FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * BLANKENSHIP EDWARD H   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol AVOCENT CORP [AVCT] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Senior VP Finance & CFO (Last) (First) (Middle) 4991 CORPORATE DRIVE 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 01/22/2009 (Street) HUNTSVILLE, AL 35805 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock 01/22/2009   M   7,313 (6) A $ 14.97 48,519 (4) D   Common Stock 01/22/2009   D   767 (7) D $ 14.97 47,752 (4) D

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Options (rights to buy)

$ 15.46

07/25/2002(1)

07/25/2012

Common Stock

25,000

25,000

D

Options (rights to buy)

$ 27.25

03/07/2003(2)

03/07/2013

Common Stock

10,000

10,000

D

Options (rights to buy)

$ 40.98

02/05/2004(2)

02/05/2014

Common Stock

10,000

10,000

D

Options (rights to buy)

$ 28.96

08/19/2004(2)

08/19/2014

Common Stock

5,000

5,000

D

Options (rights to buy)

$ 26.14

06/30/2005(3)

06/30/2015

Common Stock

3,000

3,000

D

Performance-share awards with Market Conditions

$ 14.97

01/22/2009

M

7,313

01/22/2009(5)

02/19/2018

Common Stock

7,313

$ 0

10,968

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
BLANKENSHIP EDWARD H 4991 CORPORATE DRIVE HUNTSVILLE, AL 35805			Senior VP Finance & CFO

Signatures

Richard K. Hempstead Attorney-in-Fact for Edward H. Blankenship		01/26/2009
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	Grant date, options vest over four years, 25% on the first anniversary of the grant date and 6.25% quarterly over the remaining 12 quarters.
(2)	Grant date, 25% vests after 6 months, 7.5% vests every three months for the final 10 quarters. Vesting of unvested options accelerated and became 100% vested on December 25, 2005.
(3)	Grant date, 100% vested on December 31, 2005.
(4)	Includes time-based and performance-based (now deemed earned) restricted shares awarded on April 27, 2007, and February 19, 2008. 9,413 shares vest on January 1, 2010, and 6,187 shares vest on January 1, 2011. This also includes 8,000 shares of restricted stock units granted on July 14, 2008. These shares vest on the earlier of the first anniversary of the grant date or the closing price of Avocent's common stock being at or above a specified level for each trading day during any consecutive 30 calendar day period.
(5)	Earned Date; These are Performance Shares granted on February 19, 2008 now deemed earned at fifty percent. 2,438 shares will vest on January 22, 2009 with the remaining two-thirds vesting in equal amounts on January 1, 2010 and January 1, 2011.
(6)	These are Market-Condition based Performance Shares granted on February 19, 2008 now deemed earned at fifty percent. 2,438 shares will vest on January 22, 2009 with the remaining two-thirds vesting in equal amounts on January 1, 2010 and January 1, 2011.
(7)	767 shares were withheld as payment for taxes at the release of restricted shares on January 22, 2009.

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