IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 21, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Lantronix, Inc. (Nasdaq:LTRX) today announced the expansion of its Distributed IT Management product family with the addition of the SecureLinx(tm) Branch Office Manager (SLB). The SLB enables system administrators to securely manage servers and IT infrastructure equipment from anywhere over the Internet. Designed specifically to meet the needs of remote office/branch office environments, this innovative device combines the capabilities of Lantronix award-winning SecureLinx SLC secure console server along with remote power management and an integrated Ethernet switch into a single, compact, 1U rack-mountable appliance.
According to IDC, there are an estimated six million satellite facilities in operation worldwide. These remote offices/branch offices typically have a small number of servers and other networking equipment, yet have a critical need that all personnel have secure, 24/7 access to their information and applications, just as if they were in the main corporate facility. As a result, system administrators at headquarters increasingly rely upon remote management solutions that enable them to access and maintain distributed IT equipment over the Internet or via dial-up connection (in the event of a network failure).
The main challenge typically facing remote/branch offices is the limited IT support available for these facilities since most cannot cost-justify a dedicated technician for each satellite location. In addition, space for IT equipment is usually very limited, and remote offices often lack the specialized environmental and power control required for maintaining a rack of data-center grade equipment. The majority of remote IT management hardware available today is high-density port count equipment designed for the enterprise data center and not suited to the unique requirements of these remote facilities.
"Today's corporations need to maintain 100 percent network uptime across the entire organization in order to stay competitive and maximize business performance," said Marc Nussbaum, CEO of Lantronix. "To effectively and economically manage distributed IT equipment without on-site staff, system administrators need a remote management solution tailored to the unique needs of the branch office. Since our introduction this past April of the SecureLinx Spider(tm) distributed KVM solution, our management business has demonstrated strong double digit growth, with sales of the Spider line exceeding original expectations. Today's announcement of the SecureLinx Branch Office Manager expands our distributed IT management solution to include serial console and power control, and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to being the leader in the emerging branch office market."
By designing all the necessary functionality into one, compact device, the SecureLinx Branch Office Manager reduces both equipment and maintenance costs involved in managing geographically-distributed IT assets. Incorporating the SecureLinx SLC console manager functionality, the SLB enables system administrators to remotely manage Linux(tm), Unix(r) and Windows(r) 2003 servers, routers, switches, telecom and building access equipment, complete with BIOS-level control, over the Internet. With built-in power management, administrators can also control the power individually to all IT equipment in the branch office to reboot systems remotely, ensure safe power distribution and reduce "in-rush" current overload.
"Our research indicates the IT Management Market will exceed $1.2B by 2011," said Andre Girard, Datacom/Telecom analyst, Venture Development Corporation. "Three driving forces behind this growth are: the need for high availability to IT equipment, the use of IP connectivity for remote management, and IT infrastructure spreading into remote branches commonly found in a range of industries such as finance and retail. However, branch offices with a limited amount of equipment face unique challenges in this 'distributed IT' environment -- including space constraints, frequently no on-site technical personnel and lack of data-center style environmental control. With the advent of the SecureLinx Spider distributed KVM and now the new Branch Office Manager, Lantronix is clearly leading the way in serving these unique market requirements with innovative and extremely cost-effective solutions."
The SLB includes eight serial and four power management ports, as well as an eight-port unmanaged fast Ethernet switch. Secure access is provided over an IP network via a web browser or terminal emulation program with support for security protocols such as SSL or SSH. A total out-of-band solution, the SLB also enables administrators to centrally monitor, manage and troubleshoot IT equipment even if the network or Internet are down.
All these capabilities in a single, 1U appliance make it ideal for space-constrained environments or areas where power resources are limited. The SLB is suitable to support the remote IT operations at branch offices or campus environments in a variety of industries such as banking, finance, insurance, healthcare, retail sales, hospitality and education. Because it integrates console management, power management and an Ethernet switch into a single unit, satellite facilities are not forced to purchase separate pieces of equipment designed for enterprise data centers. Instead, system administrators can lower their costs and optimize management of their distributed IT assets.
Earlier this year Lantronix introduced SecureLinx Spider, a distributed KVM-over-IP device providing secure, remote BIOS-level server management. Compatible with the Branch Office Manager, Spider provides non-blocked, single-server access. A zero-U unit requiring no external power supply, Spider makes it easy and cost-effective to scale as additional servers are added. Together, the two deliver the most complete, integrated remote management and control solution dedicated specifically to the distributed IT environment.
SecureLinx Branch Office Manager will be available in early September 2007 through Lantronix channel and other sales partners for $1,895 US MSRP. For more information, please visit: www.lantronix.com.
About Lantronix
Lantronix, Inc. (Nasdaq:LTRX) is a leading innovator in device networking technology. The company specializes in wired and wireless hardware and software solutions which allow virtually any electronic product to be network-enabled in order to remotely access, monitor and control it over a network or the Internet. The Lantronix Device Network Architecture (DNA) includes Device Enablement solutions which provide a direct network connection to equipment and machines for remote monitoring and control, and Management and Control solutions which extend the ability to remotely manage IT equipment and literally thousands of networked devices, regardless of location, from a central point of access. Lantronix provides customizable technologies and solutions that are used by original equipment manufacturer (OEMs) design engineers to network-enable their products, IT administrators to manage data center and network infrastructure, and systems integrators to provide complete, remote device management solutions for their customers. With nearly two decades of networking expertise and more than 30,000 customers worldwide, Lantronix solutions are used in every major vertical market including security, industrial and building automation, medical, transportation, retail/POS, financial, government, consumer electronics/appliances, IT/data center, and pro-AV/signage. The company's headquarters are located in Irvine, Calif. For more information, visit www.lantronix.com.
Lantronix is a registered trademark, and SecureLinx and SecureLinx Spider are trademarks of Lantronix, Inc. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
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