Identifying modules and ports at a mouse click

With the new firmware update V4.02 for Draco tera KVM matrix switches, the management and configuration program Tera Tool offers a new way to track down individual extender modules or matrix ports quickly and easily on a KVM switch, even in the most cluttered environments.

Optical (LED) indication of extenders and matrix ports

When selecting the extender settings menu item “Locate Extender Module”, Tera Tool is forcing Link and Signal LEDs to flash on individual extender modules, helping to find and locate specific modules in dense environments easier.

The same works with KVM matrix I/O boards: When selecting the matrix settings menu item “Locate Port”, Tera Tool is forcing the matrix to flash LEDs on individual ports at I/O boards, helping to find and locate specific connections.

In both cases, the exact duration of the LED flashing can be set in the Tera Tool via a timer that opens automatically after the Locate selection.

ihse-locate-extender-module

Congratulations to Solotech for another successful deployment

 

London, United Kingdom, June 6, 2022 – Possibly the most eagerly anticipated live music event of the decade, ABBA Voyage brings the 70s supergroup back to the stage in a seamless blend of the virtual and physical worlds.


Several years in the making, the show opened on May 26 in a purpose-built arena designed by Stufish Entertainment Architects at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London. Early reviews confirm that it is like nothing seen before, as it adds a new element to the live music experience by blurring the lines between computer-generated imagery (CGI) and reality that can only be seen in person to fully understand, with The Guardian calling it a “jaw-dropping avatar act that’s destined to be copied.”

As a global leader in AV and entertainment technology, Solotech worked under the direction of director Baillie Walsh, working alongside Aniara’s Technical Producer Nick Levitt and Technical Director Joe Frisina, and collaborating with concert producers Svana Gisla and Ludvig Andersson, Industrial Light and Magic (ILM,) and TETRO and Greenwall’s Fredrik Stormby to provide audio, lighting, and video solutions capable of pushing the boundaries for live productions. Scott Willsallen from Auditoria supervised the audio elements of the show, with VYV Photon servers specified and programmed by Anthony “Bez” Bezencon.


The project is Solotech UK’s foray as a high-end 360-equipment supplier, as it delivered audio, video and lighting technology and expertise to the show. Solotech drew on its experience as live production specialists to aid in the process from the design stages to installation and opening night to help deliver the incredible event.

Working in close collaboration with ABBA’s production team, Ian “Woody” Woodall, Solotech UK’s Director of Special Projects, led the project, with Paul “Macca” McCauley overseeing the installation of the rental equipment in the venue, and serving as the host to technical demos of the system in the many months leading up to the show. Solotech’s Robin Conway oversaw audio, Oli James handled lighting and Alex Mulrenan managed video and cameras.

The members of ABBA spent five weeks being filmed by 160 cameras for motion capture as they performed the songs that make up the show’s 95-minute runtime. This footage was then used to realise the band in extreme detail, as they look entirely realistic when they appear on stage alongside a 10-piece live band.

Solotech was chosen to help the team realize this transformation from the video performance footage to the physical space due to its multi-disciplinary approach to live production gained from experience working on the world’s biggest festivals and concerts. The result is an unprecedented immersive venue environment that adds another dimension to the show via a unique workflow that breaks new ground by its use of technical innovation.

State-of-the-art equipment was chosen from leading manufacturers, including ROE, VYV, Robe, L-Acoustics, DiGiCo and others to augment the filmed performance footage with technology used throughout the venue. The show features one of the largest installations of ROE Black Pearl v2 LED screens, driven by Brompton 4K Tessera SX40 LED processors. It is one of the tallest installations of Black Pearl screens, standing 19 tiles high. Solotech also coordinated the supply of Solotech’s Service+ real-time, managed services software platform.

Woody says: “This project has been special as we’ve spent two years of our lives working on it. It is the most technically complicated and challenging project I have ever been involved in. This is proven by the fact that everyone who has been there cannot find the words to describe it. The technical elements of the show have been virtually flawless from the rehearsals through to opening night on a show that is breaking new ground. These are accomplishments that we are extremely proud of.”

See the video here:

Contact Solotech

Andrew Low
Director, Marketing & Communications (UK)
andrew.low@solotech.com

 

Introducing: Dr. Andreas Koltes

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Andreas Koltes as the new Head of R&D and CTO of IHSE GmbH.

Andreas’ first goal and milestone as CTO will be the integration of kvm-tec and its KVM over IP products in the already existing IHSE portfolio of proprietary KVM solutions and as a result the merging of both product portfolios. With this integration he sets the course for the future of the entire KVM sector and helps to strengthen IHSE’s position as a global leader.

Before he joined IHSE he already gathered incredible expertise in a wide array of high-tech projects – from the drawing board stages to getting projects ready for serial production. This includes many years of experience with FPGA and networks technologies. In his previous position he was the head of “Embedded Systems Development” at DIEHL Defence and prior to that he worked as the technical lead in a German-American missiles project.

Andreas lives in the picturesque town of Überlingen, close to the IHSE headquarters at Lake Constance, and likes to spend time in the outdoors with his partner.

I am looking forward to working with the teams of IHSE and kvm-tec and am very excited about tackling future challenges and using my experience to facilitate IHSE’s “Road to IP”.

Dr. Andreas Koltes

We are happy to have Andreas on board and are looking forward to elevating KVM with him.

Draco tera firmware update 04.01

Feedback from our partners and customers is of utmost importance to us. It helps us to improve our products and is a great source for new product ideas and features.

With our latest firmware update, version 04.01, we released a number of enhancements, fixes and new features for all Draco tera enterprise and Draco tera flex KVM matrix switches. One new feature deserves to be highlighted a little more than the others.

 A well known, state-run Britsh television and broadcasting company approached us with a request to increase security in its many facilities. The company already has a substantial IHSE KVM network in place to streamline its workflows and enhance ergonomics and efficiency on premise.

They requested that access to workstations with CON units should be restricted to an exclusive list of operators, in order to increase security and minimize unauthorized access. Since we at IHSE pride ourselves on being “engineers who listen” we came up with a solution:

The feature is called Login-Lock.

Login-Lock will enable CON specific access for selected users. What it means is that a CON unit can only be accessed via a login function, asking for username and password, so that when this feature is activated, only eligible users are able to login to that unit. Therefore the Login-Lock function effectively restricts access and increases the security in the company’s facilities.

This feature was successfully released with our latest firmware update version 04.01. To get the new firmware and assistance in updating, please contact techsupport@ihse.de.

Other new features of the new firmware version include:

  • Video Off: option to disable OSD 60 sec. after disconnecting, to allow the monitor going into power saving mode
  • Show Disconnect: option to display a little info box “Disconnected”, if no KVM connection is established
  • Primary Preferred: option to ensure always switching to the primary link upon being available (redundant setup only)

Building an Integrated Control Room

Three Steps to Building an Integrated Control Room with a Seamless Visualisation Experience.

How can you manage the increasing technical complexity of control rooms wilst simplyfying operational workflows? A difficult task, but with the right partners and technical solutions it can be achieved.
This blogpost by VuWall and IHSE explains how a single unified platform can provide a seamless visualisation experience that maximises effiency and effectiveness in today’s control rooms.
 
Find out more via the following link.
click here
Exemplary control room with matrix and central visualisation

Take a look at the full range of our amazing products and solutions to see how your workflows too can benefit from an IHSE KVM system.

all products

Java library: log4j

Java-Bibliothek log4j Sicherheitshinweis

Important Information concerning log4j.

On Saturday, the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) declared a “red alert”. The reason for this is a vulnerability in a common used Java library, called: log4j.
Due to this vulnerability, attackers could, for example, execute their software code on the affected servers and thus run malware on them.
 
 
The Draco tera Tool and Webtool of IHSE  are used for the configuration and administration of the KVM matrix switches Draco tera enterprise, Draco tera flex and Draco tera compact. Both tools are based on Java programming. They were checked immediately and are not affected by this issue, because the log4j library is not being used.

IHSE acquires kvm-tec

Das IHSE Firmengebäude im linken Teil, das kvm-tec Gebäude im rechten Teil.

IHSE acquires kvm-tec

  • IT security specialist expands product portfolio
  • IHSE plans to drive growth with KVM-over-IP solutions
  • Addressing new customer groups and meeting growing demand for IP solutions

Frankfurt am Main/Oberteuringen/Tattendorf, November 3, 2021. IHSE GmbH (“IHSE”), a Brockhaus Technologies AG group company, acquired a majority stake in kvm-tec Holding GmbH (“kvm-tec”).

Founded in 2006, kvm-tec develops and distributes flexible, high-security KVM-over-IP solutions (KVMoIP) to extend and switch computer signals. The company enables the high-performance, latency-reduced transmission of the signals via the standard IP protocol in existing networks. IHSE is a leading global technology provider for KVM solutions (keyboard, video, mouse) via proprietary network protocols, and is expanding its product portfolio and customer base with this acquisition.

The proprietary KVM solutions of IT security specialist IHSE are used particularly in mission-critical applications such as air traffic control, in control rooms and in the utilities and transport sectors. KVM solutions over the standard IP protocol are increasingly being deployed in industrial applications, broadcasting, post-production and the public sector as the more flexible, lower-cost solution that can be implemented faster. With the acquisition of kvm-tec, IHSE is accessing a worldwide KVMoIP customer base which will benefit from the international IHSE distribution network going forward, with offices in Germany, the USA, Singapore and China. In addition to joint sales forces, the management of IHSE and kvm-tec see further synergy potential in purchasing and production.

Ing. Dietmar Pfurtscheller, founder and CEO of kvm-tec, will remain with the company after the transaction is completed, along with his wife Ingrid Pfurtscheller MSc, Head of Sales and Marketing, and drive growth together with the IHSE team. kvm-tec is based in Tattendorf, Austria, and currently has 28 employees.

“With kvm-tec’s IP-based product portfolio we are strengthening our strategic competitive position in the market for further growth. Now we offer the right KVM solution for every customer need. Our joint technology platform also means we are reinforcing our innovation capabilities in a rapidly changing market,” says Dr. Enno Littmann, CEO of IHSE. “Our international subsidiaries enable us to be close to our customers also. In the IT security space, local personal contacts are a key success factor,” adds Michael Spatny, Managing Director at IHSE.

“Since kvm-tec was founded some 15 years ago, we have continuously developed the technology behind our KVMoIP products and are proud to supply numerous international customers today,” says Ing. Dietmar Pfurtscheller, founder and CEO of kvm-tec. “We are confident that in IHSE we have found the right partner to support our ongoing growth; with its global footprint and KVM expertise we are well positioned to become a ‘KVM Global Powerhouse’ together,” adds Ingrid Pfurtscheller MSc, Head of Sales and Marketing at kvm-tec.

Marco Brockhaus, CEO of Brockhaus Technologies: “We are delighted that our technology group is continuing to grow with the acquisition of kvm-tec by IHSE. We make Mittelstand champions even better, even stronger, even more successful. Because that is exactly what Brockhaus Technologies stands for. We support our subsidiaries with our network and our expertise, and are a reliable partner for acquisitions too.”

 

Photovoltaic System

IHSE Firmengebäude mit Photovoltaikanlage

At the new site of IHSE GmbH in Oberteuringen, the opportunity was taken to install a powerful photovoltaic system in addition to a variety of environmental measures, such as a bee-friendly natural meadow and a biotope.

With a capacity of 99.36 kWp, the system has already made an enormous contribution to environmental protection in the period since its commissioning in 2019, effectively helping to avoid a total of 182t of CO2 emissions (by October 2021).

This is equivalent to the amount of 157 barrels of oil saved or 830g of nuclear waste avoided or 2 million kilometers of travel by ecar.

With this IHSE is supplying its company and employee cars directly with solar energy.

 

We are excited to contribute an important part to environmental protection.

Dr. Enno Littmann
CEO IHSE GmbH

Panel Discussion: Make your esports event a success with KVM

Next Stop Esports IHSE Event Übertragung

This year we once more took part in “Next Stop Esports”. A virtual event that offers exchange for all organizers of esports events.

Are you too looking for ways to use your stadium or event location for esports events? If so, we have exactly the thing for you: Our head of Product Management Mark Hempel took part in an exciting panel discussion that centered on exactly that topic.

How can set-up and dismantling times be minimized? How can the workflows of the event itself and of the broadcasting be improved? And how do extensive redundancies play into this?

You will find all this and more in the video via the following link in “Session 8”.

panel discussion

IHSE’s KVM solutions win big in the telecommunications industry

Oberteuringen, October 4th, 2021 – IHSE USA LLC, a subsidiary of IHSE GmbH, announced that an award contract was received to provide a KVM management system for the expansion of a network operations center (NOC) to one of the largest global telecommunications companies in the world. 

This technology-oriented company worked closely with IHSE USA’s technical engineering team and a systems integrator located in Texas on this project. Together a futureproof infrastructure was developed, supporting high resolution displays and multi-screen NOC workstations.

The task included providing a KVM system that could offer full-range 4K resolution with a 60Hz refresh rate across four screens with each being accessed from a single keyboard and mouse. In addition, the client requested remote access over IP and full redundant paths for the entire system.

IHSE USA served as the KVM technology design consultant to this project and based the design around two 80 port Draco tera enterprise switches acting as primary and secondary systems. Outboard extenders were of the Draco vario ultra series with DisplayPorts and redundant links connected to each matrix. Additional Draco SIRA modules were integrated to support up to six remote access points over IP.

KVM display management technology is a powerful foundation for the future of high-resolution multi-screen workstations in the telecommunications industry.

As we continue to work with our systems integrators to build these new and improved concepts using KVM, we’re literally changing the way NOCs can operate in the future.

Manny Patel
President and CEO of IHSE USA LLC