IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Enterprise Client Device Tracker® monitors the worldwide quarterly shipment totals of thin clients and terminal clients. Thin clients are diskless desktop devices that exist only on a network, using a server to download applications and store data. Most traditional thin clients run a local embedded operating system. A growing number of new devices are shipping with no local OS, and we categorize this type of device, often referred to as a "zero client," as a thin client without OS. Thin client devices are often used as part of a client virtualization deployment in companies and institutions of all sizes. Terminal clients are devices without a CPU or an operating system that have a direct cable connection to a PC running a multiuser operating system (such as Microsoft Windows MultiPoint Server 2010).

Technology Coverage and Data Segmentation

This service provides total market size and vendor share for the following technology areas and segmentations. Measurement for this tracker is in unit shipments and factory revenue.

Technologies

• Enterprise Thin Clients (standalone, mobile, with LCD, with CRT)
• Terminal Client Devices (standalone, with LCD)

Segmentations

• Unit shipments by form factor (standalone, LCD or CRT monitor equipped, and mobile)
• Unit shipments by sales channel (direct and two-tier distribution)
• Unit shipments by operating system (Windows CE, Windows Embedded Standard 2009, Windows Embedded Standard 7, Windows XP Embedded, Linux, no OS, and custom/other)

Geographic Scope

• Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) available by 13 countries
• Canada
• Central/Eastern Europe available by 4 countries
• Japan
• Latin America available by 3 countries
• Middle East/Africa (4 countries)
• United States
• Western Europe available by 16 countries

Forecast Coverage

Forecasts for this tracker are updated quarterly and include three years of historical data and two years of quarterly forecasts, plus an additional three years of market projections. Forecasts are available at the worldwide, regional, and country levels. Examples of the segments being forecast in this tracker include:

• Thin client forecast by form factor
• Thin client forecast by operating system
• Terminal client forecast

Delivery Schedule and Deliverables

This service is delivered on a quarterly basis with a pivot-table based deliverable for historical and forecast data. The delivery schedule for this tracker is as follows:

• Historical data: week 8 after period closes
• Forecast data: week 10 after period closes