Avocent Makes Strategic Equity Investment in VIEO, Inc.

Companies Form Strategic Alliance to Expand Distribution and Support for VIEO Adaptive Application Infrastructure Management Appliance

Austin, TX (PRWEB) July 17, 2003 -- VIEO, Inc. and Avocent (NASDAQ: AVCT), today announced the companies have entered into a strategic alliance that includes a $3 million equity investment by Avocent. The alliance links the recognized leader in Adaptive Application Infrastructure Management (AAIM) with the industry leader in KVM switching, remote access and serial connectivity solutions for data centers around the world.

The agreement enables the companies to collaborate on research and development, marketing, manufacturing, distribution and support. VIEO has the ability to gain access to Avocents global manufacturing, distribution and support network. Avocent is able to augment its industry-leading line of data center products with the addition of the VIEO 1000 AAIM appliance, the first AAIM appliance that ensures application resources are available, on-demand, to satisfy business needs.

With its highly-rated VIEO 1000 AAIM appliance, VIEO is the first to help IT organizations become more adaptive by ensuring application resources are available, on-demand, to satisfy business needs," said John Cooper, chairman, president and CEO of Avocent Corporation. We see this as a strategic relationship that provides the opportunity to explore new technologies and solutions for customers and expand our capabilities."

Both VIEO and Avocent are focused on delivering advanced, industrial-grade solutions to the worlds top data centers so there is strong synergy between us," said Bob Fabbio, president and CEO of VIEO. We are delighted that Avocent, with its strong brand recognition and market share in enterprise data centers, has put its faith and its money behind us. We look forward to leveraging our relationship with Avocent to extend our reach into Fortune 1000 organizations.

The VIEO 1000 AAIM appliance was designed based on research and technical input from more than 200 of the worlds top data centers. It is the first product of its kind to converge application-aware networking hardware with intelligent management software in a secure, purpose-built appliance to automatically measure, analyze, and control application resources.

The VIEO 1000 enables companies to increase application quality of service and reduce management complexity and costs by better aligning IT assets with dynamic business demands. VIEO has deployed the VIEO 1000 at VIEO Lighthouse Program member companies, a group of leading Fortune 1000-sized data centers and IT integrators who are currently beta testing the product.

For more information, a press kit and product photos are available at http://www.vieo.com/vieo_prek.html. For sales information please contact VIEO Sales at 512.257.3031 ext. 404 or info@vieo.com.

About Avocent Corporation
Avocent (NASDAQ: AVCT) is the leading worldwide supplier of KVM (keyboard, video and mouse) switching, remote access and serial connectivity solutions that provide IT managers with access and control of multiple servers and network data center devices. Avocent's KVM solutions are distributed by the world's largest server manufacturers and installed in Fortune 1000 companies around the world. Avocent is headquartered in Huntsville, Ala. with locations across the globe. Visit www.avocent.com for more details.

About VIEO
VIEO is the leader in Adaptive Application Infrastructure Management (AAIM) delivering a new class of management product that ensures application resources are available, on demand, to satisfy business needs. VIEO has garnered strong industry recognition for the VIEO AAIM appliance including being named a dynamo in Organic IT management by Forrester Research, one of the IT industry's most promising new products for 2003 by IDG, the producers of the DEMO conference, one of the top Products That Will Save the Day" by VAR Business, a 2003 Top 10 Startup to Watch" by Network World and a Top Startup to Watch" by Computer Reseller News.

Headquartered in Austin, TX, VIEO has $45 million in funding from investors including Audax Group, Avocent, BMC Software, Dell, Inc., Eyes of Texas Partners, Flagship Ventures, Invesco, Rho Ventures, and TL Ventures.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements that are forward-looking statements as defined within the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include statements regarding market opportunity, product development, engineering and design activities, and product availability and operability. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made, including the risks associated with the introduction and operation of new products and technologies, risks associated with product design efforts, and risks associated with reliance on a limited number of component suppliers and single source components. Other factors that could cause operating and financial results to differ are described in Avocents annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

© 2003 VIEO, Inc. Avocent and the Avocent logo are trademarks of Avocent Corporation. VIEO and the VIEO logo are trademarks of VIEO, Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks or company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.