Raritan's Paragon II KVM Switch Improves Blade Server Management in Data Centers

Raritan's Paragon II KVM Switch Improves Blade Server Management in Data Centers

May 17, 2007

- Supports IBM BladeCenter; Delivers Industry's Best Video
Performance and New Video Redirect and Multi-Video Output
Features -


    SOMERSET, N.J., May 17 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Raritan
today announced support for IBM BladeCenter(R) servers in
its next release of Paragon(R) II, the market-leading Cat5
KVM switch.  This release provides many features that
optimize collaborative troubleshooting that thereby
increase data center efficiency and productivity.
  
    With support for IBM BladeCenter, Paragon II 4.2 users
can now manage the industry's most widely deployed blade
server.  Ideal for IT teams and other users that need
secure access from a user station (monitor, keyboard, and
mouse) to multiple blades and other data center equipment,
Paragon II provides anytime, non-blocked access, high video
resolution and a rich suite of management features.
  
    Release 4.2 also delivers two new productivity features
that leverage Paragon II's stellar video resolution (1920 x
1440) -- which is rated the best* in the industry and
essential in environments requiring hours of intense screen
viewing. 
  
    With "Video Redirect," Paragon II can
redirect a server's video output to any user station within
a multi-switch Paragon II system.  With "Multiple
Video" -- also known as "Port Following
Switch" -- up to four user stations can simultaneously
view the video output of a server with multiple video ports.
 Customers also can use Multiple Video to direct the video
of multiple servers to a set of user stations.  Both new
video features provide flexibility ideal for real-time
execution of applications in work environments -- ranging
from network operation centers to broadcast control rooms.

 
    The new Paragon II KVM switch also supports Cortron(R)
keyboards -- which are the leading choice for many
military, mobile and outdoor applications in relatively
harsh environments.  Additionally, Paragon II 4.2 now
supports the Kensington(R) Expert Mouse and Turbo Mouse
Trackball, which are popular with Macintosh(R) users.  

    "Paragon II Release 4.2 delivers important
features requested by customers in the government,
broadcast and IT management sectors," said Derek
Finch, Product Manager at Raritan.  "However, all
technology users that need secure KVM access to IT
resources will benefit by a boost in efficiency of overall
operations, administration and maintenance.  Our solution
is designed to deliver the industry's best video quality,
manageability, response and security -- no matter if you're
controlling a handful of servers or thousands."   

    About Paragon II

    Paragon is the industry's first Cat5 KVM switch. 
Today, Raritan's next-generation Paragon II is used to
manage thousands of data centers by providing secure,
real-time, non-blocked, BIOS-level access to servers. 
Designed to perform intensive multiple-user-to-many-server
keyboard/video/mouse (KVM) matrix switching, Paragon II
provides up to 64 simultaneous users secure, non-blocked
access for controlling and managing IT equipment -- even if
the network goes down.  Paragon's flexible and scalable
modular architecture supports the cascading and stacking of
Paragon II switches, so that thousands of servers can be
managed from one user station.  A rich suite of management
features includes: logging and audit trails, system-wide
reset from a user station, and a single, consolidated view
of all Paragon-connected devices.  

    KVM-over-IP access can be added with the optional
Paragon II user station (UST-IP).  Multiple Paragon II
switches can be managed by Raritan's CommandCenter(R)
Secure Gateway, which provides a unique one-screen view of
all IT equipment and one-click BIOS-level access to target
devices.  

    About Raritan (Raritan.com) 

    Raritan, based in Somerset, N.J., is a leading provider
of management solutions that simplify IT operations.  Based
on KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) switches, serial console
servers, management software, power management and remote
connectivity, our secure solutions drive data center and
branch office efficiency and productivity in more than
50,000 locations around the world.  Raritan also serves the
OEM market by developing advanced, hardware-based,
remote-management components based on KVM-over-IP and IPMI
technologies.  Founded in 1985, Raritan today has 38
offices worldwide, and its products are distributed in 76
countries.  For more information, please visit
Raritan-AP.com.

    All marks are the property of their respective owners.

    * The Tolly Group conducted a test of the Paragon II
Cat5 KVM switch and Enhanced User Station (P2-EUST) against
Avocent's AMX 5020 KVM switch and AMX5130 User Station,
which showed that Raritan delivered overall better video
quality at the longest cable length at high resolution --
1920x1440 up to 1,000ft at a refresh rate of 60Hz. 




    For more information, please contact:

     Coco Chang
     Raritan
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]