Avocent Whitepaper Offers Measurable, High-ROI Methods to Effectively Manage IT in a Difficult Economy
'Managing IT in Tough Economic Climates' Reveals How IT Managers Can Realize Critical Cost Savings via Better Power Management and Improved Asset Lifecycle Management
| Source: Avocent
HUNTSVILLE, AL--(Marketwire - March 9, 2009) - Avocent Corporation (NASDAQ : AVCT ), a global
leader in IT operations management,
announced today the availability of a whitepaper, "Managing IT in Tough
Economic Climates," which offers advice for IT managers looking to reduce
overhead and increase efficiencies in the face of shrinking budgets and
dwindling resources. The whitepaper, authored by Avocent CTO Ben Grimes,
notes simple, easily implementable ways for businesses to realize greater
cost savings, including improving asset
lifecycle management, closely monitoring power consumption, and
adopting the right mix of automation and people to increase productivity.
Grimes stresses the need for greater alignment between IT and business,
demonstrating how by staying focused on the three mainstays of the IT
organization -- technology, processes and people -- IT decision makers can
effectively promote greater efficiency throughout the entire company and
even help it to thrive in lean economic times.
"There has never been a more critical time for IT to align itself with the
business to aid in streamlining processes and reducing operating expenses,"
said Avocent CTO Ben Grimes. "In past economic downturns, those companies
that focused on cost containment and process improvement emerged
victorious. In this current climate, businesses must again look at ways to
do more with less and can use the new strategies and tools at their
fingertips to help them weather the storm."
The whitepaper goes on to outline critical areas in which IT can make an
immediate impact on streamlining business, including:
Power management: A 2008 Avocent survey of 300 data center IT decision
makers revealed that energy conservation was considered the most difficult
issue to resolve using currently available tools; managing the total cost
of power was a close second. Effective new technologies, such as
intelligent power distribution devices and power
management software, enable effective, granular monitoring of every
appliance in the organization and strategic reductions in energy
consumption.
Process automation: More than ever, businesses need to ensure they are
maximizing staff productivity. In addition to necessary business functions,
IT typically manages an enormous volume of unique devices on a day-to-day
basis, from employees' PDAs and mobile devices to servers and appliances in
the data center. Companies that implement automated management tools can
simplify the complexity of managing their IT environments, streamline
processes, and improve productivity and customer service. By implementing
greater systems management oversight and control, IT managers can
substantially increase staff productivity and make sustainable operational
gains.
Asset management: Closer management of software and hardware assets
throughout their lifecycle is now more essential than ever, given the
recent surge in server consolidation. Businesses need to have a sound
process for effectively decommissioning servers in place, because managing
dormant servers can drive immediate cost savings. In several anecdotal
cases, IT shops have stated that 30 percent of servers in large data
centers are "dead;" these servers not only take up valuable rack space but
also waste precious data center energy in power and cooling.
"Surprisingly, nearly a third of all the IT assets within an organization
are unaccounted for, and that can place a financial strain on any
business," says Grimes. "Regulatory compliance under HIPAA and SOX, for
example, requires that companies be prepared to show that they are not
misusing software licenses, and that they are protecting sensitive data and
operating in a secure manner. Asset management helps here too."
To learn more, download "Managing IT in Tough Economic Climates" for free
at: www.avocent.com
About Avocent Corporation
Avocent delivers IT operations
management solutions that reduce operating costs, simplify management,
and increase the availability of critical IT environments 24/7 via
integrated, centralized software. Additional information is available at
www.avocent.com.
Forward-looking Statements
This press release contains statements that are forward-looking statements
as defined within the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties
that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements
made, including the risks associated with the closing of the transactions
and the acquisition and subsequent integration of risks associated with
general economic conditions, risks attributable to future product demand,
sales, and expenses, risks associated with acquisitions and acquisition
integration, risks associated with product design efforts and the
introduction of new products and technologies, and risks associated with
obtaining and protecting intellectual property rights. Other factors that
could cause operating and financial results to differ are described in the
Avocent annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on February 27, 2009. Other risks may be detailed from time to
time in reports to be filed with the SEC. Avocent does not undertake any
obligation to publicly update its forward-looking statements based on
events or circumstances after the date hereof.
Avocent and the Avocent logo are registered trademarks of Avocent
Corporation or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries.