.

Modernizing IT Work Stations
The information systems in the German offices are administered from the main office of the HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt AG holding company in Düsseldorf. This is where the main computer centre with some 60 Citrix® terminal servers is located. In order to optimize the centralized management of the SBC infrastructure even further, the IT workstations accessing this central system have been undergoing a process of gradual, step-by-step modernization since 2007. “Throughout Germany we have about 350 Citrix users, who until recently were working with terminal PCs – these are PCs running Windows® 2000 and a locally installed Citrix ICA Client,” explains Emanuel Maderthaner at HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt AG. Maderthaner is in charge of IT system management, client systems, second-level support and installation. In his work as system administrator, Maderthaner knows all too well about the problems and pitfalls associated with PC terminals: “Despite the limited amount of programs on the PCs, performance problems were still always cropping up – such as those caused by fragmented hard drives. Time and time again, we also had to install antivirus updates and operating system patches. Beyond that, despite a rather short PC service life of only three years, we kept on having hardware failures that resulted in expensive service calls or even the need for completely new installations.”

The customer Partner for wealthy private customers, sophisticated SMEs, corporate groups and institutional customers 15 offices in Germany and Luxembourg 3,000 IT workstations with 350 PC terminals

Reference Project in Luxembourg
It was a meeting with his colleagues at the company subsidiary in Luxembourg that motivated Emanuel Maderthaner to modernize the desktops at HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt AG. Thin clients from the German manufacturer IGEL Technology were already successfully in operation over in Luxembourg. The six-year service life of the thin clients, twice as long as for a PC, and the good results experienced by his European colleagues prompted Maderthaner to test the latest IGEL models in German offices. One persuasive aspect about the IGEL pilot project was the powerful management software that comes standard with all IGEL models. Furthermore, he was also very pleased with the good video performance of the IGEL LX Premium series. “In financial applications, the multi-screen option has actually become the standard set up,” Maderthaner notes. “That’s why it was critically important to us that this configuration be able to provide the necessary high screen resolutions.”

Dualview and Multi-Shadowing
Typical user scenarios that lend themselves to dual-monitor operation are in those areas where real-time exchange rates, trading interfaces and e-mail have to be simultaneously monitored. “At these workstations, we generally run our IGEL thin clients with two 19” displays, each with a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels. The windows management for distributing the individual applications across the two screens works without a hitch.” A free tool developed by IGEL called Multiscreen Agent sees to it that several applications in a remote session can be displayed on one monitor or across both of them depending on the user’s requirements. The advantages of this efficient desktop environment are even leveraged by the IT department itself: “With the VNC viewer, we can switch over to two-screen operation and then mirror or remotely control several thin clients at once. This setup makes support and management of the thin client environment even easier for us.” So far, HSBC Trinkaus has deployed some 150 thin clients from the IGEL LX Premium series and another ten from the IGEL XP Winestra series. “We use the Winestra models with firmware running in Windows® XP Embedded for server administration,” Maderthaner reports. “We use one of the many digital services included in the IGEL firmware, the integrated Microsoft® Internet Explorer along with plug-ins and Java Runtime Environment, to allow us to take a look at different platforms when performing server administration.”

The challenge More efficient end units for the Citrix-based SBC environment High degree of deployment flexibility, including two-screen operation Centralized management with multi-shadowing capability

Standardized Management, Practical Tools
Despite different deployment scenarios and the various IGEL models in use, HSBC Trinkaus has greatly benefited from a program of standardized management: “The entire thin client infrastructure can be easily and conveniently configured and managed by means of the IGEL Remote Management Suite that comes standard with the devices. This allows HSBC Trinkaus to cut costs compared to terminal PCs due to a far more efficient process of updating. We can reliably update our thin clients from a central location. The frequent operating system patches and antivirus updates associated with PCs are now an unmissed thing of the past.” In this area as well, IGEL includes some helpful tools and functions such as a fail-safe update mechanism that ensures error-free update processes. In fact, the IGEL ‘buddy update’ system lets one thin client in the network function as the ad hoc update server. In this way all, models in the same group are automatically updated without the need for an additional FTP server. For Windows® XP Embedded models, there’s even the option of having partial firmware updates. This not only conserves valuable network bandwidth, but also lets small Window applications be specifically integrated in a free memory area in the firmware, which allows their uninterrupted use.

Fast Implementation
Implementation of the pilot project got off to an opportune start when the branch office in Stuttgart moved to a new location in October 2006. Following this, subsequent rollouts took place at weekly intervals in Baden-Baden, Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg and Munich. Finally, some of the offices in Düsseldorf were also equipped with IGEL thin clients. The first phase involved 150 devices. In Luxembourg, the second generation of thin clients is currently being rolled out. “To switch over some 40 systems, we needed about three to four days, including time for user instruction,” Maderthaner recalls. “The thin clients were first registered in the management software and then connected overnight or on the weekend.” Because the thin clients had user interfaces similar to those that had been used on the terminal PCs, there was only a need for some initial user training. Maderthaner is very pleased with the extent of the support from IGEL during the rollout phase: “IGEL was able to meet our need for multi-shadowing capability with a special firmware update. In some cases, we had isolated problems with some windows and pop-ups in ICA Version 10. But, here too, the IGEL development team was right on the ball and came up with solid solutions fast.”

The solution 350 IGEL LX Premium: dualview and multi-shadowing 10 IGEL XP Winestra for server administration by means of integrated Internet Explorer and browser plug-ins IGEL Remote Management Suite: for standardized remote administration of all IGEL models

Better Indoor Environment, Less Power Consumption
The purpose of the modernization project is to replace all 350 terminal PCs with IGEL thin clients. Looking back on the rollout of a total of 150 thin clients, Maderthaner is very pleased with the positive feedback from users and the definite decrease in support costs. “Compared to the terminal PCs, the thin-client new systems, which have no cooling fans, are utterly silent and create much less of a heat load. That really makes the workplace environment much more pleasant. Beyond that, our users are very happy with the improved performance. In particular, it now only takes less than one minute to boot up a workstation, which is a whole lot shorter than before. What’s more, our administrators are now less stressed since the routine time-consuming tasks such as setups, repairs and replacement of end units are now no longer necessary. In our branch offices we have replacement units ready and waiting in case troubles happen to occur. If necessary, the affected users can simply go ahead and connect them up themselves. With the PCs, it used to be that we ended up spending an entire day providing support in such cases.” In addition to the less time and effort required for maintenance and administration, there has also been a clear reduction in licensing and power costs. “In other words, with the modernized workstations we no longer have to pay for a whole series of individual desktop licenses. In fact, thanks to the much lower power consumption by the thin clients, we’re now saving some 7,100 euro each year. On balance, the IGEL solution has not only helped us achieve more efficient IT management but has also cut costs while providing long-term reliable performance in our desktop operations.”

Environmental Impact of TCs Compared to PCs (HSBC Trinkaus)
Power consumption of PC terminal with ICA client1)	96 W
Power consumption of IGEL LX Premium2)	19 W
Power savings per thin client compared to a PC	77 W
x 8 hours per day	616 Wh
x 220 workdays per year	135 kWh
Annual power savings3) from:
- 1 thin client workstation	20.33 €
- 350 thin client workstation	7.114 €
Amount of CO2 emissions4) prevented per year by:
- 1 thin client workstation	85 kg
- 250 thin client workstations	30 tons
Percentage reduction in power usage and CO2 emissions	80 %

1) Effective power usage in a “Heavy User” scenario on average (Source: Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental,
Safety and Energy Technology (UMSICHT) / IGEL Technology: Environmental Comparison of PC and Thin Client Desktop
Equipment (http://it.umsicht.fraunhofer.de/TCecology/index_en.html
2) In both scenarios, the server-based share is the same (PC terminal and thin client)
3) Base electric rate assumed to be = 0.15 kWh
4) Production of one kWh of the German power mix releases 0.63 kg CO2

Note:
UMSICHT is the short name for the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology in Oberhausen, Germany (UMSICHT = Fraunhofer-Institut für Umwelt-, Sicherheits-und Energietechnik).