This is according to ATEN, which this week introduced two low-end KVM (keyboard/video/mouse) switches aimed at SMBs.

The eight and 16-port devices use standard CAT5 cable to carry signals to and from servers, enabling multiple machines to be controlled from one desktop.

ATEN said that the switches could also be daisy-chained, allowing a single administrator to run up to 512 servers.

Unlike remote-control software, a KVM switch gives full control of the remote machine, even before its operating system has booted. And of course it is OS-independent, able to control PC-based servers, Macs, Sun servers and other terminal-driven systems.

The admin can select which remote system to control via port selection switches, hot-keys or the KVM switch's on-screen display, said ATEN president Kevin Chen.