Avocent Corporation, the leading global provider of KVM switching and network
connectivity appliances, today announced Microsoft has selected its KVM OVER IPâ„¢
switching system to centrally manage its worldwide network of online gaming servers
that host the new Xboxâ„¢ Live experience. Avocent’s DSR4160, CPS1600 and
its Equinox LAN-to-serial solutions were installed in data center sites to manage
multiple servers in Japan, the U.S. and the U.K. to assist in performing and maintaining
up time for mission critical servers.

Xbox Live required a solution that allowed multiple simultaneous system administrators
located in Redmond, Washington, to easily manage all of the gaming servers at
any site world wide right from their desktops. Additionally, Xbox Live chose
Avocent’s KVM OVER IP switching solutions for its ability to leverage existing
network infrastructure that require minimal rack space. . .

Within the Xbox data centers, Avocent’s DSR4160s connect directly to existing
LAN cabling to create a parallel, in-band service network so administrators
can access and manage every server from a remote console. CPS1600s and Equinox
LAN-to-serial solutions add serial connectivity so administrators can continue
to manage the network if it goes down or a server powers-off. Using the DSView
software on a management console in the Redmond Xbox Management Center or on
a PC from another location, administrators can view, check status, reconfigure,
and even hard reboot servers.

“The winners in the Internet gaming business will clearly be those companies
that can provide reliable, fast server access to gamers,” said Gary Johnson,
Avocent’s senior vice president of global branded sales. “We are confident
our digital KVM OVER IP switching solutions will give Microsoft the ability
to manage mission critical servers.”

“Avocent’s KVM OVER IP technology provided the only 24/7 solution that
met the requirements for manageability, security, scalability and flexibility
of design for the hundreds of servers we have deployed around the world,”
said Nicky Pike, Operations Program Manager for Xbox Live, Microsoft. “Avocent’s
DSR4160 exceeded all of our expectations. Its use of KVM switching over the
network meets our crucial need for issues management for the Xbox Live online
gaming service.”

About Avocent Corporation
Avocent (NASDAQ: AVCT) is the leading worldwide supplier of KVM (keyboard, video
and mouse) switching, remote access and serial connectivity solutions that provide
IT managers with access and control of multiple servers and network data center
devices. Avocent’s KVM solutions are distributed by the world’s largest server
manufacturers and installed in Fortune 100 companies around the world. For more
details, visit www.avocent.com.

About Xbox Live
Xbox Live is the first comprehensive, online gaming arena fully dedicated to
fast-action broadband gaming experiences. Xbox Live will allow gamers to play
multiplayer Xbox games with other gamers everywhere via a high-speed Internet
connection. With a built-in hard drive and Ethernet port, the Xbox console was
built from the ground up to be an online gaming system.

Xbox Live will enable all gamers to find and play with their friends easily,
talk to other players during game play through the Xbox Communicator headset,
and download current statistics, new levels and characters to their Xbox hard
drive.

Filed under: Xbox Live

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