15.6.2009
Kymenlaakso University of Applies Sciences is striving for flexible and ecological studying environment.

In word format, the English version is in the end of the document.

Kymenlaakso University of Applied Sciences in Southeast Finland is transferring into a virtual IT environment by offering its 5000 students a Thin Client environment. The purpose of the project is to replace traditional computers with more virtually-enabled ones that will offer user-specific, tailored virtual desktops. The solution enables students to access their desktops conveniently from any Thin Client inside UAS's network as well as any outside-UAS computers via Internet browser.

The project is set to improve the learning environment and strengthen the UAS’s Green values and sustainable development. With this measure Kymenlaakso University of Applied Sciences will save substantially in electricity costs and gain back the investment made to the new 1700 virtually-enabled clients in less than 5 years. The solution is one of the first ones carried out to this extent in Europe and in Finland. The service is provided by Nervogrid with Sun Microsystems’s technologies.

The share of IT in students’ everyday work hours has dramatically increased. Schools are forced to reorganize the use of recourses to be sufficient for all students. In the down turn, old hardware, needed know-how, new software applications and limited time have become problems. Kymenlaakso UAS have suffered from these challenges and wanted to be able to offer students equal and flexible study environments.

Virtual Desktop is a strategic decision

Kymenlaakso University of Applied Sciences will offer its students a “Virtual Desktop” solution which will offer students a personalized and tailored Desktop that you can even open from a home computer via an Internet connection. The Virtual Desktop enables for example a teacher to first work on teaching material in his office and move to the classroom to present it without having to use a USB memory stick to store and move the files. A student instead is able to work on a document started in the school’s computer class and continue working on it at home. He just needs Internet connection to access his Virtual Desktop. The system also supports web-learning environments that the University is actively using. This is a remarkable step in a university environment towards flexible learning and working conditions. An additional benefit is that Kymenlaakso UAS is getting rid of the use of illegal software licenses. This solution improves the maintenance of IT as well as creates saving in investment costs.

Expertise in social, ecological and technological sustainable development is one of the main themes in the profile of Kymenlaakso UAS. The Virtual Desktop supports the UAS’s strategy for sustainable development and strengthens its Green values. Electricity costs will substantially diminish as the Thin Clients uses twice as less energy as the old computer hardware. The smaller size of the new IT equipment creates less problem waste.

Co-operation from many different parties

The service is provided by Nervogrid in co-operation with Sun Microsystems. The goal is to have 90% of the old workstations replaced by Thin Clients in 5 years. The project is extensive as it affects 5000 users and over 1700 workstations.

“The client needs were truly challenging. However with our know-how combined with our high quality partners, we were able to offer what they needed “, says Aleksi Partanen from Nervogrid.

In the future, Kymenlaakso University of Applies Sciences can provide more versatile and advanced IT solution for studying. At the same time the IT staff can concentrate in providing services. The new IT equipment doesn’t need high maintenance as servers, storage capacity and virtual computers are centralized.

”The solution seems to be too good! It enhances the implementation of our strategy in many ways: the quality of studying and working becomes better, it promotes sustainable development – one of our central themes, and our IT department can develop and focus its functions in a new way”, Ragnar Lundqvist, the rector of Kymenlaakso University of Applied Sciences enumerates the advantedges of the solution.

After implementing the new environment provided by Nervogrid, the University’s computer classes will look different as there will only be Thin Clients and computer screens on the desks. Students log in to the screens with a personal ID card and a personalized desktop opens to the screen. The solution is safe as no data is stored in hardware in the computer class. The connection between the Thin Clients and the servers is encrypted both ways. The use of printers and external memory as well as saving documents works the same way as in traditional computers.

The desktop offered is defined by the user’s identity when a single client can be used in many different occasions. The users can move from client to another with their identity card as the card contains a personal chip. The learning environment is accessible regardless of device or place.

“Gartner predicts the desktop virtualization immense growth in the near future. The market growth is powered by the increased need for cost savings, better efficiency and ecological corporate solutions. Clients are now ready to consider new types of solutions to reach these needs. The Virtual Desktop solution offered by Sun combined with our partners’ excellent know-how offers a risk-free way to do it”, says Director Jukka Silvennoinen from Sun Microsystems.

Partners

About Kymenlaakso University of Applied Sciences
Kymenlaakso University of Applied Sciences is a multidisciplinary institute of higher education in Southeast Finland. The campuses are located in Kotka and Kouvola, about 130 km from Helsinki. The provided fields of study are Technology and Transport, Natural Resources and the Environment, Social Sciences, Business and Administration, Culture, and Social Services and Health Care. The number of students totals about 4,400 and the number of staff about 400. As the only independent higher education institution in the province, Kymenlaakso University of Applied Sciences focuses on training, research, development and innovations. (www.kyamk.fi)

About Nervogrid
Nervogrid Ltd is a company offering IT as an-always on service. It was founded in 2004 with the vision to enable small and medium size enterprises enjoy easy and carefree IT- as a full on service. The company is one of the first-movers in their field. Over the past years it has grown steadily and concentrated on the domestic markets. In the near future, Nervogrid will expand its operations to the international arena. Customer base includes companies from all industries from legal to manufacturing. For further information and full introduction to the Nervogrid story, visit www.nervogrid.eu .

About Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Sun Microsystems develops the technologies that power the global marketplace. Guided by a singular vision -- "The Network is the Computer" -- Sun drives network participation through shared innovation, community development and open source leadership. Sun can be found in more than 100 countries and on the Web at http://sun.com.

More information

Kymenlaakso University of Applied Sciences
Sirpa Ala-Tommola, Project Manager
t. +358 (0)44 702 8739
firstname.familyname@kyamk.fi

Mika Aleksandroff, Systems Analyst
t. +358 (0)44 702 8262
firstname.familyname@kyamk.fi

Timo Pirtilä, Data Administration Manager
t. +358 (0)44 702 8260
firstname.familyname@kyamk.fi

Project blog: http://blogit.kyamk.fi/vdi

Nervogrid Oy
Anton Floor, Project Manager
t. +358 (0)40 770 3758
firstname.familyname@nervogrid.eu

Aleksi Partanen, Director
t. +358 (0)40 585 9392

Sun Microsystems
Jukka Silvennoinen, Director
t. +358 (0)40 564 6707
firstname.familyname@sun.com