Avocent Corp., a provider of IT operations management, unveiled on Monday is combined LCD consoles and digital KVM switches, allowing IT managers to more effectively manage their data center components. By bringing these two appliances together, IT managers can leverage a space-saving design, which is convenient to install and deploy in a populated and crowded rack. The combined unit will provide integrated remote and local rack access for improved component manageability in SMB (small and medium business) and server room environments.
"Avocent's ongoing innovation and leadership in KVM switching for years has provided customers with advanced management and security capabilities for the data center, while decreasing costs in even the most complex environments," said Bliss Ehrlich, Senior Product Manager, Avocent. "By adding LCD capabilities to digital KVM switch technology, Avocent customers get state-of-the-art remote access in a single console. They also benefit from time-saving installations and reduced downtime -- all of which are key advantages for customers looking to cut costs in this economy without sacrificing quality, performance and reliability. Furthermore, Avocent is using innovative ASIC technology in the digital KVM switch to build these next generation integrated solutions."
Avocent's digital KVM offerings maximize the use of costly rack space by taking advantage of legacy and next generation data center technologies, such as blade servers and network adaptors. Additionally, these switches can convert analog signals into digital packets, compressing and transmitting them securely over TCP/IP connections, which is key for administrators looking to remotely connect and manage blades in a secure manner.
The additional features of Avocent's digital KVM switches include video resolution with integrated LCD console remote, IT administrators have HD video resolution of 1600x1200 at 60 Hz. It also offers an Ethernet port, so that administrators can transmit KVM data over TCP/IP, helping to eliminate the need for specialized hardware or cabling. This also allows IT users to remotely access blade servers for installation and maintenance, helping to lower the cost of ownership.
The 17-inch LCD rack console and eight-port or 16-port KVM switches support PS/2 and USB (universal serial bus) systems, as well as out-of-band access to servers. The LCD console switch also includes an on-screen display in multiple languages, a 17-inch TFT active-matrix monitor that supports 1280x1024 resolution at 60 Hz, a front access USB pass through and preassembly of the LCD and KVM modules for easy installation.
Beyond managing traditional server components required for high-performance environments including processors, memory, and storage, this new platform also provides effective, integrated management capabilities for data center components with a single form factor to provide streamlined manageability, including connectivity to a keyboard, video monitor, and mouse.
