Avocent Introduces New Products to Improve Manageability of Servers

New MergePoint 5224 and 5240 manage service processor embedded within servers; Products enable secure and simple management of multiple servers in remote locations

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Avocent® Corporation (Nasdaq: AVCT) today announced a major expansion to its MergePoint™ 5200 family of service processor managers. The new MergePoint 5224 and 5240 appliances will be used to control service processors found in nearly any server. The purpose of service processors is to help manage servers independent of the main processor, for control of such important functions as power, hardware monitoring and alerts. Avocent is the first company to enable IT administrators to manage multiple service processors in Windows, Linux and Unix servers from a single console via the company’s centralized management software.

“The ability to manage virtually any type of service processor with a single gateway appliance makes this technology a must-have for systems management,” said Dave Perry, executive vice president of Avocent. “The MergePoint 5200 family of products speaks in the local language of nearly any service processor, greatly simplifying server management and enabling IT administrators to fully leverage the embedded management capabilities of servers already in their network.”

IDC forecasts the number of servers worldwide will jump by nearly 50 percent in the next few years, from 24 million in 2006 to 35 million in 2010. As system administrators are tasked with supporting this growth, tools that streamline and enable remote management capabilities will be essential. Nearly all servers shipped in the last few years have service processors and are based on either the IPMI standard or proprietary technologies, including the HP iLO, Dell DRAC, IBM RSA II and Sun ALOM.

“Efficiency of IT administration is increased when service processors are utilized, and efficiency is further increased when they are merged onto a common management system with other IT assets,” added Perry. “Avocent DSView 3 software is good example of such a management platform. Reduced complexity, cost, and time savings is the real value.” DSView 3 software provides single console access and control of servers, embedded technologies, serially based devices including routers and hubs, power-control devices and environmental monitoring equipment.

Reducing Costs

Service processors requiring a dedicated Ethernet port come with a high price tag—$200 to $1,000 per year, per Ethernet port—that often makes their deployment cost prohibitive. The MergePoint 5224 and 5240 appliances consolidate service processor Ethernet ports, requiring only a single external IP address and Ethernet switch port for all connected devices, significantly reducing deployment costs.

Increasing Security

Service processors’ lack of built-in security support often required by enterprises can also be a significant barrier to adoption, but the MergePoint 5224 and 5240 appliances’ authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) security features along with the transparency provided by its DirectCommand feature deliver robust AAA for service processor access. Users are able to leverage all of the functionality available from the service processor without any compromise to security.

Transparent Access

Along with its extensive support for multiple service processor types, the new MergePoint 5224 and 5240 appliances also include a new DirectCommand feature enabling seamlessly communication with and control of any service processor through its native user interface. Currently available for DRAC, iLO and RSA II, DirectCommand enables transparent access to service processors out of the box. Other service processors can be integrated through a very easy-to-use Web configuration interface.

Avocent also introduced an upgrade to the existing MergePoint 5200 appliance, first introduced in July 2006, which addresses management for deploying service processors that use a shared Ethernet port. The latest version includes a number of features incorporated to make the deployment and consolidation of service processors faster and easier than with any other solution.

The Avocent MergePoint 5200 family of appliances, DSR® KVM over IP switches, ACS console managers, PM power devices and some third-party intelligent power distribution units and environmental monitoring equipment all can be centrally managed via DSView 3 software, simplifying the management complexity of heterogeneous IT environments.

About Avocent Corporation

Avocent delivers IT operations and infrastructure management solutions for enterprises worldwide, helping customers reduce the cost and simplify the management of complex IT environments via integrated, centralized in-band and out-of-band hardware and software. Through LANDesk, Avocent also is a leading provider of systems, security, and process management solutions. Additional information is available at: www.avocent.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements that are forward-looking statements as defined within the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include statements regarding the development of new systems and management solutions and Avocent's growth and expansion into these and other new markets. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made, including the risks associated with the integration of the LANDesk businesses and technologies, risks associated with general economic conditions, risks attributable to future product demand, sales, and expenses, risks associated with product design efforts and the introduction of new products and technologies, and risk associated with obtaining and protecting intellectual property rights. Other factors that could cause operating and financial results to differ are described in Avocent's reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Avocent, the Avocent logo, The Power of Being There, MergePoint, DSR and DSView are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avocent Corporation or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.