Raritan expanded its KVM product line to support businesses that are looking for a cost-effective way to simplify server maintenance in small and mid-sized server rooms and data centers.

The new MasterConsole CAT KVM switch, which supports two simultaneous and independent user sessions, gives administrators lots of flexibility on where and how they work on servers. IT administrators are able to access and troubleshoot target servers from two workstations without having to run back and forth from server rack to rack. One of the workstations can be placed outside the server room -- up to 100 feet away from the switch.

"The MasterConsole CAT offers flexible and efficient server management at a great price," said Sanjay Motwani, Country Manager, Raritan India & MEA. "The second console could be located in an IT administrator's office up to 100 feet away from the MasterConsole CAT. It also could be used for lights-out operations – whereby authorized administrators could access target servers and remediate problems without having to enter the server room."

Two independent users can control up to eight or 16 servers, depending on the model. MasterConsole CAT switches can be cascaded to support up to 256 connections. The MasterConsole CAT delivers BIOS-level control -- even if the target server's operating system is not responding -- and enhanced security through a direct KVM network. Easy-to-install and inexpensive Cat 5e cable – instead of proprietary KVM or coax cabling – is used to carry a server's KVM signaling from the MasterConsole CAT switch to the User Stations.

According to Christian Paetz, Director, Product Management the MasterConsole CAT 8-port (MCCAT28) and 16-port (MCCAT216) models are the perfect solutions for affordable, centralized management of multi-platform servers. Another benefit of centralized management is the elimination of extra keyboards, monitors and mice – which helps reduce room clutter and saves in rack space and power consumption.

Raritan also offers one-user MasterConsole CAT switches and KVM-over-IP switches for small and mid-sized businesses.