For: www.wireville.com
"Heard On The Street" Column
Issue: June 2008
By: Frank Bisbee
BISBEE’S BUZZ
Dot.com
2nd Decade (2001-2010) is bigger & better than anyone ever
imagined.
In 1969,
four research computers were connected to create the genesis of the Internet at
the blazing server speed of 56 Kb. By 1990, there were 313,000 servers on the
Internet. Today, Google.com by itself has more than 458,000 servers on line and
some servers can operate at speeds of 92 terabits/second (two (2) billion times
faster than the 1969 speeds).
Some
experts estimate that 17% of the world population has used the Internet and the
hypertext World Wide Web (August 6,1991). We may see that user group swell to
50% in the next few years. Internet growth has not slowed. In 1994, the
Internet usage growing 2300% per year and Internet growth has not slowed.
Shocking
statistics show the
The systems are converging in
ways that offer improved efficiency and reduced costs. Using the newer
technologies isn’t just a choice it is a competitive imperative in both the
public and private sectors.
Cabling is the foundation
highway at the termination point for this dazzling new information age. Folks, it ain’t getting slower.
Cabling Changes in Store for 2008
By Bisbee,
Frank
Fiber to
the desktop, Wi-Fi networks and copper prices affect plans. The enterprise
network is undergoing a major shift in emphasis that impacts cabling."
according to Jim Hayes of the Fiber Optic Association, the international
non-profit professional society for the fiber-optic industry that develops
educational programs and certifies fiber-optic technicians.
"Users
expect mobility, demonstrated by the sales of laptops exceeding desktop
computers and the popularity of mobile platforms like the BlackBerry and
iPhone. Wireless has had growing pains, but with the advent of 802.11n, better
cell phone data systems and the likelihood of success for WiMAX, users now have
adequate wireless bandwidth practically everywhere and are not crazy about
being tethered to a patch cord.
"The
network of the future is certainly not recabling every couple of years with
another UTP upgrade," he adds. "If 10-Gigabit Ethernet needs to be
delivered to the desk, it's probably going to be on fiber, not just for the
bandwidth, but also for the lower power consumption. But I'm betting on more
mobile applications, with a backbone of fiber connecting wireless access
points. That's how cell phone networks are built, as well as many metro Wi-Fi
networks. With most large enterprises already depending on fiber backbones,
adding adequate wireless access is easy, and, of course, upgrades are simply a
matter of replacing wireless access-point hardware."
Zone
cabling with fiber to the zone hub is the first step to fiber to the desktop
(FTTD). Fiber has been a crucial part of the campus and riser solution for
years; now, fiber is reaching the horizontal plane in the structure with a host
of economic and functional benefits.
Currently,
plenum-approved communications cable dominates new building installs in the
Copper
continues to be a cost concern, as well as a supply issue. The most significant
supply weak point, however, is the fluoropolymer materials used to insulate
high-performance copper- based twisted-pair cabling for plenum-approved cable.
There are
only two major producers of the fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP; commonly
known by their trade names: Teflon from DuPont and Neoflon by Daikin
The NFPA
might open the plenum-approved cable exemption to include low-smoke
zero-halogen RoHS-compliant cable that is already approved by the European
Union. That would still take three years to approve, however.
A shortage
of FEP has occurred several times in the history of plenum-approved (CMP-rated)
copper cable. During each shortage, the prices rose dramatically, and hybrid
constructions were introduced using a mix of other insulating materials to make
up for some of the material shortfall. Today, that may not be possible because
the higher-performance copper cables (Category 5e, Category 6 and soon Category
6a) cannot function properly with the resultant delay skew caused by different
insulation material properties.
"Fire-safe"
fluoropolymer materials used in plenum-approved CMP- rated cables generate
toxic gases when the cables are exposed to various levels of heat. Since the
original approval of the use of CMP-rated cables in the return-air building
plenum spaces, there has been no official testing of the cables for any
incapacitation factor or toxicity of the gases generated in fires.
According
to Chris Pezoulas, vice president of business development at Canadian wiring
systems manufacturer: Electec, "Engineers, consultants, specifiers,
building owners and contractors alike should look at the cable they are contemplating
installing in their air-handling spaces and consider setting a higher standard,
not only for themselves, but for anybody that may ever occupy the space they
are using.
"With
all that we know today about the toxic nature of Teflon, FEP and PFOA, it
astounds me that the policy and code makers in
"Fire-safe"
fluoropolymer materials used in plenum-approved CMP- rated cables generate
toxic gases.
Frank
Bisbee is the president of Communication Planning Corp.,
Reprinted
with permission from Communications News Magazine
Copyright
Nelson Publishing May 2008
(c) 2008
Communications News. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights
Reserved.
This month,
the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is meeting in
Putting
Profits over PUBLIC SAFETY is deplorable.
But that’s
just my opinion,
Frank Bisbee
"Heard On The Street"
Monthly column
www.wireville.com
Jacksonville, FL
(904) 645-9077
(904) 645-9058
frank@wireville.com
*********************************
3M Releases Improved Dynatel Modular Test Platform
New Features of 3M Dynatel Advanced Modular System 965AMS Focus on Physical
Media Layer for Unsurpassed Accuracy
An outside plant technician using the newest features of the 3M Dynatel
Advanced Modular System 965AMS will find an easier-to-use test set that
includes a standard voiceband spectrum analyzer and live differential TDR in
addition to the optional 3M Dynatel All-in-One Modem Module VDSL2 with Internet
browser and Ethernet test capability introduced in February 2008.
“The advanced copper test capabilities of the 3M Dynatel Advanced Modular
System 965AMS not only measure, but analyze the network,” said Steve King,
business unit manager for 3M Test & Measurement Solutions. “Unlike many
other diagnostic test sets, this system focuses primarily on the physical media
layer instead of merely the protocol being carried over it. The advantage is
technicians can quickly and accurately identify copper line problems,
pinpointing where, why or to what extent a fault or interference exists”
The 3M Dynatel lab brings 100 years of cumulative experience to diagnostics for
the physical media layer. Developed with strict adherence to existing industry
standards, the 3M Dynatel 965AMS also complies with and encompasses new service
types for which standards have not yet been defined.
Now a standard feature of the 3M Dynatel 965AMS, the new voiceband spectrum
analyzer provides a graphical representation of the voiceband frequency
spectrum giving technicians the ability to identify noise sources that
contribute to metallic noise or power influence readings. In addition, the new
wideband spectrum analyzer interference templates allow technicians to compare
DSL interference signatures to further pinpoint and identify line problems.
The new live differential time domain reflectometer (TDR) option allows the
outside plant technician to capture a baseline trace on a troubled pair then
view a live trace as stress voltage is applied to the pair. Differential
operation with panning and zoom further highlights differences to enable
detection of subtle changes in the pair.
Combined with the new “All-in-One” modem module, these new features of the 3M
Dynatel 965AMS offer a complete test platform for the field technician. The
“All-in-One” modem module provides VDSL2, ADSL2+, ADSL2, ADSL, and Ethernet
connectivity in a single rugged module. It is compliant with ITU standards
including G.993.2 (VDSL2), G.993.1 (VDSL), G.992.5 (ADSL2+), G.992.3/4 (ADSL2),
G.992.1 (G.DMT), and ANSI T1.413 (ADSL). It also supports ADSL2+ Addendum 1
requirements for full rate performance with non-zero INP settings and WAN
Protocols including PPPoE, PPPoA, and RFC1483. An integrated Internet browser
validates web access to complete the network analysis package.
The hand-held, five-pound 3M Dynatel 965AMS is housed in a lightweight,
ergonomically designed case for portability and ease of handling. It has a
large display that is highly visible, even in bright sunlight. The unit’s
rugged, waterproof design meets or exceeds the stringent IEC IP67 immersion
test and ASTM D4169 five-foot drop test for reliable outdoor use in all weather
conditions.
About 3M Communication Markets Division
With more than 40 years in the telecommunications industry, 3M Communication
Markets Division offers one of the widest and most comprehensive suite of
scalable solutions to communications service providers around the world, from
underground and buried plant, to central office, premises and more. Proven
systems from 3M optimize network testing, construction, locating and
maintenance for faster, more reliable high-bandwidth transmissions; enable
physical media-layer capabilities for FTTP and DSL deployments from central
office to customer premises; and deliver fiber optics technologies to leverage
existing infrastructure or install completely new networks.
About 3M
A recognized leader in research and development, 3M
produces thousands of innovative products for dozens of diverse markets. 3M’s
core strength is applying its more than 40 distinct technology platforms –
often in combination – to a wide array of customer needs. With $24 billion in
sales, 3M employs 75,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 60
countries. For more information, visit http://www.3M.com.
*********************************
Anixter International Inc. Announces Share Repurchase Program
Anixter
International Inc. (NYSE: AXE - News) today announced a share
repurchase program under which the Company may repurchase up to 1 million of
its outstanding shares with the exact volume and timing dependent on market
conditions. Anixter noted that all previously announced share repurchase
programs had been completed prior to the end of the first quarter of 2008.
Anixter currently has approximately 35.7 million shares outstanding.
Anixter
International is a leading global distributor of communication products,
electrical and electronic wire & cable and a leading distributor of
fasteners and other small parts ("C" Class inventory components) to
Original Equipment Manufacturers. The company adds value to the distribution
process by providing its customers access to 1) innovative inventory management
programs, 2) more than 400,000 products and over $1 billion in inventory, 3)
218 warehouses with more than 6 million square feet of space, and 4) locations
in 249 cities in 49 countries. Founded in 1957 and headquartered near
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Anixter International to record $4.2 million charge for granting retiring CEO options
Anixter
International Inc. said Monday it will incur $4.2 million in charges in the
second quarter because the communication products company agreed to let its
departing chief executive keep his stock options and restricted stock upon his
retirement.
Chief
Executive Robert W. Grubbs is retiring at the end of June, to be replaced by
Robert J. Eck.
Previously,
Grubbs agreed not to compete against the company for two years, and his stock
options and other grants would be terminated within 90 days of his departure.
The company
said Monday it amended the agreement. Now, Grubbs agrees not to compete against
the company for the longer of five years, or two years beyond his retirement
from the company's board. In exchange, Grubbs will keep his options and they
will vest as scheduled.
*********************************
Beast Cabling Systems Meets Market Need with New SPEED™ Solutions
Beast
Cabling Systems, Inc. introduced new SPEED™ solutions as an enhancement to
their comprehensive line of Cabling Installation Systems (CIS) and components.
The offering includes the cost-effective SPEED Labeler, SPEED Patch Panel
Organizer, and SPEED Installation Services.
“The
network cabling industry has been calling for flexible solutions that make
copper and fiber cabling installations more efficient and cost effective by
speeding up the pulling process, eliminating errors, reducing waste, and
maintaining proper separation of today’s high-bandwidth cables for maximum
performance,” says Greg Bramham, vice president of Beast Cabling Systems.
“Through recent R&D efforts, we’re please to offer a new line of
lightweight and significantly lower-cost SPEED solutions that respond to the
market need and appeal to a broad range of network cabling installers.”
The SPEED
Labeler is a lightweight, portable tool that acts as an Extra-Hand™ to maintain
order and allow technicians to quickly and accurately label cables for the
rough-in pulling stage of a network infrastructure installation. Easily
positioned in front of up to 24 boxes of cable, this ergonomic tool enables
application of color-coded labels on both ends of each cable in a fraction of
the time as conventional processes while eliminating errors, keeping kinks out
of pathways, and reducing technician fatigue.
The SPEED
Patch Panel Organizer is a convenient, labor-savings sorting board that
eliminates the tedious task of cable sorting when routing into racks in the
telecommunications room. This lightweight Patch Panel Organizer features a
Lexan® dry-erase writing surface mounted on foldable legs with left-right
sorting locations for sorting up to 384 cables by patch panel location.
SPEED
Installation Services delivers fully trained Beast SPEED Technicians to the job
site to help meet compressed schedules or heavy workloads that exceed available
staff. Available on short notice and for extended hours, these SPEED
Technicians install a significantly greater volume of rough-in cable in shorter
periods of time using Beast SPEED solutions and CIS for maximum efficiency and
reduced cable usage.
About Beast
Cabling Systems
Headquartered
in
*********************************
Beast Cabling Systems Enters European Market
Beast Cabling Systems,
Inc. (BCS) is proud to announce the first product sale of their innovative
Cabling Installation System (CIS) into the European Marketplace. CIS and its
components are designed to bring systemization and control to the various tasks
required to properly install network cabling. CIS enables consistent, efficient
installations that conserve time and material, reduce errors, and enhance
industry best practices for overall better network performance.
Denmark-based T.J.
Transmission A/S, provider of voice and data infrastructure solutions,
purchased CIS, and the company will first deploy the technology at a Computer
Sciences Corporation data center project in
T.J. Transmission A/S
has plans to introduce CIS to the Danish market as they deploy the system on
many future cabling installation projects. “While there is no committed sales
effort to the European market, we’re very excited about this sale and the
growing interest in our products,” says Greg Bramham, vice president of Beast
Cabling Systems. “The installation market in Europe has the same concerns and
issues that we experience here in the
With CIS, Joergensen
plans to easily pull 24 to 48 horizontal communications cables at a time, a process
that he says previously required more space, wasted approximately 3 to 5 meters
of every cable, and resulted in more errors. “We’ll be able to now pull cables
right to the patch panel without having to cut down lengths and move labels,
which created the potential for mistakes. I believe we can reduce waste by 50%
with CIS, which is great for the environment and the bottom line,” says
Joergensen. “Documentation is the one thing that everyone talks about but many
don’t care enough about. With CIS, there’s no reason whatsoever to not properly
label the cables, and we now have a greater possibility of ensuring good
documentation throughout the installation process.”
About Beast Cabling
Systems
Headquartered
in
*********************************
Belden's CEO Pumps Up HIS PAY - Enters 10b5-1 Program
Belden
(NYSE: BDC - News) announced today that John
Stroup, the company's Chief Executive Officer, has established a pre-arranged
stock trading plan to sell shares of Belden stock. This plan was established as
part of his individual long-term strategy for asset diversification and
liquidity. The plan was adopted in accordance with guidelines specified under
Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Belden's
policies regarding stock transactions.
The
transactions under the plan will be disclosed publicly through Form 144 and
Form 4 filings with the Securities Exchange Commission.
About
Belden
Belden is a
leader in the design, manufacture, and marketing of signal transmission
solutions for data networking and a wide range of specialty electronics markets
including entertainment, industrial, security and aerospace applications. To
obtain additional information contact Investor Relations at 314-854-8054, or
visit our website at http://www.belden.com.
*********************************
Berk-Tek Hires Fiber Optic Product Business Manager
Copper and
fiber optic cabling technology and solutions leader Berk-Tek, a Nexans Company,
is pleased to announce the addition of Mike Connaughton, RCDD, as the Fiber
Product Business Manager.
Reporting
to Todd Harpel, Director of Marketing, Connaughton is responsible for managing
all Berk-Tek optical fiber LAN product activities, as well as participating in
the global Nexans Operational Product Management team.
Before
joining Berk-Tek, Connaughton spent 15 years at Mohawk, a Belden Company,
focusing on fiber optic product development and support. He has held various positions in technical
support, sales, marketing and product management. Connaughton has his Bachelors of Science in
Electronic Engineering Technology from Wentworth Institute of Technology in
“Mike
brings a wide variety of experience in the industry and a unique perspective on
our company,” notes Harpel. “Combining his technical expertise with his
reputable industry relations, I am sure he will be an asset to Berk-Tek.”
About Berk-Tek, A Nexans Company
For
more than 45 years, Berk-Tek has been a leading manufacturer of more than 100
different network copper and fiber optic cable products. The company has led in
the development of high-performance and enhanced fiber optic and UTP cables
designed to transport high-speed data and voice transmissions. Berk-Tek has
major manufacturing facilities at New Holland, PA,
About Nexans
Nexans, the worldwide leader in
the cable industry, brings an extensive range of advanced copper and optical
fiber cable solutions to the infrastructure, industry and building markets for
telecommunications and energy networks. With an industrial presence in 29
countries and commercial activities worldwide, Nexans employs employs 21,000
people and had sales in 2006 of $10 billion. Nexans is listed on the
*********************************
California Senate votes to ban heat-resistant compounds
This is big news for the cabling industry. What
if Teflon® was banned?
-
The Associated Press
Published 6:34 pm PDT Monday, May 12, 2008
The
California Senate has voted to ban food packaging containing a family of
chemicals that have been used for decades in products that resist heat, oil,
stains, grease and water.
The
legislation by Sen. Ellen Corbett, D-San Leandro, would prohibit the use of
perfluorinated compounds in items used to package, transport or hold food,
starting in 2010.
Perfluorinated
compounds, or PFCs, are considered to be likely human carcinogens by the
Environmental Protection Agency.
They
also are associated with higher rates of heart disease, stroke and diabetes and
with diminished weight in newborns, immune system problems and hormone
imbalance.
Monday's
22-15 vote sent the bill to the Assembly.
*********************************
CommScope to Close Jaguariuna Brazil Facility
CommScope, Inc. (NYSE:CTV - News), a world leader in
infrastructure solutions for communication networks, plans to close its
Jaguariuna, Brazil broadband facility as part of the company’s goal to
eliminate duplicate manufacturing and distribution centers to reduce costs and
enhance its long-term competitive position.
The Jaguariuna facility,
which employs approximately 200 people and primarily produces broadband cable
products, is expected to close by the end of September, with most equipment
redeployed to other facilities elsewhere in the world. These changes do not
affect the company’s other Brazilian facility located in Sorocaba or the
company’s ongoing commitment to providing Latin America customers with
high-performance wireless, enterprise and broadband solutions.
“This is the latest step
in our ongoing drive to improve our competitive position, enhance our long-term
financial performance and achieve our cost-synergy targets associated with the
Andrew Corporation acquisition,” said CommScope President and Chief Operating
Officer Brian Garrett. “We regret the impact on our people in Jaguariuna and
appreciate their many contributions during the past eight years. However, we
have an extensive worldwide manufacturing and distribution footprint that can
be better utilized and more efficiently operated by consolidating facilities.
As we execute this manufacturing strategy we intend to make sure that our
customers continue to receive the outstanding service that they have come to
expect from CommScope.”
The 221,000 square-foot
Jaguariuna facility was purchased in June 2000. Both the costs and the savings
related to this facility closing will make up part of the projected total
savings and transition costs announced in connection with the acquisition of
Andrew, which was completed in December 2007.
Separately, CommScope
Europe S.P.R.L. has notified its Works Council of its intention to discontinue
production activities at its facility in
About CommScope
CommScope, Inc. (NYSE:
CTV www.commscope.com)
is a world leader in infrastructure solutions for communication networks.
Through its Andrew® brand, it is a global leader in radio frequency subsystem
solutions for wireless networks. Through its SYSTIMAX® and Uniprise®
brands, CommScope is the global leader in structured cabling systems for
business enterprise applications. It is also the premier manufacturer of
coaxial cable for broadband cable television networks and one of the leading
North American providers of environmentally secure cabinets for DSL and FTTN
applications. Backed by strong research and development, CommScope combines
technical expertise and proprietary technology with global manufacturing
capability to provide customers with infrastructure solutions for evolving
global communications networks in more than 130 countries around the world.
*********************************
President and CEO Clark Kinlin Assures Corning Cable Systems’ Technology Community That Corning Will Protect Intellectual Property Around the World
Corning Cable Systems LLC, part of Corning
Incorporated’s (NYSE:GLW) Telecommunications segment, recently recognized its
technology community for development of numerous patented technologies
significant to advancements in telecommunications. Over the past 3 years, more than 400 patents have been granted globally to
Corning Cable Systems.
In remarks to members of Corning
Cable Systems’
Kinlin made his remarks to more than
350 Corning employees and guests during recent awards ceremonies in
Kinlin
opened his remarks by highlighting
Kinlin
acknowledged that “innovation is expensive and requires sustained commitment.”
He continued, “The problems we solve for our customers are difficult technology
challenges requiring highly-skilled knowledge workers. Where we are successful,
we deliver dramatic new utility and value to our customers.”
As an
example of this utility and value, Kinlin referred to
Kinlin
closed by pledging
About
*********************************
Jim Young Construction Company, Inc. Becomes Newest Member of the Corning Total Access ProgramSM (TAP)
Corning
Cable Systems LLC, part of Corning Incorporated’s (NYSE:GLW) Telecommunications
segment, announces Jim Young Construction Company, Inc. as the newest member of
the selective Corning
Total Access ProgramSM (TAP).
Jim
Young Construction Co., Inc. is a privately owned enterprise established in
1978 with extensive experience in all types of fiber-optic construction,
including FTTH, intra-exchange trunking and long-haul applications. The company provides full-service outside
plant construction to telecommunication service providers. Jim Young Construction Co., Inc. delivers
quality and value-based services to a client base that includes consumer-owned
cooperatives, privately held corporations and large publicly-held corporations. The company is licensed in
"We
look forward to a long and successful association with
Through its Evolant®
Solutions for Access Networks, Corning
Cable Systems offers specialized portfolios of innovative products and
services that enable customers to cost-effectively deploy fiber in the last
mile. For additional information on
Corning Cable Systems, contact a customer service representative at
1-800-743-2675, toll free in the
(www.corning.com)
*********************************
Craig Consulting Services :BELDEN Training Schedule
June– September 2008
Dates Class
JUNE
6/9-6/10 303
Design
6/11-6/12 700
Installation
6/23- 6/24 303
Design
6/25 - 6/26 700
Installation
JULY
7/22 – 7/23 303
Design
7/24 – 7/25 700
Installation
AUGUST
8/5 303
Design
8/6-8/7 700
Installation
8/11-8/12 303
Design
8/13-8/14 700
Installation
SEPTEMBER
9/9-9/10 303
Design
9/11-9/12 700
Installation
9/23 303 Design
9/24-9/25 700 Installation
This
schedule is subject to change based upon Customer requests.
James R.
(Ray) Craig RCDD/NTS Specialist
Belden
Regional Trainer
Craig Consulting Services
* Classes scheduled by
Belden Training Department
*********************************
Craig Consulting Services :BICSI Training Schedule
June– December, 2008
Dates Class
JUNE
6/16 – 6/20 Technician
JULY
7/14 – 7/18 ITS
Installer 2
AUGUST
8/18 – 8/22 TPMA
PM 125
8/25 – 8/29 Technician
SEPTEMBER
9/15 – 9/19 ITS
Installer 2
OCTOBER
10/6 -
10/10 Technician
NOVEMBER
11/10 –
11/14 Installer
1
DECEMBER
12/8 –
12/12 Technician
This
schedule is subject to change based upon Customer requests.
James R.
(Ray) Craig RCDD/NTS Specialist
Craig Consulting
*********************************
D-Tools Unveils New Website
D-Tools
Inc., the worldwide leader in system integration software, today announced, the
launch of its newly re-designed website located at www.d-tools.com.
“With its
fresh appearance and dynamic interactivity, our new website’s new format and
redesigned navigation bar makes it easy for visitors to quickly and easily
navigate through the site and locate information they are seeking, “said Tim
Bigoness, VP of Sales and Marketing of D-Tools. “The new website is completely
template-driven which makes it easier to update and add new content, while the
new design gives it a more atheistically pleasing appearance.” www.d-tools.com
*********************************
D-Tools Enhances Manufacturer Vantage Point (MVP) Program with Elegant Addition
D-Tools,
Inc., the worldwide leader in system integration software, today announced that
Media Decor has joined the D-Tools Manufacturer Vantage Point (MVP) program.
Florida-based Media Decor, LLC was founded in 2003 to fulfill elegant
designer-level solutions for today’s home entertainment installations. Media
Décor’s elegant product line provides cutting edge solutions to custom
entertainment display concealment.
“We
anticipate joining D-Tools MVP Program to be a great deal of success for our
team,” said Jonathan Graham, President of Media Decor, “This is a great
opportunity for SI users to offer their clients a stylish and customized
solution for their entertainment systems and we are pleased to be the only
concealment company within the program at this point.”
The D-Tools
Manufacturer Vantage Point (MVP) program is designed to help provide system
integrators with the most up-to-date product information to over 2,500
companies using D-Tools System Integrator software. D-Tools MVP members are
dedicated to helping companies streamline the design process and making it
easier for system integrators and installers to provide accurate proposals to
their clients.
“We are
pleased to have Media Décor be a part of the MVP Program,” said Adam Stone,
President of D-Tools. “Their designer-level solutions will offer our users a
high-end outlet adding another stylistic attribute to their clients systems.”
About Media
Decor
Florida-based
Media Decor, LLC was founded in 2003 to fill the growing demand for elegant
designer-level solutions for today's home entertainment installations. Its team
of expert and inspired technicians, interior designers, and structural
craftsmen collaborate to create and deliver the world's most compelling, beautiful,
and customized entertainment environments. For more information on Media Decor
and its service and product offerings, please visit www.mediadecor.com.
About
D-Tools, Inc.
D-Tools,
founded in 1998 and based in
*********************************
New Test Suite in EtherScope Network Assistant Creates New Business Opportunities for Value Added Resellers and System Integrators
Installers
now have the ideal tool for LAN installation and validation, allowing projects
to be completed more quickly at lower cost
Fluke
Networks today announced new capabilities for the company's award winning
EtherScope Network Assistant that helps Value Added Resellers (VARs) and System
Integrators (SIs) expand their network installation business. VARs and SIs installing new networks will
find that the EtherScope analyzer's new capabilities help them install,
validate, and document LAN installations faster and at a lower cost.
Validating
LAN performance during installation is made possible by EtherScope’s new Service
Performance Tool. Installers, VARs and
SIs use this tool to demonstrate and document that those network services that
are critical for acceptable LAN operation (DHCP, DNS, web) are available and
responsive. Such documentation may be a
client requirement, or the installer may use this feature to differentiate his
service from the competition. When
teamed with Ethernet performance testing, network installers have a powerful
new combination of tools to validate that network infrastructure was correctly
installed and configured. Validation and
the resulting documentation provide assurance that the LAN will perform as
designed – resulting in robust network operation, fewer trouble tickets and
more satisfied users and clients.
These
validation results are captured by the EtherScope Network Assistant and turned
into easy-to-interpret documentation that thoroughly characterizes LAN and WAN
link performance at turn-up. Any
performance issues later noted by the customer can be compared against this
turn-up documentation. Validation
documentation serves as proof of a project successfully completed.
Other new
installation tests are provided by the expanded Ethernet performance test
suite. Users can now measure and assess
end-to-end Ethernet performance using new RFC 2544 procedures and other
advanced tests, including jitter and bit errors, with customizable pass/fail
criteria. The EtherScope analyzer can
now also be paired with a low-cost Gigabit LinkRunner Pro packet reflector for
end-to-end testing. The smart LinkRunner
Pro packet reflector supports layer 2 and 3 networking at a price that allows
installers to instrument multiple links or to equip multiple field technicians.
Technicians
working for SIs and VARs typically spend 70% of their time on deployment
issues. EtherScope's new battery of
installation validation tests lets installers spend less time on site and helps
SIs and VARs save money.
In addition
to these new installation-centric features, the EtherScope Network Assistant
now offers enhanced troubleshooting with the addition of draft 802.11n access
point detection and location. "We
have a customer who swore there were no unidentified wireless access points on
the site," said Jennie Lassig of CompuTech Consulting in Woods Cross,
UT. "With EtherScope we found that
a user had mounted an unknown AP and was transmitting unsecured."
The
EtherScope Network Assistant is a handheld network analyzer that helps network
professionals quickly solve problems on 10, 100 and Gigabit, twisted pair and
optical fiber LANs and wireless LANs.
CompuTech's Lassig reported that a "customer had a tech on site for
2 days who couldn’t resolve the problem of slow network performance." With the EtherScope Network Assistant
"we went there and within two minutes found a network loop in a switch
that didn’t have spanning tree enabled. The customer was thrilled and we gained
their trust and confidence in our technical expertise." EtherScope also now supports SNMPv3, crucial
for network technicians responsible for devices using this newest version of
SNMP.
Product
availability
The
EtherScope Network Assistants is available for immediate delivery from Fluke
Networks sales partners worldwide. All
EtherScope Network Assistants shipped after April 28 will include new version 4
software. Existing EtherScope owners
with Gold support can upgrade their units by visiting
www.flukenetworks.com/EtherScope.
About Fluke
Networks
Fluke
Networks provides innovative solutions for the installation and certification,
testing, monitoring and analysis of copper, fiber and wireless networks used by
enterprises and telecommunications carriers. The company's comprehensive line
of Network SuperVision™ Solutions provide network installers, owners, and
maintainers with superior vision, combining speed, accuracy and ease of use to
optimize network performance. Headquartered in
*********************************
New MicroScanner 2 Termination Test Kit Increases Technician Productivity From the First Day of Use
Complete set of best-in-class tools for network cable installers,
TV cable technicians leads to faster, higher quality work with less risk of
error
Fluke Networks, provider of innovative Network SuperVision
Solutions™ for the testing, monitoring and analysis of enterprise and
telecommunications networks, today announced the new MicroScanner2 Termination
Test Kit. This comprehensive new collection of installation and service
tools includes everything a network cable installer or TV cable technician
needs to locate, terminate and verify their copper cabling installations.
Central to this combination of best-in-class tools is the
MicroScanner2 Cable Verifier, which works with all major cable types: coax, UTP
and two-lead conductors. This cable tester shows installers the four most
important test results — cable length, wire map, cable ID and distance to break
or short — as visual representations on a single screen. This makes
testing faster and reduces the chance of human error switching between tests.
“Seeing all test results at once saves time and improves
technician accuracy. That allows us to deliver high quality installations
at a lower cost to our clients, “ said Kevin Kolinac, owner of Communications
Facilities & Design,
Cable ID simplified, faster with IntelliTone digital toning
Also
part of the MicroScanner2 Termination Test Kit is Fluke Networks’ IntelliTone
Pro Probe. The IntelliTone probe is immune to electrical interference,
using digital signaling technology to separate trace signals from background
noise. This permits quick, precise identification of specific wire pairs
and cables on active networks. The IntelliTone probe responds to the
built-in tone generator of the MicroScanner2, which produces both digital and
analog tones.
All-in-one Voice/Data/Video test set
The
MicroScanner2 Termination Test Kit provides the installer with all common
adapters and patch cords needed on the job site. The essential hand tools
include an impact tool which accepts all industry standard blades,
electrician’s D-Snips™ with long-tailed handle for better cutting leverage, an
adjustable wire cutter-stripper with depth gauge, flashlight and marker.
Of particular use to cable TV technicians is a push-on F-Coax
patch cord. Also included are six remote cable identifiers, a shielded
twisted-pair RJ45 patch cord, an RJ11 patch cord, and a clip-set that connects the
MicroScanner2 RJ45 jack to 8 bare wires via alligator clips. This gives a new
installer everything needed to be productive from day one.
Product availability
The
MicroScanner2 Termination Test Kit is available for immediate delivery from
Fluke Networks sales partners worldwide.
About Fluke Networks
Fluke
Networks provides innovative solutions for the installation and certification,
testing, monitoring and analysis of copper, fiber and wireless networks used by
enterprises and telecommunications carriers. The company's comprehensive line
of Network SuperVision™ Solutions provide network installers, owners, and
maintainers with superior vision, combining speed, accuracy and ease of use to
optimize network performance. Headquartered in
*********************************
General Cable's Goenaga cashes in on options
General Cable Corp.'s executive vice
president and CEO of its European and
Goenaga
exercised 10,000 options with a strike price of $7.71 and another 5,000 at
$14.125 and then sold the resulting shares for between $70.50 and $71.50 each,
according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
The transactions left him with no direct holdings of the company's stock, it
said.
Goenaga
has been in charge of Highland Heights-based General Cable's European
operations since 2001. He joined the company in 1963.
General
Cable (NYSE: BGC) designs, manufactures and markets copper, aluminum and fiber
optic wire and cable products.
*********************************
Graybar reports hefty increase in first quarter net income
Graybar
reported first quarter 2008 net income of US$18.9 million, a 58.7% over the
first quarter of 2007.
Net sales grew 4.8% during the quarter to US$1.28 billion. The company said the
increase is a result of modest growth in electrical market sales coupled with a
solid rate of sales growth and competitive performance in the data
communications market.
"Our focus on organic growth, expense management and process improvement
continues to deliver positive results for the company and its customers,"
said Robert A. Reynolds Jr., chairman, president and CEO of Graybar.
He added that Graybar continues to invest in technical resources to help its
customers manage the implementation of complex projects such as data center
redesign and energy-efficient facility construction.
Graybar Starts 2008 with 58.7 Percent Increase in
First-Quarter Net Income
Company’s Organic Growth Strategy
Continues to Deliver Top- and Bottom-Line Results
Graybar,
one of the nation’s leading distributors of electrical and communications
products and related supply chain management and logistics services, reported
net income of $18.9 million, a 58.7 percent increase over the first quarter of
2007.
Net sales
grew 4.8 percent during the first quarter of 2008 – to $1.28 billion – compared
to the same period in 2007. The company
said the increase is a result of modest growth in electrical market sales
coupled with a solid rate of sales growth and competitive performance in the
data communications market. First-quarter 2008 income from operations rose 22.8
percent – to $30.5 million – compared to
the first quarter of 2007.
“Our focus
on organic growth, expense management and process improvement continues to
deliver positive results for the company and its customers,” said Robert A.
Reynolds Jr., chairman, president and chief executive officer of Graybar. “We
provide products and supply-chain solutions that make our customers more
efficient and productive. During this
economic slowdown, we see customers leveraging our distribution services more
than ever to lower their total cost of ownership.”
Reynolds
added that Graybar continues to invest in technical resources to help its
customers manage the implementation of complex projects such as data center
redesign and energy-efficient facility construction.
“We
understand these opportunities, especially where it relates to power, energy
conservation and faster completion to take advantage of cost savings,” Reynolds
added. “With our knowledge and use of
leading-edge technology, we continue to raise the bar on performance and value
for our customers.”
About
Graybar
Graybar, a
Fortune 500 corporation and one of the largest employee-owned companies in
*********************************
DialAmerica Improves Operational Efficiencies with All-in-One IP Communications Software Suite from Interactive Intelligence
DialAmerica,
one of the largest
privately owned telemarketing companies in the U.S.,
has reported increased operational efficiencies and reduced costs as a result
of deploying an all-in-one IP communications software suite from Interactive
Intelligence (Nasdaq: ININ).
DialAmerica
deployed the Customer Interaction Center® (CIC)
software suite to replace its
“Due to our
growing customer base we needed to re-evaluate the capacity of our existing
call center platform,” said DialAmerica’s director of technology, Michael
Bardwell. “After a thorough analysis, we chose an all-in-one platform to
improve efficiencies and continue to provide the highest return on investment
for our customers.”
DialAmerica
selected Interactive Intelligence based on CIC’s architecture and the
vendor’s experience and responsiveness to better support the challenges presented by DialAmerica’s
diverse and demanding client base.
“Interactive
Intelligence’s superior product offering and scalable architecture provided us
with an all-in-one-solution to meet our changing needs,” said DialAmerica’s
senior vice president, Christopher Conway. “In addition, Interactive
Intelligence offered us the ideal combination of a proven track record and a
culture of accessibility that we were seeking.”
Today
DialAmerica uses the all-software SIP-based CIC version to support
approximately 600 contact center agents and 200 business users across four
sites in
The company
uses CIC for IP switching, multi-channel routing and queuing, IVR, call
recording, and unified messaging.
In addition
to simplifying management by consolidating systems across sites, DialAmerica
has also credited CIC with helping it to more quickly and
cost-effectively scale up and down as business needs require.
“DialAmerica
has built a business model based on distributed contact center sites that
enables us to more effectively recruit the best quality agents,” Bardwell said.
“Because of this model, we need to be able to quickly and cost-effectively
activate new centers and redirect calls to outbound sites based on call volume.
CIC has provided cost savings by using voice over IP technology and
enabling us to purchase off-the-shelf servers. The centralization of
administration and use of non-proprietary hardware have resulted in improved
reliability and maximum flexibility so that we can effectively meet our
customers’ needs.”
Another
benefit of CIC has been the product’s customization capabilities,
according to Bardwell. “CIC has enabled us to develop our own
agent interface along with a host of other custom applications so we can best
satisfy our unique business requirements,” he said. “As a teleservices firm
that supports an incredibly diverse and dynamic client base, this kind of
business agility has been essential to our success.”
About DialAmerica
DialAmerica
Inc., one the nation’s largest teleservices companies, is recognized for
its expertise in providing comprehensive, cost-effective customer
acquisition and care solutions for consumer and business-to-business marketers.
Serving the marketing and fundraising communities for 50 years, DialAmerica has
a diverse portfolio of clients in multiple industry sectors, including
financial services, communications, healthcare, pharmaceutical, technology,
travel and leisure, consumer products, energy and others.
The
company has extensive experience in the publishing arena and in supporting
clubs, continuity programs and cause-related marketing. DialAmerica’s vast
expertise in designing customer acquisition and care programs and in
hiring/training superior teleservices representatives – coupled with its
proprietary technology platform – enables the company to provide its clients
with the highest standards of account service, information security and
regulatory compliance, while delivering the lowest cost-per-transaction. For
more information about DialAmerica call 800-913-3331, or visit http://www.dialamerica.com.
About Interactive Intelligence
Interactive Intelligence Inc. (Nasdaq: ININ) is a global provider
of unified business communications solutions for contact center automation,
enterprise IP telephony, and enterprise messaging. The company was founded in
1994 and has more than 3,000 customers worldwide. Interactive Intelligence is
among the top 500 global software and services suppliers, and is ranked among
the top 200 North American networking vendors. The company employs
approximately 600 people and is headquartered in
*********************************
Interactive Intelligence Adds Contact Center and IP Telephony Capabilities to Microsoft Office Communications Server Environments
Interactive
Intelligence Inc. (Nasdaq: ININ) is releasing an integrated solution that
combines its all-in-one IP communications software platform with Microsoft
Office Communications Server 2007. The integration is designed to help
organizations communicate more effectively by adding contact center and IP
telephony functionality to OCS environments.
The
Interactive Intelligence all-in-one IP communications software platform adds
features such as multi-channel skills-based routing, call and screen recording,
an operator console interface, workforce management, and cradle-to-grave
reporting. The integration also offers the ability to exchange instant messages
(IM) between the two systems using OCS’s secure IM engine through a common
enterprise-wide user directory.
“We’ve gone
beyond the basic integration of simply connecting audio calls between systems,”
said Interactive Intelligence founder and CEO, Dr. Donald E. Brown. “Combined
with OCS, our solution provides a broad set of contact center and IP telephony
applications, a common company directory, and simplified administration for
user provisioning.
“The beauty
of this combined solution is that all users can share information and
communicate with one another in real-time even though they are running desktop
software from two different vendors. For instance, an engineer in California
running an Office Communicator Client using a PC as a soft phone can call or
‘IM’ a product manager in New York running our Interaction Client®.
In addition, because our integration to OCS uses a direct SIP connection,
customers don’t have to purchase pricey gateways.”
“Interactive
Intelligence has taken OCS integration a step forward by enabling customers to
more easily take advantage of both the collaboration capabilities in OCS, and
the contact center and IP telephony functionality in CIC – all while giving
users the choice of which client to run at the desktop,” said Yankee Group
enterprise research group analyst, Vanessa Alvarez. “From an industry
perspective, this move pushes unified communications forward, which Yankee
believes is critical for achieving the Anywhere Enterprise™ where
employees, customers, assets and partners can easily connect to applications,
information and services whenever and wherever they need them.”
Microsoft
Office Communications Server 2007 manages real-time communications, including
instant messaging, voice over IP, audio and video conferencing. It works with
existing telecommunications systems so businesses can deploy advanced VoIP and
conferencing without tearing out their legacy phone networks. Microsoft OCS
also powers presence, a key benefit of Microsoft unified communications that
unites all the contact information stored in Active Directory with the ways
people communicate.
In 1997
Interactive Intelligence launched its first product based on the company’s
all-in-one IP communications software platform called Interaction Center
Platform®. This platform was designed to deliver comprehensive
applications minus the cost and complexity introduced
by multi-point products. Today it serves as the basis for all the
Interactive Intelligence products, including Customer Interaction Center®
(CIC) for contact center automation and Vonexus Enterprise Interaction Center™
(Vonexus EIC) for enterprise IP telephony.
The
Interactive Intelligence integration to OCS is planned for general availability
in Q3 2008. It will be offered through the Interactive Intelligence channel of
approximately 300 value-added resellers worldwide.
About Interactive Intelligence
Interactive Intelligence Inc. (Nasdaq: ININ) is a global provider
of unified business communications solutions for contact center automation,
enterprise IP telephony, and enterprise messaging. The company was founded in 1994
and has more than 3,000 customers worldwide. Interactive Intelligence is among
the top 500 global software and services suppliers, and is ranked among the top
200 North American networking vendors. The company employs approximately 600
people and is headquartered in
*********************************
Interactive Intelligence Introduces Customer Feedback Management Products
New offerings designed to help
organizations better measure and improve customer service
Interactive
Intelligence (Nasdaq: ININ), a global provider of unified IP business
communications solutions, is introducing new customer feedback management
products designed to help organizations better measure and improve customer
service.
The first
product being introduced is Interaction Feedback™ -- an automated
customer satisfaction survey module that enables organizations to accurately
measure customer service levels in a timely and cost-effective way.
Further
extending its customer feedback management portfolio, the company is also
actively developing a speech analytics/emotion detection product. The product
is designed to provide real-time alerts to contact center supervisors when
heightened emotion is detected on a call.
Both
customer feedback management products are designed as add-on modules to the
company’s Interaction Center Platform® -- a standards-based,
all-in-one platform designed to reduce the cost and
complexity introduced by multi-point products.
“During
these challenging economic times the need for communications technologies that
help organizations improve service levels and retain customers becomes more
critical than ever,” said Yankee Group program manager and senior analyst, Ken
Landoline. “We consistently find there is a major discrepancy between company
perceptions of customer satisfaction and reality. The new customer feedback
management products from Interactive Intelligence enable organizations to take
a more real-time approach to identifying and resolving specific customer
problems, while providing a cost-effective method for measuring and managing
true customer satisfaction levels.”
In addition
to a wizard interface that eliminates the need for programming expertise,
Interaction Feedback™ offers organizations real-time supervisory
alerts, integration with call recording and scoring features, the removal of
agent bias in the survey process, and a built-in third-party question library
from CFI Group (www.cfigroup.com), which holds a patented
methodology for tying customer satisfaction to financial results.
The
Interactive Intelligence real-time speech analytics software module will enable
organizations to monitor calls in real-time to detect heightened states of
emotion. The module will also include supervisory monitoring and alerts, along
with the ability to distinguish between customer and agent emotion.
“Real-time
feedback and simplicity are the two main things missing from today’s customer
feedback methods,” said Interactive Intelligence founder and CEO, Dr. Donald E.
Brown. “By offering our Interaction Feedback™ and real-time speech
analytics products as part of our all-in-one communications software suite, we
give organizations the most cost-effective and simple way to proactively
address customer issues before they escalate. With discussions of improving the
customer experience now taking place at the board level, our alternative to
costly and complex standalone feedback management products has major
significance that extends beyond the contact center into the entire
enterprise.”
The
Interactive Intelligence Interaction Feedback™ and real-time speech
analytics products are targeted at mid-size to large
contact centers and enterprises. They will be sold through the company’s
channel of more than 300 resellers worldwide.
Interaction
Feedback™ is planned for
general availability in Q3 2008. The Interactive Intelligence real-time
speech analytics software module is part of the company’s customer feedback
management roadmap.
About Interactive Intelligence
Interactive Intelligence Inc. (Nasdaq: ININ) is a global provider
of unified business communications solutions for contact center automation,
enterprise IP telephony, and enterprise messaging. The company was founded in
1994 and has more than 3,000 customers worldwide. Interactive Intelligence is
among the top 500 global software and services suppliers, and is ranked among
the top 200 North American networking vendors. The company employs
approximately 600 people and is headquartered in
*********************************
Leviton Tops Patent Board’s Scorecard for Third Consecutive Quarter
Rated # 1 in Brand
Preference by Builders and Electrical Contractors, Leviton Maintains Dominant
Position in Tech Strength and Industry Impact
Leviton
Manufacturing Company,
“Our
exceptionally high ranking in the areas of tech strength and industry impact is
evidence of our leadership in pioneering new technologies that set the
benchmark in our industry,” said Donald J. Hendler, President and CEO of
Leviton. “It is a tribute to our staff of talented engineers that we stand at
the forefront of progress and innovation in the marketplace. Given the very
high profile of those industry giants and the relative size of their patent
portfolios, all of us at Leviton could not be more pleased.”
The 13-week
rolling average of manufacturers of Industrial Components & Fixtures was
published in the April 22nd issue of The Wall Street Journal. It positions
Leviton highly favorably when compared to companies of significantly greater
size, market capitalization and size of their patent portfolio. Leviton’s
rating in the Tech Strength category placed it nearly 40 points ahead of
General Electric, 65 points ahead of the Legrand Group, 90 points ahead of
Thomas & Betts and 100 points ahead of Lutron Electronics.
The Patent
Board’s Scorecard rates corporate innovation across 17 industries and combines
more than 50 industry-standard indicators to arrive at measures of patent
portfolio quality, technological strength and breadth of impact. The aggregate
score received by a company determines its ranking.
The
Scorecard criteria includes measures of a company’s technology strength,
industry impact, patents granted, science strength, research intensity and
innovation cycle time.
Founded in
1906 at the dawn of the electrical era, Leviton manufactures over 25,000
different products and is
*********************************
Leviton Introduces Expanded Line of Cable Management
Leviton
Network Solutions, a leading manufacturer of voice and data equipment and a
division of Leviton Manufacturing Company, Inc., now offers an expanded line of
Velcro® Brand Fasteners designed for cable management. The broad line of
products, including Bulk Rolls, Compression Straps, Soft-Cinch Rolls and
Bulk-Packaged Wraps, secures and organizes copper and fiber cables in a variety
of applications.
Leviton
recommends Velcro Brand Fastener products for all low voltage multimedia
systems. The reusable solution safely secures cables without kinking or
crimping and facilitates quick moves, adds and changes.
All
products in the Velcro Brand line are available in black, blue, orange and
yellow. Velcro Wraps in bulk rolls and Tie Wraps in three standard lengths are
also available with plenum rating indicated by the color maroon. Search
“Velcro” at www.leviton.com and explore
the full line today.
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 system solutions for network infrastructure,
from the backbone to the workstation, for the enterprise, data center, service
provider, and residential markets. Incorporating fiber and copper innovations
to create the best and most integrated network possible, Leviton Network
Solutions offers connectors, cabling assemblies, panels, wall plates and
workstation solutions, cable management, and home technology equipment for
commercial and residential uses. www.leviton.com
*********************************
Megladon Announces New Product Release of E2000 HLC® Fiber Optic Patch Cords
Megladon’s
cutting edge patch cord technology provides mating surface durability and low
loss.
Megladon
Manufacturing Group, LTD announced the release of its singlemode and multimode
E2000 patch cords utilizing HLC technology. Applying the HLC process to E2000
connectors provides a mating surface that is dust and scratch resistant with
signal losses well below industry standards. The result is one of the most
reliable, long lasting, and efficient patch cords to serve the global market.
“Our
customers realize fiber optic patch cords are not a commodity. They are just as
critical as the application hardware and software,” stated John M. Culbert,
President of Megladon. “Reliable networks require reliable patch cords.” He
continued: “Our product has proven
itself in numerous applications including a Fortune 20 solution. We now feel it
is time to adapt this value proposition to a wider variety of products and
serve additional markets.”
The
emphasis of solving intermittent network failures caused by using sub-standard
patch cords was the reason for creating Megladon’s HLC technology more than 7
years ago. It’s dust and scratch resistant durability provides an extended life
span that lowers overall cost of replacement for network managers and
companies. Its ease of install and compatibility with all existing connectors
make it the only choice for replacement and newly engineered environments. Now
proven in a Tier 1 ILEC, Megladon’s solution looks to soon become the benchmark
product for network installers and network applications worldwide.
*********************************
Come and See Mike Holt Live
Mike is
nationally recognized as one of
Now is your
chance to meet Mike in person and experience one of his live seminars. Get your
book autographed and picture taken with Mike and find out why his seminars are
so popular.
Mike’s Upcoming Seminars:
July
30 – 31: Instructor Conference
August
1: Business Management, Workplace Safety, Workers’ Comp.
August
2: Grounding versus Bonding
Portland, OR
, September 4 – 5: EC&M - Changes to the NEC 2008
San Antonio, TX
, September 8 – 9: EC&M - Changes to the NEC 2008
Allentown, PA
, September 11: ABC
Salt Lake City,
UT , October 3: Northern
We hope to
see you at one of these seminars! If you can’t join Mike for one of these live
seminars then visit www.MikeHolt.com to
order one of his special 2008 Code Change or Grounding versus Bonding packages.
If you have
any questions please feel free to contact our office at 888-632-2633.
*********************************
Certified Partner Program for Resellers announced by Para Systems/ Minuteman Power Technologies
Para Systems has introduced its
Certified Partner Program for resellers of its Para Systems/Minuteman Power
Technology products. The Minuteman Certified Partner Program is an opportunity
for resellers and installers and their customers to tap into Para Systems'
marketing resources and earn funds for the promotion of Minuteman products with
annual purchases of Minuteman products in excess of $10,000.
Qualified resellers and installers of
power and communication-related products and services are eligible for Para
Systems'
Certified Partner program if they
agree to:
· Submit a Minuteman Certified Partner Program
application
· Actively sell power-related products to
end users in the United
States.
· Annually purchase at least $10,000 of
Minuteman products from
authorized Minuteman distributors.
· Have sales, service and technical
personnel trained on Minuteman
products.
· Participate in promotional campaigns
initiated by Para Systems.
· Include a customized www.sizemyups.com
page on their website
· Highlight Minuteman products on their
web site
In order to qualify for the program,
resellers must submit an Certified Partner Program application (available
on-line at www.minutemanups.com/partners
<http://www.minutemanups.com/partners>
).
Each Partner Agreement will be valid
for one year and may be renewed annually. Certified Partners may be
re-certified each year based on the prior year's performance and with agreement
of both parties.
In turn, Para Systems will:
· Provide early notification of product
news and announcements.
· Provide and additional year of warranty
on Minuteman UPS products.
· Provide full access to technical and
marketing assistance.
· Provide a customized www.sizemyups.com
website for their business.
· Provide on-line access to forms and
information updates.
· Include the Certified Partner in the
Certified Partner/Dealer
Locator on www.minutemanups.com
which allows potential customers to find their business and contact
information.
· Provide signage for their office.
· Offer replacement batteries and
Minuteman services at a 20%
discount.
In announcing the Certified Partner
Program, Rod Pullen, President of Para Systems stated:
"We are very excited about
being able to add this level of support for the resellers of our Minuteman
product line. This will help us better
support some of our vertical markets including security and telephone systems
resellers. We look forward to working with our reseller partners. "
Minuteman Power Technology products are
sold through major national and regional distributors. Products include:
· Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)
systems
· Power Distribution Units (PDUs)
· Power Management Systems
· Keyboard-Video-Mouse (KVM) systems
· Surge Suppressors
· Power monitoring and management software
Additional information on the
program can be found at:
www.minutemanups.com/partners
<http://www.minutemanups.com/partners>
www.minutemanups.com.
A free UPS sizing and selection tool is available at www.sizemyups.com
that can determine which Minuteman(r) UPS units can best meet your
application's power protection needs.
The website www.sizemypdu.com
can determine which PDU is appropriate and www.comparemyups.com
can compare UPS features to competitive products.
*********************************
MOHAWK Announces The Addition Of Lee Snedaker To Their Staff
Effective
immediately, Mohawk would like to announce the appointment of Lee Snedaker for
the
Mr.
Snedaker has over 13 years of broad industry experience from Lockheed-Martin,
TCI Cablevision, Datacom Design Group, 2002 Olympics Organizing Committee in
Lee resides
in
About
Mohawk
Mohawk, a division of Belden, is headquartered in
*********************************
Magenta Endorses Mohawk Low-Skew Cable for Use With MultiView™ Product Line
Spectrum
M55814 exceeds Magenta performance standards to 2,000 feet
Magenta
Research, a leading manufacturer of equipment for video, audio and serial
signal distribution plus switching over UTP cable or fiber, has endorsed
Mohawk’s Spectrum™ Low Skew UTP cable for use with its MultiView Series product
line.
The
approval follows rigorous in-house testing of Mohawk’s cable with a wide range
of Magenta manufactured signal distribution systems; products that concurrently
pass analog video, stereo audio and duplex RS-232 signals on a single cable.
The Mohawk cable facilitated the transmission and reception of exceptionally
strong and consistent signals, even over a single 2,000-foot length of cable.
This latest
endorsement continues Magenta’s long-standing commitment to offering its
customers a cabling choice when implementing long-distance signal transmission
over UTP. For situations when cabling is already installed and cannot be changed
without a large capital expenditure, Magenta offers an optional hardware delay
compensation (Aku Comp II) that is integrated into long distance MultiView
receivers.
For
applications where cable can be specified ahead of time, the Mohawk cable
enables users to forego employing Aku Comp II without compromising signal
quality.
Mohawk
Spectrum low skew cable is available in plenum (#M58814) and non-plenum
(#M58813) versions that fit all categories of application types, from
commercial to residential. Both cables also comply with EU-RoHS directive
regulations.
“The cable
was designed to deliver the uncompromising signal quality and clarity that have
been demanded from Magenta’s products and the rigorous tests they perform,”
stated Joe Barry, Mohawk’s Manager of Specialty Products who is also the
cable’s designer. “We know that distance and signal quality are the two most
important criteria to the end user to ensure a reliable and versatile
installation and that is exactly what these cables provide.”
“We ran
Mohawk’s cable through a battery of tests,” explained Magenta Chief Scientist
Chris Miller. “The end result was that it performed exceptionally well with
Magenta’s MultiView products, even at 2,000 feet when used with Magenta’s
flagship XR-2000 receiver. We endorse the use of Mohawk M58813 and M58814 as a
MultiView cabling solution with no hesitations!”
About
Magenta Research
Magenta Research is the industry-recognized leader in the adaptive distribution
and switching of video/audio/control signals over CatX cable, DVI over fiber
and/or Cat6 and more recently, HDMI over Cat6. Over ten years, Magenta
has developed the highest-performance, broadest and most flexible
video-over-CatX product line, the MultiView™ Series. The company utilizes
proprietary technologies to enable WUXGA/1080p video distribution at 2,000 feet
(610m). MultiView Series transmitters, receivers, switchers and
distributive systems have been installed in a large variety of A/V
applications, especially dynamic signage for retail, airport, fast food,
museum, casino, theatre, courtroom and corporate applications. In 2005,
Magenta introduced the Mondo Matrix, the first multimedia Cat5 matrix switcher
that can be scaled incrementally from 16x16 to 256x512. The Mondo has
quickly become the new standard for larger-scale video plus audio and/or serial
matrix switching. In 2006, Magenta launched the Infinea DVI Series and an
industry-first – unlimited DVI extension over optical fiber and/or Cat6 using
digital signal repeaters at 10km of fiber or 600 ft. (183m) of Cat6. Based in
http://www.magenta-research.com
About
Mohawk
Mohawk is headquartered in
*********************************
More news on the Toxic Teflon chemical
The webcast is accessible on the WVU
Department of Community Medicine website.
To find it, go to http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed/index.asp
.
Click on "Education and
Students", "Continuing Education", then "Public Health
Grand Rounds". Then click on
"webcast". Go to the May 7, 2008
presentation and click on "webcast" again. Or you can select
"handout"
to view or print the materials.
http://wvgazette.com/News/200805080134
May 9, 2008
Early C8 results suggest liver,
immune impacts Researchers believe that C8 may be associated with changes in
liver and immune function, as well as higher cholesterol levels in children,
according to a preliminary analysis of data from a landmark new health study.
Researchers believe that C8 may be
associated with changes in liver and immune function, as well as higher
cholesterol levels in children, according to a preliminary analysis of data
from a landmark new health study.
"These preliminary results are
exactly that - preliminary," said
"Right now - first pass - it
looks like there may be something there,"
Frisbee said Thursday. "There
is something there that warrants further investigation."
Frisbee and other WVU researchers
are poring over blood tests and other data assembled as part of a huge study of
C8's possible impacts on the health of nearly 70,000 residents near the DuPont
Co. Washington Works plant south of
The C8 Health Project is a
multi-year effort to examine the chemical's possible effects on mid-Ohio Valley
residents. It is funded by major portions of a $107.6 million settlement paid
by DuPont to settle a lawsuit alleging the company poisoned residents' drinking
water with C8. The settlement is also funding a related examination by a
three-person science team of possible C8 links to adverse health effects.
C8 is another name for ammonium
perfluorooctanoate, or PFOA. DuPont has used the chemical since the 1950s at
its Washington Works plant. C8 is a processing agent used to make Teflon and
other nonstick products, oil-resistant paper packaging and stain-resistant
textiles.
Researchers are finding that people
around the world have C8 in their blood in low levels. Evidence is mounting
about the chemical's dangerous effects, but regulators have not set a federal
standard for its safety.
Earlier this week, a study published
in the American Journal of Epidemiology linked C8 levels in newborns with
smaller abdominal circumference - an indicator of liver size - and decreased
birth length.
Last month, initial data from the C8
Health Project reported that residents of communities around DuPont's plant
have more than five times more C8 in their blood than average Americans. Over
the next six months or so, additional data that examines possible connections
between C8 exposure and health effects is expected to be made public.
*********************************
NTI Goes North
The National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee
for the Electrical Industry (NJATC), co-sponsored by the National Electrical
Contractors Association (NECA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers (IBEW), and the
The NJATC expects total participation in the 2009 NTI to
be well in excess of 2,000 industry representatives. It is estimated that
this will annually produce $4.5 to 5 million in new revenue for the economy of
About the NJATC
The NJATC is a nonprofit organization founded in 1941 by the
National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and the International Brotherhood
of Electrical Workers (IBEW). The organization is committed to developing and
standardizing education in the electrical industry to properly and effectively
train members of NECA and the IBEW; providing the electrical construction
industry with the most highly trained and highly skilled workforce possible.
Since its inception, more than 325,000 apprentices have completed NJATC
training programs and become competent Journeymen, making the organization one
of the largest training and apprenticeship programs of its kind. For more
information, go to www.njatc.org.
About NECA
NECA
has provided over a century of service to the $130 billion electrical
construction industry that brings power, light, and communication technology to
buildings and communities across the
About The IBEW
The IBEW is an
international labor organization that has trained the most qualified
electricians in the trade for more than 110 years. With approximately
725,000 members in the
*********************************
RHINO & Leviton Team Up
RHINO
labeling products will give Leviton end users and contractors a cost-effective
and efficient solution for their labeling needs.
RHINO Professional Labeling Tools is pleased to announce a strategic partnership
with Leviton Network Solutions. Leviton Network Solutions is the most
recognized brand in the Telcom/Datacom arena and is sold through major
distribution across the
“I was employed by Leviton for almost 20 years,” stated Keith Smith, National
Field Sales Manager for RHINO. “It is a fact that Leviton’s Network Solutions
product line is one of the most widely accepted
As part of the new business relationship, Leviton will recommend RHINO products
for use in labeling Leviton panels, enclosures, wall plates, QuickPort housings
and patch cords, using RHINO’s non-adhesive, nylon, polyester and vinyl labels,
applied with the newly released RHINO 6000 & 6500 label printers. These two
new printers allow installers to create and print labels in the field and/or to
connect to a PC via RHINO CONNECT software. Their dedicated buttons for patch
panels, vertical & horizontal cable-wrapping labels and flag labels make
the RHINO 6000 or 6500 a must to own. The software allows Leviton
customers to easily customize label designs from scratch or import label data
from an external file. Of notable mention, the RHINO 6000 & 6500 are
currently the only available options for creating printed labels for Leviton’s
¼” wide, magnifying lens label holder found on the 1RU/48-port high density
patch panel.
To make the transition to RHINO Labeling Products easier for Leviton customers,
RHINO and Leviton have developed a Quick Reference Guide. This guide provides
the correct settings to create labels for use with Leviton Network Solutions patch
cords, wall plates and QuickPort housings, 110 termination blocks and the many
patch panels in Leviton’s product portfolio. This guide, along with
pre-formatted Leviton template files for the RHINO CONNECT software, are
available for download at RHINO’s website, www.rhinolabeling.com.
“This labeling solution will save our end users time and money while making
their installations look more professional,” commented Z Zakaria, Industrial
Global Business Team Leader. “It’s a great example of how RHINO continues to
differentiate our product offering, build category awareness and promote
labeling through strategic partnerships.”
About
RHINO
RHINO is a brand of Newell Rubbermaid company (NYSE: NWL). RHINO designs and
manufactures professional label printers and tools for commercial, residential
and industrial use. RHINO professional labeling tools are designed with
easy-to-use features that greatly reduce labeling time. Learn more at
www.rhinolabeling.com.
About Leviton
Leviton Network Solutions, a division of Leviton Manufacturing Company inc.,
develops and manufactures complete copper and fiber connectivity solutions for
enterprise, data center, service provider and residential applications.
Solutions include eXtreme 10G, eXtreme 6+, and GigaMax 5e copper systems and
Plug-n-Play, LightSpace, and Opt-X fiber systems. Leviton offers connectors,
wallplates, patch panels, enclosures, cable management, PoE, wireless, power
and industrial connectivity. For more information please visit www.leviton.com
*********************************
SNAKE TRAY Launches New Website To Help Customers Design Cable Management And Power Distribution Systems
Snake TrayÒ is
pleased to announce the launch of the new website ww.snaketray.com)
designed to help architects, engineers, installers, distributions and end users
design the most cost effective cable management, power distribution and airflow
management solutions.
The new
site allows customers to evaluate the benefits of the products to help choose
the most cost effective solutions for their projects. All Snake Tray products
are designed to use less parts and labor to bring down the overall cost of a
project. All products have green
features including being movable and reusable and stackable for easy handling
and low cost shipping.
*********************************
New Snake Tray Catalog and Website are now available
Snake
TrayÒ is pleased to announce the launch of the
new website (www.snaketray.com) and a brand new
catalog designed to help architects, engineers, installers, distributions and
end users design the most cost effective cable management, power distribution
and airflow management solutions.
The
new site and catalog allow customers to evaluate the benefits of the products
to help choose the most cost effective solutions for their projects. All Snake
Tray products are designed to use less parts and labor to bring down the
overall cost of a project. All products
have green features including being movable and reusable and stackable for easy
handling and low cost shipping.
Request
your catalog today by contacting us on 880-308-6788, or emailing Lori@snaketray.com
or visiting us online at www.snaketray.com. We would welcome the
opportunity to assist with your next cable management or power distribution
project.
*********************************
Announcing Telephony’s New Publisher, Wayne Madden
It is with
great excitement that we introduce Wayne Madden as the new Publisher of
Telephony magazine.
"It is
a great pleasure to be joining the Telephony team," said
And after
21 years as the Publisher of Telephony , Mark Hickey is leaving to become the
Publisher for Natural Food Merchandiser magazine, of Penton Media’s New Hope
portfolio in Boulder, CO. Mark’s love of the telecom industry and his deep
passion for this market helped make Telephony what it is today. His strong
leadership has cultivated a standard of excellence in print and online content
and across all Telephony products.
“I have
loved being in telecom for the last two decades – it’s a great industry to be a
part of and never a dull moment. But more importantly, it’s been a joy and an
honor to work with all the talented and generous people who have made Telephony
such a great product,” said Mark. “While I am looking forward to my new role, I
will certainly miss my friends and colleagues at Telephony."
*********************************
New SilverLine™ QMA Adaptor for Bird Electronics Watt Meters
Times
Microwave Systems has recently introduced a new QMA adaptor for use with the
Bird Electronics Watt Meter.
The 4-hole
flange mount QMA jack is designed to Bird Electronics specifications for
connectors that mate to its popular bench top Watt Meter. The new adaptor designated 3191-202EA complements
the SilverLine-QMA, quick mating test leads and adaptors that replace aging
BNC’s in 2-way radio test applications.
Times
Microwave part number 3191-202EA replaces Bird Electronics part number
4240-XXX. Used in conjunction with a
SilverLine-QMA test lead and a QMA radio test adaptor (also available from
Times) the user now has a complete fast mating, push-on, pull off, two-way
radio test system.
Features
and benefits include:
* Push on,
pull off fast mating interface
* Rugged,
stainless steel construction
* 5,000
mate life cycle
* 360°
rotation of DUT with little or no RF performance change
* Extremely
accurate, consistent insertion loss
* Low VSWR
A
QMA-equipped SilverLine test lead has the added feature of changeable
interfaces. A full complement of 29
changeable interface adaptors exists for SilverLine-QMA test leads. www.timesmicro.com
*********************************
Transaction Broadens Optical Cable's Product Line and Builds on its Position as a Leading Provider of Fiber Optic Cables in the Enterprise Market
Optical
Cable Corporation (Nasdaq: OCCF
- News)
announced today that it has acquired Superior Modular Products Incorporated
(doing business as SMP Data Communications), a leading supplier of fiber optic
and copper connectivity products for the data communications industry. The
transaction was consummated on May 30, 2008, and now SMP Data Communications is
a wholly owned subsidiary of Optical Cable Corporation.
Optical Cable Corporation acquired
SMP Data Communications from Preformed Line Products Company (Nasdaq: PLPC
- News)
for a purchase price of $11.5 million, subject to certain minimum working
capital requirements and related purchase price adjustments. The transaction
was effected by an Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated May 30, 2008, whereby
SMP Data Communications merged with a newly formed wholly owned subsidiary of
Optical Cable Corporation.
"Our long-term strategy for
Optical Cable includes expanding our product offerings to provide our customers
with more complete cabling and connectivity solutions. This acquisition builds
on Optical Cable's strong presence in the enterprise market and is a major step
toward fulfilling our long-term vision for Optical Cable," stated Neil
Wilkin, President and CEO of Optical Cable Corporation.
SMP Data Communications will broaden
Optical Cable's product offering to include a fiber optic and copper
connectivity. SMP Data Communications manufactures more than 2,000 products
including high performing enhanced Category 5e systems, high-density fiber
optic enclosures, and cutting edge Category 6a connectivity solutions offering
10 Gig throughput.
"SMP Data Communications is an
internationally respected and industry-leading innovator in copper and fiber
optic connectivity products. Optical Cable now has the fiber optic and copper
connectivity products necessary for us to offer an integrated suite of high
quality cabling and connectivity solutions," stated Mr. Wilkin.
Founded in 1990, SMP Data
Communications is located near
Financing
On May 30, 2008, Optical Cable
Corporation established $17.0 million in credit facilities with Valley Bank of
"Our new bank credit facilities
increased our borrowing capacity to $17.0 million, up from our previous $13.5
million in credit from Valley Bank," stated Tracy Smith, Chief Financial
Officer of Optical Cable Corporation. "Our strong, debt-free balance sheet
has enabled us to fund prior capital expenditures and investments from
operating cash flow. This made it possible to finance the acquisition of SMP
Data Communications with bank financing, while maintaining appropriate
financial flexibility for Optical Cable," Ms. Smith added.
Leadership
Bill Reynolds, previously the
general manager of SMP Data Communications, will continue in his leadership
role, serving as President of SMP Data Communications. Mr. Reynolds will also
serve as a Senior Vice President of Optical Cable Corporation with
responsibilities for sales in the
Mr. Wilkin will serve as Chairman
and CEO of SMP Data Communications, in addition to his existing position as
Chairman, President and CEO of Optical Cable Corporation.
Ms. Smith will serve as Chief
Financial Officer of SMP Data Communications, in addition to her existing
position as Chief Financial Officer of Optical Cable.
Michael Newman, Vice President of
International Sales for Optical Cable Corporation, will now have
responsibilities for sales outside of the
Mr. Reynolds' and Mr. Newman's
teams, which will include both SMP Data Communications and Optical Cable
Corporation sales and marketing professionals, will also share certain other
marketing and sales operations responsibilities.
"We look forward to welcoming
the talented men and women of SMP Data Communications, including its
experienced management team, to the Optical Cable team," stated Mr.
Wilkin.
About Optical Cable Corporation
Optical Cable Corporation is a
leading manufacturer of fiber optic cables primarily sold into the enterprise
market, and the premier manufacturer of military ground tactical fiber optic
cables for the
Further information about Optical
Cable Corporation is available on the World Wide Web at www.occfiber.com.
About SMP Data Communications
SMP Data Communications,
headquartered near
Further information about SMP Data
Communications is available on the World Wide Web at www.smpdata.com.
*********************************
Tripp Lite Expands Its Product Offering with the Acquisition of Keyspan
Tripp Lite, a world-leading manufacturer of power protection and connectivity
equipment, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Keyspan, a leading
provider of computer connectivity solutions. Keyspan offers adapters, servers,
cables and remote controls for home, school and office environments.
“Keyspan has developed a loyal customer base and established itself in a
competitive computer peripherals market, making their products ideal for
integration into Tripp Lite’s offering,” stated Keelin Wyman, Tripp Lite
Executive Vice President. “We share similar target markets as well as channel
loyalty and product quality philosophies. This acquisition will ensure that
Keyspan customers benefit from Tripp Lite’s manufacturing excellence, broad
distribution channel and trusted reputation for providing reliable products
worldwide.”
Founded in 1995, Keyspan has enjoyed great success in the computer peripherals
industry by offering remote controls and USB connectivity accessories for PCs,
Macintosh® computers and Apple® iPod® mobile digital devices.
“We at Keyspan have created a strong brand name associated with high quality
products,” said Mike Ridenhour, Keyspan President. “We’re pleased that Tripp
Lite will continue providing Keyspan’s customers with the reliable products
they expect, world-class service and support and unmatched channel loyalty. The
combination of the Tripp Lite and Keyspan brands under the umbrella of Tripp
Lite will provide increased efficiency by streamlining production, distribution
and shipping.”
For more information about Keyspan, visit: www.keyspan.com
About Tripp Lite
Outstanding product reliability and exceptional service have been Tripp Lite
trademarks for more than 85 years. Tripp Lite’s innovations include the world’s
first UPS system designed specifically for personal computers, and the world’s
most trusted premium surge suppressor—the Isobar®—with more than 16
million in use. Tripp Lite maintains the highest level of ready-to-ship
inventory in the industry with more than 1,000 different products, including
UPS systems, rack systems, PDUs, PowerAlert software for enterprise-level
system management and control, surge suppressors, KVM switches, cables and
connectivity products, inverters, power strips, notebook accessories and more. Headquartered
in
*******************************
Tripp Lite Introduces Easy-to-Install 8kVA SmartOnline UPS Systems with Corded Input
Tripp Lite, a world-leading manufacturer of power protection equipment, has
introduced two new 8kVA SmartOnline™ Hot-Swappable Modular UPS Systems (models:
SU8000RT3UN50 and SU8000RT3UN50TF). The new models include a convenient corded
input that eliminates the need for an electrician to install the UPS via
hardwire connection. Model SU8000RT3UN50 features 200-240V input/output and
model SU8000RT3UN50TF includes a transformer module for additional 120V output.
Both models include a 50-amp Hubbell twist-lock plug and heavy-duty input power
cord.
“The new UPS systems provide exceptional ease of deployment,” said Rich
Feldhaus, Tripp Lite Product Specialist. “The high-amperage cord and 50-amp
plug allow sites to be prepared in advance of UPS project funding so that once
acquired, the UPS systems can be installed quickly by IT/network staff.
Unique among competing hardwired systems at the 8-10kVA power level,
these systems are otherwise identical to our existing 8kVA Hot-Swappable
Modular UPS Systems, with the same high-availability design. Customers who want
to streamline installation should specify and install the 50-amp receptacle.”
SmartOnline Hot-Swappable Modular UPS Systems have been designed from the
ground up for the needs of enterprise business customers. Tripp Lite’s
hot-swappable design eliminates power-related downtime and ensures maximum
power availability. End users can perform all potential UPS
maintenance—including complete power module exchange—without powering down
connected equipment. Additional features include expandable runtime,
cost-reducing user-service options, flexible outlet configurations, remote
management capability and N+1 configurability for efficient fault tolerance.
For more information on Tripp Lite’s new 8kVA SmartOnline UPS Systems with
Corded Input and the entire Hot-Swappable Modular UPS System line, go to:
http://www.tripplite.com/products/ups/4u/
About Tripp Lite
Outstanding product reliability and exceptional service have been Tripp Lite
trademarks for more than 85 years. Tripp Lite’s innovations include the world’s
first UPS system designed specifically for personal computers, and the world’s
most trusted premium surge suppressor—the Isobar®—with more than 16
million in use. Tripp Lite maintains the highest level of ready-to-ship
inventory in the industry with more than 1,000 different products, including
UPS systems, rack systems, PDUs, PowerAlert software for enterprise-level
system management and control, surge suppressors, KVM switches, cables and
connectivity products, inverters, power strips, notebook accessories and more.
Headquartered in
*******************************
BICSI
BICSI Executive Director Resigns; Interim Appointed
BICSI regretfully
announces that David C. Cranmer, RCDD, BICSI Executive Director, has tendered
his resignation, citing personal reasons. The
BICSI Board of Directors has appointed Betty M. Eckebrecht, BICSI CFO, as BICSI
Acting Executive Director, effective
immediately.
“Betty has proven her
leadership skills with BICSI in the past as Interim Executive Director and
continues to be an excellent Chief Financial Officer of BICSI,” said BICSI
President Edward J. Donelan, RCDD/NTS Specialist.
The BICSI Board of
Directors has formed an Executive Director Search Committee (EDSC) under the
leadership of Brian Hansen, RCDD/NTS Specialist, BICSI President-Elect. The
EDSC will immediately undertake the process of selecting a new Executive
Director.
“David contributed
to the success of BICSI in many ways,” said Donelan. “Although this is
disappointing news to our community, we look forward to the future with an
opportunity to all work together and maintain our directions with the BICSI
Strategic Plan, the BICSI NxtGEN Business Plan and our Outreach Program. Most
important to BICSI is adherence to our Core Purpose—advancing the knowledge and
success of our members, their customers and the information transport industry;
as well as adherence to our Core Values—Integrity, Leadership and Respect.” www.bicsi.org
*********************************
CABA
Thursday, June 19, 2008 ; Hewlett-Packard Campus Cupertino, CA
http://www.caba.org/iha/ecosystemforum.html.
The Digital Home Ecosystem Forum, hosted by Hewlett-Packard Company (HP), will
bring together leading companies dealing with integration of consumer
electronics and other cutting-edge technology throughout the home. Learn about
current trends in the digital and connected home from a wide range of companies
working in this space and explore future research opportunities.
Organizations such as HP, Whirlpool Corporation, Cisco Systems, Microsoft
Corporation and many more will discuss new leading-edge research on two recent
research initiatives entitled Going Green Energy Efficiency Research Project
and the State of the Connected Home Market Study. In addition, hear about HP's
vision of the "Connected Home" and tour the HP "SmartHome".
Agenda
8:15 to 8:30 - Opening Comments –
Alex Detre, CABA's Research Director
8:30 to 8:50 - Explanation of
IHA-RC Ecosystems, quick review of past research; bi-yearly research and
updating the research in 2008/2009 : IHA-RC Chair, Carol Priefert,
Whirlpool Corporation
8:50 to 9:40 - Industry Leaders
Panel – Discussion on ”Going Green Energy Efficiency Research Project”
Moderator / Speaker: David Dollihite, Direct Energy
The study examined what "green" means to homeowners, and identified
the outcomes that homeowners wish to achieve as they manage the energy
resources within their home. The study further dealt with identifying the
constraints that homeowners face when trying to make their home more energy
efficient and identifies the outcomes that builders have in understanding and
communicating "green" options to home buyers. Strategyn, Inc., a firm
that specializes in innovation management, conducted the study
9:40 to 10:00 - Networking Break
and Refreshments
10:00 to 10:50 - Industry Leaders
Panel – Discussion on "State of the Connected Home Market Study"
Moderator / Speaker: Orly Cocco, Procter & Gamble
An in-depth study about the status of the smart home, a home where the systems
(security, lighting, sensors, heating, air-conditioning, audio-video, etc.) are
interconnected to allow the automatic or remote control of the home to save
energy and improve comfort, safety and convenience for the homeowner.
In addition to validating past and current trends in the marketplace and
evaluating general consumer understanding of the connected home, the study will
assess potential products and services and provide trend lines in specific
application areas, including music, video, gaming, lighting temperature control,
security, communications/scheduling, health/fitness and productivity.
10:50 to 11:30 - Hewlett-Packard Vision of the "Connected Home"
Speakers: Brian Burch and Raymond Aldrich
11:30 to 12:15 - Tour of HP's
"SmartHome"
12:15 to 1:15 - Networking and
Lunch Break
1:15 to 1:30 - Introduction -
open collaboration research
Session Topics:
1:30 to 2:05 - Radio Frequency ID
(RFID)
2:05 to 2:40 - Sensor technology
and artificial intelligence (AI)
2:40 to 2:55 - Break
2:55 to 3:35 - Entertainment
Connectivity
3:35 to 4:10 - AI tools for the
connected home/service issues
4:10 to 4:40 - Session topics
from the floor
4:40 to 4:50 - Summary of
research topic ideas and next steps
4:50 to 5:00 - Closing remarks
- Brian Burch and Alex Detre
*********************************
CABA Intelligent Buildings Leadership Forum
CABA and Building Intelligence Group
will be conducting the 2008 Intelligent Buildings Leadership Forum,
in
This year’s event will provide a
chance for attendees to learn from industry experts and it is structured around
a theme that aims to provide an overview of Intelligent Buildings and
illustrate how Intelligent Buildings deliver on sustainability. The theme, Transitions: From the Conference Room to the
Boiler Room, and Beyond, is designed to show the successful A/V contractor
exciting and profitable opportunities to expand their business into new areas
related to sustainability and integration.
Sessions will explore key
intelligent building systems and technologies, including building automation
and energy management, open and integrated systems, lighting controls, and
structured cabling and networking, all the while drawing a strong connection
between
Space is limited this year and we
expect to sell out, register now so you are not disappointed. CABA Member
Price: $495 Non-Member Price $595. The event will include a keynote talk on the
importance of Intelligent Buildings as the Key to Delivering
Sustainability as well as panels featuring industry experts and case studies.
www.caba.org
*********************************
FOA
FOA Offers New Guide to Fiber Optic Network Design
FOA Offers
New Guide to Fiber Optic Network Design
The Fiber
Optic Association, Inc, the professional society of fiber optics, has added a
new technical bulletin to its website that offers guidance for those designing
fiber optic networks. The document was written for use in training for the new
FOA Fiber Optic Design Certification, but will be useful for all contractors,
installers, architects and engineers, project managers or others who are
involved with projects that include fiber optics.
This 30 page document covers the design process in 15 separate topics from
deciding if fiber optics is right for your network through how to design,
install and maintain a fiber optic network. The material covers both premises
and outside plant networks for almost any application.
The technical bulletin "Designing Fiber Optic Networks" can be
downloaded from the FOA Tech Topics website at http://www.thefoa.org/tech.
More information on the FOA certification program for fiber optic network
design is at http://www.thefoa.org/cfosd.html.
The Fiber Optic Association, Inc. is an nonprofit educational organization
chartered to promote fiber optics through education, certification and
standards. Over 200 FOA-Approved schools around the world have certified over
24,000 fiber optic technicians. The FOA offers free online introductory fiber
optic tutorials for everyone and training for instructors at FOA-Approved
schools. http://www.thefoa.org/
*********************************
FTTH
FTTH Legislative and Regulatory Update
The FTTH Council will host a Fiber Community Web
Seminar on Wednesday May 28, 2008 at 2:00 pm EDT(11:00 am PDT).
Join us as Tom Cohen
runs through the state and federal legislative and regulatory issues impacting
fiber to the home and its deployment. Tom will provide the latest information
on the progress of video franchising bills in the state legislatures, as well
as a look at what the FCC and Congress are doing with regard to
telecommunications and broadband.
As the Counsel to the FTTH Council, Tom Cohen oversees a wide range of
legislative and regulatory matters affecting the industry. He has more than 25
years in the telecommunications industry sector, first as a government policy
maker - Assistant General Counsel for Legislation at the Federal Communications
Commission and Senior Counsel at the Senate Commerce Committee - and then as a
principal in firms assessing and developing communications / telecommunications
properties and advising businesses.
Cohen received his JD in 1975 from the
For each FTTH Community
Call, the FTTH Council provides a phone bridge to call into for audio, and a
Web address for viewing presentations. To register and view the accompanying
presentation for the May 28th call, click
here.
The FTTH Council is using a new
forum for the Monthly webinars. You will receive a confirmation of your
registration by email, containing the link and the audio portion required for
the May 28th webinar.
*********************************
NAED
NAED Centennial eBook and TED Commemorative Issue Now Available
National Association of Electrical Distributors & The Electrical
Distributor Magazine - Two New Publications Celebrate NAED Leadership
NAED's special Centennial eBook and TED Magazine issue are now
available. Along with NAED history, the TED Magazine commemorative issue
features a collection of "100 Faces for 100 Years," a representation
of the individual contributions that have shaped our industry. Also find
coverage of both electrical distributors and manufacturers who have surpassed
the centennial threshold. www.naed.org
www.tedmag.com
In the spirit of NAED's centennial theme, "Honor Tradition, Ignite
Innovation," NAED created an eBook where members could share their wisdom
in a written format as well as video. The eBook, Lessons in Leadership: A
Legacy for 100 Years and Beyond, features thoughts from more than 50
industry leaders. Check out the eBook. More...
Read selections of TED's Commemorative Issue. More...
*********************************
Charles and Rhoda Steiner Have Pledged $100,000 to the NAED Education & Research Foundation
"It's payback
time," says Charles Steiner
Charles
and Rhoda Steiner have pledged $100,000 to the National Association of
Electrical Distributors (NAED) Education & Research Foundation's Channel
Advantage Partnership (CAP) Endowment. The commitment was made in honor of the
employees of Gee Electric Company, Central Supply, Blue Grass Electric, and Branch
Electric Supply Company.
"The
electrical distribution industry, NAED, and the education foundation have been
very good to me. It's payback time," said Chuck Steiner, former CEO of
Branch Group.
During
his diverse career, Steiner acquired and divested a number of small electrical
distributorships and in 1984 purchased Branch. In 2000, Branch was sold and
today is a part of Rexel
Steiner
also played a key role in the creation of several industry organizations,
including: EDIC, a captive insurance company for distribution; Vantage Group,
an alliance of six North American distributors as a national sales
organization; and IMARK, an electrical marketing group.
Steiner
has been an active supporter of the electrical industry and served on various
NAED committees and councils. He was recognized with the NAED Distinguished
Service Award and the Arthur Hooper Award for his outstanding contributions to
NAED and the industry.
"We
are pleased to have the support of such a dedicated veteran of the electrical
industry as Charles Steiner and his family," said John Spoor, chairman of
the Foundation's Channel Advantage Partnership campaign and president and COO
of State Electric Supply. "Their contribution will help us continue to
pursue the education and research initiatives that are vital to the continued
success of our industry."
Steiner's
donation will become part of an endowment fund for the NAED Education &
Research Foundation. The principal amount of the endowment will remain
untouched, while the interest will be used to commission future projects and
studies. As a $100,000 contributor, Steiner will be recognized at the governor
level and have a permanent position on the Channel Advantage Partnership Council,
which will help select future educational programs and research projects.
For
more information about contributing to the NAED Education & Research
Foundation endowment, contact Eward Orlet, NAED director of development, at
888-791-2512 or eorlet@naed.org.
NAED
is the trade association for the $70+ billion electrical distribution industry.
Through networking, education, research, and benchmarking, NAED helps
electrical distributors increase profitability and improve the channel. NAED's
membership represents approximately 4,200 locations internationally.
*********************************
Registration Open: Lake Michigan Club Conference
Green
Building, Economic Outlook Among Topics of June 12-15 Event
Make plans to attend the NAED Lake Michigan Club Conference, June 12-15, at the
Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva, Wis. Among the featured speakers is
Jerry Yudelson, green building expert and author of numerous books on green
buildings. He also is 2004-2008 conference chair for the
The other main speaker is William A. Strauss, economic advisor for the Federal
Reserve Bank of
The conference also allows plenty of time for networking with industry trading
partners. Early bird registration deadline is May 12. More...
*********************************
Burt Schraga Named Incoming Chair-Elect of NAED Board of Directors
Burt Schraga, a 34-year veteran of the industry, is the new chair-elect of
the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) Board of Directors.
In this position, Schraga, CEO of the
"I
am so glad to be able to give back to this industry that has been so good to me
and my company," said Schraga. "I know that we can accomplish great
things as an industry because of the great people we have on board. In this
industry and in my company, it is all about the people. With the right team,
you can't help but win. I am so proud of our Bell Electrical team, and
especially our leadership team. Because of them, I am able to take on the
chairman's role for NAED."
Schraga
started in the industry by turning a college job into a lifetime career. He has
dedicated the last three-plus decades to the same company, which has provided a
wide range of electrical products to manufacturers, end users, and contractors
for over half a century. This month, Bell Electrical is merging with Industrial
Control Components to further expand its offerings.
Throughout
his career, Schraga has taken on many leadership positions within NAED. He
served two terms on the association's board of directors from 1985-1987 and
1994-1996, and was also Western Region Vice President. He has also chaired both
the NAED Strategic Focus and Executive Conference Committees.
His
strong commitment to electrical distribution has also extended to other
organizations within the channel. Schraga is currently chairman of the Elite
Distributors Insurance Co. (EDIC) and is a member of the Affiliated
Distributors (A-D) U.S. Electrical Board. Under Schraga's leadership, Bell
Electrical was presented with the A-D 2007-2008 Affiliate of the Year Award.
NAED's
current board chair is Tammy Miller, CEO of Border States Electric
Supply. At the association's National Electrical Leadership Summit, May 17-21, Richard
(Dick) Waterman, senior advisor of International Electric Supply Corp.
(IESCO), will become NAED board chair for the 2008-2009 year.
NAED
is the trade association for the $70+ billion electrical distribution industry.
Through networking, education, research, and benchmarking, NAED helps
electrical distributors increase profitability and improve the channel. NAED's
membership represents approximately 4,200 locations internationally. www.naed.org
*********************************
NEMA
NEMA Hails House Passage of Pro-Intellectual Property Act
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association
applauds the House of Representatives for its passage yesterday by a vote of
417-11 of the "Pro-Intellectual Property Act" (HR-4279).
"As with the Stop Counterfeiting in Manufactured
Goods Act passed in 2006, we have played a strong role in the development of
this important new bill, which would further strengthen enforcement of
intellectual property rights, as well as enhance criminal penalties when
counterfeit products are defective and cause harm," said NEMA President
and CEO Evan Gaddis. "This bill
also builds well on the Administration's three-year-old Strategy Targeting
Organized Piracy (STOP) initiative by improving the coordination of federal
government resources. We thank the
bill's sponsor, Judiciary Committee Chairman Conyers, as well as the 19
co-sponsors from both parties, for their leadership on this matter, and now
look forward to continuing our work with the Senate as it formally takes up IPR
enforcement legislation."
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association is
the trade association of choice for the electrical manufacturing industry.
Founded in 1926 and headquartered in
*********************************
NEMA Member Companies Selected to DOE’s Electricity Advisory Committee
Executives
from two NEMA member companies have been tapped to serve on the Electricity
Advisory Committee (EAC) at the Department of Energy (DOE). The EAC will advise
Secretary Bodman on major electricity policy initiatives articulated in the
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005) and the Energy Independence and Security
Act of 2007 (EISA 2007).
Enrique
Santacana, CEO of ABB North America, and John McDonald, General Manager of
Marketing for Transmission and Distribution at GE Energy are among the 30
members invited to serve the EAC. Mr. Santacana has had a distinguished career
in electrical engineering and currently serves on the NEMA Board of Directors.
Mr. McDonald has extensive experience in control systems and holds leadership
positions in several engineering professional societies.
NEMA
applauds the DOE for the inclusion of manufacturers on the EAC. As the makers
of devices for the Smart Grid, energy storage, renewable integration, and
transmission infrastructure, the members will provide valuable insights on the
potential for new technologies to enhance the operation of the nation’s
electricity grid. www.nema.org
*********************************
NEMA Publishes MG 1 Condensed and NEMA Premium® General Specifications
The
National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has published two
standards related to MG 1-2006, Revision 1-2007 Motors and Generators. MG 1 Condensed Information Guide for General
Purpose Industrial AC Small and Medium Squirrel-Cage Induction Motor Standards
and General Specification for Consultants, Industrial and Municipal: NEMA
Premium® Efficiency Electric Motors (600 Volts or Less) have been updated to
mirror the updated contents of the most recent MG 1 edition.
MG 1
Condensed summarizes the motors included in NEMA Standards Publication MG 1
Motors and Generators. It covers alternating-current squirrel-cage motors up to
and including the ratings built in frames corresponding to the continuous
open-type ratings, and incorporates references to the most recent NEMA MG1 edition.
General
Specification for Consultants, Industrial and Municipal: NEMA Premium®
Efficiency Electric Motors (600 Volts or Less) outlines the minimum
requirements for three-phase AC induction motors applied to municipal and
industrial applications for operation on voltages 600 volts or less, rated
500HP or less, operating more than 2000 hours per year at >75% of full-load.
According
to Roger Daugherty, chairman of the 1 MG Technical Committee that publishes
these documents, the Condensed MG1 and the General Specification have been
updated to include changes made in MG1 in the recent years. This includes efficiency levels for 50 Hz
NEMA Premium Efficiency Electric Motors in the Condensed MG1.
An
electronic copy of MG 1-2007 Condensed may be downloaded at no charge or a hard copy may be purchased for $88 by
visiting NEMA’s Web site at http://www.nema.org/stds/mg1condensed.cfm, or by
contacting IHS at 800-854-7179 (within the U.S.), 303-397-7956 (international),
303-397-2740 (fax), or on the Web at global.ihs.com.
An
electronic copy of General Specification for Consultants, Industrial and
Municipal: NEMA Premium® Efficiency Electric Motors (600 Volts or Less) may be
downloaded at no charge.
NEMA is the
trade association of choice for the electrical manufacturing industry. Founded
in 1926 and headquartered near
*********************************
NEMA Publishes MS 1-2008 Determination of Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) in Diagnostic Magnetic Resonance Imaging
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association
(NEMA) has published MS 1-2008 Determination of Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) in Diagnostic
Magnetic Resonance Imaging. It was produced by the Magnetic Resonance Section
of MITA (Medical Imaging and Technology Alliance), a division of NEMA.
MS 1 is
part of a series of test standards developed by the medical diagnostic imaging
industry for the measurement of performance parameters governing image quality
of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems. First developed in 1988 to define
a standard procedure for measuring a useful index of image quality performance
for MRIs, MS 1 describes four methods to measure image SNR. It is intended for
use by MRI manufacturers, manufacturers of accessory equipment (including
radiofrequency coils), and by MRI end-users.
MRI
standards pertaining to SNR and uniformity measurements have been restructured
to consider the coil geometry. In addition, new measurement methods have been
added to this standard. The parameters serve as a guide to those factors that
can influence the measurement. These standards also serve as reference
procedures for acceptance testing and periodic quality assurance.
An
electronic copy of NEMA MS 1-2008 may be downloaded at no charge, or a hard
copy may be purchased for $45, by visiting NEMA’s Web site at http://www.nema.org/stds/ms1.cfm,
or by contacting IHS at 800-854-7179 (within the U.S.), 303-397-7956
(international), 303-397-2740 (fax), or on the Web at global.ihs.com.
NEMA is the
trade association of choice for the electrical manufacturing industry. Founded
in 1926 and headquartered near
*********************************
North American Indexes Down Sharply in April
Meanwhile, survey panelists’ expectations for the
next six months eroded further in April, as the EBCI for future North American
conditions slid 3.8 points to 29.5. This latest skid came on the heels of
March’s 12.5 point drop.
Click here for the complete April 2008 report.
The Electroindustry Business Confidence Index gauges
the business confidence of the electroindustry in Asia, Europe, North America,
and
NEMA is the trade association of choice for the
electrical manufacturing industry. Founded in 1926 and headquartered near
*********************************
NJATC
NJATC Sees Accomplishments in 2007
The
NJATC Annual Survey, curricula, Craft Certification, and the National Training
Institute were issues taking center stage at the National Joint Apprenticeship
and Training Committee’s (NJATC) National Committee Meeting, held April 28-29,
2008 in
Taking
top bill at this year’s meeting was the Annual Survey that showed an increase
not only in the number of apprentices enrolled in the both the Inside and
Outside programs, but also a slight increase in the number of female apprentices for the Inside program. As
the training arm of the International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the
National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), the organization has worked diligently to recruit new
apprentices, and the Annual Survey illustrates definitive progress is being
made. Craft Certification also had a part to play in the meeting, as the NJATC
continued in its dedication to training the most qualified apprentices by
providing local training programs with the necessary tools to implement
Electrical Craft Certification into apprenticeship programs. The new 2008-2010
Inside curriculum was presented along with a new curriculum cycle schedule that
will ease the process of curriculum development.
The
National Committee Meeting is an annual event allowing the NJATC to provide its
board of Trustees, made up of NECA and IBEW members, an executive summary of
the organization’s activities. This year’s event was held in downtown
about the NJATC
The NJATC is a nonprofit organization founded in 1941 by the
National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and the International Brotherhood
of Electrical Workers (IBEW). The organization is committed to developing and
standardizing education in the electrical industry to properly and effectively
train members of NECA and the IBEW; providing the electrical construction
industry with the most highly trained and highly skilled workforce possible.
Since its inception, more than 325,000 apprentices have completed NJATC
training programs and become competent Journeymen, making the organization one
of the largest training and apprenticeship programs of its kind. For more
information, go to www.njatc.org
*********************************
Cengage Learning To Provide E-Learning Solution for training and Development of Electrical Workers
Delmar, a
part of Cengage Learning, today announced a partnership with the National Joint
Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) to provide an electronic learning
solution for the Outside Line Apprenticeship Program.
The blended
learning experience will combine the power of an electronic learning solution
with printed reference materials, classroom, and application based experiences.
“For more
than 65 years, the NJATC has provided the highest quality training and
apprenticeship programs for NECA and IBEW members. With that, we recognize the
need to incorporate technology into our curricula to help us meet our students’
diverse needs,” said Michael Callanan, Executive Director of the NJATC. “The
Cengage
Learning
solution combines traditional education materials and web-based learning
solutions that allow us to better prepare our students for their career.”
Individuals
enrolled in the Outside Line Apprenticeship program benefit from this online
solution through the use of interactive study guides for the most difficult
concepts and by receiving instant feedback on their workbook questions. The
solution delivers the study guides and workbook assignments outside of the
classroom, allowing for valuable class time to be spent with more “hands-on”
lab work and direct instructor led learning. The student homepage allows
students to keep track of their lessons, monitor their grades, and interact
with the instructor throughout their program.
Instructors
benefit from prepared and streamlined assignments with automatic student
scoring freeing up time for lab and application-based instruction. The solution
allows for access to ongoing monitoring of student strengths and weaknesses,
enabling instructors to redirect lessons based on areas where further training
is needed. The ability to isolate questions and address specific learning
concerns, paired with more time for hands-on training, will ultimately better
prepare students for the workplace.
“Cengage
Learning developed this courseware for the NJATC based on our extensive understanding
of the electrical industry and our broad experience in delivering e-learning
solutions,” said Greg Clayton, Vice President at Cengage Learning. “The program
exposes learners to online resources and testing outside of the classroom
throughout their apprenticeship training. The solution also helps instructors
isolate particular concepts that need further review allowing more in-class
time for application-based work.”
“Cengage
Learning has unique technology and e-learning development capabilities combined
with a long history of providing learning solutions to our customers. We are
very proud to continue our work with the NJATC and support their efforts to
train apprentices in the Outside Line Apprenticeship Program.”
www.InformationDestination.cengage.com
About the
National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee
The NJATC is a nonprofit organization founded in 1941 by the National
Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and the International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers (IBEW). The organization is committed to developing and
standardizing education in the electrical industry to properly and effectively
train members of NECA and the IBEW; providing the electrical construction
industry with the most highly trained and highly skilled workforce possible.
Since its inception, more than 325,000 apprentices have completed NJATC
training programs and become competent Journeymen, making the organization one
of the largest training and apprenticeship programs of its kind. For more
information, go to www.njatc.org.
About
Delmar and Cengage Learning
Cengage
Learning delivers highly customized learning solutions for colleges,
universities, professors, students, libraries, government agencies,
corporations and professionals around the world. Delmar, part of Cengage
Learning, is the leading provider of lifelong learning products and services
for the health care, technology and trades, and career education markets.
Delmar's market-leading imprints include Autodesk Press, Chilton, Milady,
NetLearning, OnWord Press, Singular Publishing Group, and West Legal Studies.
For more information please visit www.cengage.com or www.delmar.cengage.com
*********************************
SCTE
SCTE Approves Its 200TH Industry Engineering Standard
The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) today is
proud to announce that it has reached the milestone of 200 approved technical
standards for the cable telecommunications industry.
The SCTE Engineering Committee, which oversees the American
National Standards Institute (ANSI)-accredited SCTE Standards Program, recently
approved SCTE 151 2008, Mechanical, Electrical, and Environmental
Requirements for RF Traps and Filters to achieve the milestone. SCTE 151
was developed in the SCTE Interface Practices Subcommittee (IPS); the standard
provides the mechanical, electrical, and environmental requirements for
broadband Radio Frequency (RF) trap and filter devices whose primary purpose is
to provide a fixed attenuation of RF signal(s) at user-defined frequencies.
SCTE, which has been developing technical standards for the cable
telecommunications industry since 1988, became ANSI-accredited in 1995. It took
SCTE eight years, from 1995 to 2003, to approve its first 100 standards but
fewer than five years, 2004 to present, to double that output. The accelerated
pace reflects growing demand in recent years for standards that promote
interoperability in the industry’s fast-changing marketplace. SCTE standards
address a wide range of industry requirements from basic network components
such as F connectors to the advanced technology used in Digital Program
Insertion (DPI) for advanced advertising systems.
“Recognizing this 200th-approved SCTE standard achievement for our
program is a salute to the many dedicated volunteers who have contributed their
time and expertise to developing sound and effective technical standards for
our growing and changing industry,” said SCTE Vice President, Standards Steve
Oksala, CAE.
The SCTE Standards Program, which soared from a rank of 79th in
1998 to 15th in 2007 for production among the more than 200 standards development
organizations accredited by ANSI, is made possible through the generous support
of the program’s members and sponsors. Membership in the SCTE Standards Program
is open to any individual or organization willing to participate and pay the
membership fee.
Information about the program’s membership requirements, benefits,
and fees is available at www.scte.org
*********************************
Sean Burris Garners 2008 Shapp Honors
The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) is
pleased to announce today that Sean Burris, a senior at
The scholarship, awarded to a high school senior son or daughter
of a telecommunications industry employee, honors the memory of Mr. Shapp, who
was a cable telecommunications pioneer and a former governor of
Burris will be honored as part of the
prestigious Annual Awards Luncheon at the 25th Anniversary SCTE Cable-Tec Expo®
2008, which is set for Tuesday through Friday, June 24–27 at the
The high school standout, who will graduate on
May 22, is the son of Don and Lori Burris. Don Burris is a project manager with
Corning Gilbert in
Sean Burris, with a grade point average of 3.93, ranked 19th in a
class of 91 students. He aspires to study engineering at
Academic honors for Burris have included the Honor Roll, the
Principal’s List, participation in the National History Day regional
competition, and the Scholar Athlete Award. His high level of involvement has
included his high school’s track and field team, student government, and many
hours of community volunteer service ranging from outreach programs in Mexico
to being a leader in the community youth program known as Young Life.
Burris’s instructor for honors chemistry, Ellen Millard, also
taught Burris in an ACT prep class, for which “Sean never missed a session and
worked diligently to improve his test scores,” she said. “He was, by far, the
most dedicated student in the class.”
Kathy Mallow, Burris’s track and field coach, said, “Sean far
exceeds any expectations a coach or teacher could imagine for a student or
athlete. His grades reflect great dedication and study skills. He is driven to
succeed in all areas of his life.”
More information about the annual Shapp
Scholarship is available at www.scte.org by clicking on the Member Services
section of the site and then the Awards and Recognition link in the left-hand
column.
The Society of Cable
Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) is a non-profit professional association
that provides technical leadership for the telecommunications industry and
serves its members through professional development, standards, certification
and information. SCTE currently has more than 14,000 members from the
*********************************
COMCAST’S Soehren To Give Keynote Address At SCTE’S L&D Conference
The Society
of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) is pleased to announce today that
Comcast Cable Communications Chief Learning Officer and Senior Vice President
Martha Soehren, Ph.D., will deliver the keynote speech at the upcoming SCTE
Conference on Broadband Learning & Development (CBL&D) 2008.
Soehren
will address the cable telecommunications industry’s L&D professionals on
the subject of “Learning in a Virtual Space” at the noontime keynote luncheon
for the daylong conference, which is set for Tuesday, June 24 in Philadelphia
and is sponsored by Jones/NCTI™.
An SCTE
member since 2001, Soehren will explore virtual learning opportunities across
the cable industry, looking at how the MSOs are using interactive online
modalities to engage their employees in a safe learning environment to improve
their knowledge and skills. The keynote address will include MSO demonstrations
of learning solutions in a virtual space. After lunch, attendees will have the
opportunity for more in-depth exploration of the learning solutions.
Soehren has
more than 20 years of experience in leadership roles within the public,
non-profit, academic, and government sectors. Her Ph.D. is in educational
leadership and policy studies, and she also holds an MBA. In addition to SCTE,
Soehren is a member of various other professional organizations including Women
in Cable Telecommunications (WICT), the Cable & Telecommunications
Association for Marketing (CTAM), and the National Association for
Multi-Ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC). Soehren recently received the
Liberty Award for leadership from the Philadelphia Chapter of WICT.
SCTE’s
CBL&D 2008 will feature Mobile Learning, or mLearning, the use of mobile
technologies to enhance the learning experience. The conference will be all
about mobility, from leveraging the mobile devices such as PDAs and laptops for
training and communications purposes, to delivering training to where the
workforce resides.
Full
details about the conference, including the presenters and descriptions of
their sessions, are available at www.scte.org along with registration for the
event. SCTE is conducting CBL&D in conjunction with SCTE Cable-Tec Expo®
2008, which is set for Tuesday through Friday, June 24–27. Attendees can save
by registering for both events.
*********************************
TIA
Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) UpdatesWireless Communications Systems Performance Standard
FCC “Spectrum Refarming” Created
Need for New Methodology to Address Compatibility, System Performance and
Interference
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the
leader in advocacy, standards development, business development and
intelligence for the information and communications technology (ICT)
industries, has published TIA Bulletin TSB-88.1-C,
Wireless Communications Systems Performance in Noise-Limited
Situations, Part 1: Recommended Methods for Technology-Independent Performance
Modeling. TSB-88.1-C supersedes
TSB-88-B (including addendum TSB-88-B1).
The FCC’s “spectrum refarming” of existing frequency bands,
the proposed 800 MHz band reorganizations and new allocations in the 700 MHz
band, along with increasing reports of interference, dictated that TIA update
the standard for performance modeling with the effects of single or multiple
potential distortion sources for public-safety and other land mobile
communications systems.
Limited to frequencies below 1 GHz, TSB-88.1-C
defines methodology for assessing and addressing compatibility issues, system
performance and interference, including:
- Performance
parameters
- Co-channel
and off-channel users
- Internal
and external noise sources
- Equipment
non-linearity
- Transmission
path geometry and transmission loss modeling
- Delay
spread and differential signal phase
- Over-the-air
and network protocols and
- Performance
verification
The standard TSB-88.1-C provides a recommended best practice
reference for developers and suppliers of land mobile communications system
design, modeling, simulation and spectrum management software and automated
tools.
TSB-88.1-C was formulated under the cognizance of the TIA
TR-8:
For technical information regarding participating in the
TR-8.15 committee, please contact Ronda Coutler a at rcoulter@tiaonline.org.
For media inquiries, please contact Taly Walsh at twalsh@tiaonline.org.
About TIA
Celebrating
its 20th Anniversary, the Telecommunications Industry Association
(TIA) represents the global information and
communications technology (ICT) industries through standards development,
advocacy, business opportunities, market intelligence and world-wide
environmental regulatory compliance. Thousands of companies and individuals
work through TIA to enhance the business environment for telecommunications,
broadband, mobile wireless, information technology, networks, cable, satellite,
unified communications, emergency communications and the greening of
technology. TIA is accredited by the American National Standards
Institute (ANSI).
TIA’s Board of Directors includes senior-level executives from ACS, ADC,
ADTRAN, Alcatel-Lucent, Anda Networks, ArrayComm, AttivaCorp, Avaya, Bechtel
Communications, Inc., Cam Communications, Cisco Systems, Corning Incorporated,
Ericsson, Inc., Graybar, Henkels & McCoy, Intel Corporation, LGE,
Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nortel, OneChip Photonics Inc.,
OnSite Systems, Panasonic Computer Solutions Co., Research In Motion, Sumitomo
Electric Lightwave Corporation, Tellabs, Tyco Electronics, Ulticom, Inc.,
Westell Technologies, Inc. and Zebra Technologies Corporation. Advisors to the
Board include FAL Associates, ILS Technology, Orca Systems and Telcordia
Technologies.
TIA
membership enhances the ability of companies to prepare for the future of
communications. TIA brings people and businesses together by helping the
industry overcome technical and political barriers to communications. Visit www.tiaonline.org
for details.
*********************************
Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) Hires Ellen Farmer to Manage Environmental Program
TIA’s
Green Initiative Launched with Acquisition of EIATRACK, New Hire
The
Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the leader in advocacy,
standards development, business development and intelligence for the
information and communications technology (ICT) industries, today announced
that Ellen B. Farmer has joined its staff in the new position of Environmental
Program Manager. Farmer will manage TIA’s recently-acquired EIATRACK
environmental information alert regulatory tracking service and TIA’s global
“green” program for the ICT industry.
“This
important TIA initiative has the complete support of the association’s Board of
Directors. We intend to play a key role addressing industry needs as companies
determine how to participate in the green and sustainable resources movements,”
said Grant Seiffert, President of TIA. “Ellen Farmer’s international training and
diverse experience make her the ideal person to lead our pivotal efforts.”
Farmer
brings to TIA extensive management and environmental information research
experience, as well as impressive college credentials in the environmental
arena. Her master’s degree with honors from King’s College in
Farmer’s
experience ranges from environmentally-conscious management of The Mansion on O
Street, a boutique hotel and private events venue in Washington, D.C., to
consulting and information research at Booz Allen Hamilton, where Farmer
focused on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund and the U.S. Postal
Service’s energy efficiency program. In addition, she was a researcher and
writer at Green Guide Publishing in the
TIA’s
EIATRACK service, acquired in January, provides global benchmarking in
environmental intelligence, as well as product-oriented regulatory tracking
analysis and reporting. Hundreds of subscribing companies throughout the world
use the tool as an early-warning system for monitoring and evaluating
environmental legal and regulatory activity. The EIATRACK team consists of
experts from the legal, environmental policy and science sectors, including the
law firms Beveridge and Diamond (USA); Hunton and Williams (Europe);
More
information is available at www.eiatrack.com. For more information
about TIA, contact Taly Walsh at +1.703.907.7744 or twalsh@tiaonline.org.
About TIA
Celebrating
its 20th Anniversary, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)
represents the global information and communications technology (ICT)
industries through standards development, advocacy, business opportunities,
market intelligence and world-wide environmental regulatory compliance.
Thousands of companies and individuals work through TIA to enhance the business
environment for telecommunications, broadband, mobile wireless, information
technology, networks, cable, satellite, unified communications, emergency
communications and the greening of technology. TIA is accredited by the
American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
TIA's Board
of Directors includes senior-level executives from ACS, ADC, ADTRAN,
Alcatel-Lucent, ANDA Networks, ArrayComm, AttivaCorp, Avaya, Bechtel
Communications, Inc., Cam Communications, Cisco Systems, Corning Incorporated,
Ericsson, Inc., Graybar, Henkels & McCoy, Intel Corporation, LGE,
Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nortel, OneChip Photonics Inc.,
OnSite Systems, Panasonic Computer Solutions Co., Research In Motion, Sumitomo
Electric Lightwave Corporation, Tellabs, Tyco Electronics, Ulticom, Inc.,
Verari Systems, Westell Technologies, Inc. and Zebra Technologies Corporation.
Advisors to the Board include FAL Associates, ILS Technology, Orca Systems and
Telcordia Technologies.
TIA
membership enhances the ability of companies to prepare for the future of
communications. TIA brings people and businesses together by helping the
industry overcome technical and political barriers to communications. Visit www.tiaonline.org
for details.
*********************************
Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) Releases Terrestrial Mobile Forward Link Only Repeaters Standard
Optimizes Multicast Broadcast
Content to
The
Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the leader in advocacy,
standards development, business development and intelligence for the
information and communications technology (ICT) industries, has published TIA-1132,
Minimum Performance Specification for Terrestrial Mobile Multimedia
Multicast Forward Link Only Repeaters.
TIA-1132
specifies minimum performance requirements to expand interoperability of new
and emerging forward link only repeaters technology and networks that optimize
multicast broadcast of advanced multimedia content to mobile devices. With open
standards for mobile broadcast environments, service providers can more
efficiently and cost effectively provide streaming and on-demand audio, video
and IP-data content, such as CNN, ESPN, NPR, stock quotes and sports scores, to
large numbers of mobile users, at the same time.
The
standard TIA-1132 was formulated under the cognizance of the TIA TR-47.1:
Subcommittee on Terrestrial Mobile Multimedia Multicast Based on Forward
Link Only Technology. To obtain copies of the document, contact IHS
International at 800.854.7179 or visit http://global.ihs.com.
For technical information regarding participating in the
TR-47.1 committee, please contact Marianna Kramarikova at
mkramarikova@tiaonline.org. For media inquiries, please contact Taly
Walsh at twalsh@tiaonline.org.
About TIA
Celebrating
its 20th Anniversary, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)
represents the global information and communications technology (ICT)
industries through standards development, advocacy, business opportunities,
market intelligence and world-wide environmental regulatory compliance.
Thousands of companies and individuals work through TIA to enhance the business
environment for telecommunications, broadband, mobile wireless, information
technology, networks, cable, satellite, unified communications, emergency
communications and the greening of technology. TIA is accredited by the
American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
TIA's Board
of Directors includes senior-level executives from ACS, ADC, ADTRAN,
Alcatel-Lucent, Anda Networks, ArrayComm, AttivaCorp, Avaya, Bechtel
Communications, Inc., Cam Communications, Cisco Systems, Corning Incorporated,
Ericsson, Inc., Graybar, Henkels & McCoy, Intel Corporation, LGE,
Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nortel, OneChip Photonics Inc., OnSite
Systems, Panasonic Computer Solutions Co., Research In Motion, Sumitomo
Electric Lightwave Corporation, Tellabs, Tyco Electronics, Ulticom, Inc.,
Verari Systems, Westell Technologies, Inc. and Zebra Technologies Corporation.
Advisors to the Board include FAL Associates, ILS Technology, Orca Systems and
Telcordia Technologies.
TIA
membership enhances the ability of companies to prepare for the future of
communications. TIA brings people and businesses together by helping the
industry overcome technical and political barriers to communications. Visit www.tiaonline.org
for details.
*********************************
Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) Publishes Packet Data Registration/OTAR Messages and Procedures
Updates Digital Encryption Standards
for Two-Way Radio
The
Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the leader in advocacy,
standards development, business development and intelligence for the
information and communications technology (ICT) industries, has published TIA Standard 102.BAAD-1, Common Air Interface
Description for Conventional Channels, Addendum 1 – Packet Data
Registration/OTAR Messages and Procedures.
Federal,
state and local public safety agencies, utilities, railroads, manufacturers,
and a wide variety of other businesses rely on the conventional channels of private
land mobile radio systems, i.e., two-way radio, every
day. To ensure communication is reliable and secure when using emerging
digital technology, TIA-102.BAAD-1 defines
additional packet data standards for two-way radio systems, including Packet
Data Registration, Packet Data Scan Mode, and Packet Data Encryption Support
features, including changing encryption by Over-the-Air-Re-keying (OTAR).
TIA-102.BAAD-1 was formulated under the cognizance of
the TIA TR-8.15: Common Air Interface (CAI) subcommittee, with input
from the APCO Project 25 Interface Committee (APIC), APIC Data Task Group, and
TIA members.
P25 is an
interoperability suite of standards for digital two-way wireless communications
products and systems. TIA, in collaboration with prominent public safety
organizations, generates standards, specifications and telecommunications
systems bulletins that define the equipment and processes necessary for
implementation of digital public safety radio communications under the APCO/NASTD/FED
Project 25 standard. APCO/NASTD/FED is composed of the Association of
Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO); the National Association of
State Telecommunications Directors (NASTD); and Federal Government Agencies
(FED).
To obtain
copies of the document, contact HIS International at 800.854.7179 or visit http://global.ihs.com.
About TIA
Celebrating
its 20th Anniversary, the Telecommunications Industry Association
(TIA) represents the global information and
communications technology (ICT) industries through standards development,
advocacy, business opportunities, market intelligence and world-wide
environmental regulatory compliance. Thousands of companies and individuals work
through TIA to enhance the business environment for telecommunications,
broadband, mobile wireless, information technology, networks, cable, satellite,
unified communications, emergency communications and the greening of
technology. TIA is accredited by the American National
Standards Institute (ANSI).
TIA’s Board of Directors includes senior-level executives from ACS, ADC,
ADTRAN, Alcatel-Lucent, Anda Networks, ArrayComm, AttivaCorp, Avaya, Bechtel
Communications, Inc., Cam Communications, Cisco Systems, Corning Incorporated,
Ericsson, Inc., Graybar, Henkels & McCoy, Intel Corporation, LGE,
Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nortel, OneChip Photonics Inc.,
OnSite Systems, Panasonic Computer Solutions Co., Research In Motion, Sumitomo
Electric Lightwave Corporation, Telcordia Technologies, Tellabs, Tyco
Electronics, Ulticom, Inc., Westell Technologies, Inc. and Zebra Technologies
Corporation. Advisors to the Board include FAL Associates, ILS Technology and
Orca Systems.
TIA
membership enhances the ability of companies to prepare for the future of
communications. TIA brings people and businesses together by helping the
industry overcome technical and political barriers to communications. Visit www.tiaonline.org
for details.
*********************************
Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) Publishes Public Safety Project 25 MOS Test Plan Vocoder Standard
Strengthens First Responder
Communications, Voice Quality in Land
The
Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the leader in advocacy, standards
development, business development and intelligence for the information and
communications technology (ICT) industries, has published TIA TSB-102.BABF, Experiment
3 MOS Test Plan for Vocoder Technology for Project 25, Phase 2. This
new standard, developed in collaboration with prominent public safety
organizations under the Project 25, specifies testing standards for new and
emerging vocoder technology enhancements.
The choice
of vocoder technology impacts the voice quality of a communications system.
In
emergency situations, the public’s safety can depend upon the ability of first
responders to communicate successfully via digital two-way radio, regardless of
the level of background noise or other situations, including translating analog
signals to digital.
TIA
TSB-102.BABF provides methodology to evaluate the voice quality of land
mobile radio systems using various vocoders under a variety of noise levels and
operating conditions, including fire truck and police cruiser noise levels with
and without sirens, helicopters, and Coast Guard outboard boats.
The
standard also specifies methodology to evaluate audio quality subjectively,
including the use of a ½ rate vocoder. Listeners associate a quality adjective
with speech samples, which are then transferred to a numerical scale that
provides testing results by mean opinion scores (MOS), which are statistically
analyzed. TIA TSB-102.BABF compares enhanced digital technology
with the baseline speech codec in TIA-102.BABA, Project 25 Vocoder Description.
P25 is an
interoperability suite of standards for digital two-way wireless communications
products and systems. TIA, in collaboration with prominent public safety
organizations, generates standards, interim standards, specifications and
telecommunications systems bulletins that define the equipment and processes
necessary for implementation of digital public safety radio communications
under the APCO/NASTD/FED Project 25 standard. APCO/NASTD/FED is composed
of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO); the
National Association of State Telecommunications Directors (NASTD); and Federal
Government Agencies (FED).
The
standard TIA-102.AABC-B-3 was formulated under the cognizance of the TIA
TR-8: Mobile and Personal Private Radio Standards Engineering Committee's
TR-8.4: Subcommittee on Trunking and Conventional Control. To obtain copies
of the document, contact IHS International at 800.854.7179 or visit http://global.ihs.com.
For
technical information regarding participating in the TR-8 committee, please
contact Ronda Coulter at rcoulter@tiaonline.org. For media inquiries,
please contact Taly Walsh at twalsh@tiaonline.org.
The
companies participating in TR-8 are: Aeroflex, Agilent Technologies, Inc.,
Alcatel-Lucent, APCO Project 25, Aselsan Inc., Booz, Allen & Hamilton,
Cisco Systems, Inc., City of Mesa, Communications Div., CML Microcircuits (USA)
Inc., CommScope Network Division, CSI Telecommunications, Daniels Electronics
Ltd., Datron World Comm. Division, Dietrich Lockard Group, Inc., Digital Voice
Systems, Inc., E.F. Johnson, EADS Public Safety Inc., Ericsson, Inc.,
Etherstack, FBI, General Dynamics C4 Systems, Harris Corporation, Icom America
Inc., Industry Canada, Institute for Telecommunication, IPC Positron, Kenwood USA
Corp., Lockheed Martin Corporation, M/A-Com, Inc., Microtronix Systems Ltd.,
Midland Radio Corp., MITRE Corp., Motorola, National Technical Systems (NTS),
NIST-OLES, Nortel Networks, Oregon State Police/SAFECOM, RELM Wireless Corp.,
RTKL Associates Inc., SAIC, Sigma Delta Communications, Inc., Sony Wireless
Tech Division, Space Data Corporation, Tait Radio Communications, Technisonic
Industries Ltd., Telchemy Incorporated, Texas Instruments, Inc., Thales
Communications, Inc., TX RX Systems, Inc., Tyco Electronics, U.S. Department of
Commerce, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Vertex Standard, Zetron, Inc.
###
About TIA
Celebrating
its 20th Anniversary, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)
represents the global information and communications technology (ICT)
industries through standards development, advocacy, business opportunities,
market intelligence and world-wide environmental regulatory compliance.
Thousands of companies and individuals work through TIA to enhance the business
environment for telecommunications, broadband, mobile wireless, information
technology, networks, cable, satellite, unified communications, emergency
communications and the greening of technology. TIA is accredited by the
American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
TIA's Board
of Directors includes senior-level executives from ACS, ADC, ADTRAN,
Alcatel-Lucent, Anda Networks, ArrayComm, AttivaCorp, Avaya, Bechtel
Communications, Inc., Cam Communications, Cisco Systems, Corning Incorporated,
Ericsson, Inc., Graybar, Henkels & McCoy, Intel Corporation, LGE,
Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nortel, OneChip Photonics Inc.,
OnSite Systems, Panasonic Computer Solutions Co., Research In Motion, Sumitomo
Electric Lightwave Corporation, Tellabs, Tyco Electronics, Ulticom, Inc.,
Verari Systems, Westell Technologies, Inc. and Zebra Technologies Corporation.
Advisors to the Board include FAL Associates, ILS Technology, Orca Systems and
Telcordia Technologies.
TIA
membership enhances the ability of companies to prepare for the future of
communications. TIA brings people and businesses together by helping the
industry overcome technical and political barriers to communications. Visit www.tiaonline.org
for details.
*********************************
USGBC
USGBC Announces Recipients of Excellence in Green Building Curriculum Recognition Awards & Incentive Grants
Recognizes innovative green building curricula from pre-K through college
and provides financial support for promising new programs
The U.S. Green Building Council
(USGBC) has awarded twelve programs its inaugural Excellence in Green
Building Curriculum Recognition Awards and Incentive Grants. The
awards and grants program is a central component of USGBC’s commitment to
identify and disseminate innovative green build curricula to educators across
the country.
“USGBC launched this initiative to
highlight the central role education plays in furthering the green building
movement,” said Peter Templeton, Senior Vice President, USGBC. “The submissions
we received showcase the range of institutions and organizations taking an
active role in educating young people about green building and the Council is
committed to fostering more growth in this arena.”
The awards and grants recognize
pre-K through college-level curricula that advance the green building ideals of
transforming how buildings and communities are designed, built and
operated. Recognition awards honor existing green building education
projects, activities or programs. The Incentive Grants provide monetary
support of $20,000 each for schools or organizations to develop new curriculum.
“We knew excellent green building
education programs existed in a wide variety of settings, but there was no
method to capture these programs and share them with other educators,” noted
Margot McDonald, chair of USGBC’s Formal Education Committee and Professor of
Architecture at Cal Poly,
USGBC will establish a repository of
the newly identified curricula and will develop a teaching resource database,
which will serve to disseminate these programs nationally and facilitate
contact among educators from a wide variety of disciplines. In addition,
an Educator Summit during the USGBC’s Greenbuild Conference in
The award and grant recipients are
located in all regions of the country and include community colleges,
universities, non-profit institutions, a professional association and a state
government agency. The recognition awards were judged on demonstrated success,
ability to be replicated, scope of influence, advancement of green principles
within the educational community and the fostering of a collaborative or
interdisciplinary approach. Grant proposals were evaluated on originality,
collaborative or interdisciplinary approach, scope of influence, feasibility
and the ability to be replicated.
Recipients of USGBC’s inaugural
Excellence in
2008
Recognition Awards
School
Building Week: School of the Future Student Design Competition
The Council of Educational Facility Planners (
School of
the Future Student Design Competition is a national program that offers an
opportunity for middle school students to bring their creativity to the design
process. Student teams are challenged to design their schools to enhance
learning, conserve resources, be environmentally responsive and engage the
surrounding community. The competition is a component of School Building Week, which
focuses on the importance of high performing, healthy, safe and sustainable
school facilities and to showcase their connection to learning.
Kentucky
Green & Healthy Schools
Kentucky
Green & Healthy School (KGHS) is a web-based program that allows students
and staff to make their schools greener and healthier by studying their
learning environments. The program assists teachers in utilizing their schools
as a teaching tool and enables students to take an active role in the
management of their school buildings and grounds. The program aligns with the
Kentucky Core Content for Assessment so teachers can prepare the students for
the state’s mandatory testing program as they study the efficiency and
sustainability of their school’s environment.
Residential
Building Technology Program
Beyond
Curriculum: Cross-Campus Sustainability at Grand Valley State University
The Alley-Flat Initiative
The
Alley-Flat Initiative (AFI) is a joint collaboration between the University of
Texas Center for Sustainable Development, the Guadalupe Neighborhood Housing
Development Corporation (GNDC), the Austin Community Design and Development
Center (ACDDC), and the BaSiC Initiative. The program was conceived through
student research and design studios at the University of Texas School of
Architecture. Alley flats are small, detached residential units accessed
from
ecoMOD
ecoMOD is
a research and design/build/evaluate project that is creating a series of
ecological, modular and affordable housing units. The program works directly
with affordable housing organizations to ensure sustainable housing is no
longer a luxury reserved for the wealthy. Since 2004, the ecoMOD project
has built a total of five units for Piedmont Housing Alliance (PHA) and Habitat
for Humanity (HFH). The housing units are designed and built by
interdisciplinary teams of students, working closely with faculty and outside
experts. After the homes are occupied, student evaluation teams monitor and
evaluate them carefully, with the results guiding subsequent designs. ecoMOD is
imbedded in UVA’s curriculum and is structured to maximize educational
opportunities. It is a partnership of the UVA School of Architecture and
2008 Incentive Grants – $20,000 each
Architecture
Handbook 2: A Student Guide to Understanding Buildings
Chicago
Architecture Foundation
The
Chicago Architecture Foundation will develop the second level of its The
Architecture Handbook: A Student Guide to Understanding Buildings (TAH2). The
project’s first level (TAH1) was a high school architecture curriculum published
in the fall of 2007, which was an innovative pedagogical resource and model in
the forefront of architecture and design education for high school
students. TAH2 will be an online interactive and integrated curriculum
for high school students and teachers to investigate the design and
construction of green schools. It will serve the needs of upper level (junior
and senior)
Design +
Build + Live
Youth Learning Academy (
Design +
Build + Live Green (D+B+L) will be the green initiative of the
Eastern Iowa
Community College District (
As part
of the Renewable Energy Systems Technician program, Eastern Iowa Community
College District (EICCD) plans to develop a four-credit course entitled Green
Construction Technologies to provide students with the necessary skills to
build quality, sustainable, and affordable housing. The course will give
students hands-on experience with green technologies by learning through
construction and will allow participating high school students to receive dual
enrollment college credit. Individual green construction technology
modules will also be developed to be inserted into existing EICCD two-year
programs in areas such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning, interior
design, horticulture, and manufacturing maintenance.
Online
Santa Fe Community College
Collaborative
Cornell University (Ithaca, NY)
The
Collaborative Green Building Practice course emphasizes interactive learning
experiences and critical thinking to help students understand the broad scope
of green building practice. Instead of focusing on green building design, the
course challenges students to go outside the classroom to interact with
authorities, researchers, professionals and the public to learn about the key
factors that influence how buildings are built and operate, including the roles
of all key stakeholders. As a part of the course, teams of students
produce a ten-minute documentary film for posting on an interactive course
website.
Sustainable
Architecture that Teaches (SAT)
University
of Maine Farmington
The
###
About
USGBC
The U.S. Green Building Council is a nonprofit
membership organization whose vision is a sustainable built environment within
a generation. Its membership includes corporations, builders, universities,
government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations. Since USGBC’s founding
in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 15,000 member companies and
organizations, a comprehensive family of LEED® green building rating systems,
an expansive educational offering, the industry’s popular Greenbuild
International Conference and Expo (www.greenbuildexpo.org), and a
network of 77 local chapters, affiliates, and organizing groups. For more
information, visit www.usgbc.org.
Green
Schools at the Top of the Agenda for
One school a day. That’s the rate America’s schools are registering for
the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED certification program for green
schools, signaling their intent to build and operate schools that are
more energy and water efficient, which will save taxpayers money. Green
schools also have significantly improved indoor air quality, and that results
in healthier kids.
“When you consider the fact that 50 million young people spend 8 hours a school
day in a school building, we should do everything we can to make that
environment work for them, not against them. Parents, teachers and school
board officials understand better than anyone the link between child health and
learning; and the fact is that children in green schools have fewer sick days
and better test scores,” said Michelle Moore, Senior Vice President, USGBC.
“And if these reasons aren’t compelling enough to go green,”
“LEED buildings have a demonstrated track record for lowering energy use by up
to 40% and reducing water use by up to 50% over conventional buildings,”
The State of
USGBC’s local Chapter network is leading the way to help replicate
The newly-formed Green Schools Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives has
lent a federal voice to the green schools agenda. Created by co-chairs Rep.
Darlene Hooley (D-Ore), Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas), and Rep. Jim Matheson
(D-Utah), the goals of the caucus are to raise awareness of the benefits of
green schools, lead the policy discussion on the topic in various forums,
create legislative opportunities for the collective efforts of the caucus
members, and provide members of Congress with constituent outreach resources.
“We need to green our schools within a generation,” concluded
The LEED certification program was developed by USGBC for parents, teachers,
school boards and communities as a tool to measure and manage their school
buildings. For more information on green schools, visits USGBC’s green
schools site: www.buildgreenschools.org.
To find green schools in your neighborhood: www.buildgreenschools.org/leed/leed_schools_maps.html
About USGBC
The U.S. Green Building Council is a nonprofit membership organization whose
vision is a sustainable built environment within a generation. Its membership
includes corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and other
nonprofit organizations. Since USGBC’s founding in 1993, the Council has grown
to more than 15,000 member companies and organizations, a comprehensive family
of LEED® green building rating systems, an expansive educational offering, the
industry’s popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (www.greenbuildexpo.org),
and a network of 77 local chapters, affiliates, and organizing groups.
For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.
About LEED® for Schools
The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Schools green
rating system delivers green building guidelines and third-party certification
to assure schools’ stakeholders that their school incorporates best practices
in green building with measurable results. LEED for Schools addresses
classroom acoustics, master planning, mold prevention and environmental site
assessment, together with the energy and water efficiencies and waste reduction
strategies that are part of all LEED rating systems. The LEED for Schools
rating system was launched by the U.S. Green Building Council in spring 2007.
Since its launch, 78 schools have been LEED-certified, and more than 750
schools under construction have registered towards certification. For
more information, visit www.buildgreenschools.org.
*********************************
Green Building Council Testifies Before U.S. Congress
Testimony Addresses the Role of
Greening Existing Buildings, Including Schools, in Mitigating Climate Change
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) testified today before the U.S.
Congress about the importance of green buildings as a solution for global
climate change, one of the biggest challenges facing society today.
Michelle Moore, Senior Vice President, Policy and Public Affairs for USGBC,
spoke before Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and the Select Committee on
Energy Independence and Global Warming, and detailed the impact of the built
environment on the natural environment, economy and health and productivity of
building users.
“Buildings are the single largest contributor to carbon dioxide (CO2)
emissions, accounting for 39% of emissions in the
Governments at all levels have been highly influential in the growth of green
building, both by requiring LEED for their own buildings and by creating
incentives for LEED for the private sector. Currently, 12 federal
agencies or departments, 28 states, 120+ local governments, 12 public school
jurisdictions and 36 higher education institutions have made policy commitments
to use or encourage LEED.
Photos available. Please contact akatz@usgbc.org for more information.
###
About USGBC
The U.S. Green Building Council is a nonprofit membership organization whose
vision is a sustainable built environment within a generation. Its membership
includes corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and other
nonprofit organizations. Since USGBC’s founding in 1993, the Council has grown
to more than 15,000 member companies and organizations, a comprehensive family
of LEED® green building rating systems, an expansive educational offering, the
industry’s popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (www.greenbuildexpo.org),
and a network of 74 local chapters, affiliates, and organizing groups.
For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.
About LEED®
The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
Please see www.wireville.com
for all included reprinted articles.
REMEMBER TO RECYCLE, REDUCE AND REUSE