For: www.wireville.com
"Heard On The Street" Column
Issue: October 2008
By: Frank Bisbee
BISBEE’S BUZZ
In
financially unpredictable times, TECHNOLOGY is a very good place.
Globally, we continue to see the proliferation of convergence in almost all
technical areas. As systems begin to communicate, we see areas of real
financial improvement.
Energy
Control means reduced costs without sacrificing the productivity of the
building occupants. Improving Security means reduced losses from internal and
external sources. Data Communications distributed means the competitive edge
for many companies today. Life Safety Systems means protecting our most
valuable assets – OUR PEOPLE. Voice and Data communications means improved
business through customer service and increased performance.
ENERGY – CONTROL – COMMUNICATIONS – SECURITY – LIFE SAFETY
These are
the components of the intelligent building. These elements combined actually
build the environment for increased PRODUCTIVITY. The dollars that come from
increased productivity dwarf all other areas of decreased costs or improved
efficiency. For a building owner, increased PRODUCTIVITY is the
competitive edge for profitability.
You may
listen to the politicians and get depressed over the news broadcasts, but don’t
forget you are on the ground floor of the most radical period of change (and
improvement) in the modern history of man. The Internet has opened many doors
for NEW AGE. Do your homework. Change
can be very painful if you “wing it”. Education in any form is essential to
maximize your value.
We remind
you that the trade association and industry publications are one of the least
expensive and most current sources of the educational material about the
rapidly evolving INFORMATION AGE.
National Associations - Major end-users and trade organizations
1. NAIOP (National Association of Industrial and
Office Properties)
2. BOMA (Building Owner / Manager Association)
3. BICSI (Advancing Information Transport Systems)
4. ACUTA (Association for Communications
Technology Professionals in Higher Education)
5. HIMSS (The Healthcare
Information and Management Systems Society)
6. AIA (American Institute of Architects)
7.
NECA (National Electrical
Contractors Association)
8.
FOA (The Fiber Optic
Association, Inc.)
9.
NAED (National Assoc of Electrical
Distributors)
10.
AFCOM (
11.
CABA (Continental Automated Buildings
Assn.)
12.
NFPA (National Fire Protection Assn.)
Government:
1. NASTD
(Natl. Assn. of State Telecom. Dir.)
2. NASIRE
(
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Think back fifteen years ago, we
just did not have anywhere near the resources that we have today. The rate of
change is still increasing and it’s up to you to stay on top of your skills
set.
But that’s just my opinion,
Frank Bisbee Industry News Draka chooses Megladon's HLC ScratchGuard® Technology September 22, 2008 Claremont, NC: Draka Communications, a leader in fiber and fiber cable solutions, announces a major advancement in connectorized cables through the combination of Draka's BendBright-XST bend-insensitive fiber cable and MegladonR's Hardened Lens Connector (HLC) ScratchGuardR connector technology. Available immediately in patch cord products, Draka and Megladon have combined two best-in-class technologies to deliver a high performance, highly scratch resistant, bend-insensitive fiber optic cable assembly to the market. The product offering is diverse and includes riser, plenum, and low-smoke zero halogen (LSZH) cables available with ultra or angle polish hardened lens connectors. Introduced in 2006 as Draka's second generation of bend-insensitive fiber, BendBright-XS has become a product of choice for customers desiring a solid-glass G.657 A&&B compliant fiber. With over 150,000 miles of BendBright-XS already in service, Draka is leading the efforts to bring bend-insensitive fiber to the global market. Megladon's HLC process was developed to meet the growing need for a scratch resistant, highly durable fiber optic mating surface. The ScratchGuard connector technology is a critical step forward in quality and durability. With the fiber optic connector being a critical component, damage to the connector due to handling and repeated use has been a concern and point of failure for network operators. Megladon's HLC ScratchGuard technology has virtually eliminated this problem. "This is truly a win for the customer. Combining a fiber cable that can tolerate 7.5 mm of bend radius with a nearly scratch resistant connector, the reliability and durability of connectorized cables has just taken a giant step forward," states Paul Baird, Business Development Manager with Draka.
About DrakaR Communications
About Megladon®
Draka Communications - Americas Media Contact:
Scott H. Fairbairn
Click here to view a demonstration video ********************************* Top Finalists Announced in Interactive Intelligence “Outrageous Interactions” Contest “People’s
choice” voting now open online; voters eligible to win GPS A panel of
expert judges have selected the finalists in the Interactive Intelligence
(Nasdaq: ININ) “Outrageous Interactions” contest, and “people’s choice” voting
is now open to the public to pick a winner. Voters are
eligible to win a Garmin eTrex GPS. To vote for your favorite entry, visit www.outrageousinteractions.com.
Public voting closes Monday, Sept. 15 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern daylight time. With
more than a decade of experience developing software to help call centers
better serve customers, Interactive Intelligence knows first-hand the issues
call center agents face every day. It was in this spirit that in May the
company launched its “Outrageous
Interactions” contest. Since then, the contest has
attracted submissions from agents worldwide recounting the most bizarre, wacky
and funny customer interaction stories you’ve likely ever heard. Excerpts
from several of the finalists include the following: “I
had to deliver some unwelcome news to my caller. He had missed a deadline for
his health insurance…and wanted to convince me to make an exception by trying
to make me feel sorry for him. Our conversation went something like this: -Caller:
You might like to know that I am a veteran. I was in a war. In fact, there was
a suicide bomber that came right at me. He didn’t get me though. He
hung up much happier than when he called in, so that was good!” “Years
ago while working as a customer service representative with a major senior
citizen's mail-order pharmacy service I was diligently placing a lengthy order
for an elderly gentleman. After placing an order for another over-the-counter
item, the customer asked if the item came in other flavors. When the item
displayed, I was shocked. The item ordered was for 24 suppositories. The caller
said, “The last ones went down well but tasted terrible.” Interactive
Intelligence will award the winner of the “Outrageous Interactions” contest
with a trip for two to The winner
by popular vote will be announced Sept. 17, 2008 from the stage of TMC’s
Internet Telephony Conference and EXPO, held in About Interactive Intelligence ********************************* AFL Telecommunications Acquires The Light Brigade Acquisition Expands AFL’s Fiber Optic Training Program AFL
Telecommunications announces
that it has acquired a majority ownership position in The
Light Brigade, a leading fiber optic training company and supplier of
media and products, located in Tukwila, Washington. This acquisition expands
AFL’s technical training capacity, allowing for increased service to current
and potential customers. “With the
increased demand for qualified technicians, The Light Brigade’s 20+ years of
experience, along with the strength and outreach of its instructor base,
provides additional capacity, allowing us to serve even more customers,” said
Patrick Dobbins, Director of AFL’s Fiber Optic Training Division. “And our
combined training capabilities bridge a gap so that we can promote advanced
integrated solutions for our customers.” AFL
Telecommunications currently provides both product and application training,
building fundamental capabilities and supporting the most advanced technical
requirements. Courses are offered at AFL’s corporate headquarters in AFL’s
current technical training courses have been reviewed and certified by the
Fiber Optics Association (FOA) and select courses are eligible for BICSI®
education credits.
With the addition of The Light Brigade’s current curriculum of training
programs, AFL expands its training to include the Electronics Technicians
Association, International (ETA®) certification, enabling technicians’
certification in areas of electronic equipment service and support. “With the
acquisition, AFL will be able to provide resources to allow The Light Brigade
to expand existing courses and develop new courses, curriculum and training
materials,” said Larry Johnson, President of The Light Brigade. “Not only is
this a win for AFL and The Light Brigade, but also for our clients who want to
develop their knowledge and skills.” ********************************* Wilderness Field Training Improves Safety for Utility Technicians Working in Remote Locations Utilities like Alltel Wireless are finding
that real-world wilderness field training, like that delivered by Northwest School of
Survival, provides a better measure of safety for its technicians working in
severe weather, harsh environments and remote locations. by Jim
McMahon Let us say
you are a field engineer en route to perform maintenance on a microwave station
in a remote area of the central The temperature
at the top is a brisk 24 degrees F with a 32 mph wind, overcast skies and snow
flurries. But as is typical in the high Sierras, weather can change
quickly and unexpectedly. After a couple of hours the winds pick up to 60
mph, storm clouds thicken, snow squalls prevail, and all of a sudden you find
yourself in a full-scale white-out, blizzard conditions that show no signs of
letting up. Your one road out is now inaccessible to your 4X4, extremely
dangerous even with chains, and visibility is almost down to zero with snow
accumulating an inch per hour. You face the fact that unless a snowcat
can be brought up there to get you out, you may be spending the night.
But are you prepared to weather these extreme cold conditions? Have you
been properly field-trained in wilderness survival adequately to make it
through the night without frostbite or hypothermia setting in? Field
technicians working for power, telecommunications, water and transportation
providers are challenged by similar extreme weather conditions throughout many
areas of the country. Danger does not limit itself to cold weather
climates. Extremes in heat, such as in our southwest deserts or the
southern states across the country, can be equally life threatening. Regardless
of which extremes you face, the remoteness of the location only magnifies the
danger level. Classroom
“Wilderness” Training An
increased guarantee of survival in such harsh conditions can be achieved
through training. But to many companies, the extent of their safety
training consists merely of a two- to four-hour indoor seminar every two to
three years, and sometimes includes a little parking lot training.
Students get a lot of theory, and might even learn how to operate an ATV or
snowcat on flat terrain – limited to how to stop, brake and turn, and maybe
receive verbal instruction on how not to flip the machine. But, that is
about it as far as the hands-on training goes. Then the techs get their
“certification” cards and go on their way, with little increased ability to
really survive their next blizzard, operate their equipment in extreme weather
or terrain conditions, or properly cope with a bout of altitude sickness,
desert dehydration or Grizzly confrontation. Unfortunately,
some companies see this as a way to fulfill a legal or insurance requirement
rather than participating in a program that will truly improve the safety of
their employees. Classroom-dominated “survival” training, where 80% of the
training is conducted in-class, presents a low-budget and time-friendly format
for certification, to be sure. But let us be clear here, survival
training in the absence of real-world wilderness experience lacks the hands-on,
do-it-yourself factor that the student needs. Like our microwave techs on
Wilderness
Field Training Hands-on,
real-world training in environments that closely approximate actual severe
conditions in the wilderness is the best guarantee of surviving in a remote
location. For
example, a really comprehensive and effective winter survival program that
would give students a high degree of survival potential might include: cold
weather survival tactics; land navigation including use of GPS, maps and
compass; first aid; shelter finding and building; fire skills; hypothermia,
frostbite and altitude issues (prevention, recognition and treatment);
avalanche training; snowcat, snowmobile, ATV and 4X4 training; and training
with handling chainsaws and winches. Packed into, say a five-day program,
with 20 percent classroom and 80 percent real-world field training, this type
of program would produce graduates that could very competently take care of
themselves in a remote winter environment. “There is
no substitute for on-site survival training in mountainous and remote
locations,” says Austin Toole, Emergency Medical Technician operating in the “Even the
most seasoned mountain hikers get themselves into life threatening situations,”
Toole explains. “Hypothermia, altitude sickness, snake bites, plant
poisoning and broken legs are some of the more common maladies that plague
those entering mountain areas. Even a badly sprained ankle can put you
into a dangerous situation in the mountains.” “The
remoteness of the environment is the real issue,” continues Toole. “What
does it take to get emergency medical care when you are 30 miles away from the
nearest paved road? It takes a team of people to find you and pull you
out, and frequently with a helicopter. That can be embarrassing and
expensive. The solution is simple, if you are going to spend any amount
of time in remote wilderness areas - mountains or deserts - get field-trained
ahead of time to survive it when conditions go bad.” Alltel Wireless Field Technicians Train for Harsh Environmental Conditions Alltel
Wireless is one utility that has embraced the concept of hands-on wilderness
field training for its site technicians in Alltel
Wireless owns and operates the nation's largest wireless network, serving more
than 12 million customers across the country and generating $8 billion in
annual revenues. “Winter
survival becomes a significant issue for us,” says Doug Fouch, with
Alltel. “It is not unusual for us to have to send in a team of techs on
snowmobiles, 20 miles into “We have
tried a number of wilderness training programs, but settled with Northwest
School of Survival (www.nwsos.com) for our wilderness training,” Fouch
continues. “We have trained with them for years, and have found their
program to be the most comprehensive and flexible for our specific needs.” Northwest’s
program not only includes extensive training, but also assists its clients to
evaluate their wilderness safety risks, and develop safety protocol and
standards. Such actions help establish rescue preplanning and procedures,
survival kits, first aid kits, clothing, footwear, and equipment evaluations
and recommendations. “Even bear
safety is an issue for us,” explains Fouch. “How many other
telecommunications field technicians in the Northwest’s
customized training approach also ensures that new Alltel team members, who
require specific training, get it when and where needed, rather than waiting
for an “open-enrollment” course to be offered. Northwest also can bring
the training on-site to Alltel’s desired locations whenever and wherever
needed. “Our
instructors are the most experienced in the industry,” says Brian Wheeler, President
of “Companies
train because their employees are at risk,” Wheeler explains. “If a
company’s employees work in remote wilderness conditions, they could be at risk
80 percent of the time. Even if a company has never had a remote location
incident, it is better for them to maintain a pro-active stance towards
training that actually mimics their specific work applications, rather than
fall prey to a reactive position after someone has sustained injuries or died
on the job. Our challenge is to reduce that risk for them as much as possible.” About Northwest School of Survival – For the
past 23 years, NWSOS has provided basic to advanced training in varied
specialties for some of the largest companies in the world, as well as the
United States military (Including its various branches, special forces, elite
units, SERE instructors, and other active/reserve teams), law enforcement
personnel, state and federal government agencies, search and rescue teams, and
the general public. NWSOS provides the highest level of real-world wilderness survival
training available anywhere, offering its programs year-round in varying
climates and terrain conditions. Operating from its base at For more
information on Northwest School of Survival, contact Brian Wheeler,
President/Founder; ********************************* CEA’S SHAPIRO DISCUSSES TECHNOLOGY’S IMPACT ON THE GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS AT UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE UN
Roundtable Discussion Reinforces Technology’s Role in Advancing Economic
Sustainability in Developing Regions Technology’s
role in combating the global food crisis was the key theme during a United Nations
(UN) Private Sector roundtable discussion moderated today by Gary Shapiro,
president and CEO, Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®. The roundtable
discussion was part of a broader UN Private Sector Forum that featured global
business leaders and key UN officials discussing the UN’s Millennium
Development Goals (MDG) and Food Sustainability. “Technological
innovations can help solve the global food crisis and as industry leaders, we
must collaborate with governments and the United Nations to promote the use of
new technologies for food security and sustainability,” said Shapiro.
“Advancements in technology not only contribute to the efforts to fight hunger
on a global scale, but they also aid in building economic sustainability in
developing regions. Every citizen of the world must have access to technology
to be connected .” Universal
access to technology for all citizens will serve as major theme throughout the
upcoming 2009 International CES®, the world’s largest technology tradeshow,
scheduled January 8-11 in The UN
Private Sector Forum consisted of several roundtable discussions focused on the
global food crisis and food sustainability and featured global business leaders
including executives from Intel, Coca Cola and Ericsson. Conference speakers
included UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; former U.S. President Bill Clinton
and World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick. The 2009
International CES will feature more than 2,700 exhibitors introducing the
latest consumer technology products throughout 30 product categories including
digital entertainment, high performance audio, digital imaging, electronic
gaming and more. For more information and to register to attend the 2009
International CES visit www.CESweb.org, the interactive source for CES
information. Note to
Journalists: General
press and analyst registration, as well as detailed press conference
information, is available at www.CESweb.org. Journalists are encouraged to
arrive in About CEA Follow the
2009 International CES on Twitter at twitter.com/2009CES and visit the
International CES Page on Facebook. UPCOMING
EVENTS CEA
Industry Forum October
19-22, 2008, Digital October
27-30, 2008, EHX Fall
2008 November
4-7, 2008, CES New
York Press Preview featuring CES Unveiled @ NY November
11, 2008, Future of
Television East November
18-19, 2008, CES
Unveiled: The Official Press Event of the International CES January 6,
2009, 2009
International CES January
8-11, 2009, Digital
Music Forum East February
25-26, 2009, CEA April
22-23, 2009, Digital
Patriots Dinner April 22,
2009, If you
would like to be removed from this mailing list, please visit www.CE.org/listremove/ ********************************* Draka Communications Selected to Provide Fiber Optic Cable for the First FTTH Deployment of Its Kind in Canada Telephone
Drummond is the first CLEC & Service provider to build a true fiber to the
home network in Canada Draka
Communications - The Telephone
Drummond FTTH project is the first of its kind in Draka
Communications is proud to be part of this success story by providing a broad
range of fiber optic cable products, including its 864 count ezRibbon™ high
count loose tube cables, ezPrep™ Loose Tube cables and ezDrop™ FTTH drop
cables. Draka's family of outdoor, indoor and specialty fiber cables
allow network operators and installers to simply and cost-effectively deploy
fiber infrastructure. “Having served
Telephone Guevremont and Maskatel in the past, we were very confident in
Draka’s ability to provide proven products that exceed industry standards,”
commented Maskatel President Donald Dupius. “Draka was also proactive in
assisting us by providing introductions to a variety of FTTH experts in the For more
information on how Draka Communications can help with your fiber deployment,
please contact a customer service representative at 1-800-879-9862 or visit the
Web site at www.drakaamericas.com. About
Draka Communications About
Maskatel, Téléphone Drummond, and Téléphone Guèvremont ********************************* ERICO® Highlights Its Newest CADDY® Products at BICSI Fall If you want
to see the newest developments in the information transport systems (ITS)
industry, then the 2008 BICSI Fall Conference is the place to be. And for a
glimpse of the newest, most innovative products from ERICO®, visit Booth
600/602. CADDY® CAT LINKS is the newest J-Hook support
solution from ERICO, the company that brought you the original CADDY® CABLECAT
patented J-Hook. CADDY CAT LINKS offers the largest family of J-Hook sizes on
the market. The full range provides a bending radius that meets TIA standards
for Cat 6a and easily accommodates Cat 7, large-diameter optical fiber,
innerduct and coax cable. Available in 1, 2, 3 and 4 inch diameter sizes. The CADDY® SPEED LINK Integral Y-Toggles, Quad
Toggles and Integral Y-Hooks eliminate the need to use multiple parts, such as
threaded rod, strut, bolts, nuts and washers, during your installation. With
one, all-inclusive package, you have everything needed to quickly and easily
hang basket tray, wireless access points, ligh.t fixtures, speakers or other
equipment. The CADDY
SPEED LINK Integral Y-Toggle features 12" legs and is available with
lengths of 6 - 30 ft.* CADDY SPEED LINK Integral Y-Hooks have 20" legs and
are available with lengths of 6', 10', 20'.* *Approximate
Lengths. For more
information on these and other CADDY products, stop by
Booth 600/602 or visit www.erico.com ********************************* JITC Certifies Interactive Intelligence All-in-One Communications Software Suite for the Department of Defense Certification speeds sales cycles
and reduces implementation time for all federal agencies through advance
telecom and network security testing The Joint
Interoperability Test Command has certified the Interactive Intelligence
(Nasdaq: ININ) all-in-one communications software suite for use by the Department
of Defense. JITC
certification ensures that Department of Defense telecom and network security
configuration, information assurance and interoperability requirements have
been met. “With its
JITC certification, the Interactive Intelligence software offers the Department
of Defense and federal agencies worldwide the benefits of a faster sales cycles
and shorter deployment time with no additional testing or exceptions needed,”
said Joe Brookman, CEO of Brookman LLC, a Rockville, Maryland firm specializing
in government technology services. The
Interactive Intelligence software was also JITC-certified for compatibility
with Department of Defense computer access cards – a federal government
security requirement as of 2009. “Interactive
Intelligence is the only CPE vendor to-date whose software is certified for use
with DoD electronic ID cards, thus further simplifying sales cycles and
deployments,” Brookman said. The
JITC-certified Interactive Intelligence software, Customer Interaction
Center® (CIC), offers open, single-platform
architecture with inherent multi-channel processing to deliver comprehensive
applications -- skills-based routing, interactive voice response, call
recording, unified messaging, and more -- minus the cost and complexity introduced
by multi-point products. “With
more than 1,700 security specifications, JITC-certification often takes up to
18 months, but we were able to complete CIC testing in only six months because
of its unique standards-based, single-platform architecture,” Brookman said.
“This architecture, particularly its deep integration to Microsoft components
such as Active Directory and Office Communications Server, not only facilitated
testing, but means reduced integration requirements and management complexity for
federal government customers.” CIC
also includes support
of the secure real-time transport protocol and transport layer security
standards, providing end-to-end call encryption. Interactive
Intelligence first released its software in 1997 and has more than 3,000
customers worldwide, including dozens of federal government customers such as
the Department of
Defense, Department of Commerce, Department of Homeland Security, Department of
Veterans Affairs and the Department of Energy. “For years
we’ve brought unique value to government customers by offering them a
single-platform, all-in-one communications software suite designed to eliminate
the cost and complexity associated with integrating and managing multi-point
products,” said Interactive Intelligence founder and CEO, Dr. Donald E. Brown.
“With our JITC certification, we’ve added to this value by making it even
easier for government departments to buy and deploy our software.” About Brookman, LLC About Interactive Intelligence ********************************* MOHAWK ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF THEIR MOHAWK ACCREDITED CONTRACTOR (MAC) CERTIFICATION PROGRAM Mohawk, a
leading manufacturer of fiber optic and copper cable products, would like to
announce the launch of their newly revised certification program. The Mohawk
Accredited Contractor (MAC) certification has been re-launched to include some
new features, including a 25-year warranty program for all Category and Fiber
Optic cables. In addition to offering a 25-year Open Architecture warranty, MAC
contractors also now have the opportunity to earn various incentives and
rebates. Certified by BICSI for 7 CECs, the MAC training program has recently
been modified with the latest TIA standards and practices, including Augmented
Category 6 performance and installation requirements. By using one of Mohawk’s
MAC-certified contractors, our customers can be ensured that the work is
performed to current industry standards and accepted practices. About Mohawk ********************************* MOHAWK ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF MARINEGUARD CABLES Mohawk, a
leading manufacturer of fiber optic and copper cable products, announces the
release of their MarineGUARD™ shipboard cables. Available in Category 5e, 5E
and 6, these LSZH cables deliver network signals to a range of vessels
including cruise lines, oil carriers, bulk carriers, private yachts, and
container and cargo carriers. MarineGUARD products offer quality audio and
video functions for private and commercial vessels including structures such as
drilling and research platforms. The communication applications include
computer networks, audio-video applications, POE (Power Over Ethernet) and VoIP
(Voice over Internet Protocol). MarineGUARD cables are approved by the American
Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for use in demanding and harsh marine applications.
ABS approval offers excellence and safety standards for marine vessel products.
The
MarineGUARD series also offers a full line of ABS-approved fiber optic cables,
including all-dielectric, seamless corrugated aluminum armor and loose tube
fiber optic cables. Mohawk’s
VersaLAN cables have also been approved by the ABS. Available in 4 pair
Category 6 and 5E, as well as 25 pair Category 5e, VersaLAN is designed to
perform in wet indoor and outdoor locations where other cables fail. These
cables are well suited for dockside applications where water exposure is a
concern. www.mohawk.com About
Mohawk ********************************* Ortronics/Legrand Introduces New Bonding and Grounding Solutions Ortronics/Legrand,
a global leader in high performance copper, fiber and wireless structured
cabling solutions, is pleased to announce the introduction of Ortronics new
Bonding and Grounding product line. Proper
bonding and grounding is crucial to the performance and safety of sensitive
network equipment and for maximizing personal protection. Metallic components
included in the infrastructure (i.e. equipment racks, enclosures, cable runway,
etc.) must be bonded to the grounding system. Ortronics Bonding and Grounding
solutions provide a comprehensive line of products for a uniform
telecommunications bonding and grounding infrastructure. They are UL listed and
meet ANSI-J-STD-607-A standards. This new
addition to the Ortronics portfolio rounds out an already comprehensive
offering of network infrastructure solutions that encompass copper, fiber
optic, and wireless connectivity as well as physical support solutions,
including cable management racks and cabinets, Cablofil® wire mesh
cable tray and Wiremold® pathways.
www.ortronics.com ********************************* Brian Ensign Joins Ortronics/Legrand as Director of Training and Technology Ortronics/
Legrand, a leader in copper, fiber optic and wireless structured cabling
solutions, is pleased to announce that Brian Ensign has joined the business as
Director of Training and Technology.
Brian will be located at corporate headquarters in Ensign’s
work experience includes positions of increasing responsibility with Leviton
Manufacturing Co., Inc, including his most recent position as Director of
National Accounts. His previous
positions with Leviton include Senior Project Scientist and Technical Marketing
Manager for Leviton Network Solutions, as well as various positions with
Intertek Testing Services (ETL) in Ensign
holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering Technology from
SUNY – Utica/Rome along with his RCDD/NTS/OSP designations from BICSI. He is the current BICSI Northeast Regional
Director, is serving on the BICSI Board of Directors, and is an active
participant in the TIA and IEEE standards committees. "We
are excited to have Brian onboard," said Mark Panico, President of
Ortronics/Legrand. "His extensive experience and active involvement in the
standards bodies will be extremely valuable to us as we continue our efforts to
provide industry-leading training programs and provide innovative solutions for
our customers." www.ortronics.com ********************************* Bluesocket and Ortronics/Legrand Announce Development and Joint Marketing Agreement Pairs
Best-in-Class Wireless Management with Innovative Access Points for Secure,
Flexible Wi-Fi Solution Burlington,
Mass. and New London, CT – September 16, 2008- Bluesocket,
Inc., the leader in trusted wireless access and enterprise mobility, and
Ortronics/Legrand, a global leader in high performance copper, fiber and wireless
structured cabling solutions, today announced the formation of a development
and joint marketing agreement to address market demand for greater security and
flexibility in wireless solutions. Highly
secure wireless environments, ease of deployment and low total cost of
ownership continue to drive demand for innovative solutions designed to meet
the rapidly expanding use of wireless applications. Further, as the adoption of wireless networks
continues to grow, ease of integration with existing network and facility
infrastructure becomes an increasingly important element of network
performance, worker productivity and physical security. Through
this agreement, Bluesocket’s access point software will be integrated with the
Ortronics Wi-Jack Duo® access point - the world’s smallest dual-band,
dual-radio wireless access point (AP) - and will be fully supported by
Bluesocket’s family of BlueSecure Controllers. The solution provides the only
dual-band, dual-radio access point that seamlessly integrates with structured
cabling, providing for centrally managed, high performance wireless deployments
that are theft and vandalism resistant.
Once installed, the Wi-Jack Duo AP is automatically configured and
controlled by the Bluesocket wireless controller, where administrators can take
advantage of the full range of network and AP management, and security
functions. “As
customers look to implement wireless in their organizations, they need a
solution that is secure, easy to install, and easy to manage and maintain,"
said Mark Panico, president of Ortronics/Legrand. “The enhanced offering as a
result of the agreement we’re announcing today will provide just that, as well
as reliable performance, flexibility, and scalability to meet a broad range of
customer needs. The Wi-Jack
Duo® AP’s small form and wall mount design, coupled with the BlueSecure
Controller’s zero touch plug-and-play, creates a simple and convenient
deployment process for customers. The
Wi-Jack Duo sets the standard for compact, unobtrusive access point
design. Packaged discreetly behind a
single gang faceplate, the Duo supports 802.11a/b/g for simultaneous 2.4 and 5
GHz operation at speeds up to 54 Mbps and integrates easily into the structured
cabling wherever wireless access is desired.
The Duo terminates directly to Category 5e or 6 cabling and is available
with an optional embedded 10/100 Ethernet port for network devices such as
printers, security cameras and laptop computers. Bluesocket’s
long-standing expertise in wireless security and its flexible edge-to-edge
architecture deliver greater access speeds, better performance and higher
reliability with superior role-based control and policy enforcement.
Bluesocket’s universal WLAN authentication, strong data encryption, integrated
intrusion protection and clientless scanning creates trusted endpoint security
for wireless infrastructures.
Additionally, Bluesocket Controllers supports the widest range of 3rd
party access points, easing the transition to 802.11n and other next-generation
wireless technologies as they emerge. “Bluesocket’s
open architecture and software modularity makes it easy to port our software
onto a variety of hardware platforms, providing our partners and customers with
significant cost and time to market advantages, said Mads Lillelund, CEO of
Bluesocket. “The extended offering from Bluesocket and Ortronics strengthens
our commitment to providing our customers with enterprise mobility solutions
that offer the greatest level of security, scalability and ease of use,” Pricing and
Availability Availability
of the new Wi-Jack® access point is slated for the fourth quarter of 2008.
Detailed pricing and product information will be made available through
Ortronics and Bluesocket at that time. About Bluesocket About Ortronics/Legrand Ortronics/Legrand
is a subsidiary of Legrand, the global specialist in products and systems for
electrical installations and information networks where people live and work.
Its comprehensive offering of solutions for use in commercial, industrial and
residential markets makes it a benchmark for suppliers worldwide. Innovation
for a steady flow of new products with high added value is a prime vector for
growth. Backed by sound business and financial structures, Legrand is actively
expanding its presence in fast-growing geographical zones and market segments
that include lighting controls, energy savings and home automation, through a
sustained stream of targeted, self-financed acquisitions and other initiatives.
In 2007 Legrand employed 35,000 people around the globe and reported sales of
€4.1billion, including 25% in emerging markets. The company is listed on
Euronext Paris and is a component stock of indexes including the SBF120,
FTSE4Good and MSCI World (ISIN code FR0010307819). www.legrandelectric.com Bluesocket,
the Bluesocket logo and BlueSecure are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Bluesocket, Inc. Pingtel, SIPxchange, etc. are trademarks of Pingtel – a
Bluesocket Company. All other trademarks, trade names and company names
referenced herein are used for identification only and are the property of
their respective companies. Ortronics,
the Ortronics logo, Wi-Jack, and Wi-Jack Duo are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Ortronics Inc. All other
trademarks, trade names and company names referenced herein are used for
identification only and are the property of their respective companies. ********************************* RHINO Professional Labeling Tools Realigns National Sales Force with Market Needs Industry
convergences and the increased need for education lead to a realignment in
DYMO’s RHINO sales team ********************************* Times Microwave Systems Introduces LMR-400-UltraFlex-FR low loss coaxial cable Adding to its extensive LMR® product
line offering, Times Microwave Systems has recently introduced LMR-400-UltraFlex-FR
(stock code 54270), a more flexible low loss, fire retardant version of LMR-400
50 Ohm coaxial cable. The new cable has a stranded center conductor for enhanced flexibility and a fire retardant
polyethylene jacket. LMR-400-UltraFlex-FR
is also UL listed CMR (PCC-FT4) making it suitable for riser-rated
installations. Compatible with all standard LMR® solder-pin type connectors, installation tools and accessories, the new
cable has a list price of $1.95 per foot. With only slightly more loss than standard LMR-400 cable, LMR-400-UltraFlex-FR
is the ideal solution for applications requiring both added flexibility and
fire retardancy. About Times Microwave Systems ********************************* Draka BendBrightXS™ Sales Exceed 250,000 km Mark Industry leading bend-insensitive fiber sales volume driven by
FTTH deployments by major telecommunications providers
Draka
Communications, a global leader in the
optical fiber industry, today announced that it has surpassed the 250,000 km (150,000
miles) mark for sales of BendBrightXS, its industry-leading bend-insensitive
optical fiber, since its introduction in 2006. For perspective, 250,000
km is enough optical fiber to encircle the earth 6 times over! The
demand for BendBrightXS has been driven mainly by large scale deployments of
FTTH access networks both in the “We’re
delighted by the recognition that our world-class fiber is receiving since we
introduced BendBrightXS in 2006”, said Jan-Willem Leclercq, Vice President
of Marketing, Draka Communications. “BendBrightXS is reshaping the deployment
processes of the broadband industry for next generation network access, while
stimulating miniaturization trends in connectivity hardware”. Meeting stringent industry standards BendBrightXS,
Draka’s flagship bend-insensitive fiber, first introduced in 2006 and
commercially available for over two years, uses a “trench-assisted” index
profile to achieve the highest level of bend performance on the market, meeting
the most stringent industry standard for bend-insensitive fiber, ITU-T
G.657.B. With approximately 100X microbending and 100x macro bending
performance improvement over standard single mode fiber, BendBrightXS is ideal
for access networks where cables and fibers are subjected to tight bends and
the rigors of harsh installation techniques such as the stapling of
cables. BendBrightXS is also unique because it is the first and only
commercially available all-glass fiber on the market that meets and exceeds the
stringent ITU-T G.657.B bending requirements, yet maintains full backwards
compatibility with existing single mode fibers, meeting ITU-T G.652.D. Draka
Communications introduced the first generation bend-insensitive fiber,
BendBright, in 2002. Updated in 2005 to conform to low water peak
standards, G.652.D, BendBright is a G.657.A fiber, with approximately 10x
bending improvement over standard single mode fiber. The success of
BendBright fiber is highlighted by the AT&T award “2005 Supplier Innovator of the Year”,
given to Draka for FTTH drop cable based on BendBright fiber. The second
generation bend-insensitive fiber BendBrightXS, a G.657.B fiber with
approximately 100x bending improvement over standard single mode fiber, was
introduced in 2006.
About Draka Draka Communications is a world leader in
the development, production and sale of optical fiber, cable and cable
systems. Draka has 68 operating companies in 30 countries throughout Europe,
North and South America, Asia and For more information please visit www.draka.com.
********************************* Megladon® Manufacturing Group Hires Gil Perez as Business Development Manager Gil Perez
has joined the Megladon® Manufacturing Group team as the Business Development
Manager. Gil recognized a golden
opportunity to work with a company who offers leading edge fiber product
technology to an industry with which he is already familiar. Gil is
originally from When asked
about his new position, Gil responds with favoring accolades, “I see Megladon
as one of the leading fiber optic technology manufacturing companies within the
communications industry. The product offerings of Megladon show our ability and
capability to develop and provide a leading edge solution for the
communications industry. My goal is to hit the ground running by expanding our
market share and increase company revenue.” “Gil Perez
is known in the industry and has many long term relationships providing
excellent service and support” stated John M. Culbert, President of Megladon.
“There is fruit attached to his track record. We welcomed Gil into our
strategic planning circle because of his knowledge, experience and character.
We expect big things from him as we grow together.” Megladon®
Manufacturing Group Ltd., a subsidiary of TyRex Group Ltd.®, is recognized as a
leader in the fiber optic marketplace. Founded in 1997, Megladon made it their
mission to provide customers with fiber optic products that far exceed industry
standards. As technology innovators, Megladon created the HLC® (Hardened Lens
Contact) termination, which has changed the market and taken it to the next
level. For additional information on Megladon and their patented processes
please visit the company’s website at www.megladonmfg.com. For
additional information regarding Megladon’s fiber optic solutions contact our
support staff at 800-232-4810 or by email at scratchguard@megladonmfg.com. ********************************* Draka Communications - Americas Announces Extended Warranty and Contractor Rebate Program Draka Communications - Americas, a
leader in fiber and fiber cable solutions, announces an Extended Warranty
Program and Contractor Rebate Program for Private Networks. About Draka Communications Association News BICSI BICSI APPOINTS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER The Board
of Directors for BICSI, the professional association supporting the information
transport systems (ITS) industry with information, education and knowledge
assessment, has announced the appointment of John D. Clark Jr., CAE, as the
Executive Director/CEO effective September 22. After a
thorough search of many qualified candidates and months of careful
deliberation, BICSI’s Executive Director Search Committee elected to appoint
the hybrid professional based on his broad knowledge and unique credentials. “I’ve been
well aware for several years of the great work being done by BICSI,” stated The Board’s
decision directly correlates with BICSI’s new strategic direction to advance
the knowledge and success of BICSI’s membership, their customers and the ITS
industry. “Mr. Clark
will lead BICSI into the future providing leadership, experience and clear
vision to implement the BICSI Strategic Plan, BICSI NxtGEN Business Plan,
Association Outreach Mission, as well our goal to increase membership value,
and provide exceptional customer service to the ITS communities around the
globe,” said BICSI President, Edward J. Donelan, RCDD, NTS, TLT. The
extensive and thorough search by the committee was led by Brian Hansen, RCDD,
NTS, BICSI President-Elect and Committee Chair; Ronda VanGundy, Human Resources
Manager; Russ Oliver, RCDD, NTS, BICSI Past President; Jerry Bowman, RCDD, NTS,
BICSI U.S. North-Central Region Director; and Ed Donelan. BICSI is a
professional association supporting the information transport systems (ITS)
industry. ITS covers the spectrum of voice, data and video technologies. It
encompasses the design, integration and installation of pathways, spaces,
fiber- and copper-based distribution systems, wireless-based systems and
infrastructure that supports the transportation of information and associated
signaling between and among communications and information gathering devices. BICSI
provides information, education and knowledge assessment for individuals and
companies in the ITS industry. We serve more than 25,000 ITS professionals,
including designers, installers and technicians. These individuals provide the
fundamental infrastructure for telecommunications, audio/video, life safety and
automation systems. Through courses, conferences, publications and professional
registration programs, BICSI staff and volunteers assist ITS professionals in delivering
critical products and services, and offer opportunities for continual
improvement and enhanced professional stature. Headquartered
in BOMA BOMA Is Now Accepting Presentation Submissions Connecting
Great Ideas with Great People To Create Great Buildings Come
connect your ideas and practices with the industry by leading an Education
Session at BOMA’s Annual Conference. By presenting, you can reach more than
4,000 commercial real estate executives and help advance solutions for the
industry’s biggest challenges, create and share best practices, and shape the
course of the industry. We’re
Looking for Sessions With These Great Ideas: How to
Green Buildings—From Minor Operations Changes to Major Retrofits Generating
Significant OpEx Savings Through Innovative Operations Boosting
NOI With New Sources of Building Income Leveraging
Technologies—Software and Hardware—to Manage Buildings More Effectively Finding,
Getting, Keeping Tenants Advanced
Strategies for Energy Savings—Beyond Lighting Retrofits It's Easy
to Submit Your Proposal All
proposals must be submitted online Go to www.bomaconvention.org and click on "Call for
Presentations." All proposals must be submitted online. Then, click
on “Submit Proposal” in the left-hand menu. Create a Username and log in to the
submission form. Once you are
logged in, simply click on “Submit Proposal” at left. Complete
the online proposal form, by adding in details about your submission and
speakers until the form is complete. Submissions
must be received by October 24, 2008 FOA The Fiber Optic Association, Inc. Newsletter
The September 2008 issue of the FOA Newsletter is now online.
In
This Issue Go
To The FOA July 2008 Newsletter Renew Your FOA Membership and Certifications Online And Get a
Extra Month Free Worth Seeing: An New
OTDR "Virtual Hands-On" Tutorial with free OTDR simulator to
download Quick Links... NAED Twenty-Five Distributors Become NAED-Approved Members Companies Join
International Network of 460 Companies, 4426 Locations The National Association of Electrical Distributors
(NAED) is pleased to announce that 25 companies have been approved in 2008 for
distributor membership in the association. Several distributors have joined
NAED during its centennial year. Many of these new members have utilized NAED’s
Centennial Membership offer in which new members can join for only $100 through
December 31, 2008. NAED’s new distributor members are: ·
A-G Electrical Supply Co., Inc. — Founded in 1957, A-G Electrical
Supply Co., Inc. is located in Bellmore, N.Y. President Peter Ray led the
company to join NAED in March 2008 to gain access to educational and networking
opportunities for their employees. ·
Atlanta Light Bulbs, Inc. — Atlanta Light Bulbs, Inc. was
officially incorporated by President and CFO Gary Root in 1981. The company
started selling lamps and ballasts to commercial and industrial accounts in the
·
BLI Lighting Specialists (Budget
Lighting, Inc.) —
BLI Lighting Specialists is a wholesale distributor of lighting for the
commercial and industrial markets, as well as the general public. The company
has been in business since 1985 and operates a mainhouse in ·
C. Andersen Electrical Supply Co.,
Inc. — Founded in
1982, Andersen Electrical Supply Co., Inc. is located in Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Tom Bodie, general manager, leads the company’s 15 employees. The company had
formerly been an NAED member, leaving in 2003, but has seen the value in
rejoining the association for the NLC and revamped networking opportunities.
Andersen Electrical Supply Co., Inc. is also a member of the Industry Data Exchange
Association (IDEA). (www.andersenelectric.net) CableOrganizer.com,
LLC — Founded in
February 2002 and headquartered in ·
Capital Electric Wire & Cable
Co., Inc. — Capital
Electric Wire & Cable Co., Inc. was founded in 1978 by Richard G. Harpster.
Initially, Capital sold exclusively to the industrial and utility markets
providing power cable, tray cable, cordage and various lead wires. As customer
needs evolved, so did the company’s products and services. In 1985 Capital
Electric Wire & Cable Co., Inc. became involved with the communications
market. President Mike Harpster leads the company today.
(www.capital-electric.com) ·
Cayce Mill Supply Co., Inc. — Cayce Mill Supply Co., Inc. was
founded in 1919 by Clinton H. Cayce, a ·
Colorado Wire & Cable Co., Inc. — In business since 1977, Colorado
Wire & Cable Co. Inc. serves the needs of commercial, industrial, utility
and electrical contractors with the wholesale distribution of wire and cable
products. Based in ·
Edison Equipment Company — Located in ·
Electric Motor Shop & Supply Co. — Based in ·
First Source Electrical, LLC — First Source Electrical is a
brand new electrical wholesaler serving the Greater Houston area. First
Source’s business focuses on the commercial, residential, institutional and MRO
markets. First Source Electrical, LLC is led by President and CEO Mark Jenson.
(www.firstsourceelectrical.com) ·
General Wholesale Electric Supply — General Wholesale Electric
Supply, a California Corporation, was founded in Sonora, Calif. GWES consists
of three electrical supply branches located in Livermore, Auburn, and Sonora.
GWES is a full service electrical supply company that carries a complete line
of electrical equipment for residential, commercial, and industrial
applications. (www.genwes.com) ·
Goodman Electric Supply, Inc. — Based in ·
ILighting Solutions, Inc. — Intelligent Lighting Solutions
specializes in energy conservation products/services and application specific
lighting retrofits for residents and businesses in ·
Leveck Lighting Products, Inc. — Leveck Lighting Products, Inc.
has been in business since 1978. Leveck primarily serves the residential and
industrial markets. Led by Vice President Robert Leveck, the company joined
NAED to take advantage of educational opportunities. (www.leveck.com) ·
Mustang Electric Supply — Mustang Electric Supply, is a
full line electrical distributor founded to furnish electrical products to the
growing residential and commercial contractor markets of Lewisville and the
surrounding Dallas Fort Worth metroplex. Founded in 1998, Mustang Electric
Supply joined NAED for education resources and networking opportunities for
their staff. (www.mustangelectric.com) ·
Newco Inc. — Newco Inc. was established by
John Richard, his brother George Richard, and their brother in-law Joe Daviet.
Newco serves the commercial, industrial, residential, OEM and utility markets
with four locations, three in ·
Omega Pacific Electrical Supply,
Inc. — Omega
Pacific Electrical Supply, Inc., established in 1990 and located in ·
RECO – Richard Equipment Company —
Established in 1926, Richard Equipment Company provides technical engineering
support, services and repairs for heavy, light industrial and OEM end users.
The company has office locations in ·
Swan Supply, Inc. — Based in ·
The Lighting Company — Since it’s inception in 1994, The
Lighting Company has provided lighting solutions and components to commercial
and industrial lighting users. The Lighting Company was referred by NAILD –
National Association of Independent Lighting Distributors.
(www.lightingcompany.net) ·
United Electrical Distributors, Inc. — Since 1985, United Electrical
Distributors, Inc. has been a provider of premier electrical products.
Operating out of Wattsaver Lighting Products — Based in ·
Williams Wholesale Supply of
Nashville, Inc. —
Williams Wholesale Supply of Nashville, Inc. has been in business since 2005.
The company was referred by Bruce Johnson of Harris Electric Supply. Led by
Richard Tanner, Williams Wholesale Supply of Nashville, Inc. joined NAED for
education/training, networking, and industry research.
(www.williamsnashville.com) ·
Yale Electric Supply Company, Inc. — Founded in 1940, Yale Electric
Supply Company, Inc. has seven branch locations throughout All
qualifying electrical distributors are invited to apply for NAED membership.
Besides receiving the latest in industry-specific training and education, NAED
members also benefit from increased networking opportunities, group business
discounts, financial benchmarking tools, and leadership development. For
additional information, go to the “Join NAED” section of www.naed.org or contact a NAED regional manager
at (888) 791-2512. All current members and affiliates are accessible through a
searchable directory on the NAED Web site. 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 more than 4,400 locations internationally. ********************************* Conference Registration is Open for 2008
NAED Eastern Region Conference, Marco Island, Florida, November 12-15
FOX Business News Anchor
Stuart Varney to Give Keynote Presentation The National Association of
Electrical Distributors (NAED) announces that registration is open for the 2008
Eastern Region Conference. The conference will take place November 12-15, at
the Marco Island Marriott Resort Golf Club and Spa in Marco Island, Fla. The
theme for this conference is “Expanding Our Horizons.” This year’s conference features
keynote presenter FOX Business News Anchor, Economist, and Correspondent Stuart Varney. Trained at the London
School of Economics, Varney offers his wide-ranging expertise, evaluating
political administrations and their effects on the economy. During the keynote,
he will discuss his belief that the era of wealth creation has ended, and that
wealth re-distribution is the coming trend. Varney will explain what this shift
in American financial culture means for your organization, and how it can be
used to benefit business and individual wealth. Plus, just one week after the
presidential election, Varney will comment on the impact our new president may
have on the nation. NAED’s
education sessions will include: ·
New Market Opportunities in Energy
Efficiency by Jerry
Yudelson – Principle, Yudelson Associates ·
Non-traditional Markets for
Renewable Energy Sources by Fred Paris – Independent Contractor ·
How to Limit Your Value-Added
Service Liability Exposure by Bernd Heinze – President and CEO, Sequent
Insurance Group ·
The Evolving Sales Force by Michael Marks –
Partner, ·
Panel: Reaping the Rewards of NAED’s
Supply Chain Scorecard Moderated by Bethany Sullivan – President,
Profitability Analytics Unlimited ·
How to Improve Your Trading Partner
Relationships Through IDEA by Bob Gaylord – To ensure that NAED members are
getting the value they should out of their membership, there will be a special
session entitled Maximize Your NAED Benefits with Proven Implementation Strategies
by John Kiso, educational program manager, NAED. The conference also will
include a Women in Industry luncheon on Converting
Change to Dollars, and numerous opportunities to build your professional
network. Visit http://www.naed.org/meetings/eastern/index.htm
to register. The early bird registration deadline is September 24. For more
information, contact the NAED Conference Department at (888) 791-2512. 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 operates in approximately
4,400 locations internationally. ********************************* NAED Announces 2008-2009 Research in Action Webinar Series Schedule The
National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) is offering ongoing
Research in Action Webinars to help NAED member companies remain competitive
and profitable in multiple market sectors. These online seminars offer live
participation dates and the option of launching archives of the presentations
through the NAED Learning Center (NLC). These Webinars share key findings from
the most recent research studies funded by the NAED Education & Research
Foundation's Channel Advantage Partnership (CAP) endowment. The
Webinars are offered at no additional charge to NAED member businesses. This
year's Webinar schedule includes two series based on current CAP projects and
an ongoing series of TED Magazine articles covering topics on green building
and energy markets. The
Research in Action series schedule is: Service
Liability in Electrical Distribution: Risks and Protections This
Webinar series provides background information to raise awareness as well as
heighten the intellectual capital of NAED members about liability exposures
from the value-added services they provide. Specifically, it makes recommendations
about adequate protections electrical distributors can put into place to manage
and mitigate service liability exposures. 1. Service
Liabilities: the New Frontier of Legal Exposure (October 1, 2008, 2:00 p.m.
EST) – Providing specialty services to customers is part of the core business
of NAED member companies. This Webinar offers an overview of the CAP study,
entitled Service Liability in Electrical Distribution: Risks and Protections.
It examines risk and legal exposures from statutes, court cases, and
contractual liabilities, and helps distributors ensure they have adequate
protections in place to manage risks and exposures. 2. The
Added Services Distributors Provide and the Liability Exposures those Services
Create (November 5, 2008, 2:00 p.m. EST) – In today's increasingly competitive
business world, providing specialty services gives distributors validity in the
marketplace. However, in today's increasingly litigious environment,
distributors could lose more than just their competitive edge if they are not
adequately protected from the liability exposures that come with providing a
service package. This Webinar reviews the various services NAED members offer
in the channel and identifies the risks associated with each. It ends with
specific recommended measures to prevent liability on: training; energy audits;
kitting; engineering services and support; staging products; consigned
inventory; lamp recycling; and panel building. 3. Hybrid
Services: Where the Sale of Products and Services Merge (January 14, 2009, 2:00
p.m. EST) – Distributors assume an expanding scope of liability as they become
a hybrid of both product seller and service provider. Their exposure to both
liability and financial risk is altered in this emerging model. In addition to the
product liability they always assumed, there is a new service liability
exposure with the administration of value-added services. This Webinar
discusses the nature of hybrid services generally, identifies the liabilities
associated with the provision of hybrid services, and recommends protections to
implement when providing hybrid services. 4.
Exposures of Providing Training Services to Customers (March 4, 2009, 2:00 p.m.
EST) – The training services we provide will give you many benefits! Believe it
or not, this type of claim can increase a distributor's liability exposure.
This Webinar explains how by differentiating the liabilities between providing
training on products a distributor sells and those it does not sell, reviewing
the issue of using employees versus third-parties to provide training, and
explaining the duty of requisite and due care. In addition, the Webinar
discusses how distributors can use experts to develop consistent and uniform
templates and training modules, and makes recommendations for addressing
training liability exposures. 5. Risk
Management Tools to Mitigate Service Liability Exposures (April 8, 2009, 2:00
p.m. EST) – For a business, exposure to risk could lead to disaster.
Unfortunately, too many electrical distributors are not well informed about the
liability exposures coming from providing value-added services, even as this
becomes an increasing part of their core business. Luckily, distributors can
safeguard their business and increase its success rate by having an effective
risk management policy in place. This Webinar helps distributors identify risks
before they occur by examining best practices to use when managing service
liability exposures. It discusses how to design a risk management model to
evaluate the risks of providing a service before determining whether or not to
afford the service, and reviews insurance protections available to distributors
in their own insurance portfolio or that of an out-sourced service provider. Green Goes
Mainstream: How to Profit from the This
Webinar series examines the state of energy markets and how distributors can
profit from them. It helps NAED members understand the energy efficiency
retrofit market and the technologies that will be most in demand in coming
years. Specifically, it outlines the business opportunities NAED members should
seize; shows how to make the business case for investments in energy efficiency
products and services; identifies technologies used in green building
renovation projects and commercial energy conservation retrofits; and makes
recommendations on how electrical distributors need to position themselves to
take advantage of identified business opportunities. 1. Today's
Energy Efficiency Market: An Overview (October 22, 2008, 2:00 p.m. EST) –
Energy efficiency may be the farthest-reaching, least-polluting, and
fastest-growing 2. Trends
in Energy Efficient Investments Through 2012 (October 29, 2008, 2:00 p.m. EST)
– The electrical distribution industry is facing tougher competition, which
increases the demand to implement cost-effective energy efficiency measures.
However, distributors and manufacturers are not undertaking obvious
cost-efficient measures at the rate one would expect. This Webinar explains why
by looking more closely at barriers to energy efficiency, like building codes
and split incentives. In addition, it discusses the energy market's driving
forces—legislative mandates, tax and rebate incentives—and outlines the scope
of potential benefits future investments might yield. 3. Energy
Market Entry Strategies (December 10, 2008, 2:00 p.m. EST) – With accelerated
market transformation and rapid growth in efficiency investments, total investments
in more energy efficiency technologies could increase the energy market by
hundreds of billions of dollars annually in the next two decades. This Webinar
presents tactical strategies NAED companies can implement to take advantage of
the growth opportunities. Specifically, it discusses how to properly educate
and incentivize your salespeople, identifies buildings and facilities managers
should go after, and looks at electrical distributors' potential competitors. 4. Making
the Business Case for Efficiency Upgrades (February 11, 2009, 2:00 p.m. EST) –
With growing demand from customers and increasing legislative mandates for
energy efficient buildings, making investment decisions regarding energy
efficiency improvements has become a matter of vital importance. This Webinar
reviews analysis methods companies should employ when making energy efficiency
investment decisions. It discusses energy cost trends, life-cycle cost
analysis, financial and tax incentives, utility incentives, legislative
mandates, and other driving forces. Hot Energy Trends In
partnership with TED Magazine, CAP began sponsoring in July 2008 a 12-month
Green Column on business opportunities in green building and energy efficiency
markets, with a focus on commercial and institutional construction. This
Webinar series features key topics identified by the articles as hot energy
market opportunities for electrical distributors. 1. Greening
Data Centers (January 7, 2009, 2:00 p.m. EST) – Data centers and server farms
are placing an ever increasing demand on our limited energy supplies. In fact,
the average data center is 40 times more energy intensive than an office
building. This Webinar highlights energy efficiency and renewable power
generation innovations in this growing industry. Specifically, it looks at a
company reaping the benefits of saving approximately $3,000 a month in utility
bills by building a highly efficient data center. 2. The
Solar Power Revolution (March 18, 2009, 2:00 p.m. EST) – Is solar power really
the next big thing in the energy world or will it remain just a niche player?
This Webinar examines the market and capital trends around solar power. It
discusses the growth in solar power and the driving forces behind it, as well
as the technology developments and economics of solar power. In addition, it
reviews who in the industry are specifying systems, the role of system
integrators in large commercial projects, and opportunities for electrical
sales (panels, inverters, meters, etc.). 3.
Corporate Sustainability – Walking the Talk (May 13, 2009, 2:00 p.m. EST) –
Today's business world doesn't look like it did 20 years ago. Corporations are
operating in the "Information Age," encountering greener resource
technologies in an increasingly globalized marketplace. They face the challenge
of adapting to these changes and that of public opinion. This Webinar discusses
these timely issues by exploring the pros and cons of "going green."
Specifically, it offers examples of good corporate sustainability programs for
small and medium-sized enterprises, walks you through how to become a
sustainable company from baby steps to giant leaps, suggests ways to publicize
your efforts both internally and externally, and presents the business case for
sustainability planning. For more
information on the Research in Action Webinars, go to naed.org or contact the
NAED Customer Service at (888) 791-2512 or customerservice@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 4,400 locations internationally. ********************************* NAED Co-Sponsors University of Industrial Distribution (UID) December 2-5, 2008 in Indianapolis Premier “Sell-Out” Training Event
Offers 25 Courses Tailored to Industrial Distribution The
National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) is joining with over 30
other distribution trade associations to sponsor the 2008 UID
is a concentrated educational program focused on the unique needs of the
industrial wholesale distribution industry. The 2008 UID offers a catalog of 25
courses taught by 17 faculty members who are recognized leaders in their
fields. Topics covered include sales, marketing, management, inventory, branch
operations, and much more. UID
is held in cooperation with Some
of the 2008 UID courses being offered at the December program are: ·
Differentiating Your Distribution Company – A Winning Strategy by William R. McCleave, Jr.,
Ph.D.
·
Leadership and Delegation for Distribution Managers by Peter A. Land
·
Creating Competitive Advantage Through Total Cost Savings by Tim Underhill
·
How to Make Technology Pay Off in the Sales Arena with Steve Epner Three
instructors familiar to NAED members return for the December program: ·
Al D. Bates, Ph.D., president of the Profit Planning Group and administrator of NAED’s
Performance Analysis Report (PAR). His UID sessions include: Profit Myths In
Wholesale Distribution and Improving the Distributor’s Bottom Line. ·
J. Michael Marks, principal with the Indian River Consulting Group, and author of the
NAED Education & Research Foundation study on the residential construction
market. His UID sessions include: Marketing Strategies, Pricing
Strategies, Creating Channel
Alignment, and New Product Development and Product Introduction
Strategies.
·
Kathryne A. Newton, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Industrial Technology at -Since
1993, the UID has trained more than 5,000 distributor and manufacturing
professionals. The program is ideal for a wide range of employees, from branch
managers to purchasing, inventory, sales, and operations personnel. To
learn more about the December UID go to www.univid.org.
Click
here to register online. The past five UID programs have sold out weeks
prior to the early bird registration deadline. NAED members are encouraged to
register as soon as possible to assure a reservation. The deadline for the
Early Registration Discount fee is November 1, if space is still available. The
December session can accommodate 250 attendees. Members
should mention their affiliation with NAED to receive a discounted registration
fee. Contact John Kiso, NAED educational program manager, for additional
information at (888) 791-2512 or via e-mail at jkiso@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
operates in approximately 4,400 locations internationally. ********************************* TED Launches New Online Products and Services Guide
Dear NAED associate members and suppliers: Your
listing can be grouped into categories of your choice to enable efficient
browsing and searching by TedMag readers. ********************************* TED Magazine Names 2008 “Best of the Best” Marketing Awards Dakota Supply Group & Federal Signal Industrial Systems
Achieve Highest Distinction as Overall Winners TED Magazine, the official publication of the National Association of
Electrical Distributors (NAED), announces the 2008 winners of its Best of the Best Marketing Awards Competition.
Each year, TED Magazine recognizes the industry’s
top marketing initiatives with the Best of the Best Award competition. TED presents these honors to
distributors and manufacturers in 12 categories including direct promotion,
print advertising, and Web site development. Companies compete with those of
similar sales volume in each category. This year’s awards represent the finest
marketing efforts in the electrical industry for campaigns occurring in 2007. The 2008 competition acknowledged
the achievements of the electrical industry with 45 awards and 14 honorable
mentions selected from a record 448 total entries submitted. The awards were
presented on August 12, 2008 at the Wyndham Hotel, Of the awards presented, one
distributor and one supplier were selected to represent the overall best
marketing practices of the electrical industry. Best of the Best Overall Winners: ·
Distributor: Dakota Supply Group, Supplier: Federal Signal Industrial Systems, The 2008 Best of the Best Award
winners are: BRAND AWARENESS: ·
Distributor
$25-200 million – Dakota Supply Group, “DSG Kids Club” ·
Distributor
over $200 million – Gexpro, “New Gexpro Brand Awareness” ·
Supplier
under $250 million – Columbia Lighting, “CreateChange Initiative” ·
Supplier
over $250 million – Philips Lighting, “Simplicity Is Changing a Lamp to Make a Difference in the World” DIGITAL CAMPAIGN: ·
Distributor
$25-200 million – Springfield Electric Supply, “Connections”
Monthly Newsletter ·
Supplier
over $250 million – Southwire, “Touch & Show Marketing” DIRECT PROMOTION: ·
Distributor
$25-200 million – Western Extralite, “Sample Mailings” ·
Distributor
over $200 million – Summit Electric Supply, “Get Revved Up” ·
Supplier
under $250 million – Service Wire, “2008 Find the Logo Direct Mail Campaign” ·
Supplier
over $250 million – Southwire, “Immediate & Feeder MC ‘Dinner on US’” EVENTS: ·
Distributor
under $25 million – Laconia Electric Supply, “Octobertech 2007” ·
Distributor
$25-200 million – K/E Electric Supply, “May First Order of the Day Promotion” ·
Distributor
over $200 million – Alexander Lighting, (A division of North Coast Electric), “Alexander Lighting,
Bellevue-Grand Opening Celebration” ·
Supplier
under $250 million – Columbia Lighting, “2007 CreateChange Roadshow” ·
Supplier
over $250 million – Hubbell Lighting, “Hubbell Lighting Grand Opening Press Event” INTEGRATED PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN: ·
Distributor
under $25 million – Gross Electric, “ ·
Distributor
$25-200 million – United Electric Supply, “Come for the Job…Stay for YOUR Future!” ·
Distributor
over $200 million – Graybar, “Graybar’s ‘Got It’ Program” ·
Supplier
under $250 million – Federal Signal Industrial Systems, “Hazardous Location LED Signals
w/XLT” ·
Supplier
over $250 million – Advance, “Advance to Adventure” LITERATURE/SELLING TOOLS: ·
Distributor
$25-200 million – Granite City Electric Supply, “GCE Sales Delivers More than Donuts” ·
Distributor
over $200 million – Stuart C. Irby Company, “Irby Utility Services” ·
Supplier
under $250 million – Wiremold/Legrand, “Open House” ·
Supplier
over $250 million – Hubbell Wiring Device-Kellems, “SystemOne Selector Wheel” MERCHANDISING: ·
Distributor
$25-200 million – Springfield Electric Supply, “The Good, The Bad & The Ugly ·
Distributor
over $200 million – Rexel,
“Merchandising Guide” ·
Supplier
under $250 million – Universal Lighting Technologies, “Paint the Town Blue” ·
Supplier
over $250 million – Thomas & Betts, “Innovative Floor Box” PRINT CAMPAIGN: ·
Distributor
over $200 million – Graybar, “Comm/Data Marketing Campaign” ·
Supplier
under $250 million – EiKO,
“EiKO Certified Green” ·
Supplier
over $250 million – GE Consumer & Industrial, “ecomagination” PRODUCT LAUNCH: ·
Distributor
$25-200 million – BJ Electric Supply, “Made for the Trade” ·
Supplier
under $250 million – Federal Signal Industrial Systems, “Hazardous Location LED Signals
w/XLT” ·
Supplier
over $250 million – OSRAM SYLVANIA, “Consumer Luminaires” PUBLICATIONS: ·
Distributor
$25-200 million – Wiedenbach-Brown, “ENLIGHTEN – The
Journal for Lighting ·
Distributor
over $200 million – Capital Lighting & Supply, “Capital Now” ·
Supplier
over $250 million – Progress Lighting, “LIGHT!” PUBLIC RELATIONS: ·
Distributor
$25-200 million – Cape Electrical Supply, “Currents”
In-House Coffee Shop and Meeting Facility ·
Distributor
over $200 million – Summit Electric Supply, “ ·
Supplier
over $250 million – Philips Lighting, “Simplicity Is Opening Doors to New Possibilities While
Saving Energy” WEB SITES: ·
Distributor
$25-200 million – United Electric Supply, “www.unitedelectricjobs.com” ·
Supplier
under $250 million – Watt Stopper/Legrand, “Energy-Efficient
Lighting Controls Stop Energy Waste” Web site redesign ·
Supplier
over $250 million – Lutron Electronics, “Light Greener,
Light Better” Energy Savings Web site TED Magazine is providing extended coverage of
the 2008 competition both online at www.tedmag.com and in a special
supplement with its August print issue. Print resolution photos of award
winners can be obtained by calling Editor Michael Martin at (888) 791-2512.
Details on next year’s “Best of the Best” contest will be released in October.
For additional contest information, contact Sheila Logan at slogan@naed.org
or (888) 791-2512. 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 operates in approximately 4,400 locations internationally. ### Photo Caption: Overall Best of the Best award
winners (from left): Arne Breikjern, Marketing Manager, Dakota Supply
Group, NEMA NEMA Publishes SB 50-2008 Emergency Communications Audio Intelligibility Applications Guide The
National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has published SB 50-2008 Emergency Communications Audio
Intelligibility Applications Guide. According
to Jeff Brooks, a member of the Signaling Protection and Communication Section
that prepared this guide, it provides an overview of issues and general
recommendations. “This
publication assists specifiers, emergency voice system designers, and
authorities having jurisdiction who are not experts in acoustics with the
concepts used to enhance intelligibility and it provides a better understanding
of the factors affecting the intelligibility of these systems," Brooks
said. "In
the past, the fire alarm industry primarily focused concern on audibility
requirements, assuming that if the sound was loud enough it would be
sufficiently intelligible. Today,
emergency voice communications systems are extensively used to provide building
occupants information and instructions during all types of building
emergencies. Consequently, intelligibility of these paging systems has become a
vital concern. These messages contain essential safety information that must be
clearly understood by the building occupants.” This is a
new NEMA publication that draws on Tyco’s Fire
Alarm Audio Applications Guide as its primary source material. The
contents and scope of may be viewed, and a hard copy or electronic copy
purchased for $66, by visiting NEMA’s Web site at http://www.nema.org/stds/sb50.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 ********************************* DOE Secretary Bodman Endorses NEMA Initiative to Make Buildings Energy Efficient Through Lighting Renovation Secretary
of Energy Samuel W. Bodman has invited
industry leaders to become full participants in a national effort to make our
buildings more energy efficient, the National Electrical Manufacturers
Association announced today. American owners and operators of commercial,
industrial, and institutional structures can reduce energy consumption by 30
percent by renovating lighting and other building systems. In an open letter to industry, Secretary
Bodman noted that current tax deductions “provide financial incentives up to
$0.60 per square foot for reducing new and existing building lighting energy
use by 25 percent to 50 percent.” He added that he was pleased to support the
efforts announced by NEMA and its members to dramatically alter the energy
footprint related to lighting in the 70 billion square feet of existing
buildings, as well as new construction.
Responding
to Secretary Bodman’s previous challenge to NEMA to commit to a national
building energy efficiency campaign, NEMA recently announced the “enLIGHTen To assist
building owners and operators in establishing a lighting renovation project,
NEMA has established a website with information and savings-calculation tools:
www.nemasavesenergy.org. A copy of the
“enLIGHTen NEMA is the trade association of choice for
the electrical manufacturing industry. Founded in 1926 and headquartered near ********************************* NEMA Calls on Congress to Pass Energy Tax Legislation Today, the
National Electrical Manufacturers Association’s (NEMA) President and CEO, Evan
Gaddis, sent a letter to U.S. House and Senate leadership voicing NEMA’s
support for comprehensive energy tax extension legislation. This year, Congress has been unable to agree
on any energy tax legislation that can be sent to the President for his
statutory signature. On December
31, 2008, many current tax provisions, which are being used by millions of
individuals and companies, will expire.
In the letter sent to Congressional leadership, Mr. Gaddis outlines the
need to extend these provisions and emphasized several incentives that should
be included in legislation. These provisions are the need to extend the energy
efficient commercial building tax deduction, a transitional tax credit to
encourage investment in energy-efficient electric motors, and a decrease in the
depreciable life to 15 years of qualifying Smart Meters and Smart Grid technologies
installed by a utility. “For
Congress to pass truly comprehensive and effective legislation, these
provisions need to be included. These
incentives aid NEMA’s members, which is especially critical in lagging NEMA is the
trade association of choice for the electrical manufacturing industry. Founded
in 1926 and headquartered near ********************************* NEMA Publishes ANSI C18.3M, Part 1-2008 for Portable Lithium Primary Cells and Batteries—General and Specifications The
National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has published ANSI C18.3M,
Part 1-2008 for Portable Lithium Primary Cells and Batteries—General and
Specifications. This standard applies to portable lithium primary cells and
batteries, including lithium/carbon monofluoride, lithium/manganese dioxide,
and lithium/iron disulfide. ANSI C18.3M
Part 1 contains general requirements and information, such as scope, applicable
definitions, general descriptions of battery dimensions, terminal requirements,
marking requirements, general design conditions, and test conditions. Section 2 features specification sheets for
various types of cells and batteries.
Safety requirements are covered in ANSI C18.3M, Part 2 for Portable
Lithium Primary Cells and Batteries—Safety Standard, a separate document. This
updated version includes new standardized battery types 24LF (AAA 1.5V
lithium), 5047 (CRV3 3.0V lithium), and 5048 (Prismatic 3.0V lithium) as well
as a reformat of the lithium coin specification sheets. According
to Marc Boolish, a member of the American National Standards Committee C18 on
Portable Cells and Batteries that processed and approved the submittal, this
publication ensures the electrical and physical interchangeability of products
from different manufacturers; minimizes proliferation of cell and battery
types; defines a standard of performance and provides guidance for its
assessment; and provides guidance to consumers, manufacturers, and designers. “This is
achieved by specifying nomenclature, dimensions, polarity, terminals, marking,
test conditions, and procedures,” Boolish said. “It also recognizes the work of
the International Electrotechnical Commission in establishing worldwide
standard requirements for portable lithium primary batteries. The
contents and scope of ANSI C18.3M, Part 1-2007 may be viewed, or a hardcopy or
electronic copy purchased for $75 by visiting NEMA’s website at http://www.nema.org/stds/c18-3m1.cfm
, or by contacting IHS at (800) 854-7179 (within the U.S.), (303) 397-7956
(international), (303) 397-2740 (fax). NEMA is the
trade association of choice for the electrical manufacturing industry. Founded
in 1926 and headquartered near ### NEMA.
Setting Standards for Excellence Visit our
website at www.nema.org ********************************* NEMA Publishes Guide for Proper Use of Smoke Detectors in Duct Applications The
National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has published Guide for
Proper Use of Smoke Detectors in Duct Applications. It was produced by the
Signaling Protection and Communication Section. This
edition reflects improved detector technology and associated sensor placement
in ducts resulting in improved detector performance and resultant fire/smoke
capabilities in buildings. Duct-mounted sensors are designed to provide a
specific type of fire protection that cannot be duplicated by any other type of
system. This technical guide addresses this fact as well as new methods of
detecting smoke in ducts. The
contents and forward of Guide for Proper Use of Smoke Detectors in Duct
Applications may be viewed, and a hard copy or electronic copy purchased for
$40, by visiting NEMA’s Web site at
http://www.nema.org/stds/ductapplications.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 ********************************* NEMA Publishes LE 6-2008 Procedure for Determining Target Efficacy Ratings for Commercial, Industrial, and Residential Luminaires The
National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has published LE 6-2008 Procedure
for Determining Target Efficacy Ratings for Commercial, Industrial, and
Residential Luminaires, which was developed by the Luminaire Section, in
close cooperation with the Lamp and Ballast Sections of the NEMA Lighting
Systems Division. According
to Cheryl English, a member of the Luminaire Section, this standards
publication provides a procedure for the determination of the target efficacy
rating (TER) for luminaires under laboratory test conditions and describes
categories or types of products used in common indoor and outdoor lighting
applications. It does not apply to luminaires for specialized applications,
such as products intended to be aimed, accent luminaires, rough or
hazardous-use luminaires, or emergency lighting. It is recommended to be used
only as a guide to help in the selection of luminaires since TER does not
address application characteristics such as color, uniformity, glare, or other
important considerations. “This
standard addresses the concern of balance between energy efficiency and
lighting effectiveness in measurable terms,” English said. “Because the most
efficient luminaire may not distribute the light in the most useful direction
for the task, the new TER metric defined in NEMA LE-6 includes criteria related
to the optical control.” By
establishing a rating for lumens delivered to a task (or target), TER allows
planners and designers to compare solutions in terms of their overall energy
and lighting effectiveness. TER is intended to be a metric, among many other
considerations, to evaluate the energy effectiveness of a lighting
installation. TER and LE-6 allow for the first time a method to evaluate the
effectiveness of light delivered to common visual task locations. “Using TER
provides more useful information about the lumens delivered to a visual task
for each watt consumed. The inclusion of optical control is a significant step
forward in terms of evaluating the energy effectiveness of lighting equipment,”
English said. NEMA LE
6-2008 supersedes the NEMA LE5, LE5A and LE5B standards for Luminaire Efficacy
Ratings (LER). An
electronic copy of LE6-2008 may be downloaded at no charge or a hard copy may
be purchased for $53 by visiting NEMA’s Web site at www.nema.org/stds/le6.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 ********************************* NEMA Publishes SB 40-2008 Communications Systems for Life Safety in Schools The
National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has published SB 40-2008 Communications Systems for Life Safety in Schools. This new
standard covers the application, installation, location, performance, and
maintenance of school communications systems and their components. It
establishes minimum required levels of performance, extent of redundancy, and
quality of installation, but does not limit the methods by which these
requirements are to be achieved. According
to Bob Boyer, a member of the 3SB Committee that prepared the publication,
educational facilities from elementary schools to university campuses present
unique design challenges for life-safety communications systems. “Communications Systems for Life Safety in
Schools identifies minimum levels of performance, redundancy and
installation requirements designed to assist designers, specifiers, and school
administrators plan and maintain life-safety communication systems,” Boyer
said. “The standard applies to single-building schools, multi-building
campuses, and multi-school districts.” The
contents and scope of may be viewed, and a hard copy or electronic copy
purchased for $66, by visiting NEMA’s Web site at http://www.nema.org/stds/sb40.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 ********************************* NEMA to Participate in GridWeek 2008 NEMA
endorses and is a Silver Sponsor of GridWeek, a major conference highlighting
advanced technologies for the electric grid. GridWeek will be held in NEMA staff
members will participate in NIST Domain Expert Working Group Meetings on
Friday, which will discuss the Institute’s implementation of its Smart Grid
Interoperability Framework. NEMA staff member John Caskey will speak on
Wednesday afternoon about Smart Grid standards and NEMA’s participation in
Smart Grid development. NEMA will also hold a meeting of its Smart Grid
Advisory Panel on Monday afternoon. “NEMA is
leading the drive to modernize the nation’s electricity infrastructure,” said
NEMA President Evan Gaddis. “Carbon reduction and energy security are critical
policy goals that require a robust and advanced transmission grid. Our
companies have the technologies to make it happen.” The NEMA
Smart Grid Advisory Panel was established to provide technical and policy
guidance for transmission and smart grid legislation, regulation, and standards
activities. NEMA has played an active role in shaping energy efficiency and
transmission grid legislation in both Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Energy
Independence and Security Act of 2007 and continues to work with agencies and
other stakeholders in the implementation of measures from both acts. NEMA is the
trade association of choice for the electrical manufacturing industry. Founded
in 1926 and headquartered near SCTE SCTE FOUNDATION SET TO LAUNCH 2008 GIVING CAMPAIGN The SCTE Foundation, which helps members of the
Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) achieve their professional
development goals and dreams through grants and scholarships, announces today
that it will conduct the inaugural SCTE Foundation Giving Campaign October 1
through December 31, 2008. The 2008 Giving Campaign is chaired by Marwan
Fawaz, chief technology officer and executive vice president of Charter
Communications, and carries the theme, “Fueling Cable’s Future.” The SCTE
Foundation seeks to raise $15,000 with this three-month effort. The SCTE Foundation was established by the SCTE
Board of Directors in 2005 and began issuing grants in 2006. The Foundation has
helped numerous SCTE members by distributing grants totaling more than $80,000.
The Foundation’s primary purpose is to provide expanded educational
opportunities for SCTE members to assist them in advancing their careers. Recipients have applied their grants toward a
variety of educational purposes related to cable telecommunications technology,
including online courses, master’s degrees, and attendance at industry events,
such as SCTE Cable-Tec Expo®. Further information about the 2008 Giving
Campaign will be available in October on the Foundation’s website, where
individuals also will be able to transact their donations electronically. ********************************* TIMEFRAME CHANGES FOR SCTE BOARD ELECTION PROCESS The Society of Cable Telecommunications
Engineers (SCTE) announces today that the timing of the SCTE Board of Directors
Election process is shifting with the 2009 election. The annual election process traditionally has
run from August through June. Accustomed to voting starting in January each
year, the voters, who are SCTE members, won’t begin casting ballots until next
May for the 2009 election. The SCTE Board of Directors includes 12 Regional
Directors, four Directors-At-Large, and one Director-At-Large Canada. Board
members are elected to two-year terms. Each year approximately half of the
board’s terms expire. For Election 2009, the call for nominations will
begin in mid-December of this year and conclude in early February of next year.
The candidate slate will be posted to the SCTE website, www.scte.org, in early April. Voting
will begin in mid-May and conclude toward the end of June. Election results
will be announced no later than mid-August. The newly elected board members
will take office in October at SCTE Cable-Tec Expo® 2009. This shift was necessary due to the
industry-wide consolidation of trade shows that takes effect in 2009, which has
moved Expo—where newly elected board members take office each year—from its
traditional June timeframe to the fall as part of Cable Connection-Fall. Expo
’09 is set for Wednesday through Friday, Oct. 28–30 in The 2008–’09 SCTE Board of Directors is
displayed at www.scte.org in the About Us section
of the website. ********************************* INAUGURAL SCTE CANADIAN SUMMIT SLATED FOR FEBRUARY The Society of Cable Telecommunications
Engineers (SCTE) is pleased to announce today a brand-new annual professional
development opportunity—the SCTE Canadian Summit. The event is set to debut
Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 3–4, 2009, in SCTE Canadian Summit 2009 is designed to facilitate
an exchange of technical information for Canadian engineering professionals to
help them maximize opportunities and overcome challenges specific to the cable
telecommunications industry in The first year of the SCTE Board of Directors member Dermot J.
O’Carroll, who is the SCTE Director-at-Large Canada, will serve as the chair of
the 2009 ********************************* SCTE FOUNDATION PROVIDES MAJOR GRANT TO DANA KRING The SCTE Foundation is pleased to announce today
that it recently awarded a major grant to Society of Cable Telecommunications
Engineers (SCTE) member Dana Kring of Comcast Cable Communications. Kring, of The SCTE Foundation was established by the SCTE
Board of Directors in 2005 and began issuing grants in 2006. The Foundation has
helped numerous SCTE members by distributing grants totaling more than $80,000.
The SCTE Foundation’s primary purpose is to provide expanded educational
opportunities for SCTE members to assist them in accomplishing their
professional development goals and dreams. The SCTE Foundation Board of Directors recently
approved Kring’s application for a major grant following preliminary approvals
by the Foundation’s Major Grants Subcommittee and the Foundation’s Awards Committee. Complete details about the SCTE Foundation,
including the grant and scholarship application, are available at www.scte.org TIA Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) Urges EPA to Exempt Telephony Products From Inapplicable Rules ENERGY STAR® Standby
Usage Requirements Should Not Apply to Devices That Are Never in Standby Mode,
Says TIA The
Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the leader in advocacy,
standards development, business development and intelligence for the
information and communications technology (ICT) industry, today urged the EPA
to clarify that new ENERGY STAR® Telephony “No-Load” rules are
inapplicable and irrelevant to telephony products such as cordless telephones,
answering machines, and combination cordless phones and answering machines. TIA called
upon the EPA to adopt its own proposal to ensure that external power supply
(EPS) units used with ENERGY STAR®-qualified telephony products
would not be required to meet ENERGY STAR® energy consumption
requirements of 0.3 or 0.5 watts when in standby or “No-Load” mode (No-Load
requirements). Most telephony products
use EPS converting AC to DC electrical voltage with a nameplate power that is
typically rated between 4 to 7 watts.
Thus, the EPS used with many telephony products will not meet the
No-Load requirements. However,
TIA noted, the new EPA requirements do not take into account the fact that
cordless telephones, answering systems, and combination units are never in
standby/No-Load mode. Such products
continuously monitor telephone networks for incoming telephone calls and/or
monitor radio links to cordless handsets.
Thus, TIA argued, the EPS No-Load requirements currently imposed are
inapplicable to cordless phones, answering machines, and combination cordless
phones and answering machines. TIA
stated that the EPA must and will clarify, through its proposal, that the
No-Load requirements cannot be applied to cordless phones, answering machines,
and combination cordless phones and answering machines. “TIA
applauds the EPA for proposing a policy that will appropriately eliminate the
ENERGY STAR® No-Load requirements for cordless phones, answering
machines, and combination cordless phones and answering machines,” said
Danielle Coffey, TIA Vice President of Government Affairs. “Our members, many of whom manufacture these
products, should not be burdened by EPA regulations which, when applicable, are
of great benefit, but are inapplicable to many of our members’ products and are
therefore of no benefit. The EPA’s
proposal strikes the important balance of protecting resources and applying
regulations only when appropriate from a technology standpoint,” Coffey added. For more
information, please contact Patrick Sullivan at psullivan@tiaonline.org.
About TIA TIA co-owns
SUPERCOMM
(formerly NXTcomm), the ICT industry tradeshow that showcases the
business and technology solutions enabled by advanced broadband services and
applications; is
accredited by the American
National Standards Institute (ANSI); serves as the secretariat for the
Third Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2); holds Board of Director
positions on the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) TELECOM and USITO
Boards; and hosts the USA pavilions in ITU trade fairs worldwide. More than
1,100 subject matter experts and other industry leaders participate in TIA’s
70+ standards committees and TIA has produced more than 3,000 standards
documents. From mobile and personal communications systems to fiber optics and
cabling infrastructure, from vehicular telematics and terrestrial mobile
multimedia to healthcare ICT, TIA’s engineering committees work to formulate
positions and prepare international standards and reports for use by industry
and government. In
government affairs and international trade, hundreds of experts are at the
table helping to foster and promote initiatives on behalf of the industry –
projects such as advancing global broadband deployment across wireline,
wireless and cable platforms; advocating advanced spectrum management;
encouraging policies to enable information access for persons with
disabilities; seeking allocation of additional spectrum to advance wireless
services and public safety; facilitating market opportunities by promoting
full, fair and open trade and competition in international markets; and
ensuring that the U.S. communications sector continues to be a leader in
advanced research. On the
environmental front, TIA’s EIATRACK subscription-based web service, on the Web
at eiatrack.com,
enables companies to track up-to-date information on environmental regulations
around the world. TIA’s e-cyclingcentral.com service lists
recycling centers for electronics in every state of the 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, ILS Technology, Intel Corporation, LGE, Microsoft,
Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nortel, OneChip Photonics Inc., Panasonic
Computer Solutions Co., Qualcomm, 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, 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 tiaonline.org for details. ********************************* Nokia Siemens Networks, ILS Technology Join Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) Board ILS Technology’s Fred Yentz and
Nokia Siemens’ Susan Schramm Confirmed at August Meeting At its
August meeting, the Board of Directors for the Telecommunications Industry
Association (TIA), the leader in advocacy, standards development, business
development and intelligence for the information and communications technology
(ICT) industry, unanimously confirmed two new Board members: ·
Fred Yentz, CEO of ILS Technology ·
Susan Schramm, Head of Marketing, “It’s no
secret that the industry we represent is hypercompetitive,” said TIA President
Grant Seiffert. “TIA is an association that understands business, and operates
with a business philosophy. As we focus on the challenges ahead – meeting the
demands for services in expanding markets – the insight and experience of
industry leaders like Fred and Susan will help TIA lead the ICT industry as it
grows in new directions. We’re grateful for their service.” At the
meeting, the Board also heard two keynote addresses: ·
Andrew Fanara,
Manager of the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR® Product
Specifications Development Team, discussed the EPA’s current activities
relating to energy efficiency as well as future directions ·
Catherine Avgiris, Comcast Cable’s Senior Vice President and General Manager for Voice
Services, spoke about ComCast’s unique competitive challenges in increasing
market share for its cable, entertainment and communications products
and services. The TIA
Board renewed its commitment to pursuing environmental initiatives, through EIATRACK,
TIA’s global environmental regulatory compliance tracking service, and through e-cyclingcentral.org,
TIA’s free Web database of environmental recycling locations in the
About TIA TIA co-owns
NXTcomm,
the tradeshow serving the ICT industry; is accredited by the American National
Standards Institute (ANSI); serves as the secretariat for the Third
Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2); holds Board of Director positions on
the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) TELECOM and USITO Boards; and
hosts the USA pavilions in ITU trade fairs worldwide. More than
1,100 subject matter experts and other industry leaders participate in TIA’s
70+ standards committees and TIA has produced more than 1,150 standards
documents. From mobile and personal communications systems to fiber optics and
cabling infrastructure, from vehicular telematics and terrestrial mobile
multimedia to healthcare ICT, TIA’s engineering committees work to formulate
positions and prepare international standards and reports for use by industry
and government. In
government affairs and international trade, hundreds of experts are at the
table helping to advance and advocate initiatives on behalf of the industry –
projects such as advancing global broadband deployment across wireline,
wireless and cable platforms; advocating advanced spectrum management;
encouraging policies to enable information access for persons with
disabilities; seeking allocation of additional spectrum to advance wireless
services and public safety; facilitating market opportunities by promoting
full, fair and open trade and competition in international markets; and
ensuring that the U.S. communications sector continues to be a leader in
advanced research. On the
environmental front, TIA’s EIATRACK subscription-based web service, on the Web
at www.eiatrack.com,
enables companies to determine up-to-date information on environmental
compliance of their products in various regions around the world. 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, ILS Technology, LGE, Microsoft,
Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nortel, OneChip Photonics Inc., Panasonic
Computer Solutions Co., Qualcomm, 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, 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. USBGC U.S. Green Building Council Announces Recipients of $2 Million Green Building Research Grants Selected Proposals Represent Diverse
Academic, Non-profit and Private Entities
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) today announced the recipients of its
2008 Green Building Research Fund grants. The Green Building Research
Fund was created to spur research that will advance sustainable building practices
and encourage market transformation. The USGBC committed $2 million to the
program, while the Research Fund is generating $1,150,825 in matching funds and
leveraging additional activities and partnerships. A quarter of the fund
is dedicated to research on occupant impacts in K-12 schools.
About USGBC ********************************* USGB in the NEWS Serving
Architects, Consultants in Everything Green Become Mainstays New York
Times, August 27, 2008 On a recent
Friday, when the rest of the staff of the architecture firm Beyer Blinder Belle
was out of the office enjoying a beautiful August day, about 25 people sat in a
windowless room learning about the Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED) certification process. Conducting
the seminar was Lauren Yarmuth of YRG Sustainable Consultants, one of a growing
cadre of consultants who specialize in helping developers, architects and
sometimes tenants gain an official stamp of approval from the United States
Green Building Council through its LEED certification program - the undisputed
calling card of environmental bragging rights. That some two dozen
architecture professionals - including a partner in the firm - were getting
daylong instruction is indicative of the growing importance of sustainable
design, especially as local and state governments are increasingly requiring
LEED certification of public projects. Read more. New Yorkers
Go Green To Save Green In Tough Times amNew You won't
need a windmill, an array of solar panels, or a roof shaped like a biodome. In fact, it
can be difficult to distinguish between a green home and a conventional one,
but there's one key difference you will notice: More money in the bank. With fuel
costs rising and the city's economy in meltdown, more New Yorkers are taking
simple steps to make their homes environmentally friendly. "The
idea of green is probably something you can't see from the outside," said
Nate Kredich, vice president of residential market development for the Green
Building Council. Kredich
says what distinguishes a green home is it's high quality, with better windows,
insulation and energy efficient appliances. The
Thinkers: PNC's Saulson Finds It's Easy Being Green Ten years
ago, Gary Saulson's life was transformed by a telephone conversation and a leap
of faith. Mr.
Saulson, PNC's director of corporate real estate, had already started to watch
the banking company's new Downtown operations hub, The
alliance's mission is to promote energy-efficient, environmentally friendly
buildings, and Ms. Flora wanted Firstside to become such a structure. Mr. Saulson
was skeptical. "My vision of a green building at that point was dirt
floors and straw walls and people walking around in Birkenstocks, and I don't
know if they were singing Kumbaya but they might have been." Still, he
agreed to set up a meeting with Ms. Flora, and before that session was done,
"I had committed to making Firstside a green building, even though it was
well under construction. "I had
absolutely no idea what I'd committed to. I knew I had committed to doing the
right thing, but that's as far as it went." Read more. The Pat Lobb
knows exactly what it means to be green - $8,000 a month. That's what
he says he saves monthly on his electric bill at Pat Lobb Toyota and Scion in And while
the car business might seem an odd advocate of environmentalism, North Texas
has more green car dealerships - three "As
other dealers saw what Pat had done, it just made sense for them to
follow," said George Irving, retail development manager for Toyota Motor
Sales. Mr. Lobb's
dealership was certified by the U.S. Green Building Council two years ago. One
of the newest "Now
that I've done the gold, got the green, I look back and say I would have beat
myself senseless if I hadn't done this," said Steve Jackson, owner-general
manager of the Rockwall dealership. Read more. ********************************* Registration Now Open for U.S. Green Building Council’s Annual Greenbuild Conference
This year’s show commences on
• E.O. Wilson, University Research Professor Emeritus and
Honorary Curator of Entomology at the
• Paul Anastas, Director, Center for Green Chemistry and
Green Engineering, Yale University https://register.greenbuildexpo.org/scheduler/eventguide/publicScheduleByType.jsp
About USGBC Article Contributions BICSI NEWS Take Control of Your Future Edward J.
Donelan, RCDD, NTS,
TLT As an
information transport systems (ITS) professional, you face difficult challenges
every day. You work hard to please your clients and help them solve their
business needs. This requires access to cutting-edge ideas, current
information, and high-quality resources to be familiar with all of the
available resources for your clients. Your BICSI membership entitles you to a
wide variety of benefits and special offers that range from business services
that save you time and money to publications and programs that can help advance
your career. Customer Service Member
benefits in any association are great tools to help you get ahead and save
money. However, the one piece that is just as important as the actual benefits
is the level of customer service you receive. Great experiences start with
great customer service. No one understands that better than I do. As President
of BICSI I believe your first member benefit is the outstanding level of
customer service that you receive. Our customer service team goes through
weekly training sessions to ensure that everyone they come in contact with,
whether it’s over the telephone or face-to-face, receives the utmost attention
and care, thus making your BICSI experience a great one. It doesn’t end with
the customer service team—everyone at BICSI is driven by this same success formula.
Great benefits plus great customer service equals a great BICSI experience. Education Whether
through open enrollment courses or technical reference manuals, BICSI is
constantly expanding access to educational resources. Open enrollment courses,
suitcase courses, BICSI CONNECT, authorized training facilities (ATFs) and
authorized design training providers (ADTPs) offer members the opportunity to
advance their knowledge and gain new skills. With the BICSI Book with
Confidence Guarantee, members attending open enrollment courses will be covered
for any added expenses if a course cancels less than 30 days from the start
date. BICSI
reference manuals serve as a detailed reference and study guide for the BICSI
credentialing exams. In addition, BICSI is an ANSI-approved standards-making
body and, through ITS industry subject matter experts, can produce its own
standards. BICSI also offers members access to sample request for proposals
(RFPs). Knowledge Sharing and Networking Not only
does BICSI produce a complete library of reference manuals, BICSI also gives
its members access to industry news and association updates through several
routes including the award-winning magazine, BICSI News. Community UPLINK, a
monthly e-newsletter, provides members with the need-to-know information
directly to their
inbox. The Forums
Community, BICSI’s newest addition to its services, facilitates knowledge
sharing between BICSI members, staff and end users. Furthermore, BICSI members
can rest assured that their opinions are being heard by the Board of Directors.
Local representation, including Region Directors and Country Chairs help bring
not only local, but also global needs to BICSI. Through this process, BICSI
Best Practices are also global best practices and can be used by all members
alike. Events Stay
updated on local BICSI news while meeting other ITS professionals and learning
about the latest trends, products and solutions. BICSI conferences, region
meetings, breakfast clubs and the European pub clubs offer members the
opportunity to meet and network with other local professionals. With innovative
and forward-looking speakers and vendors, these events are not only a member
advantage, but also a benefit to the entire ITS industry. Professional Services In addition
to the array of educational services, BICSI works hard to provide its members
with numerous professional services such as continuing education transcript
tracking, health insurance discounts and member and credential holder search
engines. In the
recent months, BICSI has also created several new relation-ships with other
companies to provide its members with an Affinity Discount Program that can be
accessed through ITS-Jobs.com,
a service provided by BICSI, is your source for industry career postings.
Whether searching for a new job to advance in your career, or recruiting talent
to your company, ITS-Jobs.com is the place to explore. BICSI also
has an outstanding charitable outreach program called BICSI Cares. With the
generosity of BICSI members, BICSI Cares has donated well over $1 million to
children’s charities. With the help of conference attendee donations, BICSI
Cares Bears and annual golf outings, BICSI members have proven their dedication
to helping these noteworthy causes. Industry Affiliations BICSI has
worked hard to create a working relationship with both InfoComm and the
Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA). As part of the InfoComm and
BICSI relationship, BICSI members can now participate in InfoComm International
curriculum program at member pricing. In early 2008, BICSI announced the launch
of a renewed collaboration agreement with TIA in an ongoing effort to reach out
and deploy new business systems that will benefit ITS industry professionals.
BICSI is also an authorized General Services Administration (GSA) contract
holder, and holds representation in both the National Electrical Code® (NEC ®)
and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Above, I
have described to you some of the most important benefits your membership
entitles you to. I believe that you would agree with me, that when you compare
the value of the investment you have made by joining BICSI, and measure the
return on investment, you have made a very good decision. When you join BICSI
you gain access to a collection of professional resources that enhance your
knowledge and increase your skills. Take control of your future by becoming and
staying a current and active BICSI member—a decision that very well could
determine your destiny! Thank you for your membership and thank you for
allowing us the opportunity to be of service to you. BICSI News September/October 2008. Reprinted with permission. ********************************* The Evolution of Structured Cabling Standards Standards
remain important for meeting user needs and the changing market for structured
cabling. By Herb Congdon In the
early 1990s, when the data communications market really started taking off, the
lack of a unifying standard proved problematic. There were a proliferation of
proprietary solutions from companies with no way to ensure performance and no
guarantee of interoperability. The lack of standardization hindered the ability
of this industry to both meet the needs of users and to grow as a market. ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-A,
Commercial Building Telecommunications Standard was first ratified in 1991, and
its publication revolutionized the industry. Its purpose was to specify a
structured cabling system that would provide a minimum level of performance,
support a multi-vendor environment, provide direction for the design of
telecommunications equipment and cabling products, and establish performance
and technical criteria for various types of cable and connecting hardware. The
goal was to specify a structured cabling system with a projected usable life of
at least 10 years. The
Commercial Building Telecommunications Standard is, like all standards,
voluntary. However, end users and network designers like to have a
standards-compliant structured cabling system; it provides a known quantity
that they can count on and it helps to ensure that they have a system that is
robust and reliable. That is why changes to this document and other related
documents generate so much interest. Currently
TIA-TR-42 is on the verge of releasing TIA-568-C, the third generation of this
standard. The evolution of this standard provides an interesting perspective
into the development and implementation of solutions that network designers
employ to meet the ever-increasing demands on their local area networks (LANs). Who Develops Standards? Most
standards in the telecommunications industry are voluntary and consensus based.
The two primary organizations that develop standards for this industry are the TIA is
accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to develop
voluntary industry standards for a wide variety of telecommunications products.
The TIA-568 standard is developed by the User Premises Equipment Division under
the auspices of the TR-42 Engineering Committee. This committee comprises representatives
from manufacturers, service providers, consultants and end users, including the
government. Participation in the Engineering Committee can be as a TIA member
company or as an individual. Participation is open to all companies who wish to
contribute to the development of industry standards. Standards
projects and technical documents at TIA are formulated according to the
guidelines established by ANSI and the association’s engineering manual. Any
potential project is initiated by a technical contribution to one of the
engineering committees or subcommittees from an individual or company
requesting the creation of a new standard or technical document in a particular
area of technology. What is the Process for Developing a
Standard? The time to
develop a new standard depends on many factors and can take a few months to
many years (the TR-42.9 subcommittee, for example, has been working in excess
of 10 years on an industrial cabling standard). Once a project has been
approved, contributions are reviewed in subcommittee, draft documents are
created, then balloted to remove or resolve contentious issues. When there is
consensus that the document is ready for publication, the subcommittee can
release the document. How Long are Standards Valid? Standards
are living documents, and must constantly be revised to reflect emerging market
needs. ANSI mandates a maximum five-year lifespan for standards, after which
they must be revised, re-affirmed or withdrawn. During that lifespan, many
addenda may be added to keep the document growing with advances in technology.
These addenda may then be incorporated into the new revision of the standard.
For example, since the
ratification of TIA-568-B in 2001, there have been six addenda to 568-B.1, ten
addenda to 568-B.2 and one addendum to 568-B.3. A standard may be withdrawn at
any time by the responsible engineering committee. How has TIA-568 Changed Since its
Inception? When
TIA-568-A was ratified, copper cabling—mostly category 3 and category 5
unshielded twisted-pair (UTP)—was used almost exclusively throughout building
LANs in o
1995:
TSB-72 introduced “Centralized Fiber Optic Guidelines.” o
2001:
TIA-568-B.1 incorporated centralized cabling
into the standard. o
2005:
TIA 569-B and 568-B.1, Addendum 5 were added to support the use of
telecommunications enclosures (TEs) that enable optical fiber to be used for
zone cabling. Similar
addenda were added and revisions were completed as new applications (such as
Gigabit Ethernet) and new grades of cabling (such as category 6 and 850
nanometer [nm] laser-optimized 50-micron fiber) became available. Also, over
the years, specialized cabling standards documents were published to address
the specific needs of networks that were not office-oriented. The data center
standard (TIA-942) is a good example. What’s New in TIA-568-C? The new
Commercial Building Telecommunications Standard gives users and network
designers more standards compliant solutions—new media choices are included
along with their appropriate installation and testing procedures. However, in
addition to the technical updates, 568-C reflects a new organizational
structure that is designed to simplify and streamline future standards
processes by reducing duplicated information, and establishing a common
foundation for future documents. The
standard is comprised of four documents: 1. TIA-568-C.0 Generic Telecommunications
Cabling (targeted to users/designers/installers). This document houses most
information common to structured cabling in one place and becomes the
foundation for future standards. This is where minimum requirements for generic
telecommunications cabling are specified such as cabling architecture, what
applications the cabling is intended to support and over what distances, and
other general requirements. The document thus serves two purposes—as a
“default” standard for structured
cabling in locations that are not office-oriented or covered by another
standard, and as a foundation for future standards that can now focus on
exceptions and allowances for that location rather than having to reconstruct
all the generic information. Status: The
1st default ballot closed in May 2008. Comments were resolved during a June
meeting. A second default ballot has been issued and may allow for publication
in the August/September time frame. 2. TIA-586-C.1 Commercial Building
(targeted to users/designers/installers).This document specifies the
requirements for telecommunications cabling within and between commercial
(office-oriented) buildings. This document builds on 568-C.0 and focuses on the
requirements and guidance for office-oriented buildings. There are some
technical changes to the information in 568-B.1 that are reflected in this
document. These include the addition of: o
Category
6 balanced twisted-pair cabling. o
Augmented
category 6 twisted-pair cabling. o
850
nm laser-optimized 50/125 µm mm optical fiber. o
Telecommunications
enclosures (TEs). o
Centralized
cabling. o
A
recommendation to select 850 nm laser-optimized 50/125 µm as the multimode optical fiber for commercial
buildings. Some
information was also removed: o
150-ohm
shielded twisted-pair (STP) cabling. o
Category
5 cabling. o
50-ohm
and 75-ohm coaxial cabling. o
Balanced
twisted-pair cabling performance and test requirements (these will be in the
ANSI/TIA-568-C.2 document). Status: The
1st default ballot closed in May 2008. Comment resolution was completed in
June. The standard is out for its 2nd default ballot, and a third default
ballot in the August timeframe is possible. This may allow publication as early
as September, or maybe in October. 3. TIA-568-C.2 Copper Cabling Components
(targeted to manufacturers). This standard includes component and cabling
specifications for copper cabling,
including testing requirements. The document incorporates category 3, category
5e, category 6 and category 6A. Status: The
first committee ballot closed in March. A second committee (30-day) ballot was
issued and plans to review comments at an interim August meeting are in place.
The timeline for this document shows publication in mid-2009. 4. TIA-568-C.3 Optical Cabling Components
(targeted to manufacturers). This document addresses component and cabling
specifications for optical fiber cabling. The standard now includes all three
types of multimode fiber (82.5 µm, 50 µm and 850 nm laser-optimized 50 µm). The
addition of array connectors is particularly noteworthy. Status:
This document has been released for publication. That’s Not All, Folks In addition
to the changes to TIA-568, there is continued effort to refine other documents
to address the installation needs of specific types of end use applications. ANSI/TIA/EIA-942
Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard for Data Centers, which was released
in 2005, recognizes that the needs of the data center and storage area network
require different guidelines than commercial building LANs. A recent addendum
on coaxial cabling was released for specific data center applications. A new
project to address subjects such as temperature and humidity guidelines was
started in June. The TR-42.9
Industrial Cabling subcommittee continues to work on an Industrial Cabling
Standard (to be TIA-1005). This standard, which will have been 11 years in the
making, looks specifically at industrial applications and their unique
challenges—very long cabling runs, excessive radio frequency
interference/electromagnetic interference (RFI/EMI), and exposure to extreme
temperature variations, vibrations, dirt, gases and liquids. The standard is
currently out for default ballot and may be published in October 2008. Another
vertical market that is attracting interest is multi-tenant/multi-dwelling
units (MTU/MDU). TR-42.2, TR-42.12 and TR-42.13 are looking at the challenges
facing this emerging application with an eye toward defining the optical
infrastructure for both MDU residential (apartments, townhouses and
condominiums) and MTU commercial properties included mixed-use builds and
extending the reach of singlemode optical fiber services. This may become a standards
development project in October. Thinking Healthy and Green TIA has
established the TR-49 Engineering Committee for Healthcare Communications
Technology. TR-42 had already been
working on a project to develop a Technical
Services Bulletin (TSB) for a Healthcare Facility Cabling. The task group is
creating a draft now that the new TIA-568-C.0 document is nearly complete. To
successfully complete such a project, TR-42 is soliciting contributions from
experienced experts on what makes health care facility cabling different from
commercial building cabling. TIA,
recognizing the widespread and widely defined “green initiative,” has taken
steps to establish a knowledge and document base to address this subject.
Another new engineering committee will be established for this effort. In the
meantime, engineering committees such as TR-42 are collecting ideas and
submitting contributions to TIA for consideration. Fine Tuning the Structure of the
Structured Cabling System Committees In addition
to re-issuing the major standard for commercial building structured cabling,
the engineering committee that produces the work has also undergone some
restructuring. In February 2008, the TIA FO-4, Committee on Fiber Optics,
Engineering Committee merged into the TIA TR-42, User Premises
Telecommunications Cabling Infrastructure, Engineering Committee. While there will be little short-term impact
on the responsibilities and activities of these committees and their
subcommittees, there are some longer-term benefits expected. From an
administrative perspective, the TIA’s Technical Committee saw an opportunity to
bolster the FO-4 Engineering Committee, which was addressing standards
development in new areas such as the MDU market. The growth
of optical fiber in customer-owned networks, such as commercial buildings and
data centers, and the recognized absence of optical fiber component and testing
expertise meant that the TIA-TR-42 Engineering Committee was a likely partner
for FO-4. In February 2007, the two engineering committees started co-locating
their meetings and hosting joint leadership meetings. During the year it became
apparent that there were multiple synergistic benefits to be realized from the
merger, such as: o
Balancing
the component and testing expertise for balanced twisted-pair cabling in
TR-42.7 with component and testing expertise for optical fiber cabling in
TR-42.8. o
Incorporating
optical fiber into new and existing common and premise standards. o
Capitalizing
on new applications that are based on optical fiber. o
Halfway
through 2008, the effects of the merger of these committees are very positive.
With more resources and expertise, TR-42 is well positioned making sure that
the standards that the industry depends upon can keep up with emerging markets
and technologies. It Takes an Industry Standards
development works best with balanced input from all segments of the industry
and the TR-42 Engineering Committee counts on contributions, comments and
constructive criticism to produce effective, useful and competent documents.
Working closely with members of BICSI, end-users and manufacturers has been an
effective way to achieve those goals. Your participation and input are welcome
and often necessary. Feel free to speak up and be part of the success. BICSI News September/October 2008. Reprinted with permission. ********************************* Optical Fiber in the Data Center Specification
of lower loss cables and connectors and optical fiber rated for longer
distances offer design flexibility. By David Mazzarese For network
managers, installers and consultants, all eyes are on the data center. In
businesses, educational and health facilities, and government organizations,
this critical facility is at the hub of an explosion in bandwidth demand. The
drivers behind this growth include the tremendous popularity of video and other
high-bandwidth content on the Internet, the growing interest in
videoconferencing, greater demand for data storage and recordkeeping, and the
rise in supercomputing applications. This trend
is expected to continue, in part because of government data warehousing
legislation and recommendations for the medical and financial industries, along
with the need for redundancy to protect against catastrophic loss. As a result,
data centers and storage area networks (SANs) are expected to see further
upgrades to higher networking speeds of 40 and 100 Gigabits per second (Gb/s),
depending on the application. Optical
fiber is the transmission medium of choice for these networks, due to its low
loss and high bandwidth, small size, and low power consumption and generation
of heat. In this article, optical fiber choices available to the data center
user will be reviewed and the evolution of standards that will determine which
solutions are being defined by the industry as the most effective and
cost-efficient will be discussed. Network Architectures and Protocols Today’s
enterprise networks are increasingly taking advantage of 10 Gb/s-capable
multimode optical fiber for backbone cabling in order to support 1 Gb/s-capable
copper or optical fiber horizontal links. Traditional hierarchal star
architecture is still used predominantly, but there are increased deployments
of fiber-to-the-enclosure (FTTE) architecture that extend the high-performance
capability of optical fiber much closer to the workstation. In the data
center, where much of the information traveling over the local area network
(LAN) is processed and stored, systems are becoming predominately optical fiber
in order to keep up with the amount of information that needs to be managed. Data
centers typically consist of a SAN and a bank of servers that control the
information traveling over the network. Data centers are connected to the LAN
through an intranet and to the World Wide Web through the Internet. With more
data being processed both internally and externally, the data center needs to
be able to handle ever-increasing data rates. Switches
and servers in the data center typically use Ethernet as their communications
protocol. Currently, 10 Gb/s (or “10G”) is the fastest Ethernet speed that has
been standardized (IEEE 802.3ae for optical fiber, published in 2002, and IEEE
802.3an for copper, published in 2006). However, the In the SAN
portion of the data center, Fibre Channel is the predominant protocol
used. Heavily focused on optical fiber,
Fibre Channel uses “Base2” speeds, doubling with each new generation (2GFC,
4GFC, 8GFC, etc.). Current efforts are focusing on 16GFC for the next Base2 speed. Fibre
Channel also uses a “Base10” protocol for inter-switch links and core
connections. 10GFC was published on the heels of 10G and includes virtually the
same 850-nm serial vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) solution for
10 Gb/s up to 300 meters (m [984 feet (ft)]) on 50 µm laser-optimized multimode
optical fiber (also called OM3 optical fiber). Looking ahead, Fibre Channel is
working on 20GFC and already has sights set on 40GFC as the next Base10 speed. Multimode Optical Fiber Offers
Better Performance, Lower Costs Several
transmission media are available for use in the data center. These include
various performance grades, or “categories,” of copper cabling, and different
types and performance grades of optical fiber.
Copper
cabling has long been considered the least expensive option for data center
applications, but its performance is limited in terms of transmission capacity
and reach. For example, looking ahead at 40G and 100G transmission speeds, it
is expected that copper will only be able to handle these speeds for very short
distances, on the order of 10 m (33 ft) or so. It is too early to tell what
makeup or type of copper cable will be necessary for these speeds.
Historically, as transmission speeds increase, copper-based systems become more
complex and costly. On the
optical fiber side, users have a choice between singlemode and multimode
optical fiber. Singlemode optical fiber
has very high bandwidth that can be transmitted long distances, but the
optoelectronics required to do so are quite a bit more expensive than multimode
(on the order of 25–30 percent higher).
Even if you only need to go a few hundred meters, as with data centers,
you still need the more expensive optical fibers if you were to use singlemode.
There are
two types of multi-mode optical fiber—62.5 µm and 50 µm, named because of their
core sizes and various performance grades—listed here in increasing order of
reach and performance capability: OM1 62.5 µm, and OM2, OM3, and soon to be OM4
50 µm. Again using
the 40 and 100G example, optical fiber is needed to transmit greater than 10 m
(33 ft). Fortunately, distances of 100–200 m (328-656 ft) or more are expected
to be achievable using existing, standards-based OM3 multimode optical fiber
(also known as laser-optimized 50 µm) and soon-to-be-standardized OM4 multimode
optical fiber (extended-length laser-optimized 50 µm). Why is
optical fiber more expensive for singlemode than multimode? Two factors come
into play–the wavelength of operation and, more significantly, the size of the
optical fiber cores where the light is carried. The material used for the laser
to achieve long wavelength (1310 nm, 1550 nm) transmission is more expensive
than that for 850 nm short wavelength lasers. But more importantly, the
transceivers used with singlemode optical fibers require significantly tighter
alignment tolerances in order to couple, or capture, the light into its tiny (9
micron) core. Not only is high-precision transceiver packaging required, but
also tighter tolerance connectors and careful cable installation and
termination practices are necessary. All this adds considerable cost as
compared with multimode optical fiber for data center applications. So for
shorter reach premises applications like a data center, multimode optical fiber
can easily provide the needed bandwidth (supporting up to 10 Gb/s or more
serially and 40 and 100 Gb/s in parallel arrays) well into the future at much
lower expense than singlemode optical fiber.
Differential Mode Delay
(DMD)-Controlled Optical Fiber Helps Ensure Performance Today,
approximately 70 percent of the multimode optical fiber installed in the data
center is OM3 or OM4 optical fiber. These laser optimized optical fibers,
designed for 850 nm transmission using VCSELs as a light source, all feature a
differential mode delay (DMD)-controlled core that helps ensure 10 Gb/s support
with low-cost 850 nm serial applications up to their rated distances. Even
though these optical fibers are intended for high performance applications,
they can still support 1 Gb/s operation, and their
50-micron core size couples sufficient power from light emitting diode (LED)
sources to support legacy protocols like Token Ring, fiber distributed data
interface (FDDI), Ethernet and Fast Ethernet, and slower Fibre Channel speeds
for virtually all in-building networks. OM3 is the
most widely deployed laser-optimized multimode optical fiber, providing 10 Gb/s
trans-mission with low cost 850 nm serial applications for distances up to 300
m (984 ft). For longer distances (e.g., large building backbones, medium-length
campus backbones) and more sensitive power budget applications (e.g., data
center equipment inter-connects), OM4 optical fiber with specifications that
are significantly tighter than the current standards for OM3 are often deployed. OM4 optical
fiber, which can support 10 Gb/s Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and OIF applications
to 550 m (1804 ft) using the same low-cost 850 nm VCSELs, is expected to become
standardized in the industry through work currently being conducted in several
international bodies including the TIA TR42.12 and IEC SC86A WG1. The key to
the performance of these optical fibers is a manufacturing process that
produces an optical fiber with almost no DMD and 4700 MHz-km of effective modal
bandwidth (EMB), more than double the IEEE® requirement for 10 Gb/s 300 m (984
ft) support. Cassette-Based Solutions To better
manage the growth and increasing number of ports in a data center,
pre-terminated multi-fiber trunk cables and multi-point optical (MPO)
connectors are being used. For example, this will allow 12 optical fibers to be
terminated with one mated pair of connectors. These pre-term assemblies provide
ease of installation, space savings, and greatly simplify the connectivity
portion of the network. In one
commonly used architecture, 12 optical fiber cables with MPO connectors are run
between cassettes that then fan out to individual optical fiber ports. This
architecture simplifies installation but could result in more connections than
usual in a given optical link between the transmitter and receiver.
Furthermore, multi-fiber MPO connectors typically exhibit higher connection or
insertion loss than single-fiber connectors. In these
cases, multimode optical fiber again is the better choice for transmission
media compared to singlemode. First, the larger core of a multimode optical
fiber makes it easier to align their cores at a connection point, making them
less sensitive to connection loss. Second, using a higher bandwidth optical
fiber such as OM4 over a distance less than what it is rated for (typically 550
m [1804 ft] at 10G) provides additional channel insertion loss (ChIL) margin,
or “headroom,” to accommodate the additional, higher loss connectors. Finally,
the additional headroom can translate to more safety margin, providing
additional immunity from installation challenges (e.g., cable routing,
termination), link degradation from moves, adds, or changes (MACs), or from
aging of electronics. Power Consumption and Cooling
Considerations One of the
greatest challenges with today’s data centers is minimizing costs associated
with power consumption and cooling. The more power that is consumed, the higher
the cost and more heat generated. This requires more cooling, which adds even
more cost. The comparatively low power requirements of optical networks give
them a big advantage over copper. For
example, a 10G BASE-T transceiver in a copper system uses about 6 watts (W) of power. The comparable 10G BASE-SR
optical transceiver uses less than 1 W to transmit the same signal. Thus, each
optical connection saves about 5 W of power. Data centers vary in size, but if
10,000 connections at 5 W each were considered, that is 50 kW less
power—significant savings from using less power-hungry optical technology. Furthermore,
the power used by these transmitters is dissipated as heat, which must then be
removed from the room in order to keep the electronics cool. Typical air
conditioning has an energy efficiency rating of around 10, meaning that it
takes 10 W of power to remove one W of heat. Removing the 50 kW of power
described above would require about 500 kW of energy! The energy costs of
cooling are 10 times the energy of operating the transceivers themselves. That
is a total of 550 extra kW of power needed to operate a 10,000 port,
copper-based data center. Looking Ahead to Higher Speeds As
mentioned previously, IEEE® is currently developing new standards for higher
speed transmission, 40 Gb/s and 100 Gb/s, in data centers and other high
performance computing (HPC) applications. The IEEE 802.3ba task force is
working to develop these 40G and 100G standards simultaneously (40 Gb/s will
support the server market, while100 Gb/s is needed for core switching and
routing applications, network aggregation, and high performance computing). For shorter
reach data center and equipment interconnects, IEEE 802.3ba is focusing on a
physical medium dependent (PMD) solution that takes advantage of parallel
optical fiber technology (which is already being used in current platforms such
as InfiniBand), thereby helping to keep costs as low as possible. Parallel
optical fibers entails simultaneous transmission of one 10 Gb/s signal on each
of 4 or 10 optical fibers (for 40G and 100G, respectively). Arrayed
transceivers using 4 or 10 VCSELs and detectors, as appropriate, will aggregate
each 10 Gb/s
signal. To further
balance cost with performance, the task force is working to leverage proven
technology, media and network management practices. In fact, they will likely
relax component performance specifications in some cases in order to help
reduce overall cost. An example is the VCSEL light sources for shorter reach
applications using multimode optical fiber. The 802.3ba is considering a
relaxation of the spectral width of these sources from 0.45 nm (the current
10GbE requirement) to 0.65 nm. This limits the distance of such a link (due to
chromatic dispersion effects) to 100 m (328 ft) using OM3 optical fiber. For some
data centers and other applications that may require support beyond 100 m (328
ft), an ad hoc group within IEEE® is studying how this could be accomplished in
a cost-effective manner. It might make use of better performing transceivers,
or of an OM4 grade of optical fiber, or a combination of the two. Handling “Delay Skew” Any
discussion of a parallel transmission approach will include a topic called
“delay skew,” which is being addressed by the IEEE® task force. Delay skew is
the difference in signal arrival time from one lane, or optical fiber, to the
next. Skew can be affected by differences in the physical lengths of each
optical fiber within the cable, and by any difference in speed that the light
signal travels down one optical fiber compared to adjacent optical fibers. Delay skew
will not be a hindrance to parallel transmission over any cable design, as it
will be compensated for effectively within the transceiver circuitry. In fact,
proven techniques for skew compensation in copper cabling and other parallel
optical fiber applications are already well established. The new
standard for 40 and 100 Gb/s transmission will include procedures for
compensating for skew, ensuring that industry-recognized cable designs such as
loose tube, tight buffer, and ribbon cable all can be accommodated, and the
full performance range of current, industry-standard OM3 multimode optical
fibers can be used. Exceeding the Standards for Higher
Performance Data center
designers are likely to agree that the lowest cost solution for 10 Gb/s
deployment will contain a significant amount of OM3 optical fiber, and as the
systems migrate to higher speeds of 40-100 Gb/s, laser optimized 50/125
multimode optical fiber can provide the lowest cost and most reliable solution
as compared to copper cable or singlemode optical fiber. Once
settled on the optical fiber type for their data center network, the user must
be sure that the optical fiber products they specify can provide the
performance and reliability needed. This is especially critical in 10G
applications at 850 nm, since loss budgets for these systems are lower than
previous applications. As briefly mentioned earlier in this article, you may
want your network to have extra power “headroom” to accommodate additional
connections and higher loss connectors, and to improve overall reliability. There are
two ways to achieve greater power headroom (also known as power margin): first,
by reducing ChIL, the end-to-end loss resulting from all connections and
splices in the link, plus the attenuation of the cable itself; second, by using
a higher bandwidth optical fiber to reduce intersymbol interference (ISI),
which occurs when bits of data run together. Because
network downtime can be very expensive, reliability is a key consideration for
high performance networks. For greater flexibility in network design and,
ultimately, greater reliability, follow these strategies: · Specify lower loss cables and
connectors, which provide more power margin. · Specify an optical fiber rated for a
longer distance than what it will be used. · Do not assume that all products that
meet a particular standard are equal; it is possible to find higher performing
products that exceed the standards. All of this
is especially true in demanding data center applications. The most
cost-effective solution is OM3 optical fibers that have been designed and
manufactured specifically for laser transmission, and have performance
characteristics that exceed the standards. They are available in various
performance grades, and should feature a DMD-controlled core that helps ensure
10 Gb/s support with low-cost 850 nm serial applications up to their rated
distances. BICSI News September/October 2008. Reprinted with permission. BUILDINGGREEN.COM Current Stories from Environmental Building News BuildingGreen
publishes information in outlets such as Environmental Building News (EBN) and
BuildingGreen Suite that cover the most pressing issues in environmentally
sensitive design and construction with a clear approach to all sides of an
issue, keeping our readers informed on building for sustainability. This email
brings you, as a news editor or website owner interested in sustainable design,
links to breaking stories currently posted in the free area of
www.BuildingGreen.com. We
encourage you to post these summaries and links on your website. However,
please DO NOT post full articles without direct permission from Jim Newman at
BuildingGreen, LLC. When
posting the summaries and links below on your website(s), please make it clear
that the stories are coming from Environmental Building News and that the full
article is available at www.BuildingGreen.com. Please include this byline: "From
Environmental Building News, www.BuildingGreen.com." BuildingGreen
LLC owns the copyrights to all material contained in this email and to the full
written articles. All rights are reserved except those explicitly granted
herein. Contact Jim Newman at BuildingGreen LLC, Jim@BuildingGreen.com with
questions or for additional information. All
materials Copyright BuildingGreen, LLC 2008. ********************************* Free Energy Modeling in Google SketchUp Nadav Malin Integrated
Environmental Solutions (IES) has launched a plug-in for Google SketchUp that
delivers energy and carbon footprint simulations to inform early-stage design
decisions. The free plug-in provides results without any additional software
requirements, although owners of IES's Virtual Environment package or its
VE-Toolkits can perform additional analyses, such as daylight or airflow
modeling. The plug-in provides functionality from SketchUp that IES previously
offered only from Autodesk's Revit Architecture and Revit MEP, including
documentation for the LEED daylighting credit. Link to the
full article: http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm/2008/9/3/Free-Energy-Modeling-in-Google-SketchUp/
Vapor Retarders and Air Barriers:
Managing Moisture in Building Envelopes Backpage Primer from Environmental
Building News Moisture
from air can get into a wall cavity through air leaks or, in smaller
quantities, by diffusing through a permeable material such as drywall. Many
people think in terms of vapor barriers addressing both of these problems, but
there are two distinct functions: preventing air leakage, accomplished with an
air barrier; and controlling moisture diffusion, which calls for a vapor
retarder. Preventing
condensation inside the assembly is not always as straightforward as installing
a vapor retarder on the warm side of the wall, however. Many regions see
significant heating as well as cooling needs; the warm side of the wall changes
in different seasons. Also, common building materials, such as plywood,
function as vapor retarders, even if they were not installed for that purpose. Link to the
full article: ********************************* D.C. Requires Building Owners to Report Energy Use Washington, D.C. was among the early cities to
require privately owned buildings to meet LEED standards. Now, it is requiring the city government as well as private building owners to benchmark their buildings using the Energy Star Portfolio Manager tool and to submit performance data to the City, which will then publish it for the public. Link to the
full article: ********************************* Sustainable Design Leaders Explore Their Profession Nadav Malin In late
July, sustainable design directors and coordinators from 46 architecture and
design firms gathered in Link to the
full article: ********************************* The Challenge of Creating Living Buildings Allyson
Wendt The Living
Building Challenge was launched in 2006 by the Cascadia Region Green Building
Council, a chapter of both the U.S. Green Building Council and the Canada Green
Building Council. A stringent certification system, the Living Building
Challenge consists of 16 prerequisites -- there are no optional credits. No
buildings have yet achieved certification, in part because the Challenge
requires buildings to be operational for at least a year before being
certified. "We
knew this was going to be much more frustrating and much more time consuming
than any other options," said Skip Backus about pursuing Link to the
full article: http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm/2008/8/28/The-Challenge-of-Creating-Living-Buildings/ BuildingGreen,
LLC is publisher of the nation's oldest publication on sustainable design and
construction and the leading national directory of green building products. For
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LLC | CARLINI Why don’t we have aggressive network marketing like “faster network speeds or your money back” in the United States British
Telecom is the major network carrier in For a fee of
about $160, they will come out and set up a connection they guarantee will give
you 0.5 Mbps more than what you have. If they can’t, you get your money back.
They seem to be pretty confident about their services. In the Oh, wait.
We do have speed guarantees, but the tariffs for dial-up lines have never been
updated. The guaranteed speeds are so slow you would never get any money back.
The last time I looked, guaranteed data speed on a dial-up line was 4,800 bits
per second. That’s 4.8
Kbps, which was considered a decent speed in 1979. Though we
talk about upgrading our network infrastructure in the The
ShamWow! of Network Services If you’ve
ever seen the commercials from ShamWow! (the “miracle towel”), you know its
hype and its claims. It also seems to attract your interest into buying some
towels. Maybe this
is what some of the network carriers need to do in order to get more people
attracted to their network services. Marketing new network services was never a
strong suit of the phone companies. Maybe they need to get some tips from
British Telecom as well as the ShamWow! guy. To those
who would argue that the phone companies really do have great marketing, how
many of you bought ISDN from the late 1980s? Projections for ISDN by “all the
experts” were that most Fortune 500 companies would have it in by the late
1980s and all residences would have it in by the early 1990s. That never
happened. Maybe
network carriers like AT&T and Qwest need to show some definitive examples
of how they can move information faster instead of trying to protect their
stagecoach-era copper networks. Just like soaking up water with a “miracle
towel,” the network carriers need to show what high speeds can do for people
downloading large files and videos. Fighting
Utopia, Providing Less Qwest has
been cited for restricting competition and trying to keep consumers locked into
slow speeds delivered by their copper-based networks. An article
followed up by many comments shows the lack of motivation for Qwest to offer
something competitive. Instead, Qwest roadblocks progress with lawsuits and
requests for restrictions while claiming the company is protecting the
consumer. When you
look at the comparisons in the charts, Qwest comes up short and expensive. The
comparison gets even more one-sided when you compare higher-speed services. Qwest’s
president says: “Why provide a Rolls-Royce when a Chevrolet will do?” A Rolls is
about 10 times the cost of a loaded Chevrolet and provides a lot more. Using
his own analogy, the price of Qwest should then be one-tenth of the
competition. Based on his executive expertise and perception of the market, we
should be seeing Qwest service prices drop down to this: While the
Qwest monthly cost is one-tenth the price, the Mstar upstream speed is 50 times
faster than the Qwest upstream speed. That’s well beyond a Rolls-Royce
comparison. Where do
they get these executives? Let’s see the Qwest president put his network
services where his mouth is. Try $5.95 a month with no ups and no extras. That
might be a more fair price for services that don’t compare in speed as well as
symmetrical upstream speeds. Gimmick
For Customers? Should we
also have the same “money-back deals” in the There are
several speed tests you can use to
measure what you’re getting with your connection speed. The incumbent phone
companies have failed to get out of their tired strategy of “we will sell no
technology before we think it’s time”. Instead of
spending tens of millions of dollars on lobbyists and lawsuits to impede the
progress of other alternative carriers and protect their stagecoach-era copper
infrastructure, they should pour more money into network upgrades and provide
speeds that keep us in a competitive edge instead of a non-competitive rut. Carlinism: There needs to be real competition
to get network speeds up and costs down in the James
Carlini will be speaking at the University Club of Chicago on Sept. 30, 2008.
His topic will be “Beyond the Veolia Study: Intelligent Infrastructure”: All
members are invited to hear Carlini’s presentation on this important study,
which is a timely and important topic to Check
out Carlini’s blog at CarlinisComments.com. James
Carlini is an adjunct professor at Northwestern University.
He is also president of Carlini & Associates. Carlini can be
reached at james.carlini@sbcglobal.net or
773-370-1888. Copyright
2008 Jim Carlini To be removed from this Mailing, please contact the sender. ********************************* Comcast, Other Bandwidth Providers Plan to Limit Monthly Downloads Comcast is
planning to limit the amount you can download for any given month. Others are
planning to do the same. More than
two years ago, I focused on the issue of making sure you got your money’s worth
on network speeds. I talked about seeing a network speedometer so you could
always know how much speed you were getting. My focus
was to question the accuracy of service the average was buying. Would you pay
for a gallon of gas if the pump was only pumping out three quarts and
registering a gallon? No way. Some
thought that idea was ridiculous while others thought it would be useful to see
what exactly you were getting for what you paid. Are you getting that extra
speed you’re buying? Is it constant? A lot of questions could be easily
answered. From the perspective of the carriers, perhaps they would be answered
too easily. Some of the
cable companies are now going in a different direction with ideas of metering
usage to limit capacities of how much you can download per month. We could
start to see a meter or icon appear on our screens looking like this: This was
first discussed as “consumption-based billing” at Time Warner in the early part
of 2008. Others are looking at this as a way to limit downloads as well. At
some companies, charges for going over capacity can range from $1.25 to $4 a
gigabyte. If you’re over by 10 gigabytes, you could incur a $40 “extra charge”.
Comcast
Plans to Limit Customers Starting on
Oct. 1, 2008, Comcast is putting into effect a policy that limits the amount of
usage of capacity. As pointed
out above, the idea of limiting the amount you can download isn’t unique to
Comcast. Other cable companies are looking at this as well. Comcast doesn’t
think it’s limiting the residential consumer too much. In the company’s
amendment to its acceptable use policy (AUP), Comcast defines what 250
gigabytes of monthly bandwidth can accommodate: 250
gigabytes a month is an extremely large amount of data. [It’s] much more than a
typical residential customer uses on a monthly basis. The median monthly data
usage by our residential customers is [currently] approximately 2 to 3
gigabytes. To put 250
gigabytes of monthly usage in perspective, a customer would have to do any one
of the following: Send 50
million e-mails (at 0.05 kilobytes per e-mail) Download 62,500 songs (at 4
megabytes per song) Download 125 standard-definition movies (at 2 gigabytes per
movie) Upload 25,000 high-resolution digital photos (at 10 megabytes per photo)
For the
most part, that’s more than what a vast majority of people would use in a
month. Comparing it with the proposed limits by other companies, it’s
substantially more generous. Some other
cable companies are looking at 30 to 60 gigabytes per month as the threshold. Will that
average usage grow for the average user? In Should
Consumption Be a Real-Time Meter? Will the
cable companies send some type of warning so you don’t incur an overcharge? It
could look like this: How
reliable are these “metering” capabilities? Has anyone set any standards of how
and what this metering should look like? What about accuracy? That was one of
the big problems with electrical utilities decades ago. Their metering
equipment wasn’t accurate. There are still utilities that have faulty measuring
devices and consumers have to question their accuracy. In the case
of Time Warner, Frontier, Comcast and all the rest; who’s going to ascertain
that their “digital capacity meters” are accurate? Will it be the FCC? Even the
utilities that have been around for decades (if not more than a century) still
have billing problems due to inaccurate readings and billing calculations. You might
see something like this if you go over your monthly gigabyte limit: These are
questions that should be answered before policies and procedures get put in
place that impact the average user and their monthly bill. Carlinism:
Improving critical infrastructure needs a bipartisan effort rather than
bipartisan apathy. James
Carlini will be speaking at the University Club of Chicago on Sept. 30, 2008.
His topic will be “Beyond the Veolia Study: Intelligent Infrastructure”: All
members are invited to hear Carlini’s presentation on this important study,
which is a timely and important topic to Check out
Carlini’s blog at CarlinisComments.com. James
Carlini is an adjunct professor at Click here
for Carlini’s full biography. ********************************* Nicholas G. Carr: Is IT a Competitive Advantage or Necessity? Published
on 9/17/2008 at www.MidwestBusiness.com where you always read REAL perspectives Carlini’s
Comments, MidwestBusiness.com’s oldest column, runs every Wednesday. Its
mission is to offer the common man’s view on business and technology issues
while questioning the leadership and visions of “pseudo” experts. If you
don’t understand that IT has become inextricably linked into the core business
of most industries, then you don’t understand IT. I had the
opportunity last week to sit in on a traveling book presentation from Nicholas
G. Carr. He’s a former Harvard Business Review editor. Carr wrote
the book “Does IT Matter? Information Technology and the Corrosion of
Competitive Advantage”. His latest book is called “The Big Switch: Rewiring the
World From Edison to Google”. Can IT Be a Utility? I listened
to Carr talk about the concept of IT moving toward a more “utility approach”
for service (like electricity). While his argument is weak since electricity is
a commodity, an organization’s IT has a lot of embedded intellectual property
in it that is unique and critical. That can’t
be commoditized or entrusted to a third-party service offering. Though there
certainly are some non-essential applications that could be outsourced from a
corporation, the point that Carr makes is that IT is not part of the core
business. I disagree. Has Carr
ever been involved in large-scale systems and application integration within a
competitive environment let alone mission-critical systems where the life and
death of the whole organization and/or its customers is balanced on real-time
capabilities? Carr cited
the explosion of more companies utilizing computers over the last 30 years and
tried to make the case that IT would eventually parallel the evolution of
electricity. The market would pursue giving up the IT department to turn to an
outside, utility-provided IT service. What he
didn’t observe is that IT is no longer a competitive advantage. Instead, it’s a
competitive necessity if you want to compete today. That’s why there has been
such an explosion of implementing computers. Everyone is
trying to contend with others with sophisticated warehousing programs,
computer-aided manufacturing and other specialized applications and customer
service databases. Computers and all the related software applications are what
you need to be a player in just about any industry. No Universal Solution We were
very fortunate to have some discourse in the question-and-answer period after
his presentation. I pointed out that all these “universal solutions” to
organizational issues never turn out to be universally accepted let alone
universally implemented. Whatever
your core business, the fact is it’s intertwined with your information
technology networks. It can’t easily be outsourced without a loss of security
as well as management control. Can’t think of an example? Let me give you the
one I gave Carr. The Chicago
Mercantile Exchange (CME) has a proprietary electronic trading platform that it
built in order to compete with other exchanges. The CME didn’t outsource this
strategic application. The CME also wouldn’t entrust a third party to run
systems that have hundreds of trillions of dollars worth of transactions
running on them. This
capability has made the CME the leader in that industry and has given them a
competitive advantage over other exchanges from the intellectual property they
developed. The electronic trading platform is part of their core business. If you have
driven your systems to a point where you have some type of competitive
advantage over the rest of the market (like the CME), would you entrust a third
party to maintain that advantage for you? I would never advise my clients to do
that. Carr’s
response was that it will take 10 to 25 years for organizations to accept the
“utility” concept. He made the reference that people didn’t trust banks at
first and then entrusted them with their money. I pointed
out that banks are not infallible. Just look at the $200 billion bailout of
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. I didn’t mention the spinout of others like IT is a Strategic Direction If you’re
not using IT strategically, then maybe you should step down as a CEO because
you’re still living in a 1950s framework of corporate strategy. If your CIO
or CTO isn’t focused on harnessing new capabilities to expand and create new
markets using IT networks and if instead they’re just trying to reduce IT
budgets to get a yearly bonus, it’s time to replace them. Universal
cost cutting is not an executive skill. It also shouldn’t be “incented” in
executive pay packages. Executives should be focused on expanding markets. They
shouldn’t focus on low-level cost cutting that at best is a clerk- or
analyst-level job. Hire
someone who understands how to apply technology to the core business. Not everything
is focused on cost cutting. You have to spend money to make money. Some CEOs,
CIOs and CTOs think they can outsource their company’s applications without
sacrificing control and ownership. Are there executives like that still out
there? Yes. Successful
corporations have had second thoughts about outsourcing critical applications.
You don’t give away intellectual property or entrust a third party with that
intellectual property if you think it’s vital to your business. Do you
think a casino that manages a very complex database of gamblers (including what
they spend when they come to What about
all the databases of supposedly secure companies that have been hacked into for
people’s credit card numbers? Do you think a third party would do a better job?
That is Carr’s premise. What if
they don’t? What should the damages be? Would the third party be indemnified to
not being liable for economic damages? If that were the case, why would anyone
in the world give away the strategic intelligence of their business to a third
party that wouldn’t be held economically responsible if that information was
corrupted or stolen? Not Everyone Drank the Kool-Aid While I
commend Carr for writing the book to stimulate discourse on this topic, I don’t
agree with his premise. You can’t
commoditize intellectual property that is unique, strategic and critical to one
organization and put it out to a “utility” that may or may not be able to
protect or enhance it. If a CEO thinks this is the way to go, then he or she
should go the way of the CEOs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (and without any
severance package). Is there a
market for a “utility” type of capability for certain applications? Of course,
but it’s far from being a universal solution. Any organization that has built a
sophisticated platform of mission-critical applications should understand what
they have and should be very cautious to even consider handing that off to any
third-party service provider. As I was
walking out of the seminar, a president of a local software company rode down
the elevator with me. He said: “It’s nice to see that not everyone drank the
Kool-Aid.” Carlinism:
The further away someone is from working on actual implementations, the more
easy it is for them to suggest solutions that don’t work. James
Carlini will be speaking at the University Club of Chicago on Sept. 30, 2008.
His topic will be “Beyond the Veolia Study: Intelligent Infrastructure”: All
members are invited to hear Carlini’s presentation on this important study,
which is a timely and important topic to Check out
Carlini’s blog at CarlinisComments.com. James
Carlini is an adjunct professor at Click here
for Carlini’s full biography. Electrical Contracting Magazine Showing NECA’s True Colors: Shades of Green While NECA
2008 The event
also will show a larger public, which includes influential decision-makers and
potential customers, just what the National Electrical Contractors Association
is doing to promote electrical contractors’ success in this growing market—and
why. The fact
that participation in sustainable, energy-efficient construction promises
bottom-line benefits is already apparent. The economists at McGraw-Hill
Construction say the market for environmentally friendly buildings will account
for between $12 billion and $20 billion this year alone. That’s up to 10
percent of the total construction market, and the figure is expected to double
within five years. As the 2008
“Profile of the Electrical Contractor” revealed in the July issue of Electrical
Contractor, last year almost half of all electrical contractors (46 percent)
worked on projects that included green/sustainable building elements, and this
type of work provided, on average, 9 percent of total revenue. There’s no doubt
the percentages will be higher in the next profile. Additional
research found that NECA-member contractors are currently addressing the green
marketplace challenge in three ways: 1. Working on projects that use
alternate forms of energy and the technologies necessary for safe installation
and harvesting renewable power (solar, wind, etc.) 2. Working
on projects that retrofit and improve existing systems to boost efficiency (performing
energy audits, installing efficient automation controls, etc.) 3. Working
on projects that use new building techniques to improve efficiency in new construction,
such as design/build and building information modeling, and contribute to the
achievement of Leadership and Energy in Environmental Design certification The
performance of this type of work is not only made -possible but also necessary
because, as NECA president-elect Rex Ferry said at our association’s Energy
Solutions Summit, “We’re at a crossroads where the rising costs of energy and
the emerging technologies to actually do something about those costs have met.”
Read a recap in NECA Notes, starting on page 263. Ferry also
said, “It takes less money to save one kilowatt--hour than it does to produce
one kilowatt-hour.” That’s an important consideration because electricity runs
our homes and businesses and is crucial to More than
30 years after the 1973 Arab oil embargo, fears of such a breakdown were reawakened
by the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and they exist today due to war in
the Middle East, concerns over the expansion of greenhouse gases and
environmental damage, worries about the adequacy of America’s power
infrastructure, and escalating costs. In fact, worldwide increases in
consumption, coupled with unregulated market speculation on energy futures, and
limits on generation capacity—a consequence of deteriorating
infrastructure—have created an economic and political situation that
necessitates systematic action. That’s why
NECA supports a national policy premised on energy independence. Our efforts include
working with legislative and regulatory bodies and other relevant entities to
help improve electric reliability and infrastructure investment, maintain the
diversity of all available fuel resources (including nuclear), enhance energy
efficiency, and increase use of renewable energy sources (including but not
limited to solar, wind and biomass). However, NECA recognizes the move toward
domestic energy independence must be driven by electrical contractors who construct
and maintain the infrastructure to generate, transmit and distribute the
electrical power our nation relies upon. Expanding
our services within the green construction field makes us shrewd business
owners. Contributing to the nation’s economic stability and security makes us
heroes. President’s
Desk by milner irvin Reprinted
with full permission of Electrical Contractor Magazine www.ecmag.com ********************************* Contractors Moving Data Data center cabling management The data
center market continues to grow, and there are ample opportunities for
electrical work within a data center. One of the obvious and ongoing concerns
within a data center is heat, which greatly affects a data center’s operations
and energy costs. “The amount
of heat generated by data center equipment and the corresponding energy load
expended on cooling the active equipment is a growing concern for IT and
facilities managers,” said Bradford Eaton, product marketing manager,
Wiremold/Legrand. That concern is further fueled by budget constraints and
mounting energy costs. “As port
densities increase and the consolidation of blade servers becomes more
prevalent, the heat generated in equipment racks will simultaneously increase.
Managing this heat effectively with proper airflow is a cornerstone of
energy-efficient design,” Eaton said. Today’s
data center has faster servers, more equipment and a focus on virtualization.
These trends also are increasing needs for better cable management. Many
contractors have worked in that area. Those with experience are well aware that
data centers can easily turn into cabling nightmares based on infrastructure
alone, and they are a hotbed of various kinds of wiring and cabling. Designing right is key Data
centers depend on proper design for infrastructure and operational needs. “The right
connectivity infrastructure is essential,” Eaton said. “It’s the thread that
holds together the fabrics of the data center, turning islands of hardware into
a seamless tool strategic to business success. It needs to support high data
rates to 10 gigabits per second, provide easy management, and be capable of
remaining flexible enough to allow easy configuration and provisioning for
optimal delivery of applications and services.” There are
data center specific systems, offered by companies such as Cooper B-Line, Hubbell Premise Wiring,
Legrand North America (Cablofil/Legrand, Ortronics/Legrand, Wiremold/Legrand),
Leviton Network Solutions, Panduit and Snake Tray. These systems contribute to
sustainable data centers by providing cable management solutions and advanced
racking solutions to help facilitate cooling efficiency and reduce network down
time, as power and cooling issues remain big issues within such power-intensive
environments. Specific
solutions include a wire mesh cable tray that allows for overhead or under
floor cable routing and enables better airflow than solid conduit. This
particular option is relevant since aiding and enhancing airflow is crucial to
cooling concerns. Some companies that make this type of product include, but
are not limited to, Cablofil, Panduit and Snake Tray. Another
solution is overhead cable pathway racks, which, according to Eaton, “provide
cable management and an innovative mounting method for … rack-mount copper and
fiber panels and cabinets, freeing up valuable rack space and facilitating
better airflow.” The type of
enclosure also can assist with the management of cabling. For example, Wiremold/Legrand
offers integrated zone cabling enclosures that save space and increase
flexibility by providing connectivity within raised floor applications. Leviton
Network Solutions offers adaptable, easy-to-install cable management products
that include Versi-Duct slotted duct, Spectro-Link fiber raceway, and frame and
rack solutions. Another
solution is to put the cabling under the floor. Under-floor systems, such as
Snake Tray’s Contractors’ knowledge is important Since data
centers are high-density installations that usually require a variety of
interdependent products to support the cabling infrastructure, contractors
should look for a supplier that offers a full range of cable management
solutions. This, in turn, helps contractors in providing the most relevant
solution for each individual project. “Racks of
servers and storage, handling petabytes of data, fulfill mission-critical needs
by providing instantaneous access to information,” Eaton said. “The
complexities of modern data centers and storage networks create challenges in
topology, throughput, data integrity, enhanced security, redundancy and environmental
controls.” There seems
to be no end in sight in terms of data centers and their growing popularity. As
more businesses across virtually all markets find their data and communication
needs rising, they are turning to data centers to help funnel and support such
activity. “The future
will see skyrocketing data transfers, a seemingly unquenchable thirst for
bandwidth, and the need to support new services,” Eaton said. “Creating a
resilient, agile data center requires robust, reliable user-to-server,
server-to-server, and server-to-storage connections.” Many
manufacturers are addressing cable management solutions. Be sure systems BY
jennifer leah stong-michas STONG-MICHAS,
a freelance writer, lives in central Reprinted
with full permission of Electrical Contractor Magazine www.ecmag.com ********************************* A Perfect Storm Is Building A perfect
storm is heading for the building industry. Energy prices continue to rise due
to worldwide demand that increases both the cost of construction and building
operation for owners and developers. The public is becoming increasingly
concerned about the environment and global warming and demanding that both the
private and public sectors act to reduce greenhouse gases. In addition, the Each of
these issues has been around for decades, but only recently have all three
converged and been seen as interrelated. For the first time, business leaders,
environmental activists, government officials and the general public are aligned
and focused on finding an integrated solution to energy, environmental and
economic issues. This perfect storm will provide a great deal of opportunity
for electrical contractors prepared to aid in recovery efforts. Building energy use According
to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Agency (EIA), commercial
and residential buildings consume about 40 percent of the energy used in the In
comparison, the The need to
rein in building energy use is driving many federal, state and local
governments to adopt increasingly stringent energy codes. Building owners more
often are challenging their design and construction teams to produce
high-performance buildings that exceed the minimum energy requirements. A number of
professional, industry and trade organizations in the building industry are
promoting sustainable design and construction practices including the reduction
of fossil fuels used to construct and operate buildings with the goal of
achieving “carbon neutral” buildings in the coming decades. Since electrical
energy use in buildings often can range from 65 to 100 percent of a building’s
total energy supply, depending on geographic location and space heating, the
electrical contractor will be in the eye of this perfect storm as it develops. Zero-energy buildings Many in the
construction industry envision the future to be zero-energy buildings (ZEBs). A
ZEB is a building that is completely energy self-sufficient, producing all the
energy it needs internally. It does not need to be connected to the local
utility’s distribution system. Currently, PV is seen as the most promising distributed
generation technology for ZEBs because PV uses sunlight to produce electricity,
conversion efficiencies are increasing, manufacturing costs are decreasing and
utility energy prices are increasing. These trends are making PV both green and
economical. Unfortunately, PV only produces energy when the sun is shining, and
a ZEB must be able to store electric energy for use at night and on cloudy days
when the PV array is not producing. Reliable low-cost energy storage is an
obstacle that will need to be overcome before ZEBs become a viable alternative
in locations where electric utility service is readily available. However, some
recent strides have been made. Net
zero-energy buildings (net ZEBs) will probably be implemented first in states
where a net metering provision allows building owners to provide energy to the
utility when their PV array is producing more than needed and pull energy from
the utility when the building load exceeds the capability of the PV array. The
utility only bills the owner for the difference between the amount of
electricity used by the building and what was produced and delivered by the PV
array to the utility distribution system. With net ZEBs, the amount of energy
produced annually by the PV array meets or exceeds the annual building energy
need, even though there is an exchange based on when the electric energy is
produced by the PV array and needed by the building. The utility distribution
system in effect serves as the energy storage device for a net ZEB. Building system integration The kind of
building performance breakthroughs needed to substantially reduce building
energy use and associated greenhouse gases in the near term, and ultimately
achieve ZEBs in the long term, requires building system integration. The
traditional view of a building as a collection of loosely related systems that
are individually optimized during the design and construction process typically
results in a building that performs less optimally as a whole. In contrast,
high-performance buildings require that individual building systems, such as
the building envelope, power generation and distribution, artificial and
natural lighting, heating, ventilating, air conditioning and other building
functions be treated as subsystems and that the building be the system to be
optimized. Integration
and interoperability are popular terms in today’s building industry. These reflect the reality
that, in a modern building, the operation of each system affects all other
systems. For
instance, about 30 percent of the energy used by commercial buildings is used
for artificial lighting. Increasing the amount of glass on the building’s
exterior will increase the amount of natural light entering perimeter spaces
and should reduce the need for artificial lighting. However, increasing the
amount of glass and the amount of light entering the space will impact the HVAC
system load, which needs to be taken into account. Similarly,
in order to ensure adequate light levels and quality, a lighting control system
needs to be installed that will adjust the artificial light levels based on the
natural light entering the space. Furthermore, occupancy sensors placed in a
space to reduce energy use by turning off lights when spaces are unoccupied
also can be used to reduce HVAC energy by turning down variable-air-volume
boxes if the air distribution system has been zoned to do so. The goal of
building system integration is to optimize the building’s overall operation in
order to provide a healthier and more productive environment for occupants as
well as to increase the efficiency of building operations. The realization of
this goal requires the integration of key building systems, using a building
control system. The
electrical contractor can be involved in the installation of individual control
system components, such as the raceway system, layout and installation of
proprietary control systems, or the design and installation of
open-architecture control systems. Electrical contractors often install control
systems that deal with a particular building function, such as lighting, data
and communications, fire alarm, or security. These individual systems usually
are integrated together with the HVAC system controls and other building
systems by the building management system. However, with open architectural
control systems, the EC can become the system integrator if it has the ability
to design, install and program the control system. Building system integration
represents an important future market for electrical contractors. CSI Division 25/Integrated
Automation The growing
importance of building system integration is illustrated by the inclusion of
Division 25 in the 2004 edition of the Construction Specifications Institute’s
(CSI) Master-Format. CSI MasterFormat serves as the basis for most
specifications in the The figure
at left illustrates the relationship between CSI Division 25 and all of these
other divisions. From the figure, it can be seen that the function of the IA
system is to bring all of these individual building systems together in order
to optimize building performance. All the hardware and software needed to implement
an IA system are specified in CSI Division 25. This includes conductors and
raceways; network equipment, such as servers and hubs; instrumentation and
terminal devices, which interface directly with building equipment or through
system-specific devices specified elsewhere; gateways, which establish a
communications link between the IA system and other stand-alone building
systems; and control sequences that describe how the IA system is to operate. The EC’s role High-performance
buildings require that buildings be designed, constructed and operated as a
single integrated system rather than a collection of loosely related,
independent systems that are individually optimized as done in the past. The
design and installation of building control systems is the key to reduced energy
consumption and operating costs over the life of the building. Building owners
need help designing, installing and maintaining these building control systems.
The electrical contractor should be aware of this converging storm and begin to
prepare to move in and tackle the challenges. This
article is the result of a research project investigating the emerging
integrated building systems market that was sponsored by ELECTRI International
Inc. The author would like to thank EI for its support. by dr. thomas
e. glavinich GLAVINICH
is an associate professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural
Engineering at the Reprinted
with full permission of Electrical Contractor Magazine www.ecmag.com ********************************* Just Passin’ Through Sponsored claims and the Severin
Doctrine When a
subcontractor is not paid, the first questions asked are, “Who is a friend? Who
is an enemy?” Do you sue everyone, or do you join forces? The subcontractor’s
decision can have long-range consequences. For the purposes of this article,
the payment issue involves unresolved changes, extras and other claims, and it
does not involve the collection of undisputed contract earnings. The problem
of suing the owner There is an
ancient concept in the law known as “privity.” Even the word is archaic. There
is horizontal privity, privity of blood, privity of estate and vertiale
privity. Then, there is privity of contract. Privity of
contract means there is an agreement connecting two people or companies. The project
owner signs an agreement with the general contractor, and by doing so, there is
a privity of contract created between those two entities. Similarly, the
subcontractor is in privity with the general but not with the owner. Maintaining
this old concept in a modern world has proven difficult for the courts. There
was a time when you could not sue someone for purely financial losses unless
there was privity with the party who harmed you. Personal injury and property
damage claims were treated separately as torts. Major
changes have eroded this concept. But generally, a subcontractor on a construction
project cannot sue the owner directly for unpaid costs. Strictly speaking, even
mechanic’s liens are not claims against the owner, they are against the
property. This rule applies even where the owner ordered a change or caused a
job disruption and knew the financial impact it would have on the
subcontractor. The avenue
of relief is for the subcontractor to sue the general, and then the general
brings in the owner. This procedure is clumsy and may cause the general to
raise its own defenses to your claims. After all, the general does not want to
be liable for owner-caused problems. The pass-through claim The general
contractor may be willing to help the subcontractor pass its claims through to
the owner in the general’s name. The claim then becomes the general
contractor’s, and the privity problem is solved. However, there is a long line
of authority that the general cannot pursue the subcontractor’s claims unless
and until the general acknowledges liability for them. A number of
techniques have been used to get around this dilemma. The idea is to make the
general contractor liable to the subcontractor and yet not liable at the same
time. One of the early concoctions was the “Mary Carter” agreement, named after
the Mary Carter paint company (Booth v. Mary Carter Paint Co., Fla. App. 1967).
There are variations, but the common theme is to have the general contractor
pay a part of the subcontractor’s claim, and then pursue the owner for the full
value. The first
amount recovered would be kept by the general contractor to reimburse it for
the “advance” and, beyond that, recovery would be shared on some percentage
basis. This formula has particular value where the general contractor has its
own claims against the owner and does not want the sub claiming it was the
general’s fault. The general contractor would rather present a united front
against the owner. Mary Carter
agreements are not acceptable in all jurisdictions, according to John E.
Benedict’s “It’s A Mistake to Tolerate the Mary Carter Agreement,” 87 Columbia
L. Rev. 368 (1987). The Severin Doctrine Named after
the case Severin v. This
limitation was recently applied to defeat a sub’s delay claim, as the
government showed the general contractor had a “no damages for delay” clause in
its agreement with the subcontractor. The general could not be liable for the
costs of delay to the sub and, therefore, could not act as a sponsor of those
barred claims to the government. In like
manner, the general cannot sponsor a subcontractor’s claim for breach of
contract by the general. To use Severin, the claim must be couched as one for
an “equitable adjustment,” a term of art in government contract law. The liquidating agreement Whether
called a liquidating, liquidation or consolidation agreement, the concept is
the sub releases the general from liability, and in exchange, the general
agrees to pursue the claims on the sub’s behalf. The terms of such an agreement
must be carefully drafted. It is not
uncommon to have a liquidating agreement built into the terms of the
subcontract. For example, there are clauses that provide that any claims arising
from owner fault may be pursued only through the general contractor, and
recovery is limited to whatever the general obtains. Where this type of clause
appears, there often is a second part stating that claims against the general
not caused by the owner will go to court or arbitration. The concept
of a split disputes clause was discussed here some years ago (Electrical-
Contractor, December 2002). Suffice it to say that the subcontractor is faced
with a choice and a dilemma: it must decide early in the disputes process
whether it wants to go after the general, join with it against the owner, or do
both. A note of
caution with liquidating agreements: The subcontractor should make certain that
it has some authority or influence over the owner/general’s settlement of
claims. Without this authority, the general is relatively free in entering into
a settlement that might disappoint the sub. A second
note of caution is to make certain that the agreement addresses the potential
for back charges and counterclaims by the owner. Subcontractor claims against a state There is no
general rule. State governments will raise the defense of sovereign immunity
for claims by any party not in privity with it. Each state’s law must be
consulted to determine the viability of sponsored or pass-through claims. Conclusion The idea of
a passing through claims can be very attractive. There is the benefit of
joining forces and, by doing so, resolving potential cross claims among some of
the parties. There also can be a reduction of costs by avoiding duplication of
efforts. The
subcontractor will need to know all of the pertinent terms of the owner/general
contractor agreement that could limit or eliminate certain claims. Legal advice
should be sought before you bind yourself to Severin. legal BY
gerard w. ittig ITTIG, of
Ittig & Ittig, P.C., in Reprinted
with full permission of Electrical Contractor Magazine www.ecmag.com ********************************* Cloak-and-Dagger Cabling Fiber in security applications Security is
on the minds of many corporate network administrators. They worry about hackers
and botnets taking over their computers to send out spam, denial of service
attacks on their Web servers, wireless interlopers accessing their corporate
networks, and whatever other cyberthreats have been discovered in the last week
or so that are likely to cause problems in systems. But
consider the plight of the network or facility manager of a utility with
extensive communications and control systems on its power plants or power grid,
a petroleum refinery or chemical plant, an airport filled with automated
baggage control and surveillance systems, or any large government or military
facility. Some of
these facilities may have systems that allow monitoring and control from remote
locations. In addition, most need their networks to run nonstop to fulfill
their mission. As a result, the network users and many others can be considered
targets of various nefarious types who intend to inflict physical damage and to
hack networks. Because of this, facilities require maximum network security. Firewalls
and special wireless routers provide some protection to the network, as do
encryption and constant password changes. Of course, simply not allowing direct
Internet access to critical networks negates most online threats, so the
Internet-connected corporate network must not be linked to critical control
networks. A recent Government Accounting Office survey of the largest public
power company, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), found the TVA’s
Internet-linked corporate network was attached to systems used for controlling
power production and distribution. The network had security weaknesses that
could be used by attackers to manipulate or destroy control systems. Even the
corporate network may contain information that could compromise the security of
control systems, such as system schematics, parts lists or operation manuals.
Therefore, access must be controlled, perhaps even segmented with various
levels of access. Besides log-ins and passwords, more systems are now using biometric
systems (face recognition, fingerprints
or iris scans) for access. Any
facility’s network administrator needs to consider the security of the physical
cable plant supporting the networks and systems and to defend them against
online attacks. Damage to almost any part of the cable plant or failure of its
power sources can cause outages. Determined crooks can possibly access the
network and attach taps, even on fiber networks. So to fully protect a network,
one must be concerned with protecting the physical network, as well. The
applications of fiber optics for security systems has been discussed previously
in ELECTRICAL- CONTRACTOR (September 2007) in the context of how fiber optics
can be used with surveillance cameras, security alarms and even as intrusion
sensors. But if one is using fiber in a security-oriented system, the
protection of the fiber optic cabling is important to the overall security of
the network. How does one secure the fiber optic cabling and network itself? There are
several scenarios to consider. First, how does one prevent damage to the fiber
optic cabling system or create the quickest recovery scenario? Can one prevent
tapping fiber or detect it if someone tries to tap it? And are there ways to
secure transmissions in case it is tapped? Sound like cloak-and-dagger stuff?
It is, since these are issues considered for creating a truly secure military
or government network. But many of these issues also are important for corporate
networks where the networks are expected to run 24/7 and be secure against
hacker attacks. Design for security To create a
secure system, it is necessary to start thinking about where the cable plant
and networking equipment are exposed and vulnerable. Right off, one should
avoid aerial cables, which can be damaged by high winds, falling trees, vehicle
accidents, fires and other accidental damage as well as “target practice,” one
of the leading causes of damage to aerial cables in remote areas. Cable should
ideally be underground outside buildings and placed in metallic conduit indoors.
Splice closures should be secured in locked facilities or permanently buried in
secure enclosures. The telco
in one country requires all outside plant underground cables be placed in
metallic conduit imbedded in about 1 foot of concrete to prevent the cable
being dug up by thieves who would steal copper cables to sell as scrap.
Unfortunately, the thieves were not able to distinguish fiber from copper, so
they destroyed fiber cables thinking they had salvage value. With the price of
copper approaching $4 per pound, the same problem now exists in the Any cable
entrances into buildings need to be secured. Again, run the cable in metallic
conduit if possible, not in open cable trays or under floors, and use
heavy-duty locked boxes whenever the cable is run outside secure rooms. The
cable should not be in the open until it reaches a secured facility where it
will be connected to the communications equipment. This is a common requirement
in most airports and government facilities, and it provides protection from
accidental damage as well as security breaches. If your
basic concern is just to prevent damage by workers on other projects around
your fiber optic cables, the biggest deterrent is making it obvious this is
fiber optic cable. Colored jackets, yellow for single-mode, orange for 62.5/125
multimode or aqua for 50/125 multimode, will draw attention to the fact that
this is fiber cable, as will placing “FIBER OPTIC” tags like those used by-
telcos- on the cable at regular spaces, as is done in outside plant cables. An
even better solution that can speed up installation is to install fiber optic
innerduct—a corrugated innerduct available with a pull tape—along the route of
the cable. The fiber cable can then be installed extra fast and will be
identified and protected better than any other solution other than metallic
conduit. A third option is to specify indoor armored cable, which has
corrugated armor under a National Electrical Code-rated jacket. The next
step is to plan for redundancy. Install a backup cabling link, secured as
described above, but run in a different path. If something happens to one
cable, the second cable will likely not be damaged if it is physically
separated. I knew someone who investigated a near-catastrophe at a nuclear
power plant some years back. The controls were triple-redundant, but all cables
ran through the same conduit. So when fire got into the conduit, all system
communications and control was lost, and disaster was narrowly averted. Telcos and
the Internet use a mesh network in which there are multiple communications
paths from point to point, minimizing the likelihood of a loss of
communications. This can be done both outside and inside the buildings. In
extreme cases, the continuity of metallic conduit can be monitored to detect
any attempts at intrusion. Needless to
say, high-reliability systems require high-reliability electronics and power. Outdoor
facilities, such as transformer substations or refineries, need extensive
monitoring, using closed-circuit television cameras and intrusion alarms,
usually connected on fiber, which should be secured as described above. One can
even get fiber optic intrusion systems, which weave fiber through fences or
bury it in gravel, which will detect and even locate problems, although the
costs are too high for all but the most critical applications. Is tapping fiber a threat? It is
certainly easier to access today’s high-speed networks electronically than
physically. The days of using a pickup coil near a phone line to listen in are
long gone. The government recognized this fact as soon as digital
communications became commonplace, and the result was the Communications
Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), adopted in 1994. CALEA originally
applied to standard phone lines but required digital circuits to have ports
where (under court order, of course) law enforcement agencies could access a
particular phone line and record any activity. CALEA has been amended numerous
times to include broadband data, wireless and voice over Internet protocol
services. The Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) covered similar surveillance by the
National Security Agency on calls to and from overseas destinations. But last
year, it became public knowledge that some government agencies had, perhaps
outside these two laws, gained access to carriers’ long distance networks and
had placed taps directly on the fibers themselves, bypassing the electronic
ports (and perhaps the court orders) required by CALEA and FISA. How easy is
it to tap fiber like this and pull off surveillance data? It’s not hard to put
a bend in the fiber and attach a detector to pick up light, which is routinely
done to locate particular fibers by test instruments called fiber identifiers.
But when data is being transmitted at billions of bits per second, carrying thousands
of phone conversations or millions of data packets, finding what you want is
like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack. If you really worry about
tapping, encrypting data is a good deterrent, as is transmitting random data
(such as the contents of an encyclopedia) interspersed with real data. Protecting
communications equipment and networks involves both securing unauthorized access
from online connections over the Internet or wireless devices and providing
physical security to the communications equipment and cable plant. This may
require cooperation of diverse groups within an organization as well as significant
expenditures for construction. Only by surveying the entire network and
determining the vulnerability of each part can you develop a reasonable plan
and budget. by jim
hayes HAYES is a
VDV writer and educator and the president of The Fiber Optic Association. Find
him at www.jimhayes.com. Reprinted
with full permission of Electrical Contractor Magazine www.ecmag.com ********************************* Somewhere over the Internet ... Using IP
for IBS Internet
Protocol (IP) is growing in popularity as a method for integrating building
systems. First of all, it is a way of interconnecting every building system.
According to Rawlson King of the Continental Automated Buildings Association
(CABA), “The idea behind IP-based systems is that all devices should be able to
be accessible regardless of function. CCTV, access control, intrusion
detection, fire alarms, fire suppression, lighting controls and HVAC can all be
integrated in IP-based systems.” In a CABA presentation originally given at the
Intelligent Building Summit in 2006 in What does
IP offer that is unique? First, once these building systems become nodes on a
building’s IP network, they can all be programmed to interact in a variety of
ways. The IP building network essentially is a network of networks. Each
subsystem can be managed by its own controller or network of controllers, while
the IP network can take care of conversations between them. “IP is such
a common networking protocol that almost every business in the Western world
has an IP network,” said Denis Du Bois, editor of the online magazine Energy
Priorities. “A trend in computing is a service-oriented architecture, or SOA.
The basic concept is to connect intelligent devices to a network and enable
those devices to serve their data to any other device that requests it. … Once
a device is enabled for Web services, its functions and data are exposed and
available on demand. Other systems can poll the data as needed for analysis and
send commands back to the devices over the IP network. An HVAC controller might
check with a motion detection subsystem to determine which rooms are occupied,
then program changes on the thermostats in the empty rooms.” These
building systems can then be monitored, controlled or configured from any
Internet-connected computer. In theory,
at least, this should be an ideal way to integrate building systems, but as
with any theory, implementing it is the hard part. An obvious
application, for example, would be CCTV. If the surveillance cameras are linked
through the Internet, you can view your office, factory or home from anywhere
in the world. Premises monitoring using digital CCTV and DVRs is one of the
applications of IP-based systems. It provides an ideal means to see what’s
happening on your premises from a local or a remote location. A number of
companies are producing IP-compatible cameras and DVRs. Since the Internet is
already designed for large and rapid data flows, it is a natural for security
video. But there
are advantages to having all of the other building systems running on an IP
network, too. The interactions between the various subsystems can be programmed
from a central computer that can access every one of them. Because each IP
device, including subsystem controllers, has a unique address, any device can
be called up through any computer with an Internet connection. There are
at least two levels of expertise required to set up such a system of systems.
The integration level runs on the building’s internal IT network, usually
Ethernet. This requires expertise in IT systems. However, IT technicians will
most likely not be certified in setting up the HVAC or fire alarm systems, so
different specialists will have to work together. Common to all of these
systems and sub-systems is the electrical contractor, who must provide the
power and wiring for it all. In fact, the soon-to-be-expanded capabilities of
power over Ethernet (PoE) will enhance the ability to use Ethernet cables to
distribute usable power for various devices, such as cameras and door access
controls. Running these cables, which combine power distribution and IT data,
will require the knowledge of both electricians and IT technicians. There are
two different approaches to installing IP control systems. For new
installations, the simplest approach is to build all of the systems with
IP--compatible devices. For already existing “legacy” systems, there needs to
be a way of connecting the various control loops to the facility’s intranet.
Johnson Controls, for example, makes available a central controller for tying
together the devices and subsystems with its Metasys Network Engine, which is
“capable of communicating directly to multiple field bus open protocols,
including BACnet, LonTalk and N2Open,” said Terry Hoffman, director BAS
marketing, Johnson Controls. A major
advantage of IP-based integration is that, once subsystems are accessible,
their interactions can be modified as conditions change, as information on the
various systems is gathered, as technology evolves, and as new integration
software becomes available. The various building systems become, in effect, a
living entity. There is no need to run new wiring or physically alter existing
system components to tune their interactions. To my mind, this is the most
important quality of IP integration. It will grow because it enables existing
building systems to grow. BY edward
brown BROWN is an
electrical engineer, technical writer and editor. He serves as managing editor
for Security + Life Safety Systems magazine. For many years, he designed
high-power electronics systems for industry, research laboratories and
government. Reach him at ebeditor@gmail.com. Reprinted
with full permission of Electrical Contractor Magazine www.ecmag.com ********************************* Spaghetti Factory; Keep cables from becoming a tangled mess Anyone who
has spent time in the world of telecommunications cabling has seen the
“spaghetti mess.” Competent cabling contractors build high-quality and
well-installed networks consistent with industry management standards. But then
entropy attacks, and disorganization conquers, transforming well-constructed
telecommunications rooms into disheveled and disorganized messes. Intentional
and effective management of information technology (IT) racks is, ultimately,
the only solution. But seeing both a need and a commercial opportunity, some
manufacturers have designed solutions that can help prevent or even roll back
such messes. Patchcords Sometimes
the best ideas are the simplest. Messy IT rooms or not, wouldn’t it be great if
contractors or IT staff members never had to pull and tug their way along
patchcords to find the other ends? That is the
intent of the PatchSee patchcords, which have two plastic optical fibers (POFs)
running throughout the length of each cord. The POFs are bent back 180 degrees
inside the two RJ45 connector boots, so they face the user when a cord is
installed in a patch panel. The system is completed by a handheld blinking
light source (like a small flashlight) that fits over the boot of a PatchSee
cord without detaching it from the patch panel. When the user turns on the
light source, the POFs become two small, blinking luminous dots, which reveal
the other end of the patchcord. “With no
further high-tech adjustments other than changing to PatchSee patchcords, [IT
managers] get handling-labor savings, reduced patchcord inventory requirements,
shorter network down times, and no need for identifying labels,” said Ken Eben,
marketing/sales manager for Mitsubishi International, the North American supplier
of the PatchSee system. Intelligent patch systems Intelligent
patching solutions have a significantly higher level of functionality, but they
come with a correspondingly higher cost. Similar to the PatchSee solution, an
intelligent patching system provides visual assistance to on-site technicians,
but it is more than just blinking lights on patch panels. “It is a
utility to provide system traceability from point-to-point and end-to-end,”
said Michael Pula, MNS technical marketing manager at Panduit. These
systems provide extensive system-mapping capabilities, from user outlets and
the equipment installed there, all the way back to switches and servers. They
also automatically recognize and record moves, adds and changes any time
someone plugs in or unplugs a patchcord, end-user device (e.g., computer, voice
over Internet protocol phone) or other IP addressable network device. Likewise,
intelligent patching systems can predict and preauthorize rack changes. For
example, when an IT manager authorizes changes to the physical network, he or
she will pre-enter those changes into the intelligent patching system’s
software. When the on-site technician enters the IT space and logs into the
network there, the system guides him or her through those changes, using
ordered blinking lights on the patch panels that correspond with the preprinted
directions. To know what to do next, all the technician needs to do is look for
the next blinking indicator light. Then, on completion, the system software can
generate a report, documenting each move, regardless of whether or not it was
preauthorized. In addition, an IT manager can remotely implement changes to the
network from across a room or across a continent. Worth the cost? While the
cost of an intelligent patch panel is significantly higher than that of a
similar-count passive panel (by thousands of dollars), the increased control
that such systems provide is, in the right situations, worth the cost. They
have proven invaluable for many large enterprise systems, mission-critical
systems, and systems spread over multiple locations. “In modern
networks, it’s all about risk management,” These
systems are becoming more compact, as well, thus requiring less rack space to
implement. The best example may be the new Panduit PanView iQ system. “This
system is unique in that it consolidates all active management hardware into
intelligent patch panels, which require no additional rack space,” Telecommunications
contractors can expect intelligent patching systems to find more marketplace
adoption. And while clients may perform the IT functions on those devices,
contractors should be generally familiar with functionalities to effectively
serve those clients. They also should be prepared for manufacturers requiring
contractors to acquire specialized certifications to prevent the spaghetti
bowls of the future. BY russ
munyan MUNYAN is a
freelance writer in the Reprinted
with full permission of Electrical Contractor Magazine www.ecmag.com ********************************* GPS Equipment Management Systems Using a
satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS) to track motor vehicles is
nothing new. Trucking companies have been doing it for years. Many organizations,
including electrical contractors, routinely use GPS technology to monitor
planned travel routes, travel speeds, hours of use, stop reports, idle time and
maintenance alerts. Not so
widely known is that a GPS also can be used to manage other assets, including
con-struc-tion equipment, such as mobile lifts, loader-backhoes, trenchers,
excavators and skid-steer loaders. “Benefits
of GPS are not limited to over- the-road vehicles,” said Cliff Henley, chief
executive officer of Fleet Management Solutions For
example, a machine can be equipped with sensors to monitor its primary power
source and separate onboard engines and motors; fluid levels; oil and hydraulic
fluid pressures; operating temperatures, including high-temperature alerts; and
other functions. For equipment that remains on a job site over the course of a
project, the system can immediately notify the owner if it leaves prescribed
boundaries, a valuable theft-recovery tool. For those
who have not investigated the capabilities and costs of GPS units recently,
there have been significant changes in technology over past the few years.
Today, owners of construction equipment have several options to consider. Daniel Lee,
vice president, sales, for FleetBoss Global Positioning Solutions, cites four
basic categories of systems: •
Live/active systems that are Internet- or software-based • Passive
systems without monitoring fees that can download to a supervisor’s laptop • Hybrid
systems that combine active and passive data into one database •
Self-powered GPS devices with 20- to 30-day battery lives that are capable of
tracking indoors using both cellular general packet radio service (GPRS) and
GPS technology. Lee said
FleetBoss offers a portfolio of products, including each of these GPS fleet
management categories. “Active
systems use a cellular component transmitting on a GPRS and [global system for
mobile communications] network,” Lee said. “The cellular components are self
contained in the hardware. There is no cell phone.” “Our
systems,” Properly
used, Qualcomm
Enterprise Services (QES) offers GPS equipment and subscription services for
both vehicles and construction equipment. “In general
construction, the use of satellite monitoring is increasing greatly for several
reasons,” said Bert Gillespie, QES director of sales. “OEMs of GPS products and
services are stepping up their efforts to make the technology available at the
time of purchase of a new machine as well as implementing value-added programs
through their dealerships to make it an easier implementation process.
Contr
"Heard On The Street" Monthly Column
www.wireville.com
4949 Sunbeam Rd, Suite 16
Jacksonville, FL 32257
(904) 645-9077 office
(904) 645-9058 fax
frank@wireville.com
Draka, headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, is a $4 billion, publicly listed (Euronext) company with 9,145 employees worldwide. Draka is divided into three groups: Energy && Infrastructure, Industry && Specialty and Communications. Communications is responsible for the production and sale of optical fiber, cable and communication infrastructure solutions globally. Draka Communications - Americas' roots in North America run a century deep in names like Alcatel, ITT, Ericsson, Chromatic Technologies, and Phelps Dodge. Our clients are served from Draka's unique site in Claremont, North Carolina which is home to the 125-acre corporate campus && Americas headquarters, over 1 million square feet of manufacturing space and the only integrated optical fiber and cable facility in North America. For more information please visit www.drakaamericas.com.
Megladon Manufacturing Group Ltd., a subsidiary of TyRex Group Ltd.R, is recognized as a leader in the fiber optic marketplace. Founded in 1997, Megladon made it their mission to provide customers with fiber optic products that far exceed industry standards. As technology innovators, Megladon created the HLC (Hardened Lens Contact) termination, which has changed the market and taken it to the next level. For additional information on Megladon and their patented processes please visit the company's website at www.megladonmfg.com.
Kim Hudson, Marketing Communications Manager
Phone: 828.459.8443
Fax: 828.459.8444
kim.hudson@draka.com
512-623-4737
sfairbairn@megladonmfg.com
With lower signal loss and Scratch Guard® protection, HLCR Patch Cables:
* Reduce costly delays due to damaged cables
* Increase Network Reliability
* Maximize Customer Satisfaction
-Me: Yes, I can tell
-Caller (laughing): You don’t know, maybe I’m calling you from heaven.
- Me: I don’t believe you have to use the toll-free number from there, sir.
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 Software Magazine’s top 500 global software and services suppliers, is
ranked among NetworkWorld’s top 200 North American networking vendors, is a
BusinessWeek “hot growth 50” company, and is among FORTUNE Small Business
Magazine’s top 100 fastest growing companies. Interactive Intelligence employs
approximately 600 people and is headquartered in
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association
promoting growth in the $173 billion
Draka, headquartered in
Based in
ROOKMAN is a technology and services
company providing certification services to government technology providers,
communications solutions for contact center automation and enterprise IP
Telephony, and IT automation solutions to the Federal Government. BROOKMAN can be reached at +1 301 515
0450 or info@brookman.com; on the Net: www.brookman.com.
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 Software Magazine’s top 500 global software and services suppliers, is
ranked among NetworkWorld’s top 200 North American networking vendors, is a
BusinessWeek “hot growth 50” company, and is among FORTUNE Small Business
Magazine’s top 100 fastest growing companies. Interactive Intelligence employs
approximately 600 people and is headquartered in
Mohawk is headquartered in
Mohawk is headquartered in
Founded in 1999, Bluesocket is a leader in open, standards based enterprise mobility
solutions. Its industry-leading wireless LAN products deliver secure mobility to thousands of customers across the
education, enterprise, government, healthcare and hospitality markets.
Bluesocket’s complete wireless network solution portfolio brings trust and
simplicity to increasingly complex wireless networks maximizing customer ROI
and increasing their competitive edge. For more information, please visit www.bluesocket.com.
Ortronics/Legrand, headquartered in New London, Connecticut USA, is a global leader in high
performance structured cabling solutions, offering a complete range of Category
5e, 6 and 10 Gig copper, fiber optic, wireless and residential/MDU connectivity
solutions. In addition, Ortronics offers Cablofil® wire mesh cable tray and
Wiremold® pathways. Other programs and services include: engineering and
technical support, systems planning, training programs and a 25-year warranty
program. www.ortronics.com
Professional Labeling Tools, a brand of DYMO and part of Newell Rubbermaid’s
Technology business unit, announced today the change in roles of several of its
sales team members as well as the addition of a national sales manager. These
organizational changes are designed to best meet the needs of our consumers and
customers, especially in areas such as datacom and electrical, security and pro
audio/video.
“We are seeing many changes in the marketplace today,” said Robert Rosenquist,
director of sales and channel marketing for DYMO “Installers who typically
specialize in pro audio/video are now adding security to their portfolios. The
same is true of electricians who are now entering the datacom arena.
Convergence of this nature is a major trend and growth strategy in today’s marketplace,
and we want to be sure that our RHINO solutions and organization are best
serving the needs of our consumers and customers.”
To help achieve this goal, a new national sales manager role has been created
and filled by Jeff Howes. Jeff will be responsible for all industrial account
management, national account managers and area sales managers. Jeff previously
worked in Newell Rubbermaid’s Tools & Hardware business unit, where he
spent the last three years at IRWIN as a regional manager for the Industrial
Construction business. Prior to joining IRWIN, Jeff held several roles of
increasing responsibility in sales, marketing and product development over 12
years at the Porter Cable Tool Company.
Realignment in the roles of existing RHINO team members include:
• Al Feaster, RCDD, formerly RHINO’s datacom channel manager, will take on the
role of national account manager, in which he will be responsible for TIA/Bicsi
training and customer education across the country. He will also work to build
relationships with other manufacturers and specification engineers, with the
goal of assisting the work of system designers and installers.
• Craig Robinson, RCDD, formerly RHINO’s southeast regional sales manager, will
now be RHINO’s national account manager in the datacom and electrical channels.
• Keith Smith, RCDD, formerly RHINO’s national field sales manager, will take
on the title of national acccount manager, security/pro A/V.
• Alex Mortensen will assume sole responsibility for the MRO/construction
segment of business as senior key account manager.
• Kilby McCurley, formerly RHINO’s key account manager for MRO, has moved into
the position of area sales manager for southeast
Rosenquist continued, “The recent changes we have made in our sales force will
strengthen our relationship with customers in specific channel markets, will
create new partnerships with industry-related manufacturers and will allow us
to offer enhanced training and education to those who find themselves affected
by these industry convergences. These are exciting changes for the RHINO
business and we look forward to the ensuing results.” www.dymo.com
Times Microwave Systems has over 60 years experience
in designing innovative, high-reliability, coaxial cables, connectors and
assemblies for demanding interconnection problems. An engineering oriented
organization, the company specializes in the design and manufacture of high
performance flexible and semi-rigid coaxial cable, connectors, and cable
assemblies for RF transmission from HF through microwave frequencies. www.timemicrowave.com
Draka, headquartered in
Draka’s Extended Warranty Program provides up to 25 years of warranty
protection for installers and end users who meet program requirements. To bring
flexibility to the contractor, distributor, and end user, Draka includes the
passive connectivity products of 16 various manufacturers in the warranty
program.
Draka also announces the 2009 Contractor Rebate program for Private Networks.
This easy-to-use cash rebate program represents a significant cash reward to
contractors purchasing both outside plant and indoor fiber cables used in
private networks during 2009.
“Our Extended Warranty and Contractor Rebate Programs are simple and effective
for the contractor, distributor, and end-user. These 2 programs are a great
compliment to our private network fiber solution. As the world’s largest
manufacturer of multimode fiber, we are excited about bringing simplicity and
flexibility to the private network contractor, operator, and distributor”
states Greg Williams, Director of Marketing for Draka Communications in North America.
For complete program details, contact Draka Customer Care at 1-800-879-9862 or
visit our website at www.DrakaAmericas.com.
Draka, headquartered in
FOA Offers New Premises Certification
Fiber Optic Lighting - A New FOA Tech Topic Tutorial
Looking For Dark Fiber? There's a service to help you.
Products: Corning promotions and more on connector cleaners
Worth Reading: Lennie On OTDRs. Do People Really Want FTTH? How Fast Can
Fiber Go? See "Worth Reading" below
FTTH: FiOS goes to 175 Mb/s, is offered in DC
Jobs: Looking for work? Openings for manufacturing engineering,
instructors, installers, marketing and manufacturing personnel, plus a request
for contractors to be on-call for restoration work.
Don't miss the new FOA Tech Bulletin on Installing Fiber Optic Networks!
You can now renew your FOA membership and certifications online at the new FOA
eCommerce site.
As a bonus, if you renew before your membership expires, you get an extra
month's membershp free! Here
are the full directions on how to do it.
President, IDEA
Through TED Magazine, NAED has recently partnered with MultiView, Inc.,
an Irving, Texas-based publisher of digital buyer's guides and search engines
specifically for associations, to launch the TedMag.com Products &
Services Guide.
The guide is targeted to the more than 25,000 electrical distributor readers of
TED Magazine, representing more than 1,000 electrical distribution
companies in
This new business tool is available from the home pages of the entire family of
NAED websites—NAED.org, TedMag.com, NAEDTechnologyInformer.com, and from within
the
All industry suppliers can participate in the guide and can also purchase an
enhanced listing that will be online year-round. An enhanced listing features:
With traditional online search engine results, you're one in a million. But
searching through the TedMag Products & Services Guide presents
relevant search results for pre-qualified, committed buyers. It has been
created specifically for the purchasers of your product or service. So if
you're not represented prominently, you're missing out on an excellent
revenue-generating opportunity.
Here is a direct link to the directory search page: http://guide.tedmag.com.
Starting this week, representatives from MultiView will begin calling NAED
industry partners to confirm your company's listing information and discuss
listing opportunities in the directory.
If you have any questions regarding the directory, please contact the customer
service staff at MultiView, 972-402-7070. And, as always, if you have any
questions about a TED Magazine product, please call me directly at
314-991-9000.
As always, we appreciate your support,
Michael Martin
Associate Publisher
TED Magazine
www.TedMag.com
Counter Makeover”
Decision Makers”
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) represents the global information
and communications technology (ICT) industry through standards development,
advocacy, tradeshows, business opportunities, market intelligence and
world-wide environmental regulatory analysis. With roots dating back to 1924,
TIA enhances the business environment for broadband, mobile wireless,
information technology, networks, cable, satellite and unified communications.
Members’ products and services empower voice, video and data communications in
every industry and market, including healthcare, education, security, public
safety, transportation, government, the military, the environment and
entertainment.
Currently in its 84th year, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)
represents the global information and communications technology (ICT) industry
through standards development, advocacy, business opportunities, market
intelligence and world-wide environmental regulatory analysis. TIA enhances the
business environment for thousands of companies and individuals whose focus is
broadband development and deployment (including wireless and landline
infrastructure and services), information technology (IT) for commercial or
residential application, Internet Protocol (IP) hardware, software and content solutions,
and the convergence of voice, video and data (“triple play”) applications and
evolution.
“We’ve identified an enormous need for green building research,” said Rick
Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chair of USGBC. “The research
grants are part of USGBC’s commitment to better understand what is working and
what more can be done, which will inform USGBC’s programs and the entire
building industry.”
Continued Fedrizzi,” The selected proposals drive knowledge, policies, tools
and technologies and inspire corresponding industry and government-wide action.”
USGBC’s Research Committee, in its role as the grant selection panel, reviewed
216 pre-proposals and 38 full proposals, spanning a broad range of topics,
including K-12 school facility research. The highly competitive field was
narrowed down to 13 final selections.
“The portfolio of research projects address a range of critical environmental
needs in the building industry, encompass diverse approaches and proposed
outcomes, and are well distributed geographically across the U.S.,” said Gail
Brager, Chair of USGBC’s Research Committee.
The selected proposals excelled due to the quality of topic, methodology and
expected impact. Research topics covered each of the five categories of
environmental performance that are addressed within the LEED green building
certification system. Grants ranging from $90,000 to $250,000 were
awarded to the 13 research teams.
The research projects selected for
funding include:
• A Green Roof Energy Calculator
• An Open Source Searchable Database to Assess the Impact of
Environmental Strategies on Outcomes in Healthcare Facilities
• Design for Reuse Primer
• Development and Implementation of a New Protocol for
Testing the Ability of Building Materials to Passively Reduce Indoor Ozone and
Its Reaction Products
• HVAC Control Algorithms for Mixed-Mode Buildings
• Improvement of Porous Pavement System for on-site
Stormwater Management
• Integrated Building Water Management (IBWM) Modeling - A
Proposed Tool for LEED Assessment & Education
• Investigating Opportunities for Improving Building
Performance Through Simulation of Occupant and Operator Behavior
• Multi-Variate Study of Stormwater BMPs
• Quantifying the Impact of Daylight and Electric Lighting on
Student Alertness, Performance, and Well-being in K-12 Schools
• The Evaluation of Green School Building Attributes and
Their Effect On the Health and Performance of Students and Teachers in NY State
• Transportation Energy Intensity Index
• Using a New Application of Existing Monitoring Technology
to Quantify the Relationship between Classroom Ventilation and Student
Performance
To see the list of grant recipients and research abstracts, download the
recipient list (http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=4698).
Visit the GBRF Web page (http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1875)
for additional information and periodic updates.
The grant program was announced in February 2008 in response to the USGBC’s
Research Committee’s findings published in Green Building Research Funding: An
Assessment of Current Activity in the United States
(http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=77#usgbc_publications) that
indicate that applied research and development fall alarmingly short of what is
needed to meet the challenges of a building sector that has a profound impact
on people and the environment.
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 17,000 member companies and organizations, a comprehensive family of LEED®
green building certification systems, an expansive educational offering, the
industry’s popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo
(www.greenbuildexpo.org), and a network of 78 local chapters, affiliates, and
organizing groups. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.
If you are a reporter covering green building, residential construction, real
estate, energy or human health, chances are you’ve encountered LEED along the
way. Itching to learn more? Join over 25,000 attendees at the U.S.
Green Building Council’s (USGBC) annual conference and exhibition, which will
be held from November 19-21, 2008 in
Greenbuild is the world's largest conference and expo dedicated to green
building, and is the recent recipient of Tradeshow Week’s “Fastest 50,”
honoring the fifty-fastest growing shows in
This year’s show will explore "Revolutionary Green: Innovations for Global
Sustainability,” with
Each year at Greenbuild, one of the highlights is the assortment of master and
keynote speakers, comprised of internationally renowned industry experts and
influential leaders. This year, world-renowned leader Archbishop Desmond
Tutu takes to the stage as the opening Keynote speaker. A Nobel Peace Laureate,
Bishop Tutu is led a crusade for social justice and racial conciliation in
Closing Keynote Speakers include:
• Janine Benyus, Co-founder and Principal, Biomimicry Guild
Master Speakers:
• Stefan Behnisch, Principal, Behnisch, Behnisch &
Partners
• Carol Browner, Principal, The Albright Group, and former
EPA Administrator
• Majora Carter, Executive Director, Sustainable South Bronx
• Howard Frumkin, Director, The National Center for
Environmental Health, CDC
• Van Jones, President and Founder, Green For All
• Bill McKibben, Environmentalist and Author
• Leith Sharp, Director, Harvard Green Campus Initiative
(HGCI)
A variety of workshops and educational sessions will be offered throughout the
show related to green building, and for the first time, this year’s selection
of over 100 educational sessions will also include programs that have been
approved through the USGBC Education Provider Program.
Workshops
LEED 2009: Implementation for Building Design and Construction
• Designed for contractors, building owners, design team
members, , and other stakeholders involved in the design and construction of
commercial buildings.
Solving the Green Cleaning Puzzle
• Geared towards cleaning industry professionals who want to
learn how to design and implement a green cleaning program.
Commissioning for LEED Projects
• For those who want to learn the building commissioning
process required by LEED, including cost / benefit and the commission¬ing
agent’s role in LEED design and documentation.
Understanding LEED Project Costs and Returns
• Geared towards all audiences interested in learning more
about building environmentally sound projects at a reason¬able cost, building
life-cycle and construction costs, and LEED project case studies.
Educational Sessions
A Policy Perspective - Green Legislation and Its Influence in the Public,
Private, and Non-Profit Sectors
Greening the Trades of Tomorrow
Measuring Green Building Performance through Research and Innovative Tools
Fostering a Community of Environmental Stewards by Using Real-Time Display of
Building Performance Data
Green Schools: Two programs Create Sustainable Standards
Greening our Historic Legacy: Sustainability and Preservation Standards
LEEDing Internationally: Sustainability in the World Market
Navigating Green Labels and Certifications
Visit the Greenbuild Web site for an interactive and comprehensive listing of
all on and off site educational sessions and master speakers:
This year the Greenbuild exhibit hall will be held in the Boston Convention and
New to this year’s show is Green Homebuilder's Day, a day of programming and
panels of industry experts dedicated to various residential green building
topics. Green Homebuilder’s Day will take place on Thursday, November 20 and
will feature a variety of educational tracks and speakers, including Kevin
O'Connor, host of This Old House. For more information about this event, visit:
http://www.greenbuildexpo.org/Program/green_homebuilders.html
Known as “
Greenbuild is presented annually by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a
nonprofit organization composed of more than 16,700 member organizations
ranging from private companies to nonprofits, educational institutions, and
government agencies, all working to transform the building industry. Since its
founding in 1993, USGBC has been at the forefront of green building,
introducing the nationally used LEED® green building certification system in
2000 and launching the Greenbuild Conference in 2002. Visit the
Greenbuild Web site: www.greenbuildexpo.org
.
Registration
Greenbuild has undergone some changes in preparation for this year’s show. In
order to make the Greenbuild experience as enjoyable and seamless as possible,
we’ve undergone a transformation. Some of the changes you’ll find at this
year’s show include:
• Self-service kiosks for session and conference registration
(located in the press room)
• Ticketless entry to events – your name badge is all you
need
• More room! 50% more exhibit space (over 300,000 square
feet), additional educational session space, and more registration counters
Registration for members of the press is complimentary, and includes access to
all 100+ educational and break-out sessions; Keynote presentations; the master
speaker series’ and green building tours.
To learn more about press registration at Greenbuild 2007, visit
www.greenbuildexpo.org/Press
To register as a working press member, visit http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/survey.zgi?p=WEB2275S9LQCWJ
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 16,500 member companies and organizations, a comprehensive family
of LEED® green building certification systems, an expansive educational
offering, the industry’s popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo
(www.greenbuildexpo.org), and a network of 78 local chapters, affiliates, and organizing
groups. www.usgbc.org
Click here for
Carlini’s full biography.
to do your research before taking a
data center job. 
Inc. (FMS).