KVM switches enable users to access and control multiple IT devices from a single keyboard, video and mouse (KVM) source. Matrix KVM switches allow multiple users, each using a KVM console, to connect to multiple devices.

Historically, the need for KVM switches has closely followed the growth of networked servers. As file, e-mail, Web and application servers began to proliferate on corporate LANs, their management became more complex. While servers (unlike PCs) typically don’t have their own KVM consoles, they still need to be configured, maintained, updated and occasionally rebooted. Therein lies the value of shared consoles – reduced hardware, physical space and increased personnel efficiency.

Benefits of KVM Switches
By allowing one or more users to access and control multiple servers or other target devices, KVM switches enable businesses of all sizes to realize the following benefits:

Reduce costs — KVM switches provide immediate ROI in hardware savings by eliminating the need for separate keyboards, video monitors and mice. They also free up valuable physical space and reduce demands on electric power and cooling systems.

Improve business continuity — KVM switches allow "out-of-band" access to a company's servers and other IT devices. As such, they allow IT personnel to access, control and manage the company's servers even if the corporate network itself is down. A KVM switch with integrated power management can also enable a complete system reboot from a remote location.

Improve security via “lights-out” operations — Advances in KVM technology allow users to be further and further away from connected devices:

• Raritan’s Paragon® II Cat5 matrix switches allow users to be up to 1,000 feet away from the data center.
• Raritan’s Dominion® Series switches (or Paragon® II combined with IP-Reach™) use KVM-over-IP technology (digital KVM) to allow browser-based access. Users can be across the street, across the country, or at any IP address in the world. Authentication, authorization and encryption technologies make this practical from a security standpoint. The result: reduced need for systems administrators to be physically present in the data center.

Improve staff productivity — The virtual reach provided by KVM-over-IP has an additional benefit: All of a company’s IT experts can now manage servers or respond to incidents from wherever they are — across the hall, at home or across a multisite network. These “virtually” centralized human resources can eliminate costly travel time. For managed service providers (MSPs), the cost of services is reduced, while service levels rise since technicians don’t have to be dispatched on-site.

Accelerate incident response — An enterprise-wide, Web-accessible KVM solution can dramatically shorten incident response times since administrators can take action from anywhere. This can generate huge benefits even in small organizations, where a one-user IP gateway can let a critical staff person reach into the BIOS of a critical server many miles away.

Enhance hardware platform and OS independence — Raritan KVM switches work in heterogeneous server environments. They are not dependent on the hardware, database or operating system from a specific manufacturer. As such, they can function in environments with servers from different manufacturers (e.g., HP, IBM®, and Sun®) or that run on different operating systems (e.g., Solaris™, UNIX® or Windows®).