The municipality Nyköpings Kommun is situated on the east coast of Sweden, at the archipelago of Sörmland in the southeast of the central Swedish province Södermanlands Län. In the entire municipality of Nyköping there are about 57,000 inhabitants. The city of Nyköping pushes up the population average, because in the immediate urban area alone live more than 32,000 people, more than half of all inhabitants of the municipality.

STAND-ALONE SYSTEM SECURES

Like all Swedish municipalities, security is high on the agenda in Nyköping.

The computers presently accessible at Oxelösund library, as well as the upcoming ones in Nyköping libraries, offer various features. These include a web browser, a free alternative to the Office suite, a screenshottaking program, and the option to save files onto a USB flash drive.

With IGEL, the public can easily and smoothly use computers provided by the municipality, without the risk of anyone accessing other organisations‘ IT environments.

The user-friendly non-domain computers ensure information remains secure, eliminating concerns about unauthorized access. Additionally, they are fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by automatically wiping all data upon user logout and avoiding any storage on physical disks.

REDUCED COSTS AND INCREASED LONGEVITY

One major advantage of IGEL‘s solution, being based on Linux, is its minimal performance requirements for operation. As a result, the municipality can repurpose aging computers that are no longer suitable for regular office tasks and meet substantiable goals at the same time.

„We can deploy relatively easy thin clients instead of desktop computers, which halves the cost for us. It also allows us to increase the lifespan: instead of four years per laptop, they can be used for five to seven years, as the operating system requires much less performance.”

Sustainable end user computing means using terminal equipment longer instead of replacing it all the time. Reusing existing equipment not only saves investments in new hardware, but also reduces the supply chain carbon footprint by 60%. Remote work enabled by thin clients reduces commuter emissions by an average of 40%. Thin clients with IGEL OS improve energy efficiency by 22 to 49%, depending on the solution and approach.

IGEL IN HOME CARE AND NURSING

Currently, Lupala and his colleagues are exploring the potential for extending the implementation of additional IGEL solutions to libraries in Nyköping and Oxelösund. Furthermore, they are conducting tests to determine the feasibility of utilizing similar solutions for external home care companies, among other possibilities.

„Incorporating external computers into our systems poses specific demands, and we have encountered certain obstacles in achieving a seamless solution. Consequently, adopting computers equipped with the IGEL solution could present a viable path forward. This approach would enhance manageability for both the home care staff and the municipality, addressing the challenges more effectively.”

In the longer term, Niko Lupala believes that there are other major opportunities. We are examining work environments with a high number of shared computers, particularly in sectors like healthcare. The existing computers face the risk of slowing down rapidly when utilized by numerous individuals for diverse tasks on a daily basis. To address this issue, we are considering implementing a Citrix solution accompanied by smart cards and PIN codes. This approach would allow users to carry their unique profiles with them across different computers, ensuring a seamless experience.