There are two things we know: Equipment fails, and sending out technicians to fix said equipment is costly and sometimes challenging, depending on the location of the equipment.
Out-of-band management helps alleviate the problem, providing a second communications method to keep equipment in the field connected even when the primary communications network fails. It also can help signal when equipment is starting to fail, and in many cases enable remote administration and the pushing of software-based solutions to keep hardware humming properly.
One of the leaders in that space is Opengear, and it has just extended its ACM5000 remote infrastructure management product line offering to now include cellular 3G connectivity on the Sprint (News - Alert) Managed Network Solutions network.
The ACM5004-GS offers integrated cellular and wired access to remote infrastructures, which gives IT managers a host of connectivity options to easily manage critical infrastructure at local and remote sites.
The ACM5004-GS offers serial console-port connectivity, environmental monitoring, power management and monitoring, and remote storage of offline logs and running configuration files. It also includes environmental sensor support, a cellular modem that enables out-of-band access, automated remote monitoring and management, and enterprise grade security. It has a USB 2.0 port, 4GB of flash storage and a TFTP/FTP server, giving organizations many ways to remotely administer hardware.
The ACM5004-GS is the first in the ACM5000 that is certified and has been tested on the Sprint wireless network, giving companies additional cellular options when deciding on an out-of-band management solution.
With managed services adoption set to double by 2018, according to Sprint, companies are increasingly looking toward solutions such as Sprint’s Managed Network Solutions. Having it work with Opengear’s (News - Alert) leading ACM5000 line helps spur adoption even more.
“Sprint's managed network services are a natural complement to Opengear's hardware solutions,” said Craig Safir, director of cloud and converged markets at Sprint.
“We’re pleased to introduce a wireless option for out-of-band that is simple to install and reduces the monthly connectivity costs for businesses,” he noted. “Add this to our simplified pricing and customized approach to managing customer networks with a single account team that understands converged, cloud and mobility solutions.”
Edited by Rory J. Thompson