New Siemon white paper on delivering video over the structured cabling network

Released: October 2009

Siemon has published a new technical whitepaper by noted cabling expert Valerie Maguire entitled “Getting the Picture: The Benefits of Supporting Video Applications with your IT Infrastructure”.  The paper has been written to help network professionals select a structured cabling network capable of supporting the widest array of enterprise-level video applications.

The number of design professionals and building owners choosing to support surveillance, broadcast, and other video applications with their telecommunications cabling infrastructure is climbing rapidly; driven by the enhanced capabilities of new “smarter” video applications. Many of these applications are no longer suitably supported by generic coaxial cable and require the performance capabilities of a structured telecommunications cabling network.

The paper explains the benefits of delivering video over an IT infrastructure, that include:

• Digital image quality
• Ability to support high-definition (480i/p SDTV and 720p and 1080 i/p HDTV) applications
• Active surveillance area motion, audio, and tamper detection with advanced security alerts
• Pan, tilt, zoom and remote-powered devices eliminate the need for separate and costly cables
• End-user ability to communicate and interact with “smart” video devices
• Compact and highly efficient storage and retrieval capabilities
• Convergence of voice, data, and video applications over one common infrastructure
• Full support of Standards-based cabling distances and topologies
• More effective infrastructure management, service, and scalability
• Simplified troubleshooting
• Improved asset management (via IP-addressability)
• Neater pathways and improved pathway fill ratios
• Ability to upgrade to future applications
• Lower total cost of ownership for many IP-based versus analog camera implementations

Maguire’s comprehensive 14 page white paper provides an in-depth overview of key video applications and provides actionable guidance on implementing a cabling infrastructure capable of supporting enterprise level video.

To download an electronic copy of Siemon’s “Getting the Picture: The Benefits of Supporting Video Applications with your IT Infrastructure”, visit:   http://www.siemon.com/uk/white_papers/09-04-24-get-the-picture.asp

Photo: may be found here: http://fs.turtleconsulting.co.uk/PICS/TSC0347%20VideoWP.jpg

Notes to editors:

About the author: Valerie Maguire holds the position of Global Sales Engineer at The Siemon Company. Maguire received her B.S.E.E. degree from the University of Connecticut and actively participates in working groups responsible for the development and publication of telecommunications standards such TIA/EIA-568-B, TIA/EIA-568-B.2-1 (category 6), and newly published TIA-568-B.2-10 (category 6A).

Maguire is the chair of the TIA TR-42.7 copper cabling sub-committee, TIA TR-42 appointed liaison to IEEE 802.3, and document editor for the next edition ’568-C.2 Standard. In addition, Maguire is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. She has authored over 45 technical articles and engineering papers, holds one U.S. Patent, and received the 2008 Harry J. Pfister Award for Excellence in Telecommunications.

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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Breakthrough in 360-degree Assessments Reveals Underlying Causes of Behaviour.

“Not just WHAT, but  WHY”

A breakthrough in 360-degree leadership assessments is now available in the UK and Ireland. Called “The Leadership Circle Profile”, and available exclusively from The Leadership Circle www.theleadershipcircle.co.uk, this major step forward adds incredibly powerful new revelations to the assessment of competencies provided by previous 360-degree assessments.

Launching the revolutionary technique in the UK and Ireland, The Leadership Circle director Paul Matthews said, “Conventional 360-degree assessment tools will tell you ‘WHAT’ is going on with a manager, but The Leadership Circle Profile will go much further and also tell you “WHY”.

Matthews explained that having this greater insight give CEO’s, Directors, HR professional and coaches – as well as the managers undergoing development – the whole picture. “It goes straight to the source of behaviour giving much greater leverage on change”.  The technique also allows managers to gain a much greater insight into what is working, what is not – and most importantly the underlying reasons.

Although only just launched in the UK and Ireland, The Leadership Circle Profile 360-degree tool is widely used in the USA as well as in Asia Pacific & South Africa. A global coach training organisation has adopted The Leadership Circle as part of their leadership coaching training programme and together with its companion The Leadership Culture Survey it is used by some 500 leading organisations including American Express, Barclays, FedEx, IBM and McDonalds – right through to Sony and the World Bank.

With such credentials backing him up, Matthews claims, “the Leadership Circle Profile is so powerful because it enables managers to start their development at a breakthrough, and not have to waste months trying to get to that point”. Leo Burke, director of executive education at Notre Dame University agrees, stating, “The Leadership Circle Profile is extraordinary for accelerating the development of leaders. It’s world-class and we’ve integrated it into our MBA and our non-degree leadership programs.”

Leadership development is widely recognised as a process of transformation whereby leaders are encouraged to make a profound shift. The Leadership Circle is devoted to core behavioural research and the development and implementation of tools and techniques to improve this process for the benefit of both employers and employees.

To enter into a discussion or to enrol for the Certification needed to deliver this powerful assessment tool, please call Paul Matthews on +353 (0)28 38834 or e-mail paul@theleadershipcircle.co.uk as soon as possible.

About the Leadership Circle:

The Leadership Circle (TLC) is a leadership development company committed to cultivating more than mere leadership competencies. We support leadership transformation–change that evolves authentically from the inside out. We offer tools, methodology and support for “deepening the conversation” with leaders so that the transformation to “LEADER” can occur on a deep, significant, life changing level.

The Leadership Circle Profile (TLCP)

TLCP is a true breakthrough among 360-degree assessments. It is the first to connect a well-researched battery of competencies with the deep motivations and underlying habits of thought. It reveals the relationship between patterns of action and the internal assumptions that drive behaviour. Ultimately, TLCP gives you the whole picture, going to the source of behaviour to get greater leverage on change. It gets leaders in touch with what is working, what is not, and the reason.

The Leadership Culture Survey (TLCS)

TLCS reveals how organisations and teams view their current leadership culture and compares that reality to the optimal culture they desire. The “gap” reveals key opportunities for leadership development. TLCS is not a climate survey: it identifies, with precision, how leadership is impacting your turnover, productivity, and bottom-line metrics. With laser accuracy, it indicates a clear pathway for change.

The Leadership Circle clients

The Leadership Circle Profile is used by more than 500 leading organisations in the US and Europe.  Clients include Amex, AstraZeneca, Barclays, BASF, Bayer, Boeing, Booz Allen, BP, Ernst & Young, FedEx, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Intel, Kraft, L’Oreal, McDonalds, Mackinsey & Co, Microsoft, Motorola, NASA, Pepsi, Pfizer, Playtex, Reader’s Digest, Shell, T-Mobile, Sony, and The World Bank, O2, VF Corporation to name only a small fraction of the customer base.

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Siemon’s Z-MAX cabling infrastructure supports the future of Medical Teaching at St Andrews University

Released: October 2009

Installation speed of new Z-MAX category 6A cabling system secures prestigious IT project with St Andrews

Network infrastructure specialists Siemon have secured the first contract to supply their newly launched category 6A Z-MAX cabling solution for a brand new Medical School at the University of St Andrews.       

Z-MAX will be implemented at the prestigious new £45 million School of Medicine and Science in the heart of the University’s science campus. The new school will lead collaborative research in areas of cancer, health psychology and infectious disease and will foster new interdisciplinary teamwork with scientists of other disciplines at St Andrews.

The shielded configuration of the RJ45 based category 6A Z-MAX cabling infrastructure is set to deliver 10 Gigabit Ethernet channel performance from the telecoms room to all classroom desk positions, medical research and lab facilities as well as administration offices. It will support the advanced multimedia-based teaching requirements of the medical school, in addition to high speed wired and wireless connectivity.

Siemon Certified Installer XTREME Business Solutions will be implementing  3100 category 6A ZMAX shielded outlets in the horizontal, 300 inter-cabinet links, 1500 category 6A ZMAX shielded  patch cords and 180 kilometres of 500MHz category 6A F/UTP cable.

Reflecting on the choice of Siemon’s ZMAX for this significant undertaking, Ian McDonald, Technical and Infrastructure Services Manager at St Andrews, explains “A timely completion of the new Medical School is of paramount importance to us to ensure that the school can admit its first students in September 2010. To achieve this we specified tight project timescales for all contracting parties involved. When it comes to the cabling, Z-MAX has demonstrated significantly reduced installation times which will aid with fast completion and in addition will save us costs.”

Adding to this Cameron Murray, contracts director at XTREME Business Solutions explains: “St Andrews was looking for a high performance, future-proof solution able to support 10Gb/s Ethernet which Siemon are renowned for. We were competing head-to-head with other high quality 10G solutions, but the speed of installation that Siemon’s Z-MAX provides gave us the competitive edge and secured us this prestigious project.”

According to Siemon, Z-MAX offers a fast, easy and very reliable termination process, supporting termination times of just under 60 seconds per outlet.

“When it comes to cable preparation time and ease of installation Siemon’s category 6A Z-MAX solution is miles ahead of any other category 6A solution available in the market today. The trouble-free install process guarantees substantial time savings that translate into labour cost savings which in return will benefit any end user. Z-MAX certainly dispels any long established concerns about shielded solutions being difficult to terminate and install” Cameron concludes.

Siemon cabling solutions have supported St Andrews’ campus for a number of years, with widespread use of Siemon’s System 6 solution in the University’s Administration, Arts and Sciences departments as well as student residences and the company is proud to be part of yet another project; probably the most important in the history of St Andrews, set to support future advancements in the field of medicine. 

Photo: can be found here: http://fs.turtleconsulting.co.uk/PICS/TSC0346_Z-MAX_St_Andrews_new_Medical_School_artist_impression.JPG

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 

About St Andrews

Founded in 1413, St Andrews is Scotland’s first university and the third oldest in the English speaking world. The University is divided into four Faculties serving a total student population of over 7,258 in the academic year 2008-2009. Medicine has been taught in St Andrews for nearly 600 years and in Medical Research Multidisciplinary collaboration is a key to research success in the 21st century.

The construction of the new medical school landmarks one of the most ambitious projects in international medical teaching and research designed to interdisciplinary collaboration with the University’s top rated science faculty, acknowledging the growing international consensus that the most significant advances in medical and biomedical research will result from unrestricted collaboration between medicine and the sciences. The building includes dedicated areas for medical research, biology teaching, chemistry teaching and photonics research.

About XTREME Business Solutions

Xtreme Business Solutions design, supply, install and certify a comprehensive range of technical IT solutions to meet the demands for rapid and robust network infrastructures, based around a client’s individual requirements. The company’s network solutions are drawn from industry leading organisations and manufacturers, offering clients a choice of high performance and cost effective solutions designed to meet their brief. In addition to building reliable and robust network infrastructures, XBS also believes in building long-term working relationships with both its clients and suppliers. This close working collaboration ensures continuity of product and service quality, delivered in a timely and financially prudent manner. XBS creates Voice & Data solutions from start to finish, with a tradition in excellence and a future of great promise.    

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Siemon launches ultra high-density 1U 48-port Z-MAX™ panels

Released: October 2009

Leading network cabling expert Siemon has launched a new ultra high density 48-port, 1U version of their high performance Z-MAX™ 6A modular patch panel. Available in both category 6A/class E_A shielded and unshielded options, the Z-MAX 6A modular panels combine robust 10Gb/s performance with ultra-high density patching.  This combination provides users additional flexibility to deploy high-performance, category 6A/class E_A cabling infrastructures within strict space limitations while saving valuable rack and cabinet space in the data centre or comms room.

The Z-MAX 6A panel outlet is central to the patch panel’s performance in high-density applications. The outlets feature exclusive diagonally-oriented insulation displacement connector (IDC) contact technology that maximizes distance between contacts within side-stacked outlets, compared with traditional rectangular contact layouts. Maximizing pair-to-pair separation between adjacent outlets enhances noise resistance in both Z-MAX 6A shielded and unshielded systems and minimizes alien crosstalk even in the most dense category 6A/class E_A patching environments.

Siemon’s Z-MAX 6A patch panels also feature a unique modular Quick-Snap panel design, which allows outlets to be quickly snapped into place or removed to speed initial deployment and subsequent moves, adds and changes.  Designed specifically for the Z-MAX panels, Z-MAX 6A panel outlets utilize the same best-in-class termination process as Z-MAX hybrid outlets. Using the simple, patent-pending Z-TOOL™, both shielded and unshielded Z-MAX 6A panel outlets can be terminated in as little as 60 seconds from start to finish, including cable preparation, and can then be easily snapped into the panel.

The panel’s Quick Snap design makes it ideal for use with Z-MAX 6A pre-terminated trunking cable assemblies.  Equipped with Z-MAX 6A panel outlets, Siemon trunks are configured specifically to the customer need, allowing permanent links in high density environments like data centres to be quickly deployed to minimize installation time. This exact-fit approach, combined with the Z-MAX Quick Snap panel design, significantly reduces installation time – up to 75 per cent compared to individually field-terminated channels.  By consolidating multiple cabling channels, these trunks also improve cable management and pathway space utilization in raised floor or overhead cable trays as well as facilitating efficient moves, adds and changes.

These durable panels are constructed of lightweight, high strength steel with industrial black finish, scratch/fade resistant port marking and user-friendly integrated cable management.  Port identification is enhanced through the Z-MAX panel’s high visibility magnifying labeling system.

Z-MAX 6A shielded panels feature Siemon’s integrated Quick Ground™ technology, which automatically grounds Z-MAX 6A shielded modules to the panel upon insertion, eliminating additional outlet grounding steps.  Both Z-MAX 6A shielded and unshielded panels are available as complete kits including patch panel, Z-MAX panel outlets and all necessary accessories. Empty panels are also available for use with Z-MAX pre-terminated trunking cable assemblies.

Siemon’s Z-MAX 6A line includes complete end-to-end category 6A/class E_A systems in both shielded and unshielded configurations.  The full Z-MAX 6A channel consists of Z-MAX 6A outlets Siemon category 6A cable and Z-MAX 6A patch panels, as well as Smart-Plug-equipped Z-MAX 6A patch cords, which feature an exclusive design integrating a precisely tuned printed circuit board (PCB) into every plug for enhanced signal and unparalleled end-to-end system performance.

Z-MAX 6A systems are supported by multiple work area faceplates and surface mount options in addition to a full suite of Siemon data centre cabinet, rack and cable management products.

Photo: can be found here: http://fs.turtleconsulting.co.uk/PICS/TSC358_ZMax_48port_panel.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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Phil Turtle to speak online about “Protecting your brand image in the Web 2.0 jungle” Thursday 8Oct09 at 3pm

Webinar: – Protecting your brand image in the Web 2.0 jungle

Web 2.0 services, including wikis, social networking portals and blogs, are powerful drivers in the B2B and B2C communications channel – for many companies, they open up new doors as never before.

But these same Web 2.0 services also create more than a few branding and security headaches. not least in reputational terms.

It only takes one slip to trigger a viral crusade against your organisation that can significantly dent your company’s reputation.

Many companies – mindful of this issue – have forbidden the use of social networking and other Web 2.0 services by their employees, but doing so means they miss out on the plentiful benefits that such services bring to the business table.

Join us for an entertaining and thought-provoking webinar in which a team of senior professionals look at the brand image and reputation issues that Web 2.0 services engender, and explain some of the solutions that are now available.

This webinar will:

• Help you understand the viral power that drives Web 2.0 services.
• Explain some of the problems these services create.
• Detail the solutions to the reputational issues caused.
• Educate you to take a fresh look at reputational security controls.
  

This webinar is for:  

• IT managers who are forward-thinking in their approach to Web 2.0 control issues
• Managers wanting to better understand the solutions to reputational threats from Web 2.0 services
• Anyone wanting to gain an edge in Web 2.0 control issues
  

Click Here to Register for the Webinar Now

I’m not going – and that’s final

We spotted this in Mobile Europe e-newsletter 5 October 2009 and thought you’d like it!

ITU Telecom World 2009 starts this week and I’m not going. I’m not going because most of the conference programme looks designed merely to provide a platform for Governmental and quasi-Governmental figures to wax on about the transformative power of communications and IT (ICT as transformational “infrastructure of infrastructures”; What we know about ICT and economic growth?).

I’m not going because most of the rest of the conference programme looks like something put together on the back of a bar mat in a mid-ranking Geneva hotel Lounge (“Cloud Computing” “Future entertainment and mobile broadband”).

I’m not going because it’s in Geneva.

I’m not going because the exhibition, in these particular economic times, feels like a cynical attempt to extract money from a sector that the ITU says it is supporting.

I’m not going because, although there are many companies there that make the news, and indeed can influence the shape of the industry, it seems highly unlikely they will choose this show to do so.

I’m not going because I will be able to conduct interviews and briefings from my desk, thanks to the “transformational power of communications and IT” (irony, is it?), and then respond accordingly.

I’m not going because I went to both the last two Telecoms Worlds and, frankly, I know what I’ll be getting myself into.

I’m not going because of irrelevant and insulting empire building such as this, “Dr Hamadoun I. Touré, ITU Secretary-General, is visiting Moscow today to meet key ITU stakeholders ahead of ITU Telecom World 2009 (Geneva, 5-9 October). His visit reinforces ITU’s commitment to the many Russian participants at the event.” How nice.

I’m not going because I don’t want to. And you can’t make me.

Keith Dyer, Editor, Mobile Europe

[Sorry we can't find a link to give you to read the whole newsletter - I think you have to subscribe on the Mobile Europe Website]