"Having that integrated expertise that comes out of SonicWall could be really critical in beefing up what a thin client can be used for or what a virtual client can be used for," Silva says.

Margevicius also singles out security as a key concern for Dell, noting that Wyse's ThinOS has been touted as the only embedded operating system that hasn't yet been breached.

On its own, the Wyse acquisition -- provided that it can be accomplished smoothly and the company's products can be thoroughly integrated into Dell's own -- removes a long-standing competitive handicap for the Texas-based hardware maker. In combination with other recent moves, like the purchase of SonicWall and a recently announced , it could even be a sign of bigger things to come.

Email Jon Gold at jgold@nww.com and follow him on Twitter at @NWWJonGold.

in Network World's Data Center section.