Brand-Rex High Speed Infrastructure Underpins TelecityGroup’s State-of-the-art Data Centre in Paris

Robust, 10Gb copper and fibre infrastructure from Brand-Rex chosen for innovative, energy efficient Condorcet data centre

Brand-Rex today announced that it was the chosen supplier for the high speed copper and fibre infrastructure underpinning TelecityGroup’s new Paris data centre, Condorcet.  Designed and built to be one of Europe’s most technically advanced and energy efficient data centres in Europe, Condorcet uses innovative design throughout to maximise energy efficiency.

“Condorcet is a prestigious and forward looking project that will lead the way for data centres in the future,” says Paul Lines, CEO, Brand-Rex. “We are delighted to be chosen for our ability to contribute to the technical merits of the building and demonstrate our commitment to quality, reliability and competitiveness as well as the stringent environmental standards set by Telecity Group.”

The innovative design of Condorcet includes a Climate Change Arboretum that will be used by the French National Institute for Agricultural Research to investigate which species from around the world will be most adaptable to the predicted climate in 50 years time. The giant greenhouse is heated using the waste energy from the data centre. Energy efficiency has been designed into every part of the building including a white roof to mitigate solar gain and free cooling to reduce energy consumption. These innovations will provide a significant reduction in power consumption compared to a traditional data centre, equivalent to an annual reduction of 28 million kWh, or 2,500 tonnes of CO₂ each year. The Condorcet data centre has already been awarded ‘Best European Colocation Facility’ at the 2010 Data Centre Europe Awards in recognition for its innovation both in terms of design and operational quality, and as one of the most technically advanced and energy efficient data centres in Europe.

With 10Gb Ethernet mandatory throughout the data centre Nicolas Buono, Director of Operations, TelecityGroup France, underlines that Brand-Rex was chosen as the preferred supplier for the high performance and excellence of its products and its ability to offer both fibre and copper systems. “Brand-Rex also differentiated itself from the competition by designing a product for us that directly addressed the special connectivity needs of the Condorcet data centre in terms of rack size and weight,” says Nicolas Buono.. “Brand-Rex products are well designed, highly reliable and are straightforward to install which makes life on site easier.”

Brand-Rex low smoke, low halogen 10Gb Zone Copper cabling with its reduced diameter of only 5.4mm was another winning factor in the technical proposal. The reduced size and weight of the Brand-Rex cabling allowed TelecityGroup to fit more cables in each of the cabling trays. The infrastructure design of Condorcet uses horizontal cable runs from comms rooms situated above customer racks. Keeping floor spaces clear of cables significantly improves air flow to racks and offers additional security as the cabling links between customer’s racks and the Telecity racks cannot be touched.

The Brand-Rex V12 angled panel has been used throughout for its ability to route cables easily without the need for additional horizontal cable management. The tool-free RJ45 jack also made installation faster and simpler.

“Condorcet is a showcase data centre site that leads the way in energy and performance efficiency and we are delighted that a Brand-Rex infrastructure was chosen for its performance, flexibility and reliability,” says Lines. “Our integrated fibre and copper infrastructure has contributed to Condorcet’s ability to demonstrate the best environmental practice in Europe.”

ABOUT BRAND-REX

Brand-Rex Ltd is a global operation, designing, developing and manufacturing the most sophisticated, high performance copper and fibre cabling systems for communications and extreme environment applications. Headquartered in Scotland, the company is committed to being a trusted market leading provider of best-in-class communication infrastructure solutions that are truly ‘future proof’. For more information visit www.brand-rex.com

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Aquantia sets new bar for 10GBASE-T with the industry’s highest performance 40nm PHY

Aquantia, the leading developer of mainstream 10GBASE-T PHY solutions, announced today that it has achieved a performance breakthrough with its 40nm generation product platform, demonstrating 120 metre reach on a category 6A cabling system in a data centre environment.  The company’s full portfolio of the industry’s highest performing PHY chips includes quad, dual and single-port configurations.

Robust cable reach, with margin above the standard 100 metre mark is important for accelerated adoption of 10GBASE-T technology.  Whilst others have set the 100 metre reach as their goal, Aquantia’s solutions have established a new bar in performance.  Additional margin enhances the end user experience and mainstreams the design for system OEMs.  End users benefit from the additional margin, as it allows for variability in connectors, cable bends, etc.  It also helps system OEMs to simplify their design and lowers their cost by allowing for generic magnetic, fewer PCB layers and overall enhanced reliability.

Aquantia partnered with Siemon to test its flagship 40nm 10GBASE-T PHYs across the wide range of copper cables typically deployed in enterprise and data centres.  The tests were performed on cable configurations extending beyond the IEEE 802.3an standard of 55m on category 6 and 100m on category 6A and 7, pushing the envelope to the maximum insertion loss defined by TIA standards.  The tests demonstrated the Aquantia 40nm 10GBASE-T PHY running error-free performance over a 120 metre Siemon Z-MAX® category 6A channel; the maximum distance achieved so far in the industry for 10 Gigabit Ethernet on copper.

“For Aquantia to extend the transmission distance of high performance category 6A cabling to 120 metres is the ultimate evidence of the robustness and superiority of its 10GBASE-T architecture and its successful implementation in 40nm,” says John Siemon, chief technology officer at Siemon.  “This is a further confirmation of the maturity of the 10GBASE-T industry and the lead taken by Aquantia as an outperforming silicon supplier.  We are excited about working with Aquantia.  Instead of shortening the distance over copper cabling in the data centre and falling short of industry standard requirements, we are extending it, while offering end users greater design flexibility,” says Siemon.

Aquantia’s 40nm devices build upon its disruptive, patent protected, Mixed-Mode Signal Processing architecture, which has the characteristics of both simplifying the Analog Front End (AFE) and reducing the size and complexity of the digital section of the chip by performing advanced signal processing in analog.  The net result is lower power consumption and lower cost, compared to competitive approaches.  Ramin Shirani, Aquantia vice president of engineering, said “The superior linearity of our AFE along with our MMSP architecture are the cornerstones of our product offering and the reasons for this latest achievement.  We are already working to break our own record as we have done in previous generations.”

Aquantia is currently sampling its full portfolio of 40nm 10GBASE-T PHYs, ranging from quad to single port configurations:

• AQ 1401 quad-port 10GBASE-T, for high density top of rack (ToR) and chassis-based switches
• AQ 1202: dual-port 10GBASE-T, for emerging LAN-on-motherboard server applications and stand-up NICs, CNAs and HBAs
• AQ 1103: single-port 10GBASE-T for single-port high end PC applications and X2 modules

Aquantia CEO and president, Faraj Aalaei states, “We are seeing great market momentum for 10GBASE-T with switch and server OEMs, following our recent achievements in the 40nm generation. A strong track record in innovation, expertise and a constant search for the highest performance are the drivers behind this success.”

Go to www.aquantia.com/news_videos.php for footage of recent Interop discussions on 10GE in the data centre, as well as additional footage on 10GBASE-T data centre trends, and follow Aquantia on Twitter for ongoing updates on 10Gigabit Ethernet connectivity in the data centre.

About Aquantia

With it’s 10GBASE-T silicon products for mainstream high-speed connectivity, Aquantia meets business needs for efficiency, lower total cost of ownership (TCO), productivity and easy-to-use network infrastructure. The company’s versatile technology platform is based on advanced signal processing, while fully leveraging the maturity of Ethernet and offering the universal appeal of the RJ-45. Aquantia ICs connect multi-core data centres, applications-optimised workgroup computing and virtual server networks with one flexible low cost and standards based architecture. Aquantia is a venture-backed private company. For more information, visit www.aquantia.com.

About Siemon

Established in 1903, Siemon™ is an industry leader specialising in the manufacture and innovation of high quality, high-performance network cabling solutions. With global offices and partners throughout the world, Siemon offers the most comprehensive suite of copper (unshielded and shielded twisted-pair) and fibre cabling systems available and is one of only three network cabling infrastructure companies worldwide with true global partnership capabilities. With over 400 patents specific to structured cabling, Siemon Labs invests heavily in R&D and development of industry standards, underlining the company’s long-term commitment to its customers and the industry.

www.siemon.com/uk

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Fortis selects Siemon Z-MAX for Stoke call centre expansion

Fortis Insurance Solutions (FIS), part of the Fortis UK insurance group, one of the UK’s leading providers of award winning insurance solutions, continues to expand after 28 years of successful operation.   As a result of expansion, FIS recently appointed Siemon to deliver a new future-proof 10Gb/s capable physical layer network infrastructure to provide the business with a base to build more advanced applications and systems without being concerned about network performance issues or cabling limitations for many years to come.

Significant growth across the Fortis business, as a result of insurance partnership deals, lead to the company increasing its workforce and investing in redesigning its Stoke-based call centre, which will now accommodate around 550 advisors. The new cabling has enabled the business to deploy voice-over IP technology within its call centre, as well as allowing the deployment of more bandwidth intensive applications, without the need for further upgrades and business disruption.

Compounding the infrastructure design challenges were operational imperatives:  With service level agreements to fulfil, FIS specified zero downtime as essential during the work to ensure that business with its customers was not disrupted, along with special consideration on the impact on its employees’ working environment. Upholding data security and confidentiality was also a specified imperative throughout the installation project.

NETcare, a long standing Siemon Certified Installer, undertook this complex infrastructure installation for FIS.  10Gb/s category 6A was selected as the required standard and Siemon’s high performance Z-MAX® was the system chosen, thanks to its proven quality and unmatched service support.   

“Our infrastructure choices have to underpin our customer service standards for many years to come,” commented FIS finance and operations director, Jason Banwell.  “Choosing Siemon category 6A has provided real lifetime return on investment value.”

The network cabling project was completed without any interruption to the business and in line with FIS’ growth plan requirements. To meet the 100 per cent uptime target, NETcare engineers started on site at 5am and call centre staff were moved into different parts of the office whilst work was completed, thereby mitigating the need for temporary accommodation.  A total of 1400 new Z-MAX 6A connections have been made in the horizontal, structured via 70 multi user Telecommunications Outlet Assemblies, providing consolidation points under the raised floor.  Siemon XGLO OM3 fibre has been used as the backbone.

Finance and operations director, Jason Banwell concludes, “Our clients enjoy fully tailored, seamless solutions with access to a wide range of products, quotes from the UK’s leading insurers and detailed management reporting.  Delivering this proposition requires that our systems are built to perform faultlessly and enable our highly trained staff to provide the best standard of service.  We believe that this new infrastructure will provide the foundation for that delivery and is fundamental to the continuity of the efficiency and quality of our service levels.”

Fortis’ success is built on the ethos that puts the customer at the centre of everything it does. Known in the insurance industry for its market leading service, Fortis’ Stoke operation now services almost a million customers, using efficient processes delivered at the lowest cost.

About Siemon                                        

Established in 1903, Siemon™ is an industry leader specialising in the manufacture and innovation of high quality, high-performance network cabling solutions. With global offices and partners throughout the world, Siemon offers the most comprehensive suite of copper (unshielded and shielded twisted-pair) and fibre cabling systems available and is one of only three network cabling infrastructure companies worldwide with true global partnership capabilities. With over 400 active patents specific to structured cabling, Siemon Labs invests heavily in R&D and development of industry standards, underlining the company’s long-term commitment to its customers and the industry.   www.siemon.com/uk

About Fortis Insurance Solutions

Fortis Insurance Solutions has over 25 years’ experience as a personal lines insurance broker and outsourced solutions provider.

Formed in 1981 as Alliance Insurance Brokers, the company was acquired by the HSBC group in 1998 and changed from Alliance Auto Direct to become HSBC Select.

Following a management buyout in April 2003, the business became The OutRight Company UK Ltd.

In September 2005, The OutRight Company became part of Fortis (UK) Limited, a leading provider of award-winning personal and commercial lines insurance solutions and life protection in the UK, and was rebranded to UKFIS Limited in October 2008.

Today Fortis Insurance Solutions forms part of the Fortis multi-channel distribution strategy, providing transaction and support services via the Internet, Aggregators and Telesales, for personal and commercial lines insurance business. Fortis Insurance Solutions distributes and services through its own branded business AutoDirect and CoverDirect and third party branded business, offering solus or panel arrangements to suit the needs of its clients. Aligning its business activities with its partners’ general insurance strategies enables Fortis to offer end-to-end white label capabilities in product development, marketing, campaign management, sales, fulfilment and claims – providing a seamless integration with partner brands.

With a turnover in excess of £17 million and operating profit of £2 million (as at December 2008), Fortis Insurance Solutions provides a UK based customer contact centre with over 200 trained advisors (and capacity for 550). The business is committed to continuous growth, having a broad spread of clients and contractual agreements covering three and five year terms.

About NETcare

NETcare Europe Ltd is an established provider and installer of quality computer networks and systems to the SME, corporate and public sector. Committed to the long-term, NETcare installs best in class solutions, developed using quality products and utilising the latest technology.  The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of networking products and services from a diverse yet structured range.

NETcare tailors advice, selection and implementation of the appropriate communications solution for each client through a thorough understanding of their organisational needs and objectives.  The customer’s requirement of added value solutions combined with competitive pricing are key priorities that focus this tailoring.

NETcare Europe is fully registered with the British Standards Institution as holder of ISO 9001:2008. The company holds a wide range of accreditations from the leading manufacturers of IT networking products, supported by investment in industry-recognised training programmes for its workforce.

NETcare’s success has been built by continually exceeding customer expectations. www.ldd.co.uk

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Brand-Rex announce distribution of EPV Solution from RiT Technologies

Easy to install, affordable infrastructure connectivity management for small and medium sized networks now available from Brand-Rex.

Brand-Rex, leading manufacturer of copper and fibre structured cabling systems, today announced the launch of the EPV Cable Management Solution from RiT Technologies.

Providing real-time, connectivity monitoring of a network infrastructure, from the communications room to remote sites, the EPV appliance based cable monitoring system is aimed at large as well as small to medium sized organisations.

“EPV takes a new, easy implementation, approach to real-time connectivity management,” says Ian Wilkie, Business & Marketing Director, Brand-Rex. “We are delighted to build on our 10 year partnership with RiT, viewing EPV as an extension to our existing copper, fibre and intelligent infrastructure management solutions that will allow us to offer accessible and affordable infrastructure management monitoring to both new and existing clients.”

Aimed at organisations who want the functionality of a traditional enterprise monitoring system without the complexity yet with no compromise on fundamental sophisticated features as well as the peace of mind of knowing how well their network is performing, the EPV is a standalone solution that requires no additional software or servers. Based on RiT’s advanced infrastructure management technologies, once installed EPV continuously collects information within the network patch panels and communication racks. Any change in connectivity is immediately detected, prompting the system to send notifications and email alerts to designated staff. All network connectivity information, including notifications and alerts, are easily accessed using a user-friendly, permission based GUI from a web browser, making EPV the ideal solution for monitoring and managing connectivity across the network at both local and remote sites.

“We are delighted to strengthen our relationship with Brand-Rex through its adoption of our EPV solution to complement its cabling infrastructure technologies,” says Zvi Braun, Senior Director – Product and Project Management, RiT Technologies. “EPV is an innovative product that brings a new concept to market: infrastructure management that can be deployed on a ‘plug-n-play’ basis without investment in new servers or software. EPV can be easily upgraded to a full-featured intelligent infrastructure management (IIM) solution, enabling customers to grow as required from initial installations to large-scale deployments.”

About Brand-Rex

Brand-Rex Ltd is a global operation, designing, developing and manufacturing the most sophisticated, high performance copper and fibre cabling systems for communications and extreme environment applications. Headquartered in Scotland, the company is committed to being a trusted market leading provider of best-in-class communication infrastructure solutions that are truly ‘future proof’. For more information visit www.brand-rex.com

About RiT Technologies

RiT is a leading provider of intelligent solutions for infrastructure management, asset management, environment and security, and network utilization. RiT Enterprise solutions address datacenters, communication rooms and workspace environments, ensuring maximum utilization, reliability, decreased downtime, physical security, automated deployment, asset tracking, and troubleshooting. RiT Environment and Security solutions enable companies to effectively control their datacenters, communications rooms and remote physical sites and facilities in real-time, comprehensively and accurately. RiT Carrier solutions provide carriers with the full array of network mapping, testing and bandwidth qualification capabilities needed for access network installation and service provisioning. RiT’s field-tested solutions are delivering value in thousands of installations for top-tier enterprises and operators throughout the world.

For more information, please visit our website: www.rittech.com

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Brand-Rex Becomes an Investor in Excellence

Brand-Rex has joined an elite band of businesses to have achieved Investor in Excellence status, one of Europe’s highest quality standards. 

The company’s Speciality division in Leigh, Lancashire, is now one of just 200 European businesses to be awarded the accolade, which demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement.

The Investor in Excellence standard has been designed to encourage organisations of any size, and from any sector, to work towards a common standard that reflects quality and excellence.

The company received its award from North of England Excellence, which was presented to Brand-Rex by local MP Andy Burnham.

The standard is built around the EFQM (European Foundation of Quality Management) Excellence Model, which is widely used throughout Europe as a framework for improving organisations.

Brand-Rex has used the model as its main business improvement tool for the last decade, working alongside quality specialists North of England Excellence. And last year they won the North of England Excellence Quality Award in the category Private Company Less Than 250 Employees.  In 2008 the company won a special award for Corporate Social Responsibility.

Brand-Rex’s speciality division manufactures high performance electrical cables for the aerospace, automotive and rail industries.  General Manager Steve Tickle explains: “Many of our products are designed to operate in extreme environments, and across a range of industries where high quality must be a given. Achieving an accreditation like this reassures all our customers that we’re a company that always puts quality first.

“This strong emphasis on quality is another reason why the company as a whole has performed so strongly in recent years. It’s helped us to win contracts both in new sectors and in new international markets.”

Among the key benefits of working towards the standard, says Tickle, is that it helps to embed continuous improvement into an organisation, while it is also a natural progression on from other quality standards such as ISO TS 16949, AS9100 and ISO 9001:2000, all of which Brand-Rex has already achieved.

And Tickle adds: “Attainment of the Investor in Excellence standard from North of England Excellence has been an excellent achievement for Brand-Rex.  All our staff deserve a well earned pat on the back for their efforts in helping the company to attain this Blue Riband standard.”

ABOUT BRAND-REX

Brand-Rex Ltd is a global operation, designing, developing and manufacturing the most sophisticated, high performance copper and fibre cabling systems for communications and extreme environment applications. Headquartered in Scotland, the company is committed to being a trusted market leading provider of best-in-class communication infrastructure solutions that are truly ‘future proof’. For more information visit www.brand-rex.com

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Siemon Strengthens Middle East Team

Siemon, the network infrastructure specialist, has appointed Prem Rodrigues, RCDD, to its Middle East operation.  Rodrigues takes the newly created role of business development manager for the Middle East and will work across the region from Siemon’s base in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi.

Prior to joining Siemon, Rodrigues worked for Syscom Emirates LLC (a subsidiary of M’sharie, which is wholly owned by Dubai Investments).  Syscom specialises in turnkey networking, ICT and physical security installations and Rodrigues was a senior sales manager for them, leading all project teams through the presale and design phases of client contracts.

Rodrigues has previously worked in various project vertical markets, such as healthcare, finance, commercial/residential, government/military and leisure. Based on his design work on major projects he secured BICSI  RCDD in 2007

As business development manager for Siemon, Rodrigues will focus on developing channel partners and VAR relationships in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Libya, Yemen, Syria and Iraq.  He will also provide support to leading ICT consultants, specifiers and end user clients, working on infrastructure and network planning.  This will range from multi-million dollar data centre builds to office structured cabling, both for upgrade and new installation.

Appointing Prem Rodrigues, regional director Rob Tansley commented; “Prem is highly technically qualified and has a wealth of experience of delivering successful IT projects in the region.  His understanding of the region and network of contacts means that he will rapidly prove an asset to Siemon as we continue to invest in developing our business in the Middle East.”

Rodrigues is enthusiastic about his new role; “Siemon stands for quality and the company is a world leader in both technical innovation and green operation. Being part of such a highly esteemed organisation makes me both proud and driven to achieve.”

 Rodrigues is married and currently lives in Dubai.  When away from the networking arena, he indulges a passion for music, movies and confesses a developing love of golf.

Photo: available by e-mail from direland@turtleconsulting.com

About Siemon

Established in 1903, Siemon™ is an industry leader specialising in the manufacture and innovation of high quality, high-performance network cabling solutions. With global offices and partners throughout the world, Siemon offers the most comprehensive suite of copper (unshielded and shielded twisted-pair) and fibre cabling systems available and is one of only three network cabling infrastructure companies worldwide with true global partnership capabilities. With over 400 active patents specific to structured cabling, Siemon Labs invests heavily in R&D and development of industry standards, underlining the company’s long-term commitment to its customers and the industry.

www.siemon.co.uk

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Higbie talk on fibre futures at FIA Summer Seminar

Infrastructure thought leader and data centre expert, Carrie Higbie of Siemon, is due to speak on the topic of the changing face of fibre in the data centre for higher speed communications – at the forthcoming FIA Summer Seminar on 9 June 2010.  Her talk will focus on the impact of 40/100GbE and offer predictions on how it will change fibre plans in the data centre.

Explaining her topic, Carrie said, “With 40/100GbE on the horizon, two strand field terminated fibre will be going away for multimode fibre.  So what does this mean for a data centre?  It surely means that designs are more critical than ever and also that planning new equipment will affect more than one budget.  In fact, I’ll explain why the varied budgets in data centres may soon be a thing of the past.  My talk for the FIA is billed as ‘reviewing the impact of MPO connectivity’ and in it I will explain how the changing face of fibre will impact data centre plans.”

The seminar will be held on 9-10 June in Oxford and is open to all FIA members and their guests.  The schedule of seminars starts with a cabling standards update by FIA technical director, Mike Gilmore and the programme includes a discussion on links to national standards, plus legislative updates.  Carrie Higbie speaks on the first day at 2.45pm.

The seminar and networking forum is described as a celebratory event, marking the year in which Charles Kao was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics for his work in the world of fibre optics.  The event encompasses not only the seminar, but also a mini-exhibition and formal dinner.

According to the FIA, the event provides an excellent opportunity to update knowledge, meet with FIA members and talk to the FIA directors.

Carrie Higbie MBA MSBA, is global director of data centre solutions and services for fibre and copper infrastructure specialist Siemon.  She has been involved in the computing and networking industries for over 25 years and participates with the IEEE, TIA and various consortiums for standards acceptance.  She has an extensive background in all aspects of networking and application development as a consultant, project manager, and Fortune 500 executive.  Carrie has taught at a collegiate level and she is now a popular speaker at industry events.   She has authored an impressive body of technical articles and whitepapers and her work is published around the world. 

About Siemon                                        

Established in 1903, Siemon™ is an industry leader specialising in the manufacture and innovation of high quality, high-performance network cabling solutions. With global offices and partners throughout the world, Siemon offers the most comprehensive suite of copper (unshielded and shielded twisted-pair) and fibre cabling systems available and is one of only three network cabling infrastructure companies worldwide with true global partnership capabilities. With over 400 active patents specific to structured cabling, Siemon Labs invests heavily in R&D and development of industry standards, underlining the company’s long-term commitment to its customers and the industry.

www.siemon.com/uk

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New distribution partner

Brand-Rex, the UK’s market leader in the manufacturer and supply of  high performance copper and fibre cabling systems for communication systems, has appointed specialist communications company Webro as a distribution partner offering the full range of Brand-Rex products.

Established in 1980, Webro is a major supplier of composite and bespoke communication cables and connectors to a wide range of industries including rail networks, automotive, fire alarm, security, tv and satellite as well as large scale commercial installations.

Announcing the partnership, Ian Wilkie, Brand-Rex Business & Marketing Director said, “I am delighted that a company with the pedigree and experience of Webro has become one of our distribution partners today. Brand-Rex has a long commitment to supporting the work of its channel, and is looking forward to partnering with the enthusiastic sales and engineering teams at Webro as they take Brand-Rex products in new directions.”

With the focus on high quality products and excellent service, Webro and Brand-Rex make an ideal partnership. Already established as the largest provider of coaxial cable in the UK, Webro currently supplies enough cable to reach the moon and back each year. With the addition of the Brand-Rex fibre and copper product ranges, Webro will be able to offer a wide choice of infrastructure solutions to the diverse markets it operates in.

On receiving the news, Webro’s managing director, Roger Webster said “We are delighted to be partnered with the UK’s number one in the structured cabling market. The partnership with Brand-Rex will help Webro push forward into new markets, helping both companies secure new business partners. I am very excited about the developments to come and with the help of our strong team, I am sure that business will continue to grow.”

ABOUT BRAND-REX

Brand-Rex Ltd is a global operation, designing, developing and manufacturing the most sophisticated, high performance copper and fibre cabling systems for communications and extreme environment applications. Headquartered in Scotland, the company is committed to being a trusted market leading provider of best-in-class communication infrastructure solutions that are truly ‘future proof’. For more information visit www.brand-rex.com

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Siemon Launches Online Educational Resource Centre on Shielded Network Cabling

Siemon, a globally recognised leader in network cabling solutions, has launched a new online resource centre, dedicated to helping IT networking and data centre professionals get clear facts on shielded network cabling.  This includes systems such as category 6A F/UTP and category 7A S/FTP and outlines the benefits of shielded twisted-pair copper cabling.

Focusing on key network infrastructure issues such as 10Gb/s performance requirements, noise resistance, installation considerations, cost savings and future-proofing, http://www.siemon.com/uk/learning/shielded/ provides an easily navigated portal to Siemon’s library of in-depth resources. From a simple, one-page list of key shielded cabling benefits, advantages and myths, users can access instructional videos, whitepapers, customer case studies and an array of other materials.

Key topics covered in the shielded cabling resource centre include considerations such as market drivers, performance headroom, electromagnetic interference and security.  Practical information is provided on termination speed, installation practices, grounding and bonding and alien crosstalk resistance.  Subjects such as PoE and PoE Plus heat generation issues are also covered and cable sharing for high density work areas.

 “Shielded cabling suffers from a legacy reputation of being difficult to install and hence the market adoption has not been as rapid as the considerable benefits of this cabling should justify,” said Graeme Stoker, marketing manager for Siemon in EMEA.  “This type of misconception is challenged by the clear and informative materials contained in this new online resource centre.  From technical written papers to short instructional videos and customer case studies, there is a wealth of information here, readily available for all IT professionals.”

 To explore these and other Siemon resources, visit http://www.siemon.com/uk/learning/shielded/

Photo: supporting images are available by e-mail from direland@turtleconsulting.com

About Siemon

Established in 1903, Siemon™ is an industry leader specialising in the manufacture and innovation of high quality, high-performance network cabling solutions. With global offices and partners throughout the world, Siemon offers the most comprehensive suite of copper (unshielded and shielded twisted-pair) and fibre cabling systems available and is one of only three network cabling infrastructure companies worldwide with true global partnership capabilities. With over 400 active patents specific to structured cabling, Siemon Labs invests heavily in R&D and development of industry standards, underlining the company’s long-term commitment to its customers and the industry.

www.siemon.com/uk

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Brand-Rex U/UTP Cat6A cable delivers Permanent Link to 3P-Certified 10 Gigabit Ethernet Performance

Brand-Rex’s premium grade 10GPlus U/UTP Augmented Category 6/Class EA cabling system has received an ‘Attestation of Conformity’ from independent testing laboratory, 3P Third Party Testing. 3P’s certificate of conformity verifies that Brand-Rex’s 10GPlus Augmented Cat 6 U/UTP cable and components provide the performance required to support any current and future Class EA application, including   10GBASE-T. 

The permanent link test model sets a crucial baseline by assuring that installed cabling meets the performance and interoperability requirements specified by international standards. Comprising Brand-Rex’s 3P-approved Augmented Cat 6 U/UTP cable, and 3P-approved tool-free RJ45 Snap-In-Jack, the UTP permanent link is now also certified by 3P as compliant with the Class EA requirements of amendment 2, 2^nd Edition ISO/IEC 11801, and Category 6A requirements of ANSI/TIA-568-C.2. This assures that the system is ready to support IEEE 802.3an, the IEEE standard for 10GBASE-T. 3P is one of the most respected testing laboratories serving the international cabling and electronics industries. Based in Denmark, it has been working with the performance of data cabling since the 1980s, and carries out certification testing on all elements of communication systems, from cables and connecting hardware to patch cords, permanent links and channels. 

“It is vital that owners and installers be confident that their structured cabling installations are compliant with the exacting requirements of international standards,” states Ken Hodge, R&D manager at Brand-Rex. “The attestation of conformity awarded by 3P Third Party Testing confirms that Brand-Rex’s Augmented Cat 6 U/UTP cable and cabling not only meets and exceeds the performance requirements in EIA/TIA for Augmented Category 6, but also meets and exceeds requirements in ISO/IEC for Class EA. This certification provides owners and installers with assured system performance when deploying Brand-Rex Augmented Cat 6 U/UTP cable and components.” 

Designed to support 10 Gigabit Ethernet in horizontal and backbone applications, Brand-Rex’s Cat 6 U/UTP cable employs a ‘Reuleaux Triangle’ design to overcome Alien Crosstalk and to ensure that the cable diameter remains as small as possible to optimise on containment requirements. It forms part of Brand-Rex’s industry-leading 10GPlus range, which is further enhanced by a family of innovative connectivity products, including the tool-free RJ45 Snap-In-Jack and ‘Zone’ Cable. The tool-free RJ45 Snap-In-Jack has been shown to halve installation times, whilst the 10GPlus Zone Cable is a high performance Augmented Category 6 solution designed for use in challenging data centre environments. Smaller and 30% lighter than conventional cables, Zone Cable makes possible a 100% increase in the number of cables per cable tray, and was recently fully certified by 3P Third Party Testing as one of the highest performing cables currently available. 

“In addition to the certificate of performance at permanent link level, the Brand-Rex Augmented Cat 6 U/UTP cable, tool-free RJ45 Snap-In-Jack, and Zone Cable are approved by 3P Third Party Testing,” continues Hodge. “This gives Brand-Rex’s 10GPlus system unparalleled levels of certification, underscored by the fact that the most variable component in the link, the cable, is manufactured under controlled conditions by Brand-Rex at its state-of-the-art facilities in Glenrothes (Scotland) under the ISO 14001 Environmental Management Standard, and ISO 9001:2008 Quality management systems factory control.” 

ABOUT BRAND-REX Brand-Rex Ltd is a global operation, designing, developing and manufacturing the most sophisticated, high performance copper and fibre cabling systems for communications and extreme environment applications. Headquartered in Scotland, the company is committed to being a trusted market leading provider of best-in-class communication infrastructure solutions that are truly ‘future proof’. For more information visit www.brand-rex.com

BRX0296

Brand-Rex confirmed as UK’s Number One in the UK Market for the Second Year Running

For the second consecutive year, structured cabling specialist Brand-Rex is reported to be the highest volume supplier in the UK market according to the latest report by market analysts BSRIA.

With 1.139 million structured cabling outlets shipped in 2009, Brand-Rex beat the number two player’s volume of 995,349 by an astounding 143,744 outlets putting Brand-Rex 14.4% ahead in volume of product shipped.

And, despite the recession, Brand-Rex output was up on its 2008 record of 1.119 million structured cabling outlets shipped.

The BSRIA figures show that Brand-Rex is top in volume shipments for Shielded solutions as well as for conventional UTP unshielded with 20.9 percent of the shielded market (the number two player in shielded has 19.4%) and Brand-Rex has 17.2% of the unshielded market compared to its closest rival in UTP which has only 16.9 percent.

Interestingly the number two companies in each of these sectors are different – each one specialising in either shielded or unshielded – rather than comprehensively covering users’ varying needs. As Brand-Rex Business Director Ian Wilkie comments, “We don’t need to try to sway customers’ choices based on only manufacturing one solution or the other. With Brand-Rex, they know they can trust us to advise the correct technical and economic solution for their needs rather than trying to sell them on the incorrect solution just in order to get their business.”

Because there is no other company with significant volume in both sectors, Brand-Rex leads the combined market with a volume share of  17.5% compared to the overall number two which has only 15.3%.

Major innovations in 2009 included the launch of 10GPlus Zone Cable, which is specifically designed for use in challenging Data Centre environments. It has also received certification from leading global testing laboratory 3P, which officially recognised the kit as one of the highest performing cables on the market.

As well as topping the market and beating the recession, 2009 also saw the launch of the new Brand-Rex High Density Fibre Cabinet (HDFC) Solution, which combines high density frames, cabinets, management panels with integrated fibre cassettes, cables and patch cord management. The cabinet’s key benefit is that by better organising the patching fields, the system reduces the floor space required for managing a high volume of optical connectivity.

The success has also been built on a number of key project wins over the last 12 months including a major contract supplying BT Operate with a  range of custom built, high density patching frames for both copper and fibre cabling. The frames are helping BT to achieve around 30 per cent more cabling capacity in its data centres, with an increase in footprint of only 5 per cent. 

BT Operate is currently implementing a major seven year programme to transform all its data centres, with the Brand-Rex frames are set to play a central role.

Brand-Rex has also continued to work closely with its network of installers, many of which took advantage of the Brand Breaks loyalty scheme. The programme rewards companies that meet sales targets with a choice of foreign holidays.

And Brand-Rex capped off a remarkable 12 months when they were voted structured cabling provider of the year for the second year running at the Network Commuting Awards. 

Ian Wilkie, Business Director at Brand-Rex said: “We have once again increased our market share despite the difficult trading conditions, reinforcing our position as the leading UK supplier and a major player in global markets too.

“As ever, the loyalty and commitment of our customers, along with the hard work and dedication of our staff, have been crucial in helping us buck the current trend and record continued growth.”

ABOUT BRAND-REX

Brand-Rex Ltd is a global operation, designing, developing and manufacturing the most sophisticated, high performance copper and fibre cabling systems for communications and extreme environment applications. Headquartered in Scotland, the company is committed to being a trusted market leading provider of best-in-class communication infrastructure solutions that are truly ‘future proof’. For more information visit www.brand-rex.com

BRX0269

Siemon Adds Door to Fast Terminating Z-MAX™ RJ-45 Network Cabling Connector

Siemon Z-MAX  outlets now feature an optional spring-loaded door

 Siemon’s line  of Z-MAX network cabling outlets are now available with an optional spring-loaded hinged door to minimise  ingress of dust and other contaminants.  This option is available in category 6A shielded, category 6A UTP and category 6 UTP and the new door-equipped outlets share the same extended transmission performance headroom and straightforward fast termination features found in the original Z-MAX outlet. 

 The new door protects the outlet’s internal components and critical connector mating surfaces from exposure to environmental contaminants such as dust.  When the outlet is in use, the door stays perpendicular to the outlet face, ensuring that it does not interfere with stacked or adjacent outlets in high density patching or work area applications. 

 Using the simple, patent-pending Z-TOOL™, all varieties of Z-MAX door-equipped outlets, including category 6A shielded versions, can be terminated in 60 seconds or less from start to finish, including cable preparation – the fastest RJ-based outlet termination in the industry.   All Z-MAX 6A outlets offer industry best category 6A performance margin across all critical cabling parameters as part of an end-to-end system. 

 To further improve flexibility, the Z-MAX work area outlet features an exclusive hybrid design that allows either flat or angled mounting orientations. Newly enhanced printed icons can be inserted into the door or outlet face, providing a complete colour coded identification system  that remains visible even when a cord is inserted.

 Siemon’s Z-MAX line includes complete end-to-end category 6A/class E_A systems in both shielded and unshielded configurations as well as category 6/class E UTP.  The full Z-MAX 6A channel consists of Z-MAX 6A outlets and patch panels, Siemon category 6A cable and  patent pending Z-MAX 6A patch cords that feature a precisely tuned printed circuit board (PCB) within every plug for enhanced signal performance.   The Z-MAX category 6 UTP channel features Z-MAX 6 outlets and patch panels, Siemon category 6 cable and category 6 BladePatch and MC patch cords. To explore Siemon’s entire Z-MAX line, visit:  http://www.siemon.com/uk/zmax/

Follow Siemon on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/siemoncabling/

Join Siemon on Facebook: http://www.siemon.com/go/facebook

About Siemon

Established in 1903, Siemon™ is an industry leader specialising in the manufacture and innovation of high quality, high-performance network cabling solutions. With global offices and partners throughout the world, Siemon offers the most comprehensive suite of copper (unshielded and shielded twisted-pair) and fibre cabling systems available and is one of only three network cabling infrastructure companies worldwide with true global partnership capabilities. With over 400 active patents specific to structured cabling, Siemon Labs invests heavily in R&D and development of industry standards, underlining the company’s long-term commitment to its customers and the industry.

www.siemon.com/uk

New Siemon Whitepaper Compares Point-to-Point and Structured Cabling Options in the Data Centre

Leading networking infrastructure company Siemon has published a comprehensive new white paper addressing one of the hottest topics in the data centre market:  “Data Centre Cabling Considerations: Point-to-Point vs Structured Cabling.” This new paper is authored by respected data centre infrastructure expert Carrie Higbie and is available for download at http://siemon.com/uk/white_papers/09-06-18-data-center-point-to-point-vs-structured-cabling.asp

Direct connection cabling configurations, also known as “point-to-point” (ie; switches to servers, servers to storage, server to server, etc.) have a fairly long history in the data centre and although they have been largely out of favour for some time, some active equipment manufacturers have recently advocated a comeback.  This is due in large part to recent developments in Top of Rack and End of Row switching, which promise to reduce cabling in the data centre by up to 70 per cent, according to the manufacturers. While this may seem attractive at first, these savings are not always realised and can be negated by additional equipment requirements, increased power and repeatedly higher annual maintenance costs.     

Before making any data centre cabling decision, IT network and data centre professionals should understand all of the options. This whitepaper was developed to provide important information on the pros and cons of both structured cabling and point-to-point options from the perspective of varied disciplines and departments within the data centre environment.  The analysis includes: when and where each is the best fit and, ultimately, how a well implemented combination of the two is the best and most cost-effective solution to provide maximum data centre flexibility, scalability, performance and future-proofing.  To download a complimentary copy of “Data Centre Cabling Considerations: Point-to-Point vs. Structured Cabling”, visit http://siemon.com/uk/white_papers/09-06-18-data-center-point-to-point-vs-structured-cabling.asp

About the Whitepaper Author

Carrie Higbie has been involved in the computing and networking industries for 25+ years. Carrie currently works with Siemon™ as the global director of data centre solutions and services. She participates with the IEEE, TIA and various consortiums for standards acceptance. She has extensive background in all aspects of networking and application development as a consultant, project manager, and Fortune 500 executive and has taught at a collegiate level.  She speaks at industry events and has published several articles and whitepapers globally.  Carrie holds an MBA and MSBA.  Carrie is an expert in TechTarget’s Searchnetworking, SearchEnterpriseVoice and SearchDataCenters forums and is on the board of advisors.  She writes a weekly column on a variety of topics.  She is the President of the BladeSystems Alliance. 

About Siemon

Established in 1903, Siemon™ is an industry leader specialising in the manufacture and innovation of high quality, high-performance network cabling solutions. With global offices and partners throughout the world, Siemon offers the most comprehensive suite of copper (unshielded and shielded twisted-pair) and fibre cabling systems available and is one of only three network cabling infrastructure companies worldwide with true global partnership capabilities. With over 400 active patents specific to structured cabling, Siemon Labs invests heavily in R&D and development of industry standards, underlining the company’s long-term commitment to its customers and the industry.

www.siemon.com/uk

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Siemon adds Category 6 UTP to the Z-MAX Range of Systems

Siemon has launched a new category 6 unshielded (UTP) version of the Z-MAX range of end-to-end network cabling systems. Based on Siemon’s 10Gb/s capable Z-MAX 6A platform, the new category 6 UTP combines exceptional performance margins with 60 second termination time.

The new category 6 Z-MAX system employs the same fast and simple, termination process as the Z-MAX 6A. Using Siemon’s patent-pending Z-TOOL, outlets can be terminated in less than 60 seconds from start to finish, including cable preparation.

Overwhelming positive feedback on the Z-MAX 6A and speed of termination has driven requests and demand for a category 6 version of Z-MAX, says Bob Carlson, Siemon’s VP of Global Marketing. “We listen to our customers and respond accordingly,” says Bob. “The market for category 6 is still ripe and this is a logical extension of Siemon’s breakthrough MAX product line.”

In addition to the Z-TOOL, the new category 6 Z-MAX outlet utilises the Z-MAX 6A’s patent-pending linear termination module. The linear termination module allows conductors to be laced quickly and naturally into position without crossing pairs. Maintaining and protecting cable pair geometry optimises transmission performance and consistency while removing a significant noise source present in all other RJ-45 outlets.

Utilising Siemon’s Premium 6 UTP cable, the Z-MAX 6 outlet’s unique design provides extended category 6 performance margins and transmission headroom. Additionally, the outlet’s enhanced noise resistance enables ultra-high density patching, allowing Z-MAX 6 modular patch panels to support up to 48 ports in just 1U of rack or cabinet space.

Available in both flat and angled configurations, the Z-MAX 6 patch panels feature a unique modular Quick-Snap panel design, which allows Z-MAX 6 panel outlets and pre-terminated trunking cable assemblies to be quickly snapped into place to speed initial deployment and subsequent moves, adds and changes. Combined with 48-port, 1U patching, Z-MAX 6′s Quick-Snap design and pre-terminated trunking cable compatibility provides rapid deployment, superior flexibility and ultra-high density in mission-critical data centre infrastructures.

To further enhance flexibility and user-friendliness, all Z-MAX work area outlets feature an exclusive hybrid flat/angled design that allows either flat or angled mounting orientations with the same outlet. Newly enhanced high visibility printed icons provide a complete colour-coded identification system.

The end-to-end Z-MAX 6 UTP channel is supported by Siemon’s category 6 MC patch cords and high-density BladePatch modular cords. Z-MAX 6 hybrid flat/angled outlets are compatible with all Siemon MAX series modular patch panels and faceplates.

To receive more information about Siemon’s end-to-end category 6 Z-MAX, and to access Z-MAX resources such as whitepapers, detailed specifications and termination videos, visit http://www.siemon.com/uk/e-catalog/ECAT_GI_page.aspx?GI_ID=wa_z-max-6-utp-outlets

Photos: available by e-mail from direland@turtleconsulting.com

Notes to Editors

About Siemon

Established in 1903, Siemon™ is an industry leader specialising in the manufacture and innovation of high quality, high-performance network cabling solutions. With global offices and partners throughout the world, Siemon offers the most comprehensive suite of copper (unshielded and shielded twisted-pair) and fibre cabling systems available and is one of only three network cabling infrastructure companies worldwide with true global partnership capabilities. With over 400 active patents specific to structured cabling, Siemon Labs invests heavily in R&D and development of industry standards, underlining the company’s long-term commitment to its customers and the industry.

www.siemon.com/uk

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Brand-Rex 10GPlus Zone Cable is certified by 3P Third Party Testing

Brand-Rex’s high performance Augmented Category 6 (10GPlus) Zone Cable has now been fully certified by 3P Third Party Testing, the independent testing laboratory.

3P’s certification confirms the Zone Cable’s status as one of the highest performing cables currently available, making it ideally suited for the most demanding applications, especially 10GBASE-T.

Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, 3P is one of the most respected testing laboratories serving the international cabling and electronics industries. It has been working with the performance of data cabling since the 1980s, and carries out certification testing on all elements of communication systems, from cables and connecting hardware to patch cords, permanent links and channels.

“3P has tested our cable in accordance with the Category 6_A performance requirements of the IEC 61156-6 cable standard,” said Iain Ballingall, Brand-Rex’s Technical Director. “Its tests have confirmed all the specifications of the cable, in particular its excellent skew, crosstalk and EMC performances. ”

“This proves that the cable’s screening performance ensures the alien crosstalk values of any system employing this product will be >>10dB better than the specification requirements, assuming terminations are done correctly. And that not only means it will support 10GBASE-T but that the installer will not have to check the Alien crosstalk of the cabling system to prove system compliance. We do not know of any one else supplying this level of product with an equivalent level of certified approval.”

The cable’s construction also ensures it easily passes other performance requirements stipulated in the relevant standards (e.g. NEXT, PSNEXT, ELFEXT etc…) and provides headroom in the critical characteristics.

The 10GPlus Zone Cable is designed to provide high bandwidth performance for use in horizontal wiring in structured cabling installations, in data centres and storage area networks (SANs), and in shorter length backbones.

Suitable for use in the most challenging Data Centre environments, it is smaller and 30% lighter than conventional cables, and makes possible a 100% increase in the number of cables per cable tray. The 10GPlus Zone Cable is also more flexible and easier to install, and is suitable for channel lengths up to 70m.

The Zone Cable is one element in Brand-Rex’s 10GPLUS Cabling System, in which performance is guaranteed to meet ClassEA Channel limits, when 10GPLUS cables are used as part of the 10GPLUS installation.

Low Smoke and fume Zero Halogen (LSOH) cable jacket material is fitted as standard, and the Brand-Rex warranty is available when it forms part of a 10GPLUS installation.

As well as supporting 10GBASE-T the Zone Cable provides the perfect foundation for building high performance, reliable LANs for transmission of Class A, B, C, D, E and E_A applications as currently defined in ISO 11801 and EN 50173, including voice, broadband video and Power Over Ethernet.

Photos: available by e-mail from direland@turtleconsulting.com

ABOUT BRAND-REX

Brand-Rex Ltd is a global operation, designing, developing and manufacturing the most sophisticated, high performance copper and fibre cabling systems for communications and extreme environment applications. Headquartered in Scotland, the company is committed to being a trusted market leading provider of best-in-class communication infrastructure solutions that are truly ‘future proof’. For more information visit www.brand-rex.com

BRX0285

Siemon Seminar Introduces Intelligent Infrastructure for Physical Layer Network Management in UAE

A new Intelligent Infrastructure Management (IIM) solution for physical layer network management has just been showcased in the UAE.  Siemon, an industry leader in the innovation and manufacture of high quality, high-performance network cabling solutions, and Mart Networks Middle East FZC, Siemon distributor for the Middle East and Africa, jointly held a seminar in Dubai in February to introduce the new MapIT™ G2 IIM system, which they report is capable of monitoring 65,000 concurrent users in a single patch zone configuration.

Delegates at the seminar saw how MapIT G2 may be integrated into  high performance category 6A Z-MAX™ and 10Gb/s XGLO® Optical Fibre system.  When housed in Siemon’s VersaPOD™ data centre cabinet with Zero-U vertical patching, MapIT G2 offers the best value performance solution for centralized data centres. The system is also supported by copper and fibre trunking cable assemblies, small form factor MTP® fibre Plug and Play, and other high density modules.

The seminar was well attended, drawing a wide array of regional network infrastructure professionals and integrators from over a 20 influential companies. The highlight of the seminar was a hands-on exercise where attendees could experience the exceptional simplicity and speed of Siemon’s Z-MAX patented termination process and compete to be the fastest to terminate the connector. The fastest termination was done by Mr P K Aristo of Wincomm, who was presented with a gift by Mr. Lee Funnell, Siemon’s training and support manager for EMEA.

On the second day of the seminar the installers were taken through a fast track Distributor Listed Installer (DLI) training programme, summarising the standards and termination best practices for both copper and fibre.

Commenting on the success of the seminar, Aunally Maloo, CEO of Mart Network Group, said, “There was a huge amount of interest in the new innovations demonstrated in Dubai. The audience appreciated Siemon’s high performance systems with Intelligent Infrastructure Management and the ease of installation of this sophisticated networking. Siemon’s commitment to providing customers and partners in the Middle East with the solutions and support they need was well demonstrated, allowing customers to maximise the return on their infrastructure investment.” he concluded.

Photo: Available on request

About Siemon

Established in 1903, Siemon™ is an industry leader specialising in the manufacture and innovation of high quality, high-performance network cabling solutions. With global offices and partners throughout the world, Siemon offers the most comprehensive suite of copper (unshielded and shielded twisted-pair) and fibre cabling systems available and is one of only three network cabling infrastructure companies worldwide with true global partnership capabilities. With over 400 active patents specific to structured cabling, Siemon Labs invests heavily in R&D and development of industry standards, underlining the company’s long-term commitment to its customers and the industry.

 www.siemon.com/uk

Siemon™, Z-MAX™, VersaPOD™, XGLO® and MapIT™ G2 are trademarks of The Siemon Company.  MTP® is a trademark of USConnec, Ltd.   All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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Brand-Rex Voted Structured Cabling Provider of the Year for Second Year Running

Leading global cable and data solutions company Brand-Rex, has been voted Structured Cabling Provider of the Year 20010 in the Network Computing Awards. The award was voted for by readers of Network Computing Magazine from a shortlist of major structured cabling manufacturers.  The ceremony took place in the Guoman Tower Hotel in London on 4^th March 2010, following a final round of on-line voting to decide the winners.

On winning the award, Ian Wilkie, Business & Marketing Director at Brand-Rex said, “We are delighted to receive this award for the second year running.  Brand-Rex has worked tirelessly over the past two years to provide the best support to its customers during a very challenging economic period.  Whilst most suppliers have seen sales fall dramatically, Brand-Rex has increased its market share, cementing our position as the number one supplier in the UK market and a global leader.”

2009 was a successful year for Brand-Rex with the launch of many new and exciting products including the High Density Fibre System, designed for data centres and telecoms rooms and the unique Cat6Plus ½ U Patch Panel.  Brand-Rex was awarded many high profile contracts with the likes of Cable & Wireless, BT and Audi in a year which saw the company strengthen its sales force around the world to cope with increasing market share.

“Winning the Structured Cabling Provider of the Year award is testament to the commitment, hard work and dedication delivered by both Brand-Rex staff and our many loyal and supportive channel partners,” said Wilkie. “I would like to dedicate this award to them all.”

Network Computing magazine is read by 17,500 industry professionals who buy and use networking hardware, software and related services. The Network Computing Awards were launched to recognise the products, services and companies that have particularly impressed readers of the magazine.  2010 saw the 4th annual Network Computing Awards take place with more than 20,000  votes cast on-line.

ABOUT BRAND-REX

Brand-Rex Ltd is a global operation, designing, developing and manufacturing the most sophisticated, high performance copper and fibre cabling systems for communications and extreme environment applications. Headquartered in Scotland, the company is committed to being a trusted market leading provider of best-in-class communication infrastructure solutions that are truly ‘future proof’. For more information visit www.brand-rex.com

BRX0283

Siemon Launches New VersaPOD Data Centre Cabinet for High-Density Switch Environments

Network infrastructure experts Siemon have launched VersaPOD VP2, an extended-depth version of the super high density data centre cabinet that combines ZERO-U vertical patching capability with additional cable management space for switch, server, SAN and distribution area configurations.

Like the original 1000mm depth VersaPOD VP1, the new 1200mm (48”) deep VersaPOD VP2 integrates bayed data centre cabinets with Siemon’s exclusive ZERO-U vertical patching and cable management capability. The VersaPOD VP2’s combination of additional front-to-back cabinet space and space-saving ZERO-U patching is ideal for high-density data centre environments, enabling increased cabling and equipment density, while providing excellent accessibility and thermal efficiency.

The extended-depth VersaPOD VP2 retains the same standard 760mm (30”) width as the original version, leveraging the vertical space between bayed cabinets for patching, cable management or standard 19” vertically mounted PDUs, without consuming horizontal mounting space for connectivity.   VersaPOD’s ZERO-U vertical copper and fibre patch panels (VPP) provide up to 24U of mounting space between every two cabinets, while end-of-row panels offer an additional 8U of vertical space for end units.  The top and bottom of the vertical patching units may be populated independently allowing patching, wire management or 19” rack mount PDU’s to co-occupy the bayed space.  The extended depth also creates additional vertical cable management space in both the front and rear of the cabinet for efficient management of high-density cabling, eliminating the need for equipment swing arms while providing aesthetically pleasing, efficiently dressed cabling.

The VersaPOD VP2’s highly configurable design provides options tailored to a wide variety of data centre equipment needs and layouts and is an ideal solution for central patching, horizontal distribution and main distribution area configurations.  Its 1200mm depth supports today’s deepest  IT equipment, such as Cisco’s popular Nexus 7000 switch, and enables it to be populated in both front and rear, decreasing the number of cabinets required for connectivity and freeing up valuable data centre space.

Additionally, the VersaPOD VP2’s design provides thermal benefits by segregating cabling channels into the designated cabling area, away from equipment air intake and discharge areas.  By utilising the vertical space adjacent to the equipment mounting rails, the ZERO-U configuration provides ideal patching proximity to switch equipment, minimising patch cord runs and slack congestion that can obstruct critical airflow.

In data centre designs where cabinet-to-cabinet isolation is desired for side discharge electronics, optional cable trays minimise airflow between bayed cabinets, while providing cable channel routing and slack management of cables terminated behind the vertical patch panels. 

The VersaPOD VP2’s design offers full accessibility from the front and rear of each bayed unit. Dual hinged front doors open from both the left and right and are easily removed. Split rear doors offer an innovative quad hinge design, allowing each split door to be independently opened in either direction or removed. With doors and side panels removed, the VersaPOD 2 provides the same accessibility as an open rack.  An open floor design and multiple roof entry points allow flexible routing of horizontal and backbone cable.

For more information about VersaPOD, as well as other Siemon network cabling and connectivity, visit www.siemon.com/versapod.

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Top of the Class Cabling for Educational Giant

Released: February 2010

In the world of education, Findel Education is the market leader. The company is Europe’s largest supplier of educational resources to schools and other academic institutions, as well as exporting all around the world.

Findel Education Ltd currently employs around 650 staff and operates a portfolio of leading brands including Hope Education, GLS and Davies Sports.  The extent of the company’s product range is comprehensive by any standard and it supports all curriculum subjects as well as supplying furniture, audio visual equipment and commodities such as stationery, which are in constant demand. This breadth and volume is served via both printed catalogue and a variety of e-procurement systems, not only Europe-wide but via an International Division to more than 150 countries and regions including the Middle East, Far East and Africa.

With such impressive scope it’s not surprising that Findel Education recently outgrew its traditional home in a historic cotton mill in Hyde near Manchester. This site, although inspiring, was largely outdated and restrictive, so as the company continued to grow it was clear that a new site would be needed to allow expansion and to harness the benefits of a modern work environment.  A brand new three storey head office building was planned and, with it, an IT infrastructure to empower Findel Education’s future growth.

When it came to selecting the right IT infrastructure to support the business John Duxbury, IT Technical Operations Manager, had to take an extensive list of requirements into account as the new building was going to become the company’s central hub for many years to come.

For support and advice in IT related matters, John turned to 4Net Technologies, the company’s long standing voice application specialist, who had helped Findel Education manage its integration and migration to a common platform after the acquisition of a number of businesses in the education market. 4Net, in turn, brought IT cabling partner NETcare Europe Limited in to advise on physical layer requirements. “We sat down with NETcare and 4Net Technologies and discussed in detail our requirements as well as future plans and upgrades,” explained John.

“From the outset we recognised that VoIP was the preferred solution and with future requirements for a higher bandwidth network we would need to propose a 10Gb/s cabling solution,” comments Steve McMurrough, operations director of NETcare Europe.

“Our preferred cabling choice is Siemon. We have a long standing business relationship with Siemon and have installed Siemon systems in a number of projects before. We are especially experienced at installing the company’s 10Gb/s solutions, including category 6A and category 7A/TERA.”

1700 category 6A F/UTP outlets, category 6A F/UTP cable and Siemon’s 10G XGLO OM3 24 core multimode fibre optic cable, jumpers and panels were installed in the new building in Hyde. Due to NETcare’s experience with Siemon product the project could be realised within the very short time frame of three months.

Photo can be found here:

http://fs.turtleconsulting.co.uk/PICS/TSC0406%20Findel_Ed.jpg

About Siemon

Established in 1903, Siemon™ is an industry leader specialising in the manufacture and innovation of high quality, high-performance network cabling solutions. With global offices and partners throughout the world, Siemon offers the most comprehensive suite of copper (unshielded and shielded twisted-pair) and fibre cabling systems available and is one of only three network cabling infrastructure companies worldwide with true global partnership capabilities. With over 400 active patents specific to structured cabling, Siemon Labs invests heavily in R&D and development of industry standards, underlining the company’s long-term commitment to its customers and the industry.

www.siemon.com/uk

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£2,395 Cash Back Rebate from Fluke Networks

Released: January 2010

Fluke Networks, leading manufacturer of network cabling test equipment, is teaming up with network infrastructure experts Siemon to launch a new initiative named ‘The Best Solution’.  This promotion offers all UK network installers the chance to claim up to £2,395 cash back rebate when acquiring a Fluke Networks DTX CableAnalyzer™ Series configuration.

Running from January to April 30, 2010, the opportunity is open to all industry professionals.  To qualify for the maximum £2,395 reward, installers will need to purchase, in a single order, £10,000 or more in value of Siemon’s Z-MAX category 6A cabling products and/or any other qualifying copper or fibre infrastructure products from Siemon. This is being marketed exclusively through Fluke Networks’ UK distribution partner, CablelinesPronet Ltd, who stock the qualifying Siemon Z-MAX range.

The DTX CableAnalyzer^TM is a future-proof platform that improves every aspect of the testing and certification process. It reduces total certification time and costs by up to 35 per cent per year, claims Fluke. The DTX is the only tester with a Permanent Link Adapter (DTX-PLA002S) with truly centered plug, required for standards compliant certification and an  unprecedented measurement repeatability at very low cost. It is this DTX-PLA002S that guarantees “false” passes do not occur, ultimately saving installers costly callbacks.

“For many UK integrators, installing Category 6A is now a daily reality,” commented Graeme Stoker, Siemon’s EMEA marketing manager.  “The unique Siemon Z-MAX Category 6A cabling system offers our installers the highest performance margins across all critical transmission parameters; a 60 second or less termination time, 48 category 6A ports in a standard 1U 19″ patch panel and exceptional termination speed and  reliability via Siemon’s Z-TOOL.”  

Stoker goes on to point out, “Testing remains a critical element of any high performing network installation, and we very much support Fluke Networks in driving this message forward through ‘The Best Solution’ of the DTX tester and Z-MAX cabling system. ”

Robert Luijten, EMEA marketing manager for Fluke Networks explains, “’The Best Solution’ is a very simple idea and one which we know will be of interest to many installers, as it should help them migrate existing test equipment up to the high performing DTX CableAnalyser^TM Series.  ‘The Best Solution’, makes this transition even more attractive and we are delighted to be working with Siemon and CablelinesPronet to deliver this offer to market”.

For more information and to receive your Fluke DTX rebate application form, please visit http://www.flukenetworks.com/SiemonBestSolution

Photos can be found here:

http://fs.turtleconsulting.co.uk/PICS/TSC0399%20Fluke_Best_Solution_1.jpg

http://fs.turtleconsulting.co.uk/PICS/TSC0399%20Fluke_Best_Solution_ZMAX.jpg

http://fs.turtleconsulting.co.uk/PICS/TSC0399%20Fluke_Best_Solution_2.jpg

About Siemon

Established in 1903, Siemon™ is an industry leader specialising in the manufacture and innovation of high quality, high-performance network cabling solutions. With global offices and partners throughout the world, Siemon offers the most comprehensive suite of copper (unshielded and shielded twisted-pair) and fibre cabling systems available and is one of only three network cabling infrastructure companies worldwide with true global partnership capabilities. With over 400 active patents specific to structured cabling, Siemon Labs invests heavily in R&D and development of industry standards, underlining the company’s long-term commitment to its customers and the industry.

www.siemon.com/uk

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