JultikaUniversity of Oulu repository

Information and communication technology (ICT) is the principal driver of economic development and social change globally. Indispensability of ICT has impacted positively on the quality and quantity of developmental approaches adopted by various businesses, vis-a-vis improving their revenue base and profit margin cum customer satisfaction. Needless to say that ICT improves business performance through its vibrant, interactive, flexible, and appealing content. Unless the current generation, in developing countries, especially Africa, learn and engage computer skills in their socio-economic activities, they will fall further backward. The developing countries will need to engage ICT skills in their socio-economic activities in order to be at par with their counterparts in developed countries. This question of how to secure ICT infrastructures has always arisen. However, the answer is not only about securing the infrastructures, but about securing effective and affordable ones, considering the not-so-good financial status of these developing countries. This thesis work was channeled towards giving consideration to thin client technology as a means of providing an effective, efficient, and affordable information and communication technology for the business communities in developing countries, using Nigeria as a case study. Aside from the literature review, which was a secondary data, primary data was collected through administered questionnaire to 20 thin client experts in Nigeria, out of which 16 responded. This study has revealed, through the literature review and the survey questionnaire conducted, that with the adoption of thin client technology, not only significant cost efficiencies can be achieved, but also savings in many other areas within information technology and business process, such as; deployment management, security management and data protection management. The results of this study have confirmed that there are good reasons to believe that a number of opportunities abound if thin clients technology is adopted by the developing countries, majorly leading to very significant cost savings, creating efficiencies, enhanced ease-of-use of information technology, and improved services to business customers.