Thin clients are those programs which rely almost entirely on work completed by an assisting server. They can be used for display purposes, for instance, but leave the heavy lifting to more powerful servers which are able to keep data safe.

The most recent announcement from Fujitsu (News - Alert) Laboratories concerns these types of clients and its release of a new technology for security and operability of Web applications. The company's new virtualization method allows wearables to separate the user interface from the data processing where servers process data in the cloud and the smart device processes the user interface locally. This can lead to high levels of both security and local function by allowing each respective location to complete the tasks which it is best able to handle.

What makes this possible is the Fujitsu virtualization engine that runs on both the smart device and the server. That engine allows for the transfer of data between the user interface and the server in quick order. The two goals here are speed and security. The distribution of tasks makes both of those goals possible. The Web applications run a library that supports virtualization on a user's device while the server waits from commands from the user. When the user sends a command, the server springs into action, computes everything necessary aside from user interface display, and then sends the display information back to the user. Security is maintained throughout the process because the user device does not make any computations itself.

This distributed processing also takes advantage of local scanning to determine the user's operations and performance of the device. The server can then respond to expected actions and more efficiently deliver code to the user.

For businesses, wearables and smartphones can be lifesavers when it comes to efficient operations. However, Web clients can also lead to a lot of security vulnerabilities and lag in operations. A system such as Fujitsu's described above can remedy those problems and make Web applications a positive choice for any business that wishes to maintain confidentiality and has large data stores on its home/cloud servers. This is the future of thin clients -- one that uses the cloud for its power and security while leaving the user no worse for wear.