| 3-17-2003 Austin, TX (March 17, 2003) - ClearCube Technology, the market leader in PC blade computing, today announced major upgrades and new functionality for its ClearCube Management Suite (CMS). Revision 3.0 of the software in CMS includes spare Blade PC switching, remote control, file/setting backup, image backup and remote move management. IT managers now have the ability to troubleshoot computers, instantly switch users to spare computers, move users from desk to desk, and automatically backup local data without ever leaving the IT department. CMS’s unique disaster recovery tools now also support standard box PCs in addition to PC blades. This enables IT managers to implement more robust and comprehensive disaster recovery plans for mixed environments. “The ClearCube Management Suite gives IT managers full control over desktops, without sacrificing the flexibility and performance user’s expect from a Wintel computer,” said Mike Frost, president and CEO of ClearCube Technology. “The end result is something no standard box PC on the market can claim to deliver: availability levels above 99.9 percent and a yearly savings of over 30 percent in desktop maintenance and support costs.” All CMS tools are browser-based, enabling remote management of a system through an Internet connection anywhere in the world. The software works together with other industry standard systems management tools such as LANDesk Management Suite. CMS 3.0 tools include: Data Failover – This peer-to-peer backup and recovery tool—for use with blade PCs and standard box PCs—takes advantage of the fact that today’s typical corporate user hard drive has excess storage space that previously hasn’t been used. Data Failover backs up user files and settings from their computer to the unused hard disk space on one or more other computers without requiring expensive, dedicated storage hardware. By backing up local hard drive information, Data Failover covers the “last mile” of storage – which is usually neglected by traditional network file-server backup approaches. Data Failover automatically manages the removal and re-insertion of peers into the network due to power-down states, failures, or physical removal (as with laptops). When backup peers are reattached to the network they automatically re-synchronize with the rest of their peers. All of this happens without the need for any IT administrator intervention. Move Manager – Move Manager addresses one of the most costly aspects of managing computers: moving individuals or groups from one physical location to another. Move Manager’s unique software infrastructure eliminates the need to physically relocate end- user computing assets by transferring a user's full hard drive image from the original PC or Blade to the PC or Blade in the new location by utilizing the existing corporate network. All moves can be scheduled to occur after hours or over the weekend further reducing costs and end-user disruptions. In addition to scheduling moves, Move Manager can now be used to schedule full backups of user hard drives—either blade PCs or standard box PCs. Unlike other imaging tools, Move Manager makes this backup process very simple requiring minimal configuration and setup. Switch Manager— Switch Manager gives IT administrators the ability to eliminate downtime by immediately switching a user to a hot, spare PC blade in the event of a problem. By quickly switching users to spares in the event of a problem, rather than making them wait for a desk-side visit, Switch Manager enables uptimes exceeding 99.9%. Switch Manager now provides a direct link to the Access or SQL database created when using LANDesk Management Suite. This integration automatically imports blade names and C/Port user names into the Switch Manager GUI. The GUI now also indicates cage health – reporting fan, power supply and temperature status. Blade Manager – Blade Manager is built on LANDesk Client Manager, now incorporating the updates in LANDesk’s latest version 6.3. Blade Manager provides asset management and health monitoring for Blade PCs, providing administrators with automatic notification of hardware problems. Monitored parameters include processor temperature, hard drive and memory utilization, power supply levels, fan speed, installed software and much more. Blade Manager also lets administrators take action to remotely wake-up, reboot, and shutdown blade PCs. Beyond the software, ClearCube’s PC blades are connected through the Cage via a standard Category 5 cable to individual offices and cubicles distributed throughout the enterprise up to 200 meters away. The small C/Port device resides at the desktop and delivers uninterrupted Wintel applications and performance through standard monitor, keyboard, mouse and USB connections. ClearCube’s blades deliver the same performance as box PCs by using the latest Pentium 4 desktop processors from Intel. About ClearCube Technology Contact: Ken Knotts Vicki Greene |