Minicom Extends the Life of Legacy Data Center Equipment, Preserving IT Investments

For many years PS/2 was the keyboard/mouse technology of choice for servers, KVM switches, and KVM extenders. Today, USB is the industry standard. Like any adoption of new technology, this shift is accompanied by some growing pains, and IT managers must grapple with how to incorporate USB technology within a budget. The PS/2 to USB Converter lets IT managers use their existing PS/2 KVM switches, servers, and KVM extenders with a USB keyboard and/or mouse, updating capabilities for IT equipment that would otherwise be obsolete.

“Once you have already gone through the hassle of installing and setting up your KVM switch, ensuring that all the cables are well-organized, it is incredibly disruptive, not to mention expensive, to rip all the cables out and install a new KVM switch for your USB keyboard and mouse. You can end up spending of hundreds of dollars to use a fifty dollar keyboard and mouse. The learning curve for a new switch is an additional inconvenience,” explained Benny Hayumi, KVM Product Manager.

The introduction of the PS/2 to USB converter is a real-life illustration of Minicom’s Real Needs™ Approach. The basis of the Real Needs approach is to make sure that you have the most efficient hardware for your data center requirements without spending IT dollars for equipment that you don’t need. Rather than advocate “rip and replace” IT solutions, the Real Needs approach preserves past investments by repurposing and updating existing IT equipment. We utilize the infrastructure, installation, and training that you already have, and add the elements that are missing, such as the addition of USB keyboard and mouse capability.

Another aspect of the Real Needs approach is the ability to incorporate products from any company into our data center solutions. Most data centers today are hybrid environments, with IT equipment from a multitude of manufacturers. The PS/2 to USB Converter is being added to the successful Smart line of KVM switches, giving our customers USB keyboard and mouse capabilities, but it is also available as a stand-alone product. Whether your PS/2 KVM switches are from Minicom or not, you can still keep the IT equipment that you already bought. We have the confidence and ability to welcome products from other vendors if it is in our customers’ best interest.