Ziatech Ketris
Creating An Identity
Ziatech Corporation, the leading innovator of applied computing solutions for telecommunications and Internet applications, has reached a new stage in their corporate strategy. When Ziatech set out to develop the Ketris System, IDE was chartered to create an industrial design that gives Ziatech's new family of server solutions a distinctive product identity. The IDE designed Ketris 2000 and 9000 communicate quality through their strong but smooth sculptural forms. The concave display and control details support the overall design by presenting crisp surface transitions.For Ziatech, making the transition from a component supplier to a large system manufacturer meant entering a new market place. IDE's industrial design for Ziatech's Ketris 2000 and 9000 Systems conveys a singularly unique product identity in spite of the fact that the two products have dramatically different proportions. The Ketris 2000, which is 3.5 inches high by 17 wide, and the Ketris 9000, which is 15.75 inches high by 17 wide, can be intermixed with each other in a variety of configurations. This desired mix and match capability presented a particularly challenging problem for the IDE design team who, in response, created a design solution that optimizes the appearance of each product while maintaining the same high level of aesthetic integration when mounted together in an open rack installation. The Ketris 2000 and 9000's muted metallic surfaces evoke the sophistication of the Ketris technology while showcasing Ziatech's high value in the applied computing solutions market.
From Design To Implementation
IDE's comprehensive expertise in product design enabled them to accompany the progression of the Ketris project. IDE was originally
retained for industrial design purposes only, which included design research, concept development, form refinement and 3D surface
modeling, and product color and graphics. Shortly thereafter, a liquid crystal display and user keypad were added to the removable
Ketris front panel product definition. As a result, IDE's mechanical engineering team was also retained to design and engineer a
blind electro-mechanical interface which would allow a technician to easily remove or install the electronic front panels without
the use of any tools. The Ketris' front panels can be removed by simply pushing a button allowing for easy access to their
internal plug-in components. IDE and Ziatech's mechanical design teams worked closely in the development of these essential
interface solutions. Furthermore, IDE and Ziatech's design teams worked jointly to define the mechanical specifications
necessary for the front panel electronics.
Designing a product can mean more than merely defining its form and appearance. Creating the perception of value and quality is especially important for a product in which there is little direct user interaction. The Ketris family of products corresponds with users primarily via the Internet. The features that set the Ketris System apart from its competitors are high performance, reliability, and packaging efficiency (density). "The Ketris System is an integrated, high availability, NEBS-complient server platform that delivers an entire range of capability, from server image development and unequaled deployment productivity, to remote network management and service. It offers breakthrough Internet server provisioning, boasting the fastest deployment and highest density offered." The Ketris is aimed at "simplifying the process of provisioning Internet server infrastructure and, in turn, maximizing a technical and operational staff's ability to meet the soaring growth of the Internet."
