Wipro Infotech's manager marketing (servers, computers & system integration) Pradeep V Bahirwani told The Financial Express that this product was aimed at networked environments with a requirement for server-based computing.

``ThinClients are a cost effective solution compared to desktop PCs. The processing, upgradation is server centralised and therefore provides for complete server-based computing,'' Bhirwani said.

The NetXs could function on all operating systems and run applications that are loaded onto the server, he said.

On the manufacturing front, Wipro has entered into an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) deal with Bangalore-based VXL Instruments Ltd for the manufacture of the client devices.

Four models of NetXs were being introduced into the market - NetXs 10, NetXs 20, NetXs 30 and NetXs 40 - priced at Rs 29,900 onwards (inclusive of a 14" colour monitor, keyboard, client and mouse), said the company's product manager D Balasubramanian.

The NetXs 40 priced at Rs 33,500 also had an embedded browser with the X11R6 protocol support to provide GUI (graphic user interface) to a Unix interface, he said.

"Since most of the computing and processing is done at the server there are no large memory requirements for the ThinClient on the desktop. A small flash memory starting from 8 mb-32mb will, however, be made available,'' he added.

Hard disk, CD-ROM, floppy disk drives, etc, have also been done away with in the NetXs, Bhirwani said. This provided for more security and centralised administration, he added.

The devices have also been provided with a smart-card support which offers the option for fixing a smart-card reader for online transactions.