Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Networking

    Aten Puts Data Center Power in the Closet

    By
    Lisa Vaas
    -
    January 9, 2008
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Aten Technology has released an IP-enabled keyboard/video/mouse switch that promises to let smaller businesses manage multiple servers over the Internet regardless of which closet in which country the systems are tucked away.

      “These new Category 5 switches [allow businesses] lots of flexibility from the standpoint of where you can deploy the switches as well as the servers,” said Aten Sales Manager Lisa Person. That’s an attractive proposition to midsize companies, she said, given that they seldom have entire data centers and instead tuck servers into closets or small rooms in dispersed locations.

      Standard KVM switches allow users to connect a monitor, keyboard and mouse to a KVM device, which in turn connects via special cables to multiple computers. KVM-over-IP devices, on the other hand, dispense with the cables and thus are one of two types of switch that allow for remote system management, by capturing, compressing and packetizing signals from keyboards, monitors and mouse devices for delivery to a remote console application. Depending on price and feature set, KVM switches can connect from two to 64 computers.

      Servers can also be daisy-chained to allow even more computers to be controlled from one KVM, but until recently that capability has been restricted to enterprise-grade devices.

      Aten’s new 8- and 16-port IP KVM switches—respectively, the KH1508i and KH1516i—in fact do provide daisy-chaining, and the fact that they can be used for remote management via IP connection allows limited IT staff to access and troubleshoot servers from anywhere in the world, Person said.

      Skype, in a bid to improve its fortunes in the mobile market, is previewing a number of initiatives at CES. Click here for more.

      “In the SMB [small and midsize business] space, what they really need is the reliability and functionality of enterprises but at an SMB price point,” and without the bells and whistles of enterprise-grade devices, Person said.

      One way Aten kept the price down is that the new switches only support one IP user, who can log in to manage eight or 16 servers, as opposed to supporting the four or five IP connections that more expensive switches can handle, Person said. Daisy-chaining also allows for scale-out as an SMB grows, she said.

      Uncertain economy be damned—most SMBs are looking forward to implementing an array of technology in the coming year. Click here to read more.

      The eight-port switch is priced at $849.95, and the 16-port device is priced at $999.95. They support Windows, Macs, Sun and terminal-based systems. The devices come standard with a three-year warranty and 24/7 support for no additional charge.

      The switches are a good fit for businesses that range in size from 100 seats or users up to about 500 seats or users, Person said.

      According to André Girard, an analyst for the technology market research firm Venture Development, IP KVM switches were predominantly meant for large businesses with large data centers until about two years ago, but that’s turned around lately as prices have come down.

      Lower-priced IP-enabled KVM, such as Aten’s recent launch, should appeal to the SMB market for a number of reasons, Girard said. “These solutions address concerns frequently encountered by the SMB consumer, including tighter IT budgets and the need to manage remote equipment at multiple sites with limited IT staff,” he said.

      When it comes to shopping around, Girard suggested looking at similar switches from Adder, Lantronix, Raritan and the market leader, Avocent. Historically, Avocent and Raritan have been No. 1 and No. 2 in market share, respectively, but lately Aten has moved into second place along with Raritan, Girard said. That is likely to be because, like a lot of other Asian companies, Aten is focusing more on entry-level KVM products, whereas Avocent is going for the deeper pockets of the enterprise.

      Lisa Vaas
      Lisa Vaas is News Editor/Operations for eWEEK.com and also serves as editor of the Database topic center. Since 1995, she has also been a Webcast news show anchorperson and a reporter covering the IT industry. She has focused on customer relationship management technology, IT salaries and careers, effects of the H1-B visa on the technology workforce, wireless technology, security, and, most recently, databases and the technologies that touch upon them. Her articles have appeared in eWEEK's print edition, on eWEEK.com, and in the startup IT magazine PC Connection. Prior to becoming a journalist, Vaas experienced an array of eye-opening careers, including driving a cab in Boston, photographing cranky babies in shopping malls, selling cameras, typography and computer training. She stopped a hair short of finishing an M.A. in English at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. She earned a B.S. in Communications from Emerson College. She runs two open-mic reading series in Boston and currently keeps bees in her home in Mashpee, Mass.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×