Frank Bisbee
"Heard On The Street" Monthly Column
www.wireville.com
4949 Sunbeam Rd, Suite 16
Jacksonville, FL 32257
(904) 645-9077 office
(904) 645-9058 fax
frank@wireville.com
Industry News
Megladon Announces New Product Release of Bend Insensitive Fiber Optic Drop Cables with HLC® ScratchGuard™ Technology
Incorporation of Bend Insensitive fiber is next logical step
for CATV Drop Cables
Megladon
Manufacturing Group answered the request of the CATV industry today by
providing bend insensitive fiber for node tail applications. Maximizing the
number of customers served by each node has reduced the available space inside
the node for fiber management. The result is attenuation and potential
intermittent failures which are seen by customers as outages.
Managing
the fiber inside the node is a big problem. There are typically six fiber
strands that must be properly routed to specific ports. Service loops are added
to ease repair and maintenance in the event issues arise after installation.
The result is several meters of fiber that must be enclosed in the node without
bending or pinching when the lid is closed. This entire process is completed
from a bucket truck thirty or more feet off the ground.
Utilizing
bend insensitive fiber is the answer the industry has been seeking for two primary
reasons. First, the installation time is reduced which has an associated cost
savings. The time savings is due to a more straight forward process and ease of
certification. Second, the prevention of intermittent failures due to bend loss
reduces the number of technician trips to the site and plays a key role in
customer satisfaction and retention.
“We have
watched the CATV industry struggle with loss issues at the node for many
years”, stated John M Culbert, President of Megladon. “The addition of hardware
inside the node to support more wavelengths has improved density while putting
a strain on the reliability of the final solution. The addition of our HLC
SCRATCHGUARD technology earlier this year removed many of the loss barriers and
now the migration to bend insensitive fiber is the next logical step.”
Megladon’s
Bend Insensitive node cables with HLC SCRATCHGUARD technology are the most
reliable in the industry and utilize Draka’s (www.drakaamericas.com) Bend
Insensitive fiber in both the 10X and 100X versions. The cables may be
configured in various fiber counts, lengths and are supported with all standard
fiber optic connectors including the SCAPC HLC. They are competitively priced
and ready for immediate deployment.
Megladon
Manufacturing Group Ltd., a subsidiary of TyRex Group Ltd.®, is recognized as a
leader in the fiber optic marketplace. Founded in 1997, Megladon made it their
mission to provide customers with fiber optic products that far exceed industry
standards. As technology innovators, Megladon created the HLC® (Hardened Lens
Contact) termination, which has changed the market and taken it to the next
level. For additional information on Megladon and their patented processes
please visit the company’s website at www.megladonmfg.com.
For
additional information regarding Megladon’s variety of fiber optic products
please contact John Culbert at 512.615.4687 or by email at scratchguard@megladonmfg.com.
Editor’s Note: If you wonder if your distributor is up to speed and
offering the latest and most effective solutions, test them. Ask if they have
scratch resistant fiber optic terminations or jumper cables (patchcords). If
they don’t know, give them a few days. If they still don’t know, look for
another distributor who offers the latest and greatest values.
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KITCO Fiber Optics Names New Program Manager
KITCO Fiber Optics has named Troy Goodnow to the position of
Program Manager – Field Services. In this position, Goodnow will be
responsible for overall project management for the company’s rapidly growing
field services team, providing on-site fiber optic services for the U.S. Navy,
major shipyards and numerous DoD contractors. Mr. Goodnow has extensive
DoD Program Management experience, most recently serving as Senior Systems
Engineer for Advanced Acoustic Concepts as well as Program Manager positions at
L-3 Communications and Anteon.
KITCO Fiber
Optics is a leading provider of fiber optic connectorization products, training
and consulting services to the military and commercial communications industry.
It specializes in the design and fabrication of fiber optic tools, tool kits
and custom cable assemblies. KITCO is also recognized for the development
of customized fiber optic curriculum and training and provides commercial and
military training worldwide, serving as the U.S. Navy’s sole shipboard fiber
optic trainer. Its highly skilled field services team can respond to
fiber optic requirements anytime, anywhere – rapidly providing the best
solutions for overcoming system problems or delays. www.kitco.com
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Leviton Announces New Executive Appointments
Pete Newman
and Scott Leighton Named to Leadership Roles in Network Solutions Division
Leviton
today announced two new appointments in its Network Solutions division. Pete
Newman, a 20-year company veteran, has been promoted to senior director of
international business development for all Network Solutions products. Scott
Leighton, who has 20 years of network infrastructure industry and
sales/marketing management experience, joins Network Solutions as director of
marketing and customer service.
Newman will
be responsible for growing Network Solutions’ product sales outside the United States, including Canada, Mexico,
Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East, China and other key international
markets, working closely with Leviton’s local sales and management teams. Since
joining Leviton, Newman has held various marketing and product management
positions, moving 10 years ago into his most recent role as director of
marketing and customer service. His dedication and leadership have been
instrumental in helping Leviton grow into a top-tier network infrastructure
manufacturer. Newman holds a bachelor’s from Purdue
University, and an MBA in marketing
from Rutgers University.
Scott
Leighton joins Leviton to lead Network Solutions’ marketing and customer
service efforts going forward. Leighton comes to Leviton from Molex and
CommScope, where he held a series of sales and marketing positions. He holds a
BA in marketing from Western
Michigan University.
“Leviton is
focused on growing globally while continuing to provide all our customers with
outstanding products and renowned customer service,” said Ross Goldman, Network
Solutions’ vice president and general manager. “People are our strongest asset,
and having the best team in place is essential to our continued success. Pete
and Scott bring incredible talent, experience, and leadership to these key
positions.”
About Leviton Network Solutions
Leviton
Network Solutions was created 20 years ago to meet the growing need for
telecommunications and high-speed data technologies. Today, the division is
dedicated to producing complete network infrastructure solutions for its
enterprise, data center, service provider, developer, and government customers.
Category-rated connectors, cabling assemblies, and patch panels; enclosures and
splice trays; PDUs and surge strips; and much more are engineered to exacting
standards and offer guaranteed performance. For more information, visit
Leviton.com.
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CSC - The distributor with leadership quality
There are
no pretty words for the economy. American businesses are doing everything
possible to eliminate waste and deadwood. At the same time, the commercial
environment is scrambling to refine their competitive edge with the best tools
available. For the most part, those tools are technology driven. Even the very
structures that house our business operations are becoming automated and more
cost efficient. Integrated Building Systems could also be called Integrated Business
Systems, because the tools and technology are working together in ways that
were not even imagined a few years ago. A visit to the website of the
Continental Automated Building Association (www.caba.org)
will drive this point home.
The
components of the building used to be grouped as POWER, CONTROL, and
COMMUNICATIONS. Today, the building systems are all hooked together is an
active network of POWER + CONTROLS +
COMMUNICATIONS + SECURITY + LIFE SAFETY… plus a host of ancillary customized systems.
THE SMART BUILDING
is the wave of the future for commercial real estate. Both BOMA (The Building
Owners and Managers Association – www.boma.org)
and NAIOP (National Association for Industrial and Office Properties – www.naiop.org) recognize the need for the
structure to not only operate at maximum efficiency, but also promote the
increased productivity of the tenants. These challenges call for a design and
implementation team that can bring all of the parts together in a cohesive
powerful set of systems that can do better than “get the job done”. We don’t
buy parts. We buy systems.
In order
for this scenario to happen, the consumer must have a contractor that is teamed
with a distributor, capable of pulling together a valuable integrated solution
with barrier to obsolescence. The distributor does not have to be big to be
good, but we think that size helps. That is why many of the smaller
distributors band together to develop solutions and even standards. Check out
NAED – The National Electrical Distributors Association – www.naed.org. This organization has long been
known for a focus on value and integrity in the marketplace.
The heir
apparent of the IBS market may well be the electrical contractor. There are
many reasons driving this trend, but the training, apprentice programs and
licensing are the strongest factors. The electrical contractor is reaching out
to the consumer with a host of non-traditional services to serve the full
spectrum of the building systems. Today, NECA ( the National Electrical
Contractors Association – www.necanet.org)
is getting the message out through the Electrical Contractor Magazine (www.ecmag.com) and a powerful set of
informative websites. An army of small untrained, unorganized independent
contractors is finding it very difficult to compete.
Choosing
the right distributor for your team requires some research. For example, we
researched several distributors and checked behind the scenes.
The
important question is “ Does the Policy make it into Practice?” Here is an example
of one outfit that got our very highest rating:
Communications Supply Corporation www.gocsc.com
Since CSC’s
acquisition by WESCO (one of the world’s largest and most successful electrical
products distributors in late 2006, a lot of things have been quietly,
deliberately taking place. The two companies have been working on consolidating
IT platforms, sharing best practices and beta testing a variety of customer and
supplier-focused programs. From what I hear, CSC is now solidly positioned and
ready to make its move—to increase its already inherent value to customers, and continue their trend of growing
faster than the market. The CSC/WESCO union provides a
powerful customer, sales and distribution focus that is making a noticeable
impact in the overall marketplace. www.wesco.com
According
to David Bemoras, President of CSC, the companies will jointly pursue key
growth markets such as security and data centers. “By using our own
independent, local strengths and leveraging WESCO’s expansive market brand and
global presence, we intend to grow our business while continuing to emphasize
and deliver excellent customer service,” Bemoras told me. “Our customer-driven
product portfolio, power and infrastructure supplier relationships,
best-in-class distribution centers and commitment to quality service will all
contribute to solidly strengthen our strong industry leadership role.” Sounds
like CSC is the distributor to watch! www.gocsc.com
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Communication News announces HOT PRODUCTS of 2008 Spotlight
In
December, Communications News, the data and voice networking magazine
for IT professionals, will launch its “Hot Products of 2008 Spotlight,”
an annual e-newsletter that will focus on product announcements from the past
year.
"As we
close in on the holidays, there are precious few opportunities to get your
message out, effectively and efficiently, about your products or services – at
least without breaking the bank," says Communications News Publisher and
Editor Ken Anderberg. "With budgets tight, companies are looking
for targeted product marketing with real ROI. And they probably would like
to get real, live leads from qualified purchasing decision makers.
"The Hot
Products Spotlight provides such an option," he adds. "It will be
mailed twice during the first half of December, providing companies with a
unique way of further marketing one or more of their products to 70,000
opt-in subscribers." www.comnews.com
He adds
that complete contact information of all those who click on newsletter links will
be provided to participants. This includes individual’s name, title, company
name, address and e-mail address.
Anderberg
can be contacted at kanderberg@comnews.com or 941-584-0145.
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LEVITON Cuts Ribbon On State-Of-The-Art Distribution Center In Tennessee
New technology
showcase to bring jobs to local economy
Local
politicians and community development groups joined Leviton’s chief executives
Friday at a ribbon-cutting ceremony to herald the February 2009 opening of the
company’s new distribution center in Lebanon,
Tennessee. The 450,000
square-foot, fully automated facility will serve as one of the company’s two state-of-the-art
domestic warehousing and distribution hubs.
The
ribbon-cutting ceremony offered local officials an opportunity to learn about
Leviton and tour the inner workings of the facility, located at 103 Leviton Drive.
Members of the Lebanon City Council, Wilson County Commission, Tennessee
Department of Economic and Community Development, Tennessee Valley Authority
and Nashville and Lebanon Chambers of Commerce joined with Lebanon Mayor Don
Fox and congressional representatives to take part in the event.
“In
selecting a site for our new distribution center, we assessed many areas of the
country that fit our geographic needs, offered a strong workforce and provided
attractive incentives. At the end of the day, Wilson County
distinguished itself as the right match for our needs. I’d like to extend my
gratitude to Duke Realty Corporation, the Joint Economic & Community
Development Board of Wilson County, the State of Tennessee, the Tennessee
Valley Authority, the City of Lebanon and Wilson County, along with many other
groups who have shown their support in making this project a success,” said
Donald Hendler, President and CEO of Leviton.
Stephen
Sokolow, Chairman of Leviton’s Board of Directors added, “We look forward to
serving as a responsible corporate citizen, and bringing jobs and new sources
of revenue to the local community.” Scheduled to open in February 2009, the new
facility will service U.S.
customers east of the Mississippi River, and
serve as a regional showcase for the company’s distribution technology and
products. Conveniently located between Wilson
County’s Highways 109 and 840, the
center will ship over half of Leviton’s U.S. order volume and bring
approximately 150 new jobs to the area.
“Leviton
encourages opportunities and offers a corporate culture that inspires personal
and professional development, serving the communities in which it operates as
an outstanding corporate citizen. It is with much excitement that we welcome
Leviton to our community,” said Lebanon City Mayor Don Fox.
“Leviton’s
decision to build a distribution center in Lebanon speaks to the high quality
of the area’s workforce. Governor Phil
Bredesen and I are thankful to Leviton for its investment in our citizens and
state, and we look forward to working with them on future endeavors,” said Matt
Kisber, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community
Development.
The new
distribution center will feature Leviton commercial-grade occupancy sensors,
light switches, outlets and commercial networking devices. The center’s loading
docks will be outfitted with dock seals to maintain HVAC levels and reduce
energy consumption. Leviton is committed to serving the communities in which it
operates as an environmentally and socially responsible corporate citizen.
Leviton is North America’s leading manufacturer of electrical and
electronic wiring devices. Leviton stands at the forefront of its industry as a
pacesetter with a century-long history of service and innovation. For more
information, contact Leviton Manufacturing, 59-25 Little Neck Parkway, Little
Neck, NY 11362, 800-323-8920, www.leviton.com
.
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LEVITON PARTNERS WITH SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE TO PROMOTE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES TO YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
Industry trend setters join forces to bring content and career opportunities
to Gen-Y’ers
Leviton and
Brazen Careerist have joined forces in a strategic initiative to attract young,
top talent to Leviton’s global workforce. As one of Brazen Careerist’s five
Pioneer Launch Partners, and the first manufacturer to participate in the
strategic venture, Leviton will provide continuous content, including job and
blog postings, and commentary and insights to the social networking site which
targets young, career-seeking millennials.
As a
Pioneer Launch Partner, Leviton shares the stage with other early adopters of
social media as a human capital recruitment tool. Companies in the financial,
food service, job placement, and career mentoring industries round out Brazen
Careerist’s early sponsors, and give the career networking site a deep job pool
with links to hiring managers at world-renowned companies. Each
company’s mini-site consists of a company profile, listing of employment
opportunities, blog posts, social commentary page, photos and write-ups of
statement of philosophy and corporate culture.
“Leviton’s
human capital initiatives are vital to our leadership and on-going success in
our industry. It is essential that Leviton be positioned on the cutting edge of
the latest Web 2.0 tools and technology as we engage our current and future
employees. Brazen Careerist provides us a great outlet to reach the next
generation of workers," said Mark Fogel, Vice President of Human Resources
for Leviton.
"The opportunity for organizations to speak to their customers, clients,
employees, or potential employees through blogging is the next step in
recruiting and retaining Gen Y. It is a pleasure to partner with Leviton
as it initiates conversations with Gen –Yer’s seeking to enter the workforce or
those seeking to take their career to the next level," said Dan Healy,
Brazen Careerist’s Client Relations Manager Brazen Careerist.
“Today’s job seekers want to gain
knowledge about different companies’ offerings and engage in conversations with
recruiters before they step a foot in the door to interview. This is an
exciting opportunity for Leviton to spread its employment brand and engage the
millennial generation in the workplace,” said Dina Anzalone, Corporate
Recruitment Manager for Leviton.
About
Brazen Careerist
Brazen
Careerist is an on-line Gen-Y community of thought leaders and forward-thinking
companies formed by Boston Globe Career Columnist, Penelope Trunk,
author of Brazen Careerist: The New Rules for Success. This year, the
Brazen Careerist website was expanded to bring together several hundred
bloggers from Generation
Y who write on a variety of subjects as diverse as career advice,
relationships, money and politics. For more information about Brazen Careerist,
visit www.BrazenCareerist.com.
About
Leviton Manufacturing
Leviton
Manufacturing is North America’s leading
manufacturer of electrical and electronic wiring devices. Founded at the dawn
of electricity, Leviton has a 102-year long history of product innovation and
service excellence. The company’s forward-thinking management practices and
employee programs have received recognition from the Society for Human Resource
Management (SHRM) and healthcare provider Blue Cross Blue Shield of North
Carolina. Leviton has a long tradition of philanthropy and social
responsibility programs, employee wellness programs and incentives for healthy
living and a “green mandate” that supports energy efficient building
construction, energy conservation and ecologically conscious business
practices. For more information, contact Leviton Manufacturing or visit www.leviton.com.
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LEVITON Recognized For Its eCommerce Edge
Leviton, North America’s leading manufacturer of electrical and
electronic wiring devices and systems, was recognized by IDEA, a leading
eCommerce service provider and standards setter, for its leadership and
innovation in the area of eCommerce. IDEA presented Leviton with its Richard
Buzun Award at its E-Biz Forum 2008 in Washington,
D.C, held earlier this month. Now in its second year, the award recognizes
companies that take the initiative to implement new eCommerce programs and
promote eCommerce throughout the electrical industry.
"In an
increasingly competitive environment, eCommerce provides a means for
manufacturers and distributors to reduce supply chain costs, while increasing
the speed and accuracy of communication," said Donald J. Hendler,
president and CEO, Leviton Manufacturing. “On behalf of Leviton and the members
of our Supply Chain team, I thank you for recognizing our efforts. It is a deep
honor to receive this award, which pays tribute to the memory of the late
Richard Buzun, an eCommerce pioneer and icon.”
“Richard
Buzun was one of the early visionaries of eCommerce in the electrical industry
and this award honors his legacy. Industry leaders who follow in his footsteps
deserve to be recognized for their efforts to move the industry forward,"
said Bob Gaylord, president, IDEA.
Leviton was
recognized by IDEA for its versatile and flexible eCommerce programs. These
intuitive electronic offerings make eCommerce an easy and efficient experience
for Leviton customers. Customers who take advantage of these business process
efficiency tools benefit from a dramatic reduction in paper transactions,
quicker access to information and improved order accuracy.
Available
24/7, 365, the system helps Leviton distributor customers enhance bottom-line
performance through the elimination of high maintenance transactions and the
reduction of processing errors. Data is obtained quickly and easily through a
full complement of eCommerce applications, including data synchronization,
electronic data interchange (EDI), Net Pricing, vendor managed inventory (VMI),
and item replacement reports that provide a list of new items that replace
older products and catalog numbers.
To further
enhance its eCommerce suite of applications, Leviton recently introduced its
ez-biz™, on-line order entry system. ez-biz (formerly B2B) provides Leviton
customers with instant, secure access to real-time inventory levels, Leviton’s
on-line catalog, order tracking data with links to freight carriers, and much
more. Customers can check stock and place orders any time of the day or night,
without having to remain on the phone on hold or wait for a fax to be
transmitted. More information about
ez-biz is available at. www.leviton.com.
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Molex Introduces New ModLink Plug & Play Copper Solution
Molex, a
leading structured cabling system manufacturer, is pleased
to announce the release of it’s ModLink Plug and Play Copper
solution, a custom pre-terminated high density modular copper solution that is
100% factory tested.
www.molex.com
Factory
terminated Plug and Play solutions offer enterprises a number of advantages
over traditional cabling systems. All cabling is delivered to site pre-terminated
and as a result the deployment is faster and smoother. Plug and Play solutions
are ideal for installations where quality, security and speed of implementation
are paramount, in most cases, high density environments. Typical applications
for Plug and Play solutions are: Data Centers, Storage Area Networks (SAN’s),
Disaster Recovery Networks or temporary cabling systems.
The ModLink solution utilizes the patented Molex
iPass™ connector- a low profile slim line I/O connector designed specifically
for high density applications. The connector is made from die-cast zinc alloy
and has a narrow latch-pull design that enables swift and positive connect or
disconnect. The connector accommodates a 24 pair cable and the overall cable
diameter is significantly less than that of the multiple RJ45 cables used in
traditional systems – this assists with airflow and cooling in cable-dense applications.
The iPass connector provides a consistent & reliable performance up to
Gigabit Ethernet speeds.
Each ModLink cassette supports 6 or 12 RJ45 ports in a
2 row format and easily slides in and out of the ModLink panels allowing speedy
installations in switch or server applications. The simple design of the
cassette allows for fast upgrades or expansion of systems in the future, with
minimum installation time. The cassettes offer reliable Gigabit Ethernet
performance and help keep the cost of ownership at low manageable levels as
usage of critical capacity rack space is greatly reduced.
The ModLink
solution also consists of Distribution
Cables, used as the interconnection cable between cassettes (with an iPass to
iPass assembly), and Hydra Cable assemblies (iPass to 6 RJ45 plugs)
predominantly used for panel to panel or switch to Panel links.
All Molex
Premise Network systems are backed by a 25-year Product, System Performance and
Application Assurance Warranty when installed as a certified system by a Molex
Certified Installer. When you specify a Molex Premise Networks solution you
benefit from global resources, standards exceeding performance levels and
innovative solutions. For further information regarding the Molex ModLink Plug
& Play Copper Solution and supporting products, please contact Product
Manager Jim Duran at jim.duran@molex.com.
About
Molex:
Molex
Incorporated is a 70-year-old manufacturer of electronic components, including
electrical and fiber optic interconnection products and systems, switches and
integrated products; with 58 plants in 19 countries in five continents.
Molex manufactures a wide portfolio of products specific to the transmission of
voice, data and, video imaging signals. In supplying innovative structured
cabling solutions world-wide, the Molex reputation is one of technological
excellence. Molex offers a comprehensive range of both Category 5e and Category
6 products for virtually any application. These products exceed all relevant
international performance standards, including TIA/EIA 568-B, ISO/IEC
11801:2002 and AS/NZS 3080:2002, maximizing user return on investment by
extending the useful life of the system. www.molexpn.com.
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Legendary Football Coach To Address Nation’s Home Builders At 2009 International Builders’ Show
The National Association of Home
Builders (NAHB) today announced that famed football coach, Lou Holtz will be
the keynote speaker at its 2009 International Builders' Show® (IBS), the
housing industry's largest annual trade show and exhibition. The show, held
Jan. 20-23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, will play host to professionals
representing all facets of the housing industry from around the world.
Regarded as one of the most
successful college football coaches of all time, Holtz is the only coach in
history to take six different college teams to a bowl game. The West Virginia
native began his head-coaching career in 1969 at the College of William &
Mary, followed by head coaching positions at the University of Minnesota,
University of Arkansas, North Carolina State University and then a season as
head coach of NFL football team, the New York Jets. In 1985, Holtz became the
27th head coach of Notre Dame, where he spent 11 seasons. During his years at
Notre Dame, he managed to take a then-struggling team and turn it around to
achieve the longest winning streak in Notre Dame history. Retired from Notre
Dame since 1996, Holtz currently serves as a college football analyst on ESPN.
Earlier this year, Holtz was named to the College Football Hall of Fame.
Holtz's keynote address will take
place on Jan. 20 during IBS Grand Opening Ceremonies. Attendees will also hear
from some of the nation's top business leaders during a special daily featured
speakers program. Representing a wide range of industry specialties, the
speakers include renowned green business expert Andrew Winston, founder of
Winston Eco-Strategies; Kevin Freiberg, notable professional speaker and
founder and CEO of the San Diego Consulting Group Inc.; and Peter Hart, top
public opinion analyst and founder of Peter D. Hart Research Associates.
"We are thrilled to have such
extraordinary speakers presenting at the show this year," said NAHB
Chairman Sandy Dunn, a home builder from Point Pleasant, W.Va. "Especially
in these challenging times for our industry, attendees will benefit from
hearing the advice of a legendary motivator and coach, as well as from some of
the top minds in the business world on strategies for success in a changing
marketplace."
The 2009 International Builders'
Show is not open to the general public. Building industry professionals and
their affiliates throughout the housing trades may register by visiting the
show's Web Site at www.BuildersShow.com.
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New IPv6 Capabilities Make OptiView® Integrated Network Analyzer First Portable Analyzer to Identify IPv6 Security Risks
Growing threat from unknown IPv6 network
devices solved by OptiView analyzer’s new address detection and management
capabilities
Fluke Networks, provider of
innovative Network SuperVision Solutions™ for the testing, monitoring and
analysis of enterprise and telecommunications networks, today announced a new
version of its award-winning OptiView Series III Integrated Network Analyzer.
The OptiView analyzer’s new IPv6 discovery and management capabilities make it
the first portable network analyzer to identify and analyze IPv6 enabled
devices and networks, including IPv6-IPv4 tunneling that could represent a
security risk.
Many networking professionals
are unaware of the risks associated with IPv6 and the default settings
