Redstone installs high performance converged infrastructure from Brand-Rex at prestigious new Logistics Centre

Released: November 2009

High performance, reliable converged network infrastructure from Brand-Rex provides showcase facilities for Redstone’s new Elstree facilities

 Brand-Rex today announced that Redstone Converged Solutions (www.redstone.com) has installed over 1,300 outlets and 29 kilometres of Brand-Rex structured cabling throughout its prestigious new 27,000 sq foot Logistic Centre in Elstree, Hertfordshire. The new building is home to Redstone’s infrastructure provisioning services. With over 1,000 employees and a turnover in excess of £200 million pa, Redstone provides converged IP solutions from structured cabling works through to innovative IP communications and fully integrated intelligent building solutions to customers across the UK and Ireland. The Logistics Centre is designed to provide the highest levels of service and ensure the smoothest possible implementation of client projects.

Formerly laboratory space, the 10 year old building was suitable for conversion and refurbishment to provide the required mix of showroom, warehouse, office and technical workshop space. As part of the refurbishment a new high performance, converged network was designed. The fully converged Brand-Rex network is capable of supporting voice, data and video plus all the building management services.

The Brand-Rex Cat6Plus structured cabling solution was chosen for its reliability, performance and ’future ready’ capabilities. In addition to its outstanding quality of components the entire network is backed by the Brand-Rex 25 year warranty to give additional peace of mind.

“This is a showcase site for Redstone customers and we are delighted that Brand-Rex was chosen for its high capacity infrastructure,” says Tim Jemmett, customer relations manager, Brand-Rex. “Our Cat6Plus cabling systems provide a high performance, cost effective, reliable solution for both today’s and tomorrow’s integrated business communication needs.”

The Brand-Rex solution was chosen because it offered the best value and represented a proven, reliable technology that is readily available. The fibre backbone topology design will allow for expansion with an infrastructure design capable of supporting the business in the future.

“Brand-Rex met all the requirements in terms of performance, quality and affordability,” says Jemmett. “In addition, we have delivered an infrastructure that demonstrates the capabilities and versatility of the Brand-Rex product range.”

Because of the unique construction of the building several installation techniques for the Brand-Rex products are on display – including under-floor and in-ceiling as well as conventional trunked routing of cables. “Brand-Rex cables are more flexible and thinner than many other manufacturers, and so lend themselves more easily to a variety of installation techniques,” says Jemmett. “In addition, our angled patching frames offer a significant improvement over traditional designs, making installation easier as well as offering a neat looking solution.”

Brand-Rex, has delivered a network infrastructure that meets Redstone’s requirements in terms of performance, flexibility, robustness and future-proofing.

Photos: can be found here; http://fs.turtleconsulting.co.uk/PICS/BRX0247%20Redstone%20New%20Logistics%20Centre.JPG

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 adds end of row zero-U patching to its super dense VersaPOD

Released: November 2009

Siemon has launched new end of row zero-U patching and cable management options to its high density VersaPOD data centre cabinet system.   Previously available as a copper and fibre patching solution that utilised the vertical space between two bayed VersaPOD cabinets, this new product set brings the same high-density, zero-U capabilities to end of row and stand-alone cabinets.

The end of row vertical panels mount between the VersaPOD cabinet’s corner posts and side panels, allowing 4 standard 1U patch panels or fibre enclosures to be mounted vertically.  These panels may be mounted on both ends and in the front and rear of the cabinet, providing an additional 16U of mounting space to a stand-alone cabinet, without consuming horizontal mounting space.

“Combining VersaPOD’s 24U of zero-U vertical patching space between bayed cabinets with the new end of row capabilities frees up 40 horizontal mounting spaces for every two cabinets,” claims Siemon’s marketing manager Graeme Stoker. “Ultimately, fewer cabinets are needed, saving cabinet cost and valuable data centre floor space.”

Cable management and patching in the VersaPOD are located in dedicated zero-U spaces that eliminate cable obstructions in equipment mounting areas for improved cold aisle, hot aisle air flow and thermal management.

Vertical zero-U panels also provide ideal patching proximity to active equipment, minimizing patch cord runs and slack congestion.  This cord and cable management benefit may be further enhanced by optional cable management fingers that can be mounted alongside each zero-U panel to facilitate routing of copper patch cords or fibre jumpers between patching fields. Zero-U vertical patching areas can also be used to mount PDU’s to service the equipment mounted in the adjacent 45U of horizontal mounting space.

In addition to mounting patch panels and fibre enclosures, VersaPOD’s end of row options include new thermal management blanking panels.  These panels seal the air gap between the cabinet corner posts and side panels, enhancing the VersaPOD’s hot aisle/cold aisle isolation capabilities.  Along with provisions for roof mounted cooling fans, brush guards and grommets for cable access points and highly perforated front and rear doors, the VersaPOD has been designed to maximize data centre thermal management efficiency.

VersaPOD’s design offers full accessibility to the zero-U vertical space 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 operate on a quad hinge design, allowing each split door to be independently opened in either direction, or removed.   All doors and side panels are lockable to prevent unauthorized access to critical equipment connections.

For more information in Siemon’s VersaPOD, as well as other Siemon network cabling and connectivity innovations, visit www.siemon.com/uk/versapod.

Photos: can be found here:

http://fs.turtleconsulting.co.uk/PICS/TSC0377_VersaPOD_End_of_Row_1.jpg

http://fs.turtleconsulting.co.uk/PICS/TSC0377_VersaPOD_End_of_Row.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

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UCLan pilots Siemon VersaPOD

Released: November 2009

Hot on the heels of its new TERA® category 7 network installation, The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) is piloting Siemon’s VersaPOD system for its new data centre.   These bayed cabinets were chosen for their exceptional density whilst providing thermal efficiency.  Six are now being installed as a pilot project with a view to their adoption as the standard for the entire University requirement.

With over 32,000 students, 500 undergraduate and 180 postgraduate courses, UCLan has some very large scale needs.  To complement the two existing data centres a third one was built. This will support specialist projects including the NASA Solar Dynamic Observatory, which is due to be launched in December 2009, and will give researchers at UCLan access to 2TB (TeraBytes) of data every day.  UCLan will be hosting this project outside of the USA and Belgium for the wider European community. A new High Performance Computing System is also included in the new data centre which will provide additional research resources.

The new data centre is being housed in the Darwin Building, a teaching block on UCLan’s impressive campus.  Space is at a premium, as the dual purpose room houses both the data centre and the high performance computing equipment required for a new academic study.  The Siemon VersaPOD was assessed and found to offer the necessary flexibility, density and energy efficiency.

“We selected the VersaPOD for several reasons, centred around its provision of density. Thermal efficiency was a major consideration and the segregation of passive and active equipment in the VersaPOD allows targeted cooling.   Using this system has allowed us to condense the footprint of floor space required and so fit the new data centre into the restricted area available,” explains Frank Wadmore, Networks and Telecoms Manager at UCLan.  “We are impressed with the flexibility and accessibility of the VersaPOD; and with space and green issues uppermost on UCLan’s green agenda, the VersaPOD system goes some way to addressing current and future needs.”

Siemon claim that in a typical data centre, the number of cabinets required can be reduced by 20 per cent with VersaPOD, saving valuable floor space.  Tony Robinson, global accounts manager at Siemon explains; “Integrated zero-U vertical patch panels (VPPs) support both copper and fibre patching, supplying up to 288 copper ports or 864 fibre ports in the front and/or rear vertical gap between two bayed cabinets without taking up horizontal mounting space.   By freeing up horizontal space, greater active equipment density is possible.”

UCLan has invested £60 million in developing its facilities and is constantly looking at ways to improve and standardise on its IT infrastructure with technologies that facilitate a more cost effective use of resources.  As Frank Wadmore concludes: “It’s in our nature to take risks and be in the vanguard, especially in IT. We were early adopters of Siemon TERA’s (category 7) cable sharing capability and with VersaPOD we are again seizing the opportunity to use the latest and best equipment to serve the University’s growing needs.  Academic demands move swiftly and we provision for a dynamic future in everything we do.”

Photo: can be found here; http://fs.turtleconsulting.co.uk/PICS/TSC0345%20VPod%20for%20UCLan.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

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