HP has introduced the industry’s first blade workstation solution which combines the benefits and security of a centralised data centre with workstation-class performance.

Based on HP BladeSystem infrastructure, the HP ProLiant Blade Workstation Solution gives users the ability to quickly and seamlessly access workstation compute power from anywhere in the world using thin client devices or Microsoft Windows®-based workstations, PCs and notebooks. This type of solution is ideal for customers in the financial trading, public sector, and manufacturing industries.

London-based Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets recently customised its 255-postion trading floor with 280 HP ProLiant xw25p Blade Workstations. The devices are used by traders in the foreign exchange, derivatives, and global commodities markets, as well as by sales traders in the derivatives and interest rate trading markets.

Specific workstation features include fully certified and supported HP Remote Graphics software, real-time streaming video, 3D graphics, and multiple display support.

The new solution also enables new business workflow models.

“We’re on the cusp of a major change in the way we build, maintain and adapt IT for business, and the HP Blade Workstation Solution is at the forefront of that change,” said Jim Zafarana, vice president, worldwide marketing, Workstations, HP. “The new BladeSystem solution delivers the security, reliability and manageability of a data centre infrastructure with high-quality workstation performance.”

Additional benefits of the solution include significant cost savings in move/add/change (MAC) costs, system maintenance, power and cooling, and remote site operation, as well as improved data security, accessibility, work environment, disaster recovery support, and system uptime and availability.