The Luxury of Organization

It is inspiration, well written, and logical: How to Keep Networked Applications Humming During Organizational Change outlines exactly what you need to do to get a complete picture of your network application’s status.


In the ideal world, IT managers would have the time and resources to implement every one of these steps during organizational change.

In real life – not so realistic. The systematic steps presented here would be a luxury to implement during calm periods. The chances of being able to follow this checklist during turbulent times are slim to none, unless you work for a company with time, money, and resources to burn.


Can you use this as a “cheat sheet” and extrapolate the bare bones for your needs? Do these ambitious plans cause you to become overwhelmed to the point where they have no value at all?

Cool Pictures of Sophisticated Data Center Technology

This slideshow about secrets of successful data centers is worth seeing for the pictures alone.

Who wouldn’t want to check out pictures of a data center on fire (slide 5) or the beauty of stacked blade servers (slide 15)?

PTS Data Center Solutions, Peter Sacco Interview

Recently I had a chance to Interview Peter Sacco, President of PTS Data Center Solutions, Inc. Founded in 1998, PTS is a data center consulting, engineering, & construction firm as well as turnkey solutions provider. They offer a broad range of project experience in designing data centers, computer rooms, and technical spaces. PTS employs industry best practices in integrating proven, ‘best-of-breed’, critical infrastructure technologies that result in always available, scalable, redundant, fault-tolerant, manageable, and maintainable mission critical environments.

Please share a little about PTS for our readers that are not familiar with you yet:

[Peter Sacco] From our corporate headquarters in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, and our office in Orange County, California, PTS works to fulfill our mission of creating satisfied customers by emphasizing pre-design & planning services to provide the optimal solution to meet our clients’ needs and result in an early & accurate alignment between scope, schedule, and budget.

How does PTS differentiate itself from other data center solution providers?

[Peter Sacco] We have an expert staff of industry leading consulting and engineering professionals, a high ROI from fast turnaround, decreased number of vendors, and superior quality of workmanship. We make use of best practices & proven technologies to deliver our solutions in a predictable manner. We’ve also made strategic alliances with best-in-class technology firms.

What services does PTS offer?

[Peter Sacco] PTS is uniquely qualified to provide a turnkey solution for projects from conception through implementation. Our services include:
1. Planning & Feasibility Consulting(Surveying, Planning, Site Assessments, Financial Analysis, Conceptual Design, and Project Cost Estimating)
2. Facility & Support Infrastructure Design & Engineering(Architectural, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fire Protection, Structural, Controls, Security, Structured Cabling, Design Documents, Written Specifications, Forensic Analysis)
3. Construction & Project Management(Design/Build or Bid & Specification)
4. IT Infrastructure Design & Implementation(LAN/WAN, Network Security, Servers & Storage Systems, Wireless, A/V, Surveillance)
5. Monitoring(IT & Support Infrastructure Solutions)
6. Maintenance (Support Infrastructure Start-up, Preventative Maintenance, and Unscheduled Services)

What is your target market?

[Peter Sacco] IT personnel of medium business (>500 people), although we do a fair amount of large enterprise work as well, and on occasion work for small companies.

What is the most challenging project you worked on?

[Peter Sacco] Every project has its own unique set of challenges, but that is what allows PTS to shine. While it is important to have the right staff with the right skill sets, just as important was finding staff that shares the same culture of problem solving, acting with a sense of urgency, and client satisfaction is what clients come to appreciate about PTS most of all.

How is your company planning for the future?

[Peter Sacco] PTS has just in the last year expanded its horizons on three (3) fronts; (1) data center education and training, (2) new product development, and (3) IT services and solutions
1. We recently launched PTS’ Data Center Education Series (DCES) and are offering module-based, instructor lead, training in data center specific topics, such as Fundamentals of Power, Fundamentals of Cooling, Fundamentals of Data Cabling, and more in partnership with Global Knowledge Training (www.globalknowledge.com)
2. At the start of 2009, PTS embarked on the development of its first product, software to track the maintaining of data center and computer room environments. We expect to go into beta testing in a few days with our Data Center Maintenance Management Software (DCMMS). We feel DCMMS will fill the empty gap in Data Center Management not presently being filled by other software service the space.
3. In October 2009, we expanded our IT services and solutions offerings by formally launching PTS Information Technology Solutions Group (ITSG).

On a more personal note, you are obviously a very busy person, what do you like to do most when you aren’t at work?

[Peter Sacco] My passion is football. I am very active in the community I live, Franklin Lakes, NJ (also where PTS HQ is!). I have been coaching junior football for over 15 years and don’t see stopping anytime soon.

Thank you Peter for taking the time out of your busy schedule!

If you want to find out more information about PTS, they are very active online:

Website: http://www.ptsdcs.com/
Blog: DataCenterDesign.blogspot.com
LinkedIn: www.LinkedIn.com/PTS
Facebook: facebook.ptsdcs.com
Twitter: twitter.com/PTSDataCenter

Net Neutrality: What is it All About?

Great article on NetworkWorld.com which explains:

• What net neutrality is
• What the FCC has agreed to do
• Who is for net neutrality
• Who is against net neutrality
• How net neutrality affects businesses
• How net neutrality affects carriers
• How net neutrality affects residential Internet users
• Which services would probably be affected the most

What do you think: Do we need net neutrality in order to stop Internet providers from charging high fees, or will net neutrality result in higher flat rates for services or paying by the byte for Internet traffic, as the Internet providers claim?

Synexx National Conference - Saul Mishaan Meets Resellers

Saul Mishaan, President of Minicom North America went to the Synnex 2009 National Conference earlier this month.

The Synnex National Conference is an expo promoting Synnex partners to their attending resellers. About 260 resellers were at the event this year. Saul represented Minicom with a presence in the Digital Signage Booth. He mostly met with resellers during the 3 hour event. The experience with Digital Signage ranged from extreme novice to well versed. Saul found it interesting that quite a few of the resellers he spoke to in the booth were more experienced and successful in KVM than Digital Signage.

It just goes to show you that Digital Signage’s roots are very much still attached to KVM – which is how Minicom got started. Are you surprised?

Thanks for the update Saul!

KVM Switches Enjoy Surge in Popularity in India

The number of KVM switches being used in India has grown significantly in recent times, due in large part to the government’s establishment of 27 new data centers, and the mandate that financial institutes have to have business continuity and disaster recovery solutions, as discussed in an article on CIOL.com.


Points mentioned in the article that are encouraging for companies like Minicom that sell KVM switches (among other things):

· Globally the market for KVM switches will exceed $1 billion by 2011, increasing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of approximately 9.1 percent (2006-2011).

· Research indicates that the trend toward IP KVM solutions will continue, accounting for over half of all KVM revenues by 2011

· With the changing trends and advancements in the technology, the customer base of KVM switches is likely to increase.


I would like to draw your attention to the conclusion of the article:


“Opportunities for SPs


Solution providers who are providing solutions in the data center domain have the opportunity to avail the benefits of KVM switches as they can offer the complete solution to the customers.
‘When a solution provider is selling racks, equipments for remote management and data center solutions, it makes sense for him to drive the KVM switches as well. This way, he can offer the complete solutions to the customers at one go and this would increase his profitability also,’ said Motwani from Raritan.
This kind of unified selling is something that other vendors have also been propounding for quite some time. Most of the data center specialists have already embraced this concept and offer KVM switches as part of the total solution they give to their clients.
But with the potential in the KVM industry, especially keeping in mind that this is one market that is expected to grow in the years to come, there is still space for the entry of more solution providers in this segment.”


There is a glaring omission here, which is the mention of Minicom’s Remote Access Management solutions.

Extra Server, anyone?

Unused Servers Cost Businesses $25B Annually: Study

The numbers here sounds pretty serious. One in six servers - about 4.7 million worldwide - is sitting idle, according to a global survey of IT managers.

Take a peek at your server room – does this sound right to you? Is this consistent with your experience?

65,000 Time Warner Cable Customers Exposed to Remote Access Hack

Scary!

65,000 Time Warner Cable customers have been exposed to a remote access hack, as reported by wired.com. Blogger David Chen was helping a friend with the setting on his cable modem when he inadvertently realized there was a problem.

What does this kind of vulnerability mean? According to Chen:

“ ‘From within your own network, an intruder can eavesdrop on sensitive data being sent over the internet and even worse, they can manipulate the DNS address to point trusted sites to malicious servers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks,’ Chen wrote on his blog. ‘Someone skilled enough can possibly even modify and install a new firmware onto the router, which can then automatically scan and infect other routers automatically.’ "

The article does not mention any cases where users who were exposed had anyone tamper with their settings, which means that the threat was only that. While a serious potential problem, it is reassuring that either a)no hacker discovered the vulnerability b)no hacker cared enough to do anything about it if they did.

Ideally, any paid service should mandate the use off the highest level of encrypted remote access possible. If you want remote access solutions for your data center that you can trust, for example, there is no reason to worry with Minicom’s AccessIT. With SSL and high grade 256-bit AES encryption, you can sleep easily at night after watching cable TV.

Virtual Servers, Real Problems?

This article identifies the five biggest challenges of server virtualization as:

1. Network connections

2. Network storage

3. Sizing storage capacity

4. Back-up challenges

5. Application support

As companies dip their toes into the untested waters of virtualization, new issues arise as a result of the change to IT Infrastructures. Do articles like the one above, which outline challenges and provide solutions, make you eager to embrace new technologies like virtualization, or do they scare you off?

Virtual Web Event: Dealing With Data Centers In Tough Times

There are so many free online resources for small and medium businesses to learn from. I came across the next virtual event by InformationWeek and bMighty that looks like it will be very informative:

bMighty and InformationWeek SMB present the latest in our ongoing series of
Virtual Events: Data Centers For Growing Companies -- dedicated to helping small and midsize companies deal with data centers in tough times.

This virtual event is here to help with InformationWeek and bMighty editors, industry experts, and real IT folks sharing a unique mix of battle-tested best practices, experience-earned tips from the trenches, and new ideas and innovations to help you do more with less.

Taking place on Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Register here

Service Providers Using Skype

Two recent articles by Jon Arnold, Principal, J Arnold & Associates on TMCnet.com cover some good points on how Skype can be used by Service Providers.

Take a look at both articles:

Why Skype Is Good News for Service Providers (Part 1)

Why Skype is Good News for Service Providers, Part 2

We use Skype to communicate to our offices around the world as well as customers. Our technical support have also used Skype to conduct an online IP product demo – so we know how useful this free service can be.

How does your company use Skype?

Webinar Invitation: Technology Tips for High-Performance Environments

Wright Line and Minicom Advanced Systems will be co-hosting a free webinar on quick and easy-to-implement technology ideas that drive team collaboration, increase overall department productivity and maximize space within 911/Emergency Operation Centers (EOCs).

The webinar will take place online on Wednesday, October 14 at 2:00 PM EDT.

Learn about:

* Local versus remote management of technology platforms - identifying the opportunities to centralize IT operations with the use of KVM technology and scalable network and server rack configurations

* Proper space planning that can help to mitigate risks when installing IT/network equipment at the workstation level instead of storing all equipment in a centralized data center

* How to provide call-takers, dispatchers and supervisors with simultaneous access to all CAD, radio and phone servers in the call center and how supervisors can effectively "take-over" an operator's computer - without software

* How to increase IT staff efficiency while enabling call-takers and dispatchers to be less distracted by tech concerns

* How to provide effective monitor mounting capabilities and techniques, supply keyboard, video and mouse consolidation opportunities and address technology airflow management requirements

Speakers will be Minicom's David Zucker, Director of Business Development, and Wright Line's Brad Lynch, Business Unit Leader, Technical Environments.

About Wright Line

Wright Line, a global leader in the design and manufacture of consoles, enclosures, office and other specialty workspace solutions for technology-intensive environments, has been serving the data center, government office, call center, analytical and electronic laboratory and high-tech manufacturing environments for 75 years. The company is headquartered in Worcester, MA and can be contacted by email at info(at)wrightline(dot)com or by phone, 800.225.7348.

The webinar will take place online on Wednesday, October 14 at 2:00 PM EDT.

*****

Related Material:

Webcast: ABC's of Remote Management (27 min)

Case Study: Emergency Call Center- Phantom System installation

White Paper: How to achieve cost-efficient data center growth through centralized management

Reminder for Webinar: Automated Server and Power Management Solutions

In case you missed the first announcement, you still have time to sign up for the Webinar for tomorrow with Server Technology.


Webinar: Automated Server and Power Management Solutions presented by Minicom & Server Technology

Thursday, October 1, 2009 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT
Minicom and Server Tech are pleased to invite you to join us for a live webinar that will focus on device management and increasing efficiency in the Data Center.

This webinar will include:

1. how Minicom and Server Technology can dramatically increase your IT staff’s efficiency and reduce server downtime.
2. how you can provide IT staff with a secure, single pane of glass for remote management while leveraging existing hardware and software tools.
3. how you can quickly, securely and seamlessly manage power using Server Technology’s cabinet Power Distribution Units (PDUs)
4. device level power monitoring to determine PUE/DCiE metrics, identifying zombie servers, energy usage for cost allocation and power monitoring for capacity planning
5. a demonstration of the integrated solution in action

Product Spotlight: SMART 116 IP (KVM IP Switch -1 User - 16 Ports)

This week we look at the Minicom Smart 116IP :

The Minicom Smart 116IP (KVM IP) Switch gives a system administrator secure, BIOS level access and control to a rack of up to 16 servers either remotely or locally. Smart 116IP is a rack-mountable KVM access solution that can be managed seamlessly under Minicom's Access IT centralized management system - making it the ideal solution for forward looking corporations requiring a versatile, high-performance KVM switch today, and centralized management tomorrow.
Smart 116 IP is also ideal for SMB’s operating servers that require the flexibility of both local and remote administration (local analog, LAN, WAN or Internet).

Highlights:

• Controls up to 16 servers from a single console
• Local or internet connection
• AccessIT enabled
• New ROC (RICC on Cable) technology
• Up to 30m/100ft between computer and switch
• Rack-mountable, space-saving
• Multi-layer security
• Multi-platform capable
  

Product Reference: 0SU70030A (USA Orders) 0SU70030 (All other orders)

Free online product test drive available for this product>>

*****
Related Material:

Minicom Technical Update: Update firmware for the Smart 116 IP
Minicom Technical Update: Product Upgrades for Smart 116 IP
White Paper: Remote Support using KVM IP Technology
Webinar On-Demand: Video - The SmartRack 116-116 IP Switch from Minicom (2:10 minutes)

Webinar: Automated Server and Power Management Solutions presented by Minicom & Server Technology

Minicom and Server Tech are pleased to invite you to join us for a live webinar that will focus on device management and increasing efficiency in the Data Center.

Thursday, October 1, 2009 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT

As the number of critical servers and applications continues to increase , companies have made significant investments in tools to access, monitor and manage them. These include PDUs, IP KVM, console servers, and in-band remote access tools like RDP, VNC, SSH, Telnet, ILO and many more.

With multiple resources at the administrator’s disposal it has become increasingly difficult to keep track and locate these assets when and where they are actually needed. This leads to increased server downtime and the inefficient use of IT staff’s time.

It is therefore imperative that each of these valuable tools is made easily available to ensure IT staff can quickly access, evaluate, and fix a server problem and minimize server downtime.

Additionally, as power densities and cost increase and power availability decreases it has become increasingly important for organizations to ensure proper power monitoring, management and control of these servers and devices to both keep costs down and to maximize utilization of the hardware.

This webinar will include:
1. how Minicom and Server Technology can dramatically increase your IT staff’s efficiency and reduce server downtime.
2. how you can provide IT staff with a secure, single pane of glass for remote management while leveraging existing hardware and software tools.
3. how you can quickly, securely and seamlessly manage power using Server Technology’s cabinet Power Distribution Units (PDUs)
4. device level power monitoring to determine PUE/DCiE metrics, identifying zombie servers, energy usage for cost allocation and power monitoring for capacity planning
5. a demonstration of the integrated solution in action

Thu, Oct 1, 2009 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT

Product Spotlight: Minicom KVMS (KVM + Serial Extender)

This week we look at Minicom KVMS ExtenderThe Minicom KVMS Extender is a powerful, long-range solution that extends your computer and Serial device up to 300m/1000ft from your keyboard, video, mouse (KVM) workstation over a single CAT5 cable. Proprietary skew compensation technology gives superior video quality over long distances, enhancing the operational flexibility for both KVM and digital signage applications.


Highlights:

• 300m/1000ft range
• Skew compensation for best video quality over long distance
• Unique video & mouse performance – remote screen feels local
• Dual user function enables local or remote computer control
• Remote black screen command for on-site maintenance
• Full serial communication for querying remote screen

Ideal applications:

• Adding an extended KVM console for clean room/industrial/ business/office applications
• Touch screen & kiosk separation from computer
• Digital signage screen separation from media player

Product Reference: 0DT50002

*****

Related Material:

• White Paper: Complex network device environments - Overcoming the management challenge
• Webinar On-Demand: Building upon your legacy data center infrastructure – Do More With Less (32 min)
• Minicom Technical Update: Integrating KVMS Extenders into Digital Signage
  Applications
• Minicom Technical Update: File transfer between computers using the KVMS
  system
  
  

KVM Technology - Choosing the Right One

David Miller, P. Eng. gives a very good analysis of a eWeek.com article – KVM Technology - How to Choose the Right KVM Switch for Your Small Server Room Published

Summary
The author has emphasized an area that is not a serious issue in most installations and at the same time has missed an opportunity to educate the reader on one exposure that can lead to the very serious consequence of having to reboot servers. In addition, the author failed to bring up two very important aspects: mouse synchronization with IP enabled KVM switches as well as the ability of seeing all installed KVM switches as part of best practices within the context of IT infrastructure.

David’s brings up some considerable issues with the eWeek article. I agree with him that one important missing topic the article overlooks is mouse synchronization with IP enabled KVM switches. If you choose to read both articles, you will have a very good overview on how to choose the right KVM switch for a small server room.

Read David Miller’s full analysis of the article>>

Minicom Launches Power on Cable™ - a Unique Single Port Power Control Solution

Official Press Release:

Minicom Launches Power on Cable™ - a Unique Single Port Power Control Solution

IT Administrators can use Power on Cable to power on/off and reboot a remote device seamlessly during a secure KVM session

Minicom - a leading developer of IT & KVM remote access and management solutions for the server room and datacenter - today announced the launch of a new, Minicom patented single port power control solution. Power on Cable (PoC) is targeted at IT environments that require a complete remote support package of both BIOS level KVM IP access and remote power control. This can include server rooms in which mission critical equipment is handpicked, or ATM machines or unmanned communication centers distributed in far away locations.


The PoC is controlled serially via a Minicom KVM IP gateway thus preventing costly mistakes by ensuring the power commands are sent only to the required device. Its unique and robust “power cord” design meets the stringent requirements of cable management in IT environments and makes it extremely easy to slide several units together and control several devices through a single management interface. The PoC has worldwide compatibility featuring 90-260 VAC 44-66 Hz up to 10Amps, making it also ideal for mixed power environments.

“Power on Cable increases IT efficiency in heterogonous environments, where for the most part power monitoring is sufficient, but there are a handful of mission critical servers that require remote power rebooting and switching” says Benny Hayumi, product manager for Minicom. “the PoC fits nicely into the power strategy of the organization by being a complementary solution to the PDU and by adding flexibility when IT budgets are so tight. The open protocol we are providing enables easy integration with existing management and control systems”.

Power on Cable continues Minicom's unique Real Needs ™ approach of controlling costs by adding remote power switching capability as and when it is needed.


To learn more about Power on Cable and Minicom visit http://www.minicom.com/
*****
Related Material:
Webcast: Real Needs™ Value Proposition (22 minutes)
White Paper: Real Needs™ Protect Your IT Investment with KVM IP Management
Online Demo: Remote IP Access Product Test Drive
Product Page: Power on Cable

Minicom Boosts Remote Power Capabilities of its Open Platform Access Management Solution

Integration with Eaton Corporation’s ePDU® products provide IT managers with seamless power control of mission critical servers.

Minicom Advanced Systems - a leading developer of IT and KVM remote access and management solutions for the server room and data center - today announced the integration of diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation’s ePDU® products into its remote access management solution, AccessIT. Acting as power distribution units for enclosures, Eaton’s ePDU® products measure power consumption at the data center level, as well as the sever level, to help users understand and control what is happening within their infrastructure. Eaton's technology also allows the user to fully monitor, switch, sequence and manage individual outlets. IT administrators can now have on-demand, Web-based remote access together with mission critical power distribution control of all servers and IT devices. Power commands are seamlessly sent to Eaton’s ePDU® units through the AccessIT interface without the need for a separate login and password.

This integration dramatically increases IT efficiency and reduces down time in crisis situations. If an IT administrator is accessing a server through AccessIT and an urgent reboot is required, a simple click on the power icon to the left of the server name performs the function. Administrators no longer require multiple spreadsheets of IP addresses, passwords and user names to manage, access to their IT systems, it can all be done through a single interface.

“AccessIT, with its open-platform support, addresses the increasingly diverse nature of corporate server rooms and data centers,” said Rami Sasson, VP Sales of Minicom. “This makes AccessIT even more flexible and compelling for IT managers to deploy compared to alternative KVM IP solutions. The integrated functionality of AccessIT, that includes remote power control of ePDU® products from Eaton, delivers tremendous versatility that has a direct impact on IT efficiency and can reduce hardware management costs by as much as 75 percent!”

“IT managers should be able to efficiently measure and manage power consumption, from an overview of the data center down to an individual server, to obtain a complete understanding of power distribution,” said Michael Camesano, Eaton product manager. “The integration of Eaton’s ePDU® products and Minicom’s AccessIT greatly advances power management visibility for IT managers to improve the reliability and efficiency of their infrastructure.”

AccessIT consolidates all in-band and out-of-band services thus providing highly secure, Web-based, on-demand remote access at all times. Its unique open architecture prevents the dreaded vendor lock-in by supporting the seamless integration of third party serial, power and KVM switches and devices. Other supported Access Services are VMWare, RDP, VNC, SSH, Telnet, HP iLO, Web access and custom applications. AccessIT continues Minicom's unique Real Needs approach of repurposing installed analog KVM systems by simply adding a KVM IP device.

Request a free DVD trial version of AccessIT to run on your own servers: http://www.minicom.com/requestdemodvd.cfm

For more information about Eaton’s ePDU® products, visit www.epdu.com. For additional information about Eaton’s power quality products and services, visit www.eaton.com/powerquality.

Minicom Interview: Eli Sasson - CEO/President

In February 2009, Minicom split into two separate divisions – with the creation of the new Digital Signage Division. Ronni Guggenheim became the CEO of the new division, leading a team in our Zurich HQ.

Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with Eli Sasson, CEO and President of Minicom Advanced Systems and ask him some questions about what’s been going on at Minicom since this new change came into effect.

mini.sid: Why did you decide to split now, and what was the main goal for splitting the divisions?

Eli Sasson: The decision to split the divisions was a strategic step for Minicom with a goal to have two completely separate units with each of them having a dedicated focus on their areas and markets.
As for the timing, I have always felt that we should not be defensive or reactive during a market crisis (such as last year) but rather take it as an opportunity to make strategic changes and prepare for the next business cycle.


mini.sid: When did you first consider splitting DS & KVM IT divisions at Minicom?

Eli Sasson: We started activity in the digital signage business around 2001/ 2002 and at an early stage it was apparent that it would become very successful for us. We considered the split several times during the years but the conditions were not ready for it. As the digital signage business grew, we started facing dilemmas with focus and resource allocation in sales & marketing as well as R&D and Logistics. It was an ongoing strategic discussion until all things matured and timing was right.

mini.sid: When did you finally decide to make this strategic split?

Eli Sasson: We made the decision to split towards the end of 2008, when the markets were in crisis but before the big crisis of October 2008. We took into consideration that we are executing a strategic change in rough times. Once we made the decision, it took 2-3 months to plan and launch the change internally and another couple of months to present it to our partners and work with them before we finally made the announcement publically.


mini.sid: What do you feel Minicom and its partners gained from the split?

Eli Sasson: This is a customer facing move. We are now closer to our customers and end users. We have better focus. Our marketing messages sharpened and our marketing activities became more effective. Our product roadmaps changed and became more ambitious and aggressive with new products in both DS and IT markets.


mini.sid: How has Minicom partners responded to the changes?

Eli Sasson: We recently made a survey to our partners and the feedback has been very positive. Most agreed that there is better focus and service for each unit. Only very few had comments and improvement suggestions on any effects from the change which were taken care of immediately.

mini.sid: Internally, how have the Minicom departments managed?

Eli Sasson: Strategic planning was considered all the way down to marketing activities, product roadmap and development. For marketing it was unbelievable, almost like reformatting a computer. In a matter of weeks each of the teams were 100% dedicated to each side of their new mission. Some felt like they were missing an opportunity but only days after seeing the size of the challenge, and the scope of the mission, the actions and all attitudes changed with full enthusiasm. Also, since mid-year we hired new sales managers to fill spots. Structurally, it’s much better – we are ready to go for the most important part of our year – Quarter 4.

mini.sid: Why did you create new and separate Mission statements?

Eli Sasson: The Mission we had before remains true to our parent organization but the mission statements for each unit were changed. When we acted as one unit we gave a quite generic vision that was true for everything. The separate statements help to direct and orient our business better, internally and externally.


mini.sid: What was the biggest challenge?

Eli Sasson: The market conditions have been the biggest challenge. When markets grow, it’s easier to make changes. It’s expected that you pay the penalty for mistakes as a part of it. In today’s market conditions, any mistake is much more painful – change becomes that much more difficult.


mini.sid: How do you feel about the markets?

Eli Sasson: Cautiously optimistic. The business environment is getting better daily, but in small steps. In both units, we see consistent and slight improvements since April. It’s getting better every day. Incoming sales, special orders, projects and opportunities are in the pipeline. While sales and orders grow nicely – projects and opportunity in the pipeline grow faster. The last part of the year is expected to be very good.

On the other hand, like everyone else we are very concerned with external conditions that still can be changed dramatically – like October 2008 – everything is still very fragile. After the bubble crisis in 2001, Minicom grew at 45% CAGR for several years. I will take the risk and predict that we will return in 2010 to a fast growth both in our IT and DS activities.

mini.sid: What new things has the KVM & IT division been working on since the split?

Eli Sasson: We have been very proactive during the crisis; we sharpened the market message, introduced new access management products, multi-user KVM IP switches and added to the Smart family. The new products have been very well accepted in the market so far. It shows in sales overall – The Real Needs Approach which helps businesses to control costs while growing and upgrading is very compelling to IT managers and users. While our competition pushes the end user “to throw everything out” and replace their entire KVM installation, Minicom offers the Real needs™ approach of simply adding on another access or management layer to the existing system.
We’ve already won significant business through this approach.


mini.sid: Minicom has been very involved with social media lately – how has it made a difference?

Eli Sasson: Social media for us is still relatively new, however I enjoy connecting with our partners, customers and distributors. Being able to reach our end users and hear from them directly has been very rewarding. I recently began to use Twitter. Also, we now have a Minicom LinkedIn group with 125 members already and it’s growing on a daily basis. LinkedIn has brought many of our partners together and in ways that traditional media would not have given us the same opportunities. The initial response with social media has been beyond our expectations.

mini.sid: Thank you Eli for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions.

Eli Sasson: My pleasure

*****

You can follow Eli Sasson on Twitter @elisasson and join our LinkedIn Group.

Upcoming Webinar: Remote Management of Network Closets for Hospitals

Free Webinar Invitation

Subject: Remote Management of Network Closets for Hospitals

Presented by: Wright Line and Minicom

Date: Friday, August 21, 2009 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EDT

Overview: Most hospitals have a number of network closets in locations all over the facility. These closets will contain one or two servers as well as a serial or network device. Today hospital staff has no way of managing PCs/servers remotely other than using software products like VNC or Remote Desktop. Using a traditional IP KVM is cost prohibitive because they are manufactured and priced to manage 8 or 16 servers.

Today, if an admin needs BIOS access to a server, they have to walk or travel to the closet where it resides. This is inefficient and time consuming.

This webinar will introduce cost effective solutions for not only limiting the travel to the actual servers and PCs, but for simplifying and making all remote management more efficient.

Webinar On Demand: Building upon your legacy data center infrastructure

In case you missed it, this webinar is now available for you on demand.


"Doing More With Less - Building upon your legacy data center infrastructure"
Duration: 32 minutes


David Zucker
Director of KVM Business Development
Minicom Advanced Systems

From Minicom, Learn how to:

•Integrate new technology that is essential to the growth of the business in times of recession

•Create a management strategy that will increase your IT staff's efficiency using many of the resources you already have in place and more...

Michael Tresh

Director Data Center Marketing

Wright Line

From Wright Line learn how to:

•Do more with less in a smaller data center footprint with increasing high-density IT loads
•More effectively and efficiently utilize existing physical infrastructure and cooling capacity and more...

Play Webinar on demand now>>

New Podcast: The Power Advantage of Minicom's AccessIT

“The Power Advantage of Minicom's AccessIT”

(4:22 minutes)

Host: David Zucker, Director of KVM Business Development

Talking points:

• AccessIT's power advantage


• Hear why AccessIT capabilities have been called "empowering"

Related Material:

Webcast: AccessIT: Managing Remote Access so that IT can be managed (2:56 minutes)

White Paper: Real Needs "Add-on Technology that maximizes your IT installed base"

Interview: Calvin Nicholson from Server Technology

Product Test Drive: AccessIT Online Demo

Minicom Interview: Calvin Nicholson Server Technology

Following the announcement that our AccessIT is integrated with the SentryTM Cabinet Power Distribution Unit from Server Technology, I wanted to take a closer look at the power industry and had a chance to ask Calvin Nicholson from Server Technology a few questions. Server Technology designs and manufactures intelligent power distribution products for enterprise data centers, service providers and branch office locations. Founded in 1984, Server Technology is recognized as a leader in innovative Remote Power Management solutions.

What is your position at Server Technology?

I am the Director of Product Marketing


Can you give me an overview of Server Tech’s method of selling?

We have both direct sales people as well as working through the channel. So the option is up to the customer as to whether they want to work direct or through a partner that they are comfortable with. We have an opportunity registration program through our web site that allows our partners to register opportunities. This lets us reward the partners that are pushing our products and who bring in the opportunities.

Do you have international customers? If so, what is the percentage of international sales compared to North America?

We do have international customers and we have offices in Canada, UK, Germany and Singapore along with a strong channel of partners throughout the world. I can’t give percentages but this is a strong a growing portion of our business.

How does Server Tech differentiate itself from your competitors?

Server Technology just focuses on power distribution, monitoring, management and control within the data center cabinet. We have been in business over 26 years and have the largest number of engineers in the industry focused in this area. We provide high quality products that are very feature rich along with a superior level of support. Being the leader in our industry we are requested to produce cutting edge products for new data center projects well ahead of the industry norm. These products then become part of our standard product line.

What are your unique selling points?

You can manage two power in-feeds (power distribution units PDU’s) and two temperature and two humidity measurements all under a single IP address through our unique linking technology. We offer the largest product line and have a number of 3-Phase products and 60A products focused on high density applications. Our temperature and humidity probes are on 10 foot cards so they can be placed in any locations within the cabinet. We offer a tool to monitor and manage all of the PDU’s in you DC called SPM.

What’s popular with your customers today?

Right now the new trend is 415 V 3-Phase power delivered to the cabinet for North American data centers. Efficiency gains with this technology are in the 4-6% range and offer significant efficiency gains and cost savings. Most products supplied a Zero U technology with some kind of intelligence. Customers don’t always and to turn things on and off or reboot them but monitoring power is becoming a significant trend.

What specific features are your customers looking for in your PDU’s?

Solutions that deliver the amount of power that is required with the proper outlet types and features/functions that they desire.

With regards to monitoring power usage, why is it so important to your customers?

Monitoring power is critical on so many different levels:
1) If you don’t know the amount of power that you are using then it is easy to overload the circuit and possibly bring down some of the equipment in the cabinet.
2) For three phase loads it is critical for load balancing and efficiency.
3) In today’s market where power costs are going up, power availability is going down and in some cases our customers cannot get enough power you need to understand how much power you are using and how changes within your facility affect this. This information is also used for efficiency calculations like the PUE and DCiE metrics from The Green Grid. To identify comatose or zombie servers that can be shut down or possibly virtualized. For power capacity planning (where do I have the power to install a new device.)

What percentage of your customers requires remote power capability as a feature?

Switched products where you can turn devices on or off is our biggest selling products.

Do you see any increase with customers dealing with support issues when there are problems with a server?

Facilities today have much smaller staffs and must use their resources wisely to be competitive in today’s market. I am not sure if the issues are going up but the ability to resolve these issues as fast as possible and move onto the next task is required.

Are you finding an increase in requests for consolidated remote access for power, kvm, console and serial?

Since we don’t actively sell these products we don’t see a lot of these requests. We do see a desire in customers to want to go to one central location and manage a number of devices. For servers it is our combined solution. If it is just the PDU’s then they use our Sentry Power Manager product.

What can we expect to see from Server Tech in the future?

Continued innovation, a number of 415 V products for North America and expansion of the device level power monitoring solutions

Thanks Calvin!

To contact or learn more about Server Tech – visit their website>>

Ideas that work - a remote KVM strategy for any size organization

When we first promoted the concept of upgrading an installed analog KVM switch to an IP switch by simply adding an IP gateway, I thought this strategy was perfect for small and medium size companies that don’t have IT budgets of enterprise organizations. But in this economy I am finding this approach is valid for Fortune 500 companies as well.

We are working with a globally recognized company on their US datacenter consolidation plans. They have to implement an IP KVM solution to fit their support strategy of following the sun. We originally proposed our Smart multi-user IP KVM switches. The solution fit their needs until they said, sounds great but we can’t afford anything close to that. We quickly changed gears and told them for about 1/10th the cost they can get remote KVM functionality by adding a Minicom IP gateway to their installed base of dozens of working analog switches. This was the perfect compromise of the real functionality they need and cost.

Sure the sale is a fraction of the original proposal but it is a sale not a proposal that will be delayed quarter after quarter due to a shrinking budget. The customer had to sacrifice on some features they wanted but they have the remote KVM access to the servers in their new datacenters that was not within reach with a new digital KVM installation. This might be the answer for your remote access needs or your customers.


If you would like to discuss a solution for adding remote KVM access to your servers contact Rami Sasson or a Minicom technical expert at info.usa@minicom.com


Rami Sasson, VP Sales at Minicom authored this blog post:
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Related Material:
White Paper: Real Needs - Add-on Technology that maximizes your IT installed base
Case Study: Government Agency (KVM.net & PX)
Webcast: Achieving Remote Server KVM Access to your data center (22 min)

42U’s Interactive Data Center Efficiency Calculator

Last week, our partner 42U released a free Data Center Efficiency Calculator for IT Professionals and C-level management that shows short term and long term savings that can be achieved with improving the energy efficiency in their data center.

This tool is excellent!

From 42U’s press release:

“While “greening” the data center is good for the environment and good for the bottom line, few resources provide the business case to begin an efficiency program. In response, 42U, a leader in data center efficiency solutions and services, has premiered a free, interactive Data Center Energy Savings Calculator to help data center managers quantify the energy, cost, and CO2 savings possible through efficiency efforts.

The tool uses the Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) metric as the basis for its calculation. After users insert their current PUE, goal PUE, electricity cost, and IT load, the calculator projects savings over a one, five, and ten year period—figures which help data center professionals determine the return on investment of their efficiency improvements.”

Go to the 42U Data Center Efficiency Calculator to get started>>

On the same page, they also give a great overview on data center energy consumption.

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Related Material:
Webcast: Minicom’s Real Needs™ Value Proposition (22 minutes)
White Paper: How to Achieve Cost-Efficient Data Center Growth
Case Study: 888.com uses global centralized management system

AccessIT Provides Single Sign-on Remote Access to VMware Virtual Machines

Official Press Release:

Minicom Advanced Systems, a leading developer of IT & KVM remote access solutions for the server room and datacenter announces that AccessIT - its open platform access management solution for corporate IT - supports “one-click” remote access to VMware virtual servers.

“One of the challenges of IT in growing SMBs today is integrating new technologies like VMware virtualization into an installed base of physical servers” says Eran Kessel, VP marketing for Minicom. “This new heterogeneous and sometimes geographically distributed IT environment calls for a solution that simplifies daily routines and keeps the IT staff just-a-click-away from all IT assets in the organization, regardless of their device type or access protocol used. AccessIT is a secure, one-stop web based solution that organizes the remote access “mess” and unifies the workload of IT staff, wherever they are at any given moment”.

AccessIT is targeted at organizations with a minimum number of IT staff that maintains and operate up to 250 IT assets (servers, virtual servers and network devices). AccessIT consolidates all in/out-of-band services thus providing highly secure, web based, on-demand remote access at all times. Its open architecture prevents the dreaded vendor lock-in by supporting seamless integration of 3rd party serial, power and KVM switches and devices. Other supported Access Services are RDP, VNC, SSH, Telnet, HP iLO, web access and custom applications.

Minicom is a member of the VMware TAP program and has its management systems listed in the TAP Partner Products Catalog. Visit the VMware partner website at http://www.vmware.com/partnercentral

Learn more about AccessIT and Minicom:
Download the free version of AccessIT to test in your own server room (Limited to 3 users,10 targets & 3 KVM IP devices) or watch the online tutorial of our enterprise version (KVM.net II). Request a guided tour with an expert or interact with the online live product test drive

Webinar: Building upon your Legacy Data Center Infrastructure

Webinar Invitation:
Building upon your Legacy Data Center Infrastructure – Do More With Less
Date: Thursday, July 23 at 2:00 PM EST / 11:00 AM PST
Length: 60 minutes
Speakers: Mike Tresh (Wright Line) & David Zucker (Minicom)

The subject of this informative webinar is 'doing more with less'. Both Wright Line and Minicom offer solutions that enable data center professionals to add-on important functionality to their existing KVM switches and IT enclosures.


Mike Tresh
Director, Data Center Marketing
Wright Line






From Wright Line learn how to:

• Do more with less in a smaller data center footprint with increasing high-density IT loads
• More effectively and efficiently utilize existing physical infrastructure and cooling capacity
• Eliminate "stranded" physical, electrical or mechanical capacity
• Convert existing enclosures to more effectively capture and direct hot exhaust air back to precision cooling units
• Eliminate the incremental capital expense associated with having to add more CRAC units or other supplemental cooling

David Zucker
Director of Business Development
Minicom

• From Minicom, Learn how to:

• Integrate new technology that is essential to the growth of the business in times of recession
• Create a management strategy that will increase your IT staff's efficiency using many of the resources you already have in place
• Upgrade or transition any analog KVM switch into an IP KVM, quicker, with less training and do it for less cost than you would ever think

• Add Remote KVM access capability on a tight budget

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Related Material
White Paper: Real Needs - Protect your IT investment with KVM IP Management
Press Release: Minicom Updates IP based KVM product lines
Case Study: Government Data Center - Simultaneous non-blocking multi-user server access

Sneak Peak: Power On Cable Gets a Good Start

Last month Asher Bazak, Assistant Project Manager at Minicom went to the Industrial Market Technology 2000 event in Tel Aviv, Israel. He met up with some ex-colleagues that sell environmental equipment to the biggest pharmaceutical companies in Israel.
At the show he brought a few prototypes including the soon to be released Minicom POC. (The Minicom POC is “Power on Cable” - a remote power control device) Asher hooked it up to a laptop via HyperTerminal and played around with shutting down and powering on the PC that was connected for the exhibit.

Asher says “they really liked the idea that you could work with open RS232 protocol. They felt that the perfect markets for this product are the industrial companies controlling power of ac and servers. It’s also a perfect fit for environmental units and fits into their green initiative plans as well as saving money and conserving energy, time & workers.”

In addition he said that “one thing that they really liked was that the POC is compatible with most IP serial devices – avoiding vendor lock-in.”

The POC will soon join Minicom's other remote access products and will be capable of being managed using both AccessIT and KVM.net II centralized access management solutions.

Watch this space for the POC release or find out more right now - contact a Minicom Rep in your area

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Related Material:
White Paper: Remote KVM access - Planning your Remote KVM strategy
Webcast: The ABC's of Remote Management
Product Demos: IP Products Online Test Drive

Managed Service Providers Surveyed

Of all our products that are requested from Managed Service Providers, our KVM IP Gateway PX tops the list. This said the results from a survey of MSP’s done by SMB Nation were something I was waiting for.

Take a look at Harry Brelsford’s Blog SMB Dude for the survey results. Some of the questions asked were:

• What type of managed services are you offering most today?
• Where do you see the most opportunity to build your managed services portfolio?
• How much revenue have you generated from your managed services business?

The results from the survey give some interesting insights to the MSP market.

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Related Material:
Podcast: PX for the managed service provider (3 min)
PX Interactive Online Product Demo
White Paper: Remote Support Using KVM IP Technology

New Poll: What Hardware Based Remote Access Do You Use?

Please take our latest poll on LinkedIn.

Click on image and you will go directly there, or leave your answer in the comments here.

Thanks for taking a minute to participate.

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