I used to do support for Dell when I lived in Memphis Tn.(outsourced to Stream)
We had mainframe app call "DPS" with an GUI app on top called "CAPS"
The apps were on dell server's in Texas. Everytime the shift changed and the new techs would fire up thier tools the pipe) acouple of DS-3 or T-3s I think) would slow to s crawl. But...it was needed. Dell was outsourcing the support( This was before the India days. I worked 99-00 for stream/dell)
and they couldn't allow the desktops to store the apps locally.
Is that your situation?