Who needs Remote Desktop or VNC when you can use giant KVM switches to connect to all the systems in your office? ;-) Well, that seems to be part of the idea behind IOGear's new 16-Port USB PS/2 Combo KVM Switch, which is the company's first KVM for small and medium businesses. You can probably guess from the name alone that the product has 16 ports and supports both USB and PS/2 connections. What's less obvious is that you can actually get 17 of these switches and cascade them, allowing you to control a mind-boggling 256 systems with a single keyboard, mouse, and monitor. IOGear says users can switch between systems by pressing on front-panel LEDs, typing hot-key combinations, or using an "intuitive, multi-lingual on-screen display menu."  The 16-Port USB PS/2 Combo KVM Switch should be "available immediately" from major resellers and "select retail outlets" for $799.95.

The GCS1716 KVM is a combo switch allowing access and control of up to 256 computers from a single console (keyboard, mouse, and monitor). As many as 16 additional switches can be cascaded bringing the total number of connected computers to 256 computers that can be controlled from a single keyboard-monitor-mouse console. A custom ASIC (patent pending) provides an auto-sensing function that recognizes the position of each station on the installation, eliminating the need to manually set the position with DIP switches. Additionally, the GCS1716 features high density SPHD 15-pin instead of the usual 25-pin connectors thus allowing for a compact design and installation in a 1U system rack.

The GCS1716 includes one USB port located on the front panel for easy access and sharing of any USB peripherals. Setup is fast and easy; plugging cables into their appropriate ports is all that is needed. The switch supports both USB and PS/2 connections for the console and computers. The GCS1716 intercepts keyboard input directly, thus eliminating the need for any software configuration. Switching between computers can be easily accomplished either by manually pressing the front panel push button port LEDs, entering hotkey combinations from the keyboard, or via a menu driven multilingual on-screen display (OSD) system. A convenient auto-scan feature permits automatic scanning and monitoring of activities on all connected.