-- Raritan Computer, Inc. --

Somerset, NJ (January 14, 2002)—Raritan Computer, Inc., the leader in keyboard/video/mouse (KVM) access and switching technology, today announced the availability of their newest Computer Interface Modules (CIMs) for the Paragon and Z-Series product families. These new CIMs incorporate Raritan's new and innovative DirectConnect technology in a sleeker, more compact form factor.

Raritan's Paragon and Z-Series CIMs connect to the keyboard, video, and mouse ports of each server to be controlled, converting keyboard, mouse, and VGA signals to Raritan's Cat5 transmission protocol to extend transmission of signals up to 1,000 feet over Category 5 UTP cable. The innovative DirectConnect feature eliminates the VGA cable in favor of a direct plug-in connection of an HD15 male connector built into the CIM case to the HD15 female VGA port on the target server, secured with thumbscrews.

According to Bob Pollack, vice president of sales / marketing, Raritan's new DirectConnect technology is the direct result of listening and responding to the needs of Paragon customers. "Our Authorized Resellers and end users tell us that using space efficiently is absolutely critical to the operation of large scale data centers. The Raritan DirectConnect technology built into these new CIMs, enabling elimination of excess video cable and a significantly smaller form factor, make it an ideal solution for tight spaces at the rear of high-density server racks, especially in enterprise-class data centers."

The form factor of the new CIMs, at 1.625"(W) x 3.5"(D) x 0.75"(H), is nearly 40% smaller than the existing CIM design. For those special situations where additional flexibility is required at the point of connection near the rear of the rack, Raritan also offers a flexible 6" video extension cable.

The new Paragon CIM is part #UKVMPD, while the new Z-Series CIM is part #UKVMSPD. Each of these CIMs has a list price of $175. The video extension cable, part #CHD15EX01, has a list price of $10.00. both the new CIMs and the video extension cable are available for immediate shipment.