MBX Fast-Tracks Security Appliance Manufacturing with 'Forge'

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- MBX Systems, a leading designer and manufacturer of custom server appliances, today announced an upgrade to its award-winning in-house Forge imaging and test environment that reduces upfront costs as well as time to market for ISVs, OEMs and service providers who deliver applications pre-integrated on custom hardware. The MBX infrastructure can now eliminate weeks of customer scripting and associated costs, avoid duplicate process setup for systems being manufactured at multiple locations, and perform final production tasks for upwards of 600 units simultaneously.

The Forge environment spans proprietary software, automation technology and specially designed 'super cells' installed on MBX's shop floor. Together, these building blocks expedite manufacturing processes by providing a turnkey infrastructure for onboarding each customer platform and then imaging, testing and configuring assembled hardware units in large volumes.

In contrast, most competing contract manufacturers operate in a colo-style arrangement that requires customers to set up much of the production environment themselves. That causes delays, limits scalability, and typically adds tens of thousands of dollars in upfront costs.

"Most contract manufacturers who service larger customers require them to rent dedicated floor space, furnish it with equipment like network switches, supply servers loaded with the necessary software image and test software, and script their own image, testing and configuration package. It's a lot of overhead," said MBX Chief Strategy Officer Justin Formella. "Our Forge system eliminates all of these steps for the customer, providing truly custom manufacturing without custom setup."

Specific benefits include:

• Fast image packaging and process documentation with MBX's in-house software for capturing and managing software images, license keys, BIOS, MAC addresses, firmware upgrades, special testing needs, and SKU and subcomponent inventory level validation.
• A plug-and-play production environment and toolset, eliminating the need for customers to rent and outfit manufacturing space or purchase tools like drivers and testing suites required for their specific deployment.
• Full scalability for rapid fulfillment of any size order, utilizing MBX's advanced automation systems, ability to configure and test up to 640 servers at its main Chicago plant alone, and remote communication with satellite facilities for additional unit needs.
• Integration with customer systems through MBX's REST API, enabling remote completion of configuration tasks running outside the MBX environment.
• Custom scripting assistance from MBX platform engineers when needed, providing an extensible and personalized manufacturing program.

These capabilities complement MBX's full range of other services, including custom engineering, branding, reverse and international logistics, hardware lifecycle management, packaging each finished system with the customer's choice of accessories for easy installation at the end user site, and more. MBX also maintains strategic OEM relationships with top-tier manufacturers including Intel, HP Enterprise, Supermicro, Seagate, LSI/Avago, Micron, and Adaptec, providing hardware-agnostic platform development that can help optimize the performance of each customer system.

MBX will be exhibiting in South Expo Hall, Booth 832 at the RSA Conference Expo 2016 running February 29-March 3 at San Francisco's Moscone Center.

About MBX Systems

MBX Systems is a leading designer and manufacturer of application-optimized server appliances and cloud-ready solutions for ISVs and service providers worldwide. MBX delivers turnkey hardware systems that are 100% customized to the customer's specifications by in-house platform engineers, while also offering value-added services such as branding, software imaging, regulatory/compliance, global logistics and warranty support to relieve customers of all hardware responsibilities. That unusual range of services, along with award-winning quality, innovation and customer service, has attracted customers in more than 40 vertical industries in the past two decades. For more information, visit www.mbx.com.

SOURCE MBX Systems

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