What is Appliance Computing?

Definition of Appliance Computing

Appliance computing is an approach similar to cloud computing where a thin client / dumb PC access all the software & critical applications directly from a server, without the need for native storage & computing power. It is a computing architecture in which the entire suites of essential software applications are delivered over the internet from an application server, rather than being installed at end-user node or the appliance.

Brief Description of Appliance Computing

Appliance Computing is an internet-based computing technique implemented widely in environments where the need for client based computing power is non-essential and centralized administration is critical. The appliance or the end user receiving device is only powered by a standard operating system and internet connectivity. It uses the internet to connect and source all applications and services from an application server. Appliance Computing is similar to Cloud Computing services in several aspects. Such as delivering hosted applications from a remote application server is similar to the SaaS) based delivery model.