Often called a “thin client,” a network computer is a limited-function desktop computer that is designed to easily connect to networks. NCs include a keyboard, mouse, monitor, memory and a network connection but only limited, if any, local disk storage. When end users want to access software or databases using an NC, they would use a graphical user interface (GUI), much as they do now with a PC. However, the software would be downloaded from a central server instead of being resident on the desktop PC; large databases would also be maintained on the central server. All software backups, upgrades and maintenance would therefore be performed centrally on the network server.