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AnywhereTS - The free soft thin client creator

AnywhereTS is a tool to create and deploy soft thin clients, utilizing ordinary office PCs as clients. Your organization can re-use already existing office PCs instead of, or in addition to using dedicated thin clients. Today, AnywhereTS is one of the leading thin client solutions, serving hundreds of thousands of users in corporations, schools and universities with terminal services, every day.

Features

  • Supports Microsoft Windows Server 2000, 2003 or 2008 as Terminal Servers
  • Installs and configures TFTP and DHCP servers
  • Supports network boot via PXE enabled NICs, CD-R or floppy
  • Supports local boot via a bootable CD-R
  • Allows users to connect to a Windows Terminal Server using Remote Desktop Connection (RDC, or TSC)
  • Supports configuration of local graphics and sound
  • Supports international keyboard layouts
AnywhereTS Pro also adds support for Citrix Presentation Server (previously Citrix Metaframe) servers, an end user control panel and more local accessories support. See more on AnywhereTS Pro

How does it work?

AnywhereTS is a wizard-style simple tool that will create a bootable soft thin client image. This image is booted on the end user office PCs either over the network (PXE network boot) or from a CD. The soft thin client will automatically connect to the server and present the end user with a login screen. To the end user, it looks and works just like their regular office PC always has. There is no end user retraining needed.

Since everything needed to boot the PC is either loaded over the network or contained on a CD, the local operating system on the harddisk is not modified. This makes it possible to revert the PC back to the local operating system at any time. There never is any point of no return.

When the system is set up, AnywhereTS is only used again if you want to recreate the boot images. Except for TFTP/DHCP configuration (for network boot), there is no modification of the Terminal Server configuration.

See all the reasons you should be using thin clients too.

What do I need?

  • A Microsoft Windows Server with Terminal Services configured
  • Common office PCs to use as soft thin clients
  • The free AnywhereTS configuration application. Download from here.
Don't have a Terminal Server yet? Try the 15 minute quick tour, which only requires an XP Professional office PC and an extra PC to use as a soft thin client.
  		 

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