Control At A Single Point

KVM switches play an important role in the server room where multiple PCs
need a single control point. The switches control multiple computers from a
single source, hence, reducing wire clutter, saving space and increasing cost
efficiency.

The market for KVM switches is growing in India and the increased demand for
remote management and server consolidation is playing an important role in this.
This opportunity is driving vendors like Aten, Raritan, Cubix, Belkin and D-Link
to expand their product portfolio in this segment. And with the expansion of the
product portfolio comes a similar thrust on their channel spread as well.

“The KVM switch business in India is growing. As per our estimate, globally
the market for KVM switches will exceed $1 billion by 2011, increasing at a
Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of approximately 9.1 percent (2006-2011).
Latest trends observed in the KVM Switch market are that of the switches with
touch screen LCD monitor. Further, researches indicate that the trend toward IP
KVM solutions will continue, accounting for over half of all KVM revenues by
2011,” said Anoop Jarial, GM-Product Management, D-Link India

In recent times, the government has established of 27 data centers, which has
lead to the expansion of KVM switch market in India. “In June this year, SEBI
had ordered that all financial institutes must install business continuity and
disaster recovery solutions. This would enable the augmen­tation of data centers
and thus the market of KVM switches would expand,” said Sanjay Motwani, Regional
Manager-India and Middle East, Raritan.

Belkin India also introduced new KVM switches that allow users to
effortlessly control multiple systems without having to buy additional computer
peripherals. “People today own more than one laptop or computer. Belkin KVM
switches are specially designed for such users who have more than one computer
system at office or at home and would like to operate both systems without
buying additional computer peripherals,” commented Mohit Anand, Country
Manager-India, Belkin.

According to him, till September 2008, the market was growing at a rate of 30
to 35 percent but later it became sluggish. Despite the economic downturn, the
overall KVM market in India has been growing by 20 percent in 2009. This was the
same figures that were shared by Kevin Chen, CEO of Aten International as well.

It is interesting to note that during 2008-09, which was marked by the
slowdown in the global economy, most KVM switch vendors managed to maintain a
consistent flow of business. “We have steadily sailed through the current
economic crisis by providing top quality products with efficient service, which
have resulted in significant volumes in terms of sales. We are confident that
the KVM industry is growing by leaps and bounds, and we are confident that Aten
will remain the market leader in India for KVM business for long time to come,”
said Nitin Naik, Director, Cubix Micro Systems, which is the national
distributor for Aten.

Upcoming Trends

There has been constant innovation of technology in KVM switches. With the
changing trends and advancements in the technology, the customer base of KVM
switches is likely to increase. Besides IP users of KVM switches, SMBs are also
potential buyers of this product line.

“Aten has the reputation of being the only KVM solutions provider, which has
a product line ranging from SOHO to high-end KVM solutions. We have customized
solutions for every customer segment, based on their needs and capacity. SOHO
and SMB customers can take full advantage of our SOHO range of products, which
are classified under Cable KVM Switches (PETITE Range) and Desktop KVM switches
(CubiQ Range),” said Jerry Liu, Associate VP, Aten International.

THE KVM INDUSTRY IS GROWING BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS, AND WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT ATEN WILL REMAIN THE MARKET LEADER IN INDIA FOR KVM BUSINESS FOR A LONG TIME TO COME

Nitin Naik Director, Cubix Micro Systems

Aten has already done a lot of ground work for promoting these switches in
the Indian market and the results have been quite impressive. It is now looking
for master dealers in each region, who will exclusively cater to these different
segments of KVM switches. It also plans to launch a countrywide campaign to
further penetrate the SOHO market.

Anand from Belkin mentioned that KVM switches should be designed such that it
integrates with the messaging software and give the CIO access to thousands of
servers. Belkin KVM for home users comes equipped with wired/wireless remote
with which they can share a display, keyboard, mouse and audio speakers between
two computers.

“We also have high-end KVM products with IP capability catering mainly to
corporate clients and government organizations. Having built a strong foundation
in the higher and mid-level segment, we now plan to aggressively promote our
lower-end SOHO segment products and video solutions. Since we see a potential
growth in our economy in coming time, we wish to capitalize on this growth by
pitching our applied video and SOHO products to the right segments,” elaborated
Liu.

Opportunities for SPs

Solution providers who are providing solutions in the data center domain
have the opportunity to avail the benefits of KVM switches as they can offer the
complete solution to the customers.

“When a solution provider is selling racks, equipments for remote management
and data center solutions, it makes sense for him to drive the KVM switches as
well. This way, he can offer the complete solutions to the customers at one go
and this would increase his profitability also,” said Motwani from Raritan.

This kind of unified selling is something that other vendors have also been
propounding for quite some time. Most of the data center specialists have
already embraced this concept and offer KVM switches as part of the total
solution they give to their clients.

But with the potential in the KVM industry, especially keeping in mind that
this is one market that is expected to grow in the years to come, there is still
space for the entry of more solution providers in this segment.

Amrita Tejasvi

amritat@cybermedia.co.in