SMC
SMC6824M Stackable Managed Switch: $520
www.smc.com

selling scalability helps put business at ease with an IT
investment today. SMC Networks' SMC6824M is a great example. Although the switch looks like it's just an everyday 24-port 10/100 Mbps network device, it actually stacks up to eight units high, allowing you to add as you go and control up to 192 ports from a single IP address. That's a lot of value, especially when it's compared to competing products aimed at enterprise customers. The SMC6824's scalability play is heightened by a pair of expansion slots ready for any number of upgrade modules, from 100BASE-FX to 1000BASE-X.

SMC manages to capture most of the features an enterprise would need at a price point that aims the switch at smaller companies. VLAN support, QoS priority queuing, and port trunking are all available, as is static port security. The high-density design is well-suited for rackmount deployments, and SMC bundles the rails to make such an installation possible.

XEROX
WorkCentre M15i: $999
www.xerox.com

how's this for a hook? Laser print technology, color scan, copy, and fax for less than a grand. Oh, and you also get double-sided printing and copying. Faxing clips along at three seconds per page. And legal paper handling is no problem at all.

That's the proposition from Xerox's WorkCentre M15i, a moderate desktop multifunction unit perfect for small business customers with a psychological barrier that kicks in anywhere above three digits. The M15i is no budget-bin offering, though. It jams through 16 pages per minute printing in monochrome and the first page is out in 9.3 seconds. The paper tray handles up to 650 sheets. Moreover, the unit is rated for 15,000 pages per month.

Xerox actually charges a premium for the M15i due to its optional network connectivity package, which consists of an external print server. If your customer can get by with the WorkCentre connected to just one machine, check out the M15 at $799 instead.

Belkin
RK1002 24U Premium Enclosure: $999
www.belkin.com

WE'VE BEEN ON THE LOOKOUT for mainstream rackmount
enclosures, and Belkin is coming through with its new line of datacenter solutions. They span an array of sizes, from 12U wall-mount to a 42U floor-standing enclosure, all managing to hover under $1,200. The best value seems to be Belkin's RK1002 24U Premium Enclosure at $999, though, which features heavy-duty casters and leveling feet. It's strong, too. Belkin claims the steel construction can hold up to 2,000 pounds of equipment.

The enclosure by itself is a fairly barebones product. It comes with adjustable mounting rails, lockable doors, and side panels. But Belkin also sells a number of pertinent accessories your customers might want. There's a 15" LCD Rack Console, sliding shelves, blowers, sliding keyboard trays, cable managers, and filler panels for a more completed look. Each piece of the puzzle provides its own upsell opportunity, complemented by Belkin's compelling partner program.

MSI
MS-1057 Whitebook: $720
www.msicomputer.com

we've said before that whitebook vendors are really standing behind Intel's third-generation Centrino platform, and MSI is ready to prove it. The company's latest thin-and-light design, named the MS-1057, takes portability to a level never before seen from a barebones offering. It features a 12.1" widescreen display, if that gives you an idea of how small the system is.

MSI designed the MS-1057 to accept Core Duo processors at up to 2.33 GHz, employing Intel's 945GM chipset and the ICH7-M southbridge. Size constraints limit the notebook to integrated graphics. But because Intel recently revamped its Graphics Media Accelerator core, you should see very reasonable performance.

A fully equipped MS-1057 should weigh less than four pounds. Of course, you'll go over that if you opt for an 8-cell battery rather than MSI's stock 4-cell, though it's nice to offer customers the choice. Just add a processor, memory, hard drive, and an optical drive. MSI takes care of the rest.

CyberPower
CSW8RU CyberSwitch: $379
www.cyberpowersystems.com

when does it make sense to pay nearly $400 for a power
distribution unit? How about when the PDU can be managed remotely? Why would you ever want to control a row of power outlets? All good questions.

As the administrator of several small business networks, you're able to access Windows Server 2003 networks with aplomb. You can tweak Exchange from a thousand miles away or run a Live Update at three in the morning. But what happens when a router is acting up? How about a switch or IP PBX? CyberPower's CSW8RU lets you remotely turn outlets on and off, granting access to devices that might have previously been inaccessible from afar.

In addition, CyberPower gives you shutdown software for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X bundled with the PDU. Temperature and humidity monitoring helps ensure rack enclosures aren't subjected to adverse conditions. Interference filtering and surge suppression round out the list of features on this great value in remote power control.