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It’s easy to complain. At any given moment, there IS something (or perhaps a lot of things) wrong. But there is always something that can be done. I once worked for a boss whose general policy was: Walk into my office with your problems, but don’t come in here without at least once possible solution.

[What this did: Since you had to think up at least one solution to the problem, often you might well implement the solution without walking into the guy’s office.]

Some examples of problems in electrical construction, and potential solutions:

1. Over the years, electrical distributors have complained to me about their electrical contractor customers. ECs “cherry pick” quotations (buying items A, K and W from Distributor 1 and B, G and Z from Distributor 2, etc.). And: They routinely over-order – returning the unneeded items for full credit.

Or: The distributor’s #1 salesman is so close with his contractor customers; he’s taking orders at a ridiculously low margin.

What happens when you do something about these things? One distributor exec told me that one big area contractor typically ordered 125% of what was needed on each project. That “extra” 25% was returned, for credit, to the distributor. This had a huge cost, which wasn’t being shifted (at all) to the EC.

One day, the distributor exec summoned up the courage to speak to the EC company owner, man-to-man. The conversation went along the lines of “your routine ordering practices are killing our company.”

What happened? The contractor – aware of good service he had obtained from this distributor – stopped the stupendous over-ordering.

Lesson implied: Speaking clearly to someone to whom you’ve provided good service might not be an idiotic notion.

AND: What would have happened if the contractor had over-reacted to the distributor’s gentle prodding on the over-ordering? The contractor and his wasteful practices (costly only to the distributor) would have gone elsewhere. Would that have been such a bad outcome….?

2. Alternatively, I’ve heard from electrical contractors about providing assistance to their customers. A customer wants to upgrade its cabling; or an architectural firm wants some budget prices; or a GC wants help with BIM or design-build implementation. The customer is not at a “do the work” stage, but a “help me figure this out” level.

In some cases, the ECs have provided this help when asked . . . “no strings attached.” In every case in which a contractor has described this disaster to me, the basic (and often unspoken) assumption was: “We help you, we don’t charge you for our expertise, we get the job (as long as our prices are reasonable).”

What can sometimes (often?) develop: The party that got the help, free of strings or an invoice, then proceeds to bid the job out – and gives it to the low bidder (typically not the contracting company with the overhead to provide the kind of assistance we’re talking about).

There are ways around this. One is for the contractor to get a legal document that says: “If we help you, and someone else does the electrical/cabling work, we get paid $250/hour for assistance which you requested.” Get that document signed!

(And maybe $250/hr is not enough!)

Another way to achieve some solace would be to do what a cabling expert described to me as “putting a bomb” in the design provided. If the customer bids the thing out as the contractor prepared the project, the winning bidder will find one or more essential elements “missing” in the job.

What happens next? BOOM!

3. Lighting designers and their pet peeve about electrical contractors – referenced as “value engineering” – constitute my favorite, always-in-season variety of Whine. As I’ve been around the electrical industry since 1979, I would swear to you I’ve seen this one pop up its incredibly stupid head at least three times (of significance).

As it goes: We (the designers) created this incredible lighting design for this building, a veritable thing of beauty! It provided just the right light! (insert numerous words of praise here . . . )

But then that idiot electrical contractor came in, cut the cost – value-engineered the job – and now it’s ugly and the light quality sucks.

Here’s what actually happened: The lighting designer produced the best lighting design for that given building that could be conceived by humans using all their brain power. However: Executing that design, it turned out, would push the owner’s cash beyond its limits. The Big Lighting Number was, it turned out – too big.

Perhaps the customer told the lighting designers the $ figure to come in at was X, but not – months later – X seems like too much. Maybe the job itself ran over, in the design and bidding stage, and the owner doesn’t want to commit so much money to the project…..so various pieces have got to be reduced in cost. Or maybe the designer created this “thing of beauty” without considering the difficulties of installation (either with the design itself, or the interface of the lighting with other building systems, or some combination) . . . who knows?

What we have for certain: The ultimate customer, reeling from the cost of the thing, turned 15 different colors (various shades of Red) . . . and said: “We gotta get that lighting number a lot lower.”

NOTE: It’s not the electrical contractor who determines that someone needs to cut the bottom out of the lighting project’s cost. The EC can’t and (usually) won’t mess with the lighting design without the customer expressly requesting that he/she/it get into that.

Why not? Well, for one thing, it takes overhead time. It’s hard for ECs to build overhead time into projects (it was hard in the very good times, and it’s basically impossible right now). Therefore: ECs don’t routinely “value engineer” a job without being asked. It’s like throwing bad money after bad!

Net: The customer wants the budget (the lighting piece or the overall budget, or maybe both) to come in MUCH lower. He turns to the contractor to do that cutting. AND: The lighting community fingers the contractor as the evil SOB!!!

How about a real-world solution? A lighting designer could anticipate that this is going to happen (it happens often enough, I’ve been hearing about stuff like this since 1979) – and prepare an alternative design that is a Dodge Dart instead of a Tesla Roadster.

Or the designer could contact the EC ahead of time and offer to provide help if “value engineering” becomes part of the project . . . most ECs don’t have numerous lighting experts on staff.

4. A standard problem that’s been around – well, forever . . . still haunts the construction industry EVERY DAY. It’s so “old hat” that I wonder if this happened in Egypt when the construction people – or was it the Ancient Aliens? – were bringing in the pyramids.

I got yet another example of this (as if anyone needed another) just the other day. A large customer wanted a new 100,000-sq-ft building. The spec included electrical work on some HVAC equipment that was located every X number of square feet . . . roughly five dozen of these things in all.

But the fact that this HVAC equipment was to be installed by the EC wasn’t necessarily clear. The EC that told me the story added that, before his company finalized its bid, it submitted an RFI to the engineers to ensure that it understood what was intended.

Apparently, the EC who spoke with me was right – as were several other bidders on this job. These companies all came in around the same (significant) number on a major new construction project from a private owner . . . a rare thing in the year 2013.

However, one company submitted a bid that was hundreds of thousands of dollars below all the others.

What happened? A reasonable guess is that Company X missed the boxes. It is now responsible for installing them. The customer is going to hold X to the bid. This could result in (a) shoddy electrical work (fires start that way); (b) Company X losing enough money to go out of business; and (c) dogs and cats sleeping together, for all I know.

How does this kind of thing go away? In other countries there is a (I believe governmental) policy of just throwing out the low bid. In other words, if you come in lowest, you don’t get the job. There is no law in the U.S. of which I am aware that would prevent private builders from routinely doing this.

In the case I heard about recently, that would have awarded the work to one of the ECs that clearly knew how to read a spec. Those other companies all bid the job at prices that would make a profit for them. Giving the job to one of them (instead of the guys who didn’t shoot straight) would, one might think, ultimately work out much better for the customer.

Salimando’s EleBlog (www.electricalcontractor.com), updated frequently, contains content about the electrical & datacom industries, contracting companies, green issues, how economic developments could affect business owners, and much more. The site had more than 320 posts in October & November 2012.

Starting as a copyboy on the Binghamton Sun-Bulletin in 1974, Joe Salimando has worked as a reporter, writer, columnist, editor, and publisher for various publications (over 38 years). He served as Publisher of NECA’s Electrical Contractor magazine from July 1990 to April 1998.

A freelance writer/editor these days, he’s the managing editor of CapitalTristate Now, a publication of the mid-Atlantic unit of electrical distributor Sonepar. He posts regularly to NECA’s Energy Solutions blog.

Don’t wait for an emergency before you think about it.

Florida just added a new law = NO TEXTING WHILE DRIVING

But that’s just my opinion,

Frank Bisbee - Editor

"HOTS - Heard On The Street" Monthly Column

www.wireville.com

Megladon Angle Polished HLC® ScratchGuard® Fiber Optic Patch Cords are incredibly durable and deliver maximum performance for CATV = CONFIRMED

Back in September 2011, Megladon Manufacturing Group (Austin, TX) took a monumental step for the CATV market by adapting the HLC process to angle polished connectors. Since then the CATV market has been adopting these new products and replacing other patch cords. Angle polished connectors have been used for years in high speed video transport applications due to inherent low reflection characteristics. As technology innovators, In 1997,Megladon created the HLC® (Hardened Lens Contact) termination, which has changed the market and taken it to the next level.

The fragile nature of fiber mating surfaces, however, has continued to plague an industry that is more competitive than ever. We purchased some of those patchcords to use in testing network performance on various systems in North Florida. A recent examination of the patch cords showed the still had the same undamaged connector mating surfaces after hundreds of uses in the field. The technicians that use these HLC® ScratchGuard Fiber Optic Patch Cords now insist on these cords for all their network service calls on CATV. Kevin Moy, lead tech [Certified Fiber Optics Installer (ETA)] for CPC- Communication Planning Corporation, Jacksonville, Florida told us, “ I think I’ve tried and tested them all. The ScratchGuard HLC is better than any other preterminated fiber cable available.”

With the exploding video on demand and streaming video content on the web, a need arises for high quality fiber optic products capable of withstanding this trend. Industry leaders and providers are having to transition into a more competent network infrastructure to conform to the now industry standard of high performance fiber optic networks.

The SCRATCHGUARD Fiber Optic Patch Cords (by Megladon Manufacturing Group) is a critical step forward in quality. The fiber optic connector is a crucial component and the “gateway to the fiber optic cabling network”. Damage to the connector due to repeated use has been the biggest problem for network managers, until now. The patented SCRATCHGUARD Fiber Optic Patch Cords have virtually eliminated the problem. “We have studied the Megladon Manufacturing products and spoken with several major network operations that are using these breakthrough products. The product exceeds every other fiber optic product that they have ever used.” said Frank Bisbee, Editor of the Heard On The Street column (www.wireville.com).

EDUCATION is critical “Jim Hayes, President of the Fiber Optic Association www.thefoa.org confirmed the need for education in the fiber optic communications industry as new solutions are coming to the marketplace like a tsunami.” Bisbee added. Almost well-trained technicians and/or purchasing agents are flooded with materials claiming patchcords and preterminated fiber optic cables meet the standards and deliver the performance to meet the networks requirements. The actual reality is that most of those products are subject to damage with just the slightest use. Repeatability is the objective in all the patchcords.

Megladon’s APC HLC SCRATCHGUARD fiber optic patch cords are ideally equipped for network installers that are utilizing high speed video networks. The HLC technology provides mating surface durability and low loss; paired with an Angle Polish Connector we now have a product that significantly reduces reflection, cutting down on interruptions in any given network.

“Up until now CATV and high speed video applications have not been able to take advantage of our HLC patented processes due to standardization on angle polish connectors. Now they can not only experience the HLC SCRATCHGUARD durability, but we added a reduction in insertion loss and reflection over traditional angle polish products,” said John Culbert, President of Megladon.

Solutions for OSP – CATV

Megladon found standard Node Tails used for CATV aerial applications needed to be improved. Bend insensitive glass was used along with Megladon’s patented HLC termination resulting in the only durable end face node tail on the market. The performance of the finished product has minimum insertion loss, bend loss and optical return loss. In addition to performance, Megladon further enhanced the product with a brass entry connector preventing stripped threads during installation and Hytrel furcation tubing to preserve the product during extreme temperature fluctuations.

Megladon® Manufacturing Group Ltd., a subsidiary of TyRex Group Ltd.®, is recognized as a leader in the fiber optic marketplace. Founded in 1997, Megladon made it their mission to provide customers with fiber optic products that far exceed industry standards. As technology innovators, Megladon created the HLC® (Hardened Lens Contact) termination, which has changed the market and taken it to the next level. For additional information on Megladon and their patented processes please visit the company’s website at www.megladonmfg.com.

For additional information regarding Megladon’s variety of fiber optic products please contact John Culbert at 512.615.4687 or by email at scratchguard@megladonmfg.com.

“Once you have tried this Megladon product you won’t use anything else…ever.”

AFL Receives SCMA Award for Corporate Responsibility

Spartanburg, SC – May 6, 2013 – The South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance (SCMA) awarded AFL the Made in South Carolina Excellence in Corporate Responsibility Award. Now in its second year, this award recognizes manufacturers that positively impact their communities by judging them in three areas: community involvement and philanthropy, environmental safety, and wellness and safety. AFL has won the award for both 2011 and 2012 initiatives.

“Being a repeat winner of this prestigious award solidifies AFL’s dedication to environmental awareness, safety and health and to taking an active role in the betterment of our community," stated Eric Borowicz, operations manager for AFL's conductor accessories division. "We are honored to receive this recognition."

AFL excelled in all categories due to its extensive Community Outreach Program, Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) policies and principles, wellness initiatives and environmental achievements. Through these programs, AFL has shown commitment to improving communities, enhancing quality of life and creating a better world for future generations.

For more information about AFL and its corporate responsibilities, please visit www.AFLglobal.com.

About AFL
AFL provides industry-leading products and services to the electric utility, broadband, communications, OEM, enterprise, wireless and transit rail markets as well as the emerging markets of oil and gas, mining, nuclear, avionics, medical, renewable and intelligent grid. The company’s diverse product portfolio includes fiber optic cable, transmission and substation accessories, outside plant equipment, connectors, fusion splicers, test equipment and training. AFL’s service portfolio includes market-leading positions with the foremost communications companies supporting inside plant central office, EF&I, outside plant, enterprise and wireless areas.

Founded in 1984, AFL is proud to offer engineering expertise, exceptional products and reliable service that help our customers improve their critical and electrical infrastructure. AFL has operations in the U.S., Mexico, Europe, Asia and the South Pacific. The company is headquartered in Spartanburg, S.C., and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan. For more information, visit www.AFLglobal.com.

A Winning Solution! Control Point’s Software Technology & Z-Band’s Video Distribution Solution

Z-Band Delivers A Video Distribution Solution for Control Point Technology’s Casino Clients

An effective visual presentation is critical for maximizing the customer experience in a casino environment. The ubiquitous digital signage provides useful information to customers and offers point-of-sale benefits for the casino. Televisions located throughout the casino broadcast sports programming on a continuous basis for customers when taking a break from gaming activities or when they want to relax and enjoy a meal or beverage while viewing a racing event.

Developing a video and television distribution system that’s capable of managing the wide-ranging video needs of a casino is a challenging task. That’s why John Wise, CEO of Control Point Technology, chose Z-Band to meet his unique video distribution needs. Lebanon, PA-based Control Point Technology is the integrator charged with designing and installing the audio/visual systems for Hollywood Casinos, a rapidly growing nationwide gaming chain operated by Penn National Gaming, Inc.

Effective Video Distribution Needed for Three New Hollywood Sites

Wise’s assignment was to select a backbone RF video distribution system compatible with CP’s software solution for installation in three new Hollywood properties located in Toledo, OH, Columbus, OH, and Kansas City, KS. Wise estimates that the three sites average 300 television drops as well as a large number of digital signage units. Most of the TVs broadcast in High Definition, although some use Standard Definition. Twisted-pair (CAT 6) cable was used for the horizontal transmission of the video signals from the data closets to the TVs and display devices

Prior Experience Led to the Z-Band Selection

Wise remembered Z-Band from a previous system demonstration that made a favorable impression. He used the Z-Band system in a Hollywood Casino located in Grantville, PA, and was pleased with the results. He knew that Z-Band has extensive experience in providing state-of-the-art video distribution systems for the hospitality industry, as its client roster includes a variety of hotels, resorts, casinos, and off-track betting facilities.

“In the past we did traditional or conventional copper backbones,” Wise said. “The need for using RF distribution amplifiers, splitters, taps, and coaxial cable… the Z-Band design eliminates all that. Everything is located in the MDF and a number of IDF closets, which makes the installation much neater.”

“We were also able to piggyback the RF video and the IP-based 10/100 control signal on the same CAT 6 cabling by using different twisted pairs wires within the sheath, so we got two benefits from one cable.”

Excellent Long-Term Return on Investment

Wise also indicates that although the material costs of a Z-Band RF distribution system may be somewhat higher than those associated with a traditional coax-based system, the total acquisition and life-cycle costs are lower since the Z-Band system requires much less in the way of installation, maintenance and labor. He says that there have been no performance issues with Z-Band since the opening of the three new Hollywood Casinos.

“We know (the Z-Band) system works,” Wise said. “Its technology supports the systems we use for High Definition and control. Although there may be a more cost-effective way to do it (initially), the ease of coordinating everything and the reliability of it makes up for any additional costs there are.”

Z-Band Used for Multiple Applications

The Z-Band system is used to deliver modulated video content throughout the casino for a number of applications. The list includes dynamic theming for the Hollywood Casino brand, and digital signage including way-finding to help customers navigate the facility with greater ease, as well as food service areas and lobbies. Distribution of sports programming signals via DIRECT TV and High Definition TV is also provided. The system is also used for denomination signs above the slot machines that provide visual images of the coinage required for operation.

The Z-Band Collaboration Can Benefit All Aspiring Casino Operators

Wise also believes that the experience gained through CP’s collaboration with Z-Band can prove beneficial for any future casino owner or operator seeking to get the most out of a video distribution system.

“For delivery of unattended automation of the casino floor AV system, where the distribution and control of content is done in a cooperative fashion, using the Z-Band delivery method and the Control Point software control system works great.” The Control Point/Z-Band collaboration will continue on future Hollywood Casino projects including additional Ohio sites in Dayton and Youngstown. These two casinos are expected to be open to the public by early 2014.

A Mutually Rewarding Relationship for Both Parties

The Control Point/Z-Band relationship has paid dividends for both companies. According to Wise, Control Point has benefitted from the RF system’s ease of installation and use, the significant long-term cost savings, and the consistent television picture quality.

“I believe that for the scope of the projects that we did, which were very large--and the fact that we used them in previous projects-- in addition to the three new ones—the reoccurring use of the product I believe speaks for itself,” Wise said. “There were a limited amount of choices out there for RF distribution outside the conventional coax system. So to use an advanced, dependable technology like Z-Band on these high-visibility projects speaks for itself.”

Dick Snyder, Z-Band’s Vice President of Marketing and Sales, also has high praise for Control Point and its capabilities. “From a Z-Band point of view, the relationship goes both ways. It’s a dynamic, cooperative, open relationship. We’ve learned a lot from John about Control Point and how to utilize its technology to provide the most effective RF video distribution/control systems for the casino industry.”

Contact Z-Band for Your Casino Video Distribution Needs

Whether you’re building a casino from the ground up, or are looking to upgrade the quality of your facility’s existing video distribution system, Z-Band offers an unbeatable combination of cutting-edge technology, superior products, and excellent customer service. Contact Z-Band for your RF video distribution system needs.

www.z-band.com

“Working with Z-Band’s technical support is second to none. And the customer service—they’re always there when I call.”

-John Wise, Control Point Technology

www.control-point.com

Belden Announces Formation of Four Global Business Segments: Industrial Connectivity Solutions, Industrial Information Technology (IT) Solutions, Enterprise Connectivity Solutions, and Broadcast Solutions

Solution-Oriented Alignment Accelerates Ability to Capitalize on New Market Opportunities and to Bring Innovative Solutions to a Growing Customer Base

Belden Inc. (BDC), a global leader in signal transmission solutions for mission-critical applications, today announced that the company is now organized across four global business segments: Industrial Connectivity Solutions, Industrial Information Technology (IT) Solutions, Enterprise Connectivity Solutions, and Broadcast Solutions. These newly defined operating segments are a result of Belden’s purposeful transformation to a global provider of comprehensive signal transmission solutions. Through this new solution-oriented alignment, Belden further strengthens its ability to quickly capitalize on new market opportunities and provide complete connectivity solutions to a growing customer base around the world.

The four operating segments are briefly described below:

Industrial Connectivity Solutions – High-performance industrial cable and connector products that transport mission-critical signals enabling reliable network communication and machine-to-machine connectivity for industrial automation, machine building and automotive production applications. Christoph Gusenleitner now leads this business segment. Gusenleitner was previously EVP, EMEA Operations and Global Connector Products.

Industrial IT Solutions – High-performance, reliable and secure hardware and software systems that address the mission-critical networking demands of the discrete and process automation industries worldwide. This segment is led by Dhrupad Trivedi. Previously, Trivedi served as vice president of Strategy & Corporate Development for Belden.

Enterprise Connectivity Solutions – Efficient network infrastructure systems that transport voice, video and high-speed data in enterprise IT applications for data centers, healthcare, finance, and education markets. Glenn Pennycook enters a new role as leader of Enterprise Connectivity Solutions. Pennycook was previously president of Enterprise Solutions at Belden.

Broadcast Solutions – Advanced hardware, software and connectivity systems for media companies to create, manage and deliver high-quality content around the world. This portfolio of businesses will continue to be managed by Strath Goodship, Dave Jackson, and Jimmy Rayford.

“This announcement marks another key milestone in the transformation of our business. We believe this action highlights our strategic focus on continuing to build leading global businesses with strong financial attributes. Through this, Belden can deliver even more value to our enterprise, industrial and broadcast customers around the world and quickly capitalize on new market opportunities,” said John Stroup, president and CEO of Belden.

“These four new operating segments are directed by experienced Belden leaders that bring with them a wealth of knowledge of their markets, customers, and solutions. This team has served Belden in a variety of senior operating, strategy, and finance related roles and its members are considered by many as industry experts. While we’re excited to begin this next phase of business at Belden, we also must recognize that transitions are often precursors for leadership change as well. Denis Suggs, EVP, Americas Operations & Global Cable Products has decided to pursue opportunities outside of Belden. Denis will continue at Belden through July to allow for an orderly transition. We thank Denis for his solid performance over the past six years, and appreciate the strong team he has assembled. We wish Denis the best in his future endeavors.”

An educational Webcast is available on Belden’s website at http://investor.belden.com. This recorded event, designed with the investor community in mind, provides insight on rationale and our new financial reporting segmentation. In addition, 2012 segment results under our new segment methodology are attached as an appendix and posted on Belden’s Investor Relations website.

There is no impact to Belden consolidated financial results and no adjustment to previously provided financial guidance or strategic goals is intended or implied by this announcement.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information

Adjusted results are non-GAAP measures that reflect certain adjustments the Company makes to provide insight into operating results. All GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliations accompany the financial information included in this release and have been published to the investor relations section of the Company’s website at http://investor.belden.com.

About Belden

Belden Inc., a global leader in high quality, end-to-end signal transmission solutions, delivers a comprehensive product portfolio designed to meet the mission-critical network infrastructure needs of industrial, enterprise and broadcast markets. With innovation solutions targeted at reliable and secure transmission of rapidly growing amounts of data, audio and video needed for today's applications, Belden is at the center of the global transformation to a connected world. Founded in 1902, the company is headquartered in St. Louis and has manufacturing capabilities in North and South America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit us at www.belden.com; follow us on Twitter @BeldenInc.

Altaaqa Global And Caterpillar Inc Signs IPP Agreement

Dubai, UAE – Caterpillar Inc. has entered into an international power projects (IPP) agreement with Zahid Group, which recently formed a new subsidiary company, Altaaqa Global. As an IPP partner, Altaaqa Global will provide multi-megawatt temporary power solutions around the world, supported by partnerships within the worldwide Cat^® dealer network.

“We have been successfully serving our customers within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since our inception,” said Fahad Y. Zahid, Executive Vice President of Zahid Group. “In 2004, catering to local needs, we launched Altaaqa Alternative Solutions , which later became the world’s largest fleet owner of Cat Rental Power with over 750MW in its inventory. Through this IPP agreement, our new subsidiary, Altaaqa Global, will enable us to strengthen our position as a leading provider of turnkey temporary power solutions, now at a global level.”

“Zahid Group has demonstrated a proven track record of excellent customer service for more than 60 years,” said Bill Rohner, Vice President of Electric Power at Caterpillar. “Having them as a strategic partner will help expand Caterpillar’s evolving role in the IPP market.”

“Caterpillar’s global presence and Altaaqa Global’s temporary power expertise is a powerful synergy,” said Steven Meyrick, Managing Director of Altaaqa Global. “Bringing power to solutions is what we are offering. Bringing power where it is needed, when it is needed.”

“Our temporary power plants are mobile, easy to deploy and quick to install,” said Peter den Boogert, General Manager, Business Development of Altaaqa Global. “We can intelligently generate electricity within weeks in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific.”

Based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Altaaqa Global will provide fast-track and large-scale temporary power solutions from 20MW to 100MW and more, offering gas, diesel or dual fuel technology to various sectors such as oil & gas, power utilities, mining, government services, military, manufacturing and construction. The company aims to serve its customers with engineered solutions tailored to the specific requirements of each industry. Highly experienced Cat power generation consultants along with a specialized power generation team from Altaaqa Global are fully aligned right from the planning phase, ensuring that the technical and logistical aspects of projects are addressed both effectively and efficiently.

For more information, visit www.altaaqaglobal.com/pr or e-mail info@altaaqaglobal.com.

About Caterpillar

For more than 85 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent. With 2011 sales and revenues of $60.1 billion, Caterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. The company also is a leading services provider through Caterpillar Financial Services, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services, Caterpillar Logistics Services and Progress Rail Services.

CAT, CATERPILLAR, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Yellow”, the “Power Edge” trade dress, as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.

About Zahid Group

Zahid Group represents a diverse range of companies, offering comprehensive, customer-centric solutions in a number of thriving industries. Some of those include construction; mining; oil & gas; agriculture; power, electricity & water generation; material handling; building materials; transportation & logistics; real estate development; travel & tourism; waste management & recycling; and hospitality.

http://www.zahid.com

About Altaaqa Global

Altaaqa Global, a subsidiary of Zahid Group, has been selected by Caterpillar Inc. to deliver multi-megawatt turnkey temporary power solutions worldwide. Altaaqa Global is able to provide large-scale turnkey temporary power solutions anytime, anywhere at extremely short notice. Altaaqa Global has state-of-the-art temporary power equipment and focused expertise to quickly deliver power projects of 20MW to 100MW and more.

http://www.altaaqaglobal.com

About Altaaqa Alternative Solutions

Altaaqa is an environmentally responsible provider of electrical power, water and temperature control solutions serving exclusively the dynamic Saudi Arabian market. Operating out of six branches strategically located across the Kingdom, the company focuses on providing added value through fully customizable offerings tailored to specific customer requirements.

http://www.altaaqa.com

Hitachi Cable America Releases Small Diameter 10-gigabit Ethernet Cable

Manchester, NH, April 15, 2013

Hitachi Cable America Inc. introduces a small-diameter cable designed specifically to accommodate 10-gigabit Ethernet. The new 10G RD™ is a highly enhanced Category 6 cable that has been designed to be installer friendly, yet deliver guaranteed 10-gigabit Ethernet support up to 90 meters in a channel configuration. As such, the cable exceeds all Alien Crosstalk performance requirements necessary for effective 10-gigabit throughput. The cable has a small outside diameter (.29 inches) that allows for a greater number of cables to be installed in a conduit compared to other 10-gigabit cables. The 10G RD™ is an unshielded cable (UTP) and, therefore, does not require the bonding associated with shielded cables. The 10G RD™ comes on 1,000 ft. reels and is available in a wide range of colors. The 10G RD™ is UL verified for performance and is both REACH and RoHS compliant. The 10G RD™ is only available in CMP. The cable, when part of a certified installation, can be covered by Hitachi Cable’s Lifetime Warranty.

For more information on this cable and to learn where to purchase it, please visit the Hitachi Cable America website, www.hca.hitachi-cable.com.

About Hitachi Cable America, Manchester Facility:

The Manchester facility (Performance Cable Systems & Materials Division) is a unit of Hitachi Cable America, Inc. Located in Manchester, New Hampshire, the division manufactures a complete line of high-performance copper and fiber optic cables for the communication industry. Over 4,000 different cable products are manufactured at this facility. Products include category copper communication cables, indoor, indoor/outdoor and outside plant fiber optic cables, industrial Ethernet cables, as well as round and flat electronic cables.

To learn more about Hitachi Cable America, Inc. and the Performance Cables Systems & Materials Division, please visit our website at www.hca.hitachi-cable.com. Hitachi Cable America, Inc. is a unit of Hitachi Cable, Ltd., Japan which is held by Hitachi, Ltd., Japan.

About Hitachi, Ltd.:

Hitachi, Ltd., (NYSE: HIT / TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 360,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2010 (ended March 31, 2011) consolidated revenues totaled $112.2 billion. Hitachi will focus more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes information and telecommunication systems, power systems, environmental, industrial and transportation systems, and social and urban systems, as well as the sophisticated materials and key devices that support them. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com

Hitachi Cable America introduces 100m Optical Active HDMI Cable Assembly

Manchester, NH, April 15, 2013

Hitachi Cable America Inc. is pleased to announce the launch of its Optical Active HDMI cable assembly. The unique design, which utilizes micro-media converters at each end of a fiber optic cable, permits the assembly to accommodate 1080p, Deep-Color, 3D and 4K2K up to 100 meters. Power to convert and transmit the signal over fiber optic cable is derived from the electronics into which the assembly is plugged. The assembly is also plenum rated, which means it can be installed in virtually any indoor environment and be compliant to U.S. national electrical code. The cable assembly is available in lengths of 20, 30, 40, 50 and 100 meters. Due to the long lengths to which this cable will operate, if you incorporate it into your infrastructure, you can reduce the number of locations necessary to house electronics, thus reducing space, security and HVAC requirements. The end result is a reduction in overall operating expenses.

For more information on the Optical Active HDMI cable and to learn where to purchase it, please visit the Hitachi Cable America website, www.hca.hitachi-cable.com.

About Hitachi Cable America, Manchester Facility:

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Huge copper mine theft bust in Arizona valued at $10 million

April 30, 2013 1:27 pm

Eighteen people were indicted in a multi-million dollar copper theft ring at an Arizona mine that relied on inside help, state Attorney General Tom Horne said Tuesday.

The case began after the September traffic stop of a truck hauling nearly $180,000 of raw copper stolen from the Asarco mine in Hayden, his office said in a press release.

Two Asarco LLC supervisors were among those indicted in the thefts that started as early as 2006 and added up to $10 million, according to the Department of Public Safety. The agency said the two face 10 felony counts each after playing "critical roles in the thefts."

Those defendants have been fired, according to the attorney general's office. A former contract security guard for the mine has also been indicted. Warrants have been issued for their arrests, DPS said.

Other defendants are accused of driving the copper loads to California and Arizona to recyclers who would buy it for a fraction of market value.

The attorney general said the recyclers would sell the copper to Chinese importers and would blacken it so it could pass easily through customs as scrap metal.

"This is a stunning example of theft on a massive scale," Horne said. "Copper production is a signature component of our state's economy. For these defendants to abuse their positions at a mining producer and allow this valuable resource to be stolen and re-sold on the black market is unconscionable."

http://azstarnet.com/news/state-and-regional/indicted-in-massive-arizona-copper-theft/article_e2f98b26-6204-5d98-a8fd-c5c78feb5aa9.html

WESCO International, Inc. Reports First Quarter 2013 Results; Achieves Record Quarterly Sales and Record Gross Margin

WESCO International, Inc. – Thu, Apr 18, 2013 6:15 AM EDT

First quarter results compared to the prior year:

Consolidated sales of $1.81 billion, growth of 12.6%
Gross margin of 21.1%, up 120 basis points
Adjusted earnings per share of $1.12, up 13.1%, excluding favorable non-recurring items in both years
Free cash flow of $74 million or 127% of adjusted net income

WESCO International, Inc. (WCC), a leading provider of electrical, industrial, and communications MRO and OEM products, construction materials, and advanced supply chain management and logistics services, today announced its 2013 first quarter results.

The following are results for the three months ended March 31, 2013 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2012:

Net sales were $1,808.1 million for the first quarter of 2013, compared to $1,606.0 million for the first quarter of 2012, an increase of 12.6%. Acquisitions positively impacted sales by 16.0% and organic sales declined 3.4%. Adjusting for the impact of one less workday in the quarter, normalized organic sales declined approximately 1.8%. Sequentially, sales increased 10.0%, and organic sales decreased 2.1%.
Gross profit of $381.1 million, or 21.1% of sales, for the first quarter of 2013 improved 120 basis points compared to $319.7 million, or 19.9% of sales, for the first quarter of 2012.
Selling, general & administrative (SG&A) expenses of $227.5 million, or 12.6% of sales, for the first quarter of 2013 decreased 160 basis points, compared to $228.1 million, or 14.2% of sales, for the first quarter of 2012. First quarter 2013 SG&A expenses include a $36.1 million favorable impact resulting from the recognition of insurance coverage relating to a litigation-related charge recorded in the fourth quarter of 2012. Excluding the impact of this favorable item, SG&A expenses were $263.6 million, or 14.6% of sales. The increase in SG&A expenses was the result of acquisitions, primarily EECOL.
Operating profit was $136.9 million for the current quarter, up 64.0% from $83.5 million for the comparable 2012 quarter. Operating profit as a percentage of sales was 7.6% in 2013, up 240 basis points from 5.2% in 2012. Excluding the favorable impact resulting from the recognition of insurance coverage on a litigation matter, operating profit was $100.8 million, or 5.6% of sales, up 20.7% and 40 basis points, respectively, from the prior year quarter.
Interest expense for the first quarter of 2013 was $21.9 million, compared to $9.0 million for the first quarter of 2012. Interest expense increased for the quarter due to the increase in indebtedness in late 2012 associated with the EECOL acquisition. Non-cash interest expense, which includes convertible debt interest, interest related to uncertain tax positions, and the amortization of deferred financing fees, for the first quarter of 2013 was $2.3 million compared to $1.9 million of income in the first quarter of 2012. The first quarter of 2012 was impacted by a favorable adjustment of $3.2 million of previously recorded interest related to uncertain tax positions. This adjustment was the result of a favorable Internal Revenue Service appeals settlement in the first quarter of 2012 related to the years 2000 to 2006.
The effective tax rate for the current quarter was 26.9%, compared to 29.0% for the prior year first quarter.
Net income of $84.1 million for the current quarter was up 59.0% from $52.9 million for the prior year quarter. Excluding the favorable impact of non-recurring items in both years, first quarter 2013 adjusted net income was $58.6 million, compared to $50.9 million in the prior quarter, an increase of 15.1%.
Earnings per diluted share for the first quarter of 2013 were $1.60 per share, based on 52.4 million diluted shares, and were up 55.3% from $1.03 per share in the first quarter of 2012, based on 51.3 million diluted shares. Excluding the favorable impact of non-recurring items in both years, adjusted earnings per diluted share in first quarter 2013 were $1.12, compared to $0.99 in the prior year quarter and increased 13.1%.
Free cash flow for the first quarter of 2013 was $74.4 million, or 88% of net income, compared to $53.8 million for the first quarter of 2012. Excluding the favorable impact of non-recurring items, first quarter of 2013 free cash flow was 127% of adjusted net income.

Mr. John J. Engel, WESCO's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "Our first quarter results reflect solid execution in a challenging economic environment and, as expected, a continuation of the market trends experienced in the second half of last year. Although organic sales declined 3% in the quarter and were softer than expected, we continued to see the positive impact of our One WESCO sales, productivity and LEAN initiatives on our business. Overall sales and gross margins achieved record levels, and adjusted operating margins expanded 40 basis points to 5.6%, while backlog grew approximately 7% versus year end 2012. In addition, we were pleased with the performance and effective integration of our recent acquisitions, including EECOL where strong first quarter results support our full year EPS accretion expectations."

Mr. Engel continued, "Free cash flow generation exceeded adjusted net income in the quarter and was directed to debt reduction, improving our financial leverage ahead of schedule, to just above the upper end of our targeted range on a proforma basis. Our acquisition pipeline continues to be actively managed, and we see excellent opportunities to further expand and strengthen our portfolio in 2013. We remain focused on investing in our people while driving execution of our eight growth engines and six operational excellence initiatives, and continue to expect stronger sales growth in the second half of this year"

Mr. Engel continued, "As consolidation and outsourcing accelerates in our industry, our addressable markets remain large and very fragmented. Demand is increasing for our One WESCO value proposition of providing our customers with supply chain integrity and a one-stop-shop for the solutions they need for their MRO, OEM and Capital Project requirements. As a result of the actions that we have taken over the last several years, our global business is stronger, more diverse, and well positioned for continued value creation."

Webcast and Teleconference Access
WESCO will conduct a webcast and teleconference to discuss the first quarter earnings as described in this News Release on Thursday, April 18, 2013, at 11:00 a.m. E.D.T. The call will be broadcast live over the Internet and can be accessed from the Company's website at http://www.wesco.com. The call will be archived on this Internet site for seven days.

WESCO International, Inc. (WCC), a publicly traded Fortune 500 holding company headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a leading provider of electrical, industrial, and communications maintenance, repair and operating ("MRO") and original equipment manufacturers ("OEM") product, construction materials, and advanced supply chain management and logistic services. 2012 annual sales were approximately $6.6 billion. The Company employs approximately 9,000 people, maintains relationships with over 18,000 suppliers, and serves over 65,000 active customers worldwide. Customers include commercial and industrial businesses, contractors, government agencies, institutions, telecommunications providers and utilities. WESCO operates nine fully automated distribution centers and approximately 475 full-service branches in North America and international markets, providing a local presence for customers and a global network to serve multi-location businesses and multi-national corporations.

Copper VS Fiber – Pound for Pound, How Do they measure up? - Article by Claire Swedberg from ECMAG.com

As bandwidth demands continue to rise, both copper and fiber cable manufacturers are developing products that offer greater capacity and flexibility. In the interest of providing expanding coverage for an increasingly bandwidth-hungry world, the copper cable industry is talking about a potential Category 8 twisted-pair copper cable. Cat 8 would more than double the capacity of the Cat 6a version, offering a bandwidth of up to 2,000 megahertz (MHz). Compared to Cat 6’s 500 MHz, that would mean quadruple the capacity for TV, video, satellite, audio and CCTV; for this reason, Cat 8 cable would be suitable for faster Ethernet connections. (See the Quiz on page 44 to test your knowledge of Cat 8.)

At the same time, for fiber, the accommodation of greater bandwidth has been easier, and costs are coming down.

While the fiber and copper markets compete, hybrid and wireless solutions may change the playing field dramatically. Doug Jenkins, fiber business unit leader at ThorLabs, which makes fiber data transmission cable, sees several more technologies on the horizon. For instance, a hybrid fiber optic solution that incorporates electrical and optical signals has captured the market’s attention.

The hybrid cable, with optical fibers and metallic conductors, comes with a cable jacket and slots into which cables are inserted. It can combine video, audio, data, control, power, and other signals onto two single-mode optical fibers with copper conductors. A crosspiece connects the parts of the cable jacket forming the slots. Hybrid cables are already widely used, specifically in cellular systems where they are run up cellular towers to connect the antennas to ground electronics.

Fiber to the home (FTTH) has enabled data to be carried in high volume. This solution, Jenkins said, can also be seen in commercial markets. FTTH, also called fiber to the premises (FTTP), consists of installing optical fiber from a single central point directly to individual buildings, such as residences, apartment buildings and businesses, to provide Internet access at unprecedented speed. In comparison to existing technologies, FTTH also boosts the connection speeds available to computer users.

Millions of homes around the world are now directly connected on fiber optics. The sheer volume of this application has dropped the cost of connecting homes to a level where it is cheaper to replace older copper rather than paying the high cost to maintain it. The technology has become so cost-effective that it is being used in enterprise local area networks (LANs) in place of copper with significant savings in initial cost and operational cost, especially the electrical power needed to operate it.

Whether copper or fiber, the effort is to keep up with consumer demands. However, Cat 8 copper cable may be more about hype than true solutions, said Jim Hayes, president of The Fiber Optic Association. The copper cabling industry, Hayes said, has been tenacious and smart. While fiber optic cable makes strides in the low-voltage market to enable the transfer of data with increasingly wider bandwidth, copper cable has been quick to respond. Cat 5e was higher speed than Ethernet cable; then Cat 6e provided 10 gigabits of bandwidth.

Copper proponents are exploring developing Cat 8 as a way of staying relevant in the high-speed network arena. However, there are drawbacks. Since copper involves the transmission of electrons instead of photons, the cable offers different challenges than its fiber optic alternative. When data is moving at higher speed, electrons must overcome greater resistance and, therefore, require more power to process signals.

For fiber, the move into greater bandwidth has been less challenging, since it can easily provide data rates of 40 or 100 gigabits per second. The exception is multimode optical fiber (commonly used in data centers) that is suffering from the same requirements for additional power that copper requires. Multimode optical cable has a large diameter that carries rays of light, which can be hard to synchronize, leading to bandwidth problems at high speeds. That creates a challenge for fiber cable manufacturers making layers of glass that can move data at higher speeds.

Single-mode fiber, which can be used in most installations, can run at very high bandwidth, and speed is limited only by the speed of the transmitters and receivers. One-hundred-gigabit versions are being tested now.

Copper, Hayes said, starts to look impractical at more than 1 gigabit per second, while multimode fiber cable can be impractical at 10 gigabits.

Ultimately, the market makes the decision about what cable meets the demands of the times. For years, most low-voltage cable solutions have been copper, and that isn’t likely to change for some time.

“If you go to traditional companies in the cabling business, they make the bulk of their income from copper,” Hayes said.

The equipment is cheaper, for one thing. Copper has always made up most of the market, while fiber is still viewed as a specialty cable. Often, companies still put fiber adapters on copper networks.

“In the last five years, something strange has happened,” Hayes said.

The fiber manufacturers, he said, have been chipping away at the copper dominance and have found their way into the backbone in many installations. Standards committees are writing codes for centralized fiber from the equipment room to the desktop.

And while copper and fiber have been locked in competition, the dynamics have changed. Laptops are replacing desktop computers, and smartphones are replacing landlines. Wireless, in fact, is moving in and taking over. A lot of networks look similar to those of the past, but the number of people wired into the network is shrinking—engineering and accounting departments may require wire connections, while many other departments don’t. This wireless dominance has grown over the past five years, during a recession, and Hayes speculated that economic growth may mean some more rapid changes.

This isn’t bad news for contractors. Wireless systems still need to be wired, and access points require as much cable as previous systems did.

FTTH, in the meantime, is being used for large enterprise networks. The U.S. government has installed FTTH solutions for networks that may have 8,000 users connected and operating at speeds of 10 gigabits per second. Equipment rooms are smaller, and the number of telecom rooms has shrunk. In this case, single-mode fiber to a local four- or two-port switch could then connect to copper or fiber cables. The solution costs about half as much as traditional data communication systems, uses one-fifth of the power and about one-tenth of the space.

One recent example is the new 400,000-square-foot San Diego Central Library with nine floors, including a charter high school and auditorium, and about 4,000 users all fed by a single optical fiber cable to each switch instead of a bundle of copper cables.

Optical LANs do not require electrical power between the main equipment room and the end-user area. This feature substantially reduces heat and decreases or avoids entirely the need for air conditioning in server rooms or in the independent distribution frame (IDF). It also has the potential to eliminate IDFs altogether. In addition, optical LAN equipment offers data connectivity up to gigabit speeds for all library visitors.

“It’s a lot cheaper, and it’s been a topic of discussion at standards meetings,” Hayes said.

Implementation

Panduit, a fiber systems provider, is offering technology intended to accommodate greater bandwidth without large expenditures for end-users. Its Signature Core laser-optimized 50--micron multimode fiber, for example, can be used in applications that, in the past, would have required single-mode fiber.

Corning Cable Systems also provides end-to-end fiber optic and copper cable systems. The company provided an FTTH installation for the foreign policy issues debate between President Barack Obama and candidate Mitt Romney at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., to meet the need for expanded bandwidth and then left the system in place for the university. The system consists of a single fiber optic cable and the company’s Closet Connector housings. The company’s low-voltage systems are also in use at large venues, including the Baltimore Ravens’ M&T Bank Stadium.

Despite the changes underway, most low-voltage contractors still install copper since they work with smaller networks where they don’t intend to use an optical local area network.

The greatest market for electrical contractors may be installation of single-mode fiber solutions and the removal of outdated cable networks.

“They’ll make a ton of money taking out old cable,” Hayes said. People may not consider the cost of removing copper when they do their installations, but, Hayes said, “it’s a tricky business taking that out.”

SWEDBERG is a freelance writer based in western Washington. She can be reached at claire_swedberg@msn.com

Published by the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), Bethesda, Md., Electrical Contractor magazine delivers 83,000+ electrical contractors and more than 68,000 electrical contracting locations, more than any other industry publication. Telephone: (301) 657-3110. Web site: http//www.ecmag.com.

A Blended Approach - H&S Electric dabbles in low-voltage –Article by William Atkinson from ECMAG.com

H&S Electric Inc., Valencia, Calif., has been in business since 1990. Its services include construction, commissioning, consulting, energy analysis, engineering safety, green building/sustainability, maintenance and operations, systems management, systems design, and technology evaluation. It works directly on projects or as part of a subcontracting team.

Its work includes new electrical systems; new construction and installation; upgrades, renovations and expansions; alterations; power wiring; control wiring; maintenance; infrared survey; troubleshooting, testing and repair; emergency service; power quality; and power analysis.

“We usually have 30 to 40 employees, depending on the number and size of the projects we have,” said Marvin Hatch, president.

While most of the company’s work is traditional, it does some low-voltage work, which comes about in two ways.

“In our market, we look for projects that come out for bid. Typically, the low-voltage part of the project is already in the package, so when we are bidding it, we decide if we are going to do the low-voltage work ourselves in-house or if we are going to contact the existing building control systems people to give us a price to do it.”

Low-voltage subcontracting

“Typically, on our large contract work, we will subcontract the low-voltage work to low-voltage contractors, such as Johnson Controls or Siemens,” Hatch said. “However, we do a lot of their back boxes and conduits. We pull in their cabling and mount their devices.”

Most of H&S’s foremen and supervisors are trained in the pulling aspect of the low-voltage wires, the type of wire and how to install it.

“However, since we aren’t up to par with all of the new technologies for low-voltage building wiring, we don’t educate them on that,” he said.

As a result, the low-voltage subcontractors will do the programming.

“That is, we will run and pull all of the conduit,” he said. “Then, the low-voltage contractors will do the ‘parts and smarts’—installing and programming the devices.”

Low-voltage direct

On occasion, though, the company does some low-voltage work itself. Hatch estimated that this is between 6 and 10 percent of the company’s work. H&S does a lot of low-voltage control wiring, such as energy management (air temperature sensors, air flow volume controls, etc.). The work also includes high- and low-speed data (including LAN jacks), CCTV, and phone.

“I have been doing low-voltage work since I started in this business in the early 1980s and been dabbling in it ever since,” he said.

H&S has five people who are certified in Category 5 and 6 cabling and other different types of cables. However, it has two people in particular who do most of the low-voltage work, and Hatch tries to keep them current on all of the new technologies and the different panels, such as the nurse call, public address, energy management and air temperature systems.

“I selected these two people because they are the ones who I noticed seemed to excel in this area, and they took the initiative on their own to show me that they wanted to learn more about it,” he said.

Currently, H&S is doing a medical gas system for Kaiser Permanente’s Baldwin Park Medical Center.

“It is a pretty intricate project because they want to keep both systems online until the new system is 100 percent up and running,” he said. “The key to success here is to do the proper analysis to make sure that we understand their needs and who is being impacted.”

Looking forward

As Hatch sees it, the most challenging part of low-voltage work is staying current with the technology, since it changes so frequently.

“However, we are at the point where we are starting to think about creating a separate low-voltage division in-house, so that we can handle all of the fire alarm systems, nurse call systems, PA systems, etc.,” he said.

The two people who currently do most of the company’s low-voltage work would head up this department, and then H&S would go out and look for new people to hire to begin to build the department.

According to Hatch, the idea of creating a separate low-voltage division makes sense from a business and marketing perspective.

“The main concern is making sure we have sufficient capital to do it,” he said. “It is also important to make sure we have the management ability to stay on top of a new division.”

ATKINSON has been a full-time business magazine writer since 1976. Contact him at w.atkinson@mchsi.com.

Work Better Together - Connectivity and integration are here to stay - article

By Darlene Bremer from ECMAG

Security system components can be integrated with various technologies including heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC); building automation; energy management; information technology (IT); and fire and life safety systems, providing enormous opportunities for electrical contractors.

With greater depth in integration, the standard definition of an integrated security system that simply links video, access and alarm points no longer applies, according to Andre Greco, director of sales, Security & Fire Solutions, Johnson Controls Inc.

“Stand-alone functions are no longer acceptable. The term ‘integration’ now refers to security systems that work seamlessly with other existing business applications, operating systems and databases,” he said.

The result is more data moving between systems, which allows for entirely new ways for the end-user to problem-solve.

To achieve a fully integrated security system, four primary levels of access management and control need to be considered, according to a white paper by April Dalton-Noblitt, director, vertical marketing, for Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies.

The first level is mechanical access and egress for exterior and interior doors and includes hardware, such as exit devices that allow quick, easy emergency egress, door closers that ensure doors are latched securely, mechanical locks, high security keying systems, and portable cable locks, padlocks or U-locks.

The second level is electronic access control and key management. Combining key management with a system that also includes programmable electronic locks enables the building owner to know exactly who is accessing the locks and when, while limiting who has keys to what doors, Dalton-Noblitt writes. And since electronic locks require credentials, they also help reduce the risk of lost or stolen keys, unauthorized key duplications, and the need to rekey if a key is lost.

The third level of integration is networked access control that manages the security system devices from a control source. This makes programming the system easier and streamlines credential management. Networked systems also can have real-time monitoring and more advanced technologies such as biometrics.

The fourth level, a totally integrated security system, ties together access control, time and attendance data, and even lighting and HVAC systems, for complete management of assets and people, and enables owners to customize the system to fit security, budget and building needs.

Benefits and challenges

It is common to integrate burglar alarm, card access, intercom and video systems. Data sharing with human resources systems also is used to automate employee enrollment, according to Jay Hauhn, CTO and vice president of industry relations for Tyco Integrated Security.

“The use of the building’s IP infrastructure to transport security system data means IT managers now have a holistic view of the communications infrastructure and enables security system integrators to provide the best solutions for the end-user,” he said.

The single point of control for multiple systems enabled by integration is certainly more convenient but can also reduce an organization’s manpower needs or allow personnel to be redirected to other vital areas.

“Integrated systems are less expensive to install, operate and maintain. End-users can experience considerable cost savings when infrastructures and resources—such as IP cabling, network operations center rack space, or virtual server architecture—can be shared,” Hauhn said.

Of course, there are challenges to security system integration. The biggest one, according to Hauhn, is the lack of standards.

“Given the number of manufacturers that exist, it is impossible for all of these disparate systems to interoperate,” he said.

However, industry organizations and associations, such as the Physical Security Interoperability Alliance and the Security Industry Association, are developing tools and creating standards to facilitate future interaction.

Another challenge, which directly affects electrical contractors, is the difficulty project managers have in finding integrators, including ECs, and other team members who have experience and familiarity with the many distinct systems on the market.

“A larger end-user may have more than two dozen building systems to integrate. That falls outside the talent base of many integrators,” Greco said.

Then what is the role for contractors in security system integration? The answer varies, according to Hauhn.

“Electrical contractors that are also value-added resellers are already full-service suppliers of IP-based video systems and understand the complexity of integrated projects,” he said.

Electrical contractors can also be extremely valuable installation partners to mainstream security integrators, considering their inherent efficiencies at installing network cabling and power infrastructures.

But as the systems become increasingly complex and the expectations of the end-users grow, only the electrical contractors that stay ahead of the learning curve will succeed.

“That will require careful hiring and appropriate training of technicians,” Greco said.

The contractors that demonstrate expertise, expand services, and deliver as promised will have a long-term future in the integration of building and security systems.

BREMER, a freelance writer based in Solomons, Md., contributes frequently to ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR. She can be reached at 410.394.6966 and darbremer@comcast.net.

ShoreTel Announces UC Solution for Small Businesses - Brilliantly simple UC solution dramatically improves productivity and communications

SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 16, 2013 / -- ShoreTel® (SHOR), the leading provider of brilliantly simple unified communications platforms, including business phone systems, applications, and mobile UC solutions, today announced the availability of the ShoreTel Small Business Edition 100 (SBE 100), a unified communications solution tailored to meet the needs of small businesses, while still providing the benefits and functionality that are usually only available to large enterprises.

ShoreTel SBE 100 is an integrated hardware and software package that provides organizations with up to 100 users at five or fewer locations with the benefits and functionality that characterize ShoreTel's award-winning solutions — reliability, scalability, and ease of use, setup and management. Most standard functions, such as adding or changing phones, and moving users, can be done by anyone with basic IT knowledge and skills, making it an ideal fit for small businesses that often lack dedicated IT staff.

"With the right set of tools businesses are able to compete effectively in the marketplace regardless of their size," said Peter Blackmore, ShoreTel CEO. "The ShoreTel SBE 100 brings enterprise-class benefits to small business environments, helping owners empower their employees with productivity-boosting UC applications, while delivering exceptional ease of management and low total cost of ownership."

For small businesses focused on growth, the ShoreTel SBE 100 can be easily integrated with their current communications infrastructure and can also scale seamlessly. With just a software upgrade, the SBE 100 can go from a small system to a large system with thousands of users — no hardware change required.

"Because the ShoreTel SBE 100 is based on the same modular architecture and software used by every ShoreTel customer with up to thousands of users, we only need to focus on a single product across all business sizes," said Rob Wiles, head of channel for APSL, Proximity Communications, a ShoreTel reseller.

The SBE 100 also provides a variety of productivity-boosting capabilities, including desktop call control and Unified Messaging that delivers voice, fax and email messages to a single application, such as Outlook® inbox. Mobile and remote workers benefit from convenient features like call handling modes, message notification and Follow Me Find Me, which allows a user to receive calls anytime, anywhere. Additional applications, including Contact Center functionality and complete collaboration solutions, can be added as businesses' needs change.

"Providing quality advice and client service is the basis of our success so it is critical that we have the right communication tools in place to better enable our consultants," said Mark Patterson, managing director at Nexus Risk Services, an Australian-based insurance broker that is rolling out the solution to five sites and 66 users. "The new ShoreTel SMB offer is a complete, out-of-the-box unified communications solution that gives us enterprise-class functionality at a price-tag that meets our requirements as a growing medium-sized company."

"The release of the ShoreTel Small Business Edition 100 solution provides an excellent opportunity for channel partners and customers to benefit from a single unified solutions architecture, with inherent ease of use and management of the wide UC capabilities, which can scale from as small as 10 users to tens of thousands of users," said Stephanie Watson, general manager at MZA Ltd. "This solution provides ShoreTel resellers with improved opportunity to sell into the 10-50 user space, which continues to account for a significant proportion of overall demand."

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Application Performance Management

Application performance management is essential to monitoring and maintaining the health of applications throughout the enterprise. Learn about network monitoring practices and solutions to help proactively manage the network and avoid problems.

Cable Installation

Learn about the cable installation process and cable installation tools that contractors can use to increase efficiency and quality of a cable installation job.

Cable Testing

Cable testing (Cat 5, Cat 6, and Cat 7 Testing) helps ensure that the installed cabling links provide the desired transmission capability to support data communication. Learn about common tests and cable testers for datacom cabling as well as standards and best practices.

Carrier Ethernet Testing

Describes how to verify installation and quality of carrier Ethernet installation, e.g., when and how to administer a speed and latency test.

Fiber Testing

Learn about the common contaminants of fiber optics in today’s mission critical networks and get a detailed look at fiber testing and types of fiber testers to ensure network performance.

NetFlow

Cisco NetFlow is software contained in the IOS that measures statistics on traffic flows through the router. Originally, it was designed as a caching technique to improve processing speed in the presence of access lists. Later, it was realized that this statistical data has value for network monitoring and engineering. Learn more about this “network accounting technology” and it’s applications, solutions and considerations.

Network Analysis

Network analysis offers insights into what is happening not only over the WAN, but also on the local area network (LAN) at each location. Information pertaining to traffic flows, protocols, and even individual data packets can empower the IT organization responsible for the network to keep it operating at peak performance.

Network Forensic Analysis

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Network Monitoring

The goal of network monitoring is to provide a depiction of operations so potential problems can be proactively avoided, and anomalies that do occur can be detected, isolated, and resolved with a minimum mean-time-to-repair.

Operational Support Systems

Telco OSS systems contain data sources and elements such as Customer Information, Network Inventory, Equipment Inventory, Work Force Management, Service Offerings, Network & Service Monitoring, and others. Learn about the relationship of remote users such as field techs or call center personel and how they access and utilize these data sources and process systems.

OTDR

Learn about (OTDR) technology as well as OTDR testing and types of OTDR testers used to maintain fiber infrastructure performance.

Outside Plant Testing

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Today, 10 Gigabit/sec Ethernet (10 GbE) finds application over fiber optic cabling in the data center, in riser cabling, and in campus backbones, but widespread use of 10 GbE over twisted-pair copper cabling (10GBASE T) is going to take off soon. Learn more about 10G Gigabit cabling certification and standards, test parameters and more.

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Want to know more? You can depend on Fluke Networks for the latest and greatest information and products to insure you have the best results possible. www.flukenetworks.com

HFI Event Services - Grow Your Trade Show by Extending Your Team

Peachtree City GA 770-632-0044

http://hfieventservices.com/

Associations and other trade show sponsors face a difficult challenge in the 20-teens: Membership revenue is stagnant (at best). You already have an annual meeting that includes a trade show; can that event be made to grow – bringing in that needed income?

Maybe. But the U.S. economy remains an “iffy” proposition. Your choices aren’t pretty: (a) Remain where you are and hope for the best. Or: (b) Add people in the meeting/show operation to bring in revenue . . . long before bottom-line growth is a certainty.

HFI Event Services (http://hfieventservices.com), a 16-year-old company based near Atlanta, offers another potential solution. With deep experience and a broad range of convention and trade show experience, the company can handle the outsourcing of a complete event – or just a part of it.

Sue McCart, the company’s founder and president, was involved more than 20 years ago in the founding of Lightfair, now North America’s largest lighting event. Her company has bought, operated, and sold off trade shows.

HFI offers the expertise and knowledge to find solutions for conference/show problems – leading to grow. Further, the company has the skills and abilities to execute a growth plan, enabling clients to succeed.

“We’ve worked in the trade show business in the private sector and with associations,” said McCart. “We understand how to operate within strict parameters, how to work within budgets. We’d not blind to the limitations faced by some associations – but we also see the tremendous untapped potential there.

“And: We have a demonstrated record of success.”

Most recently, The NECA Show – a client for which HFI Event Services handles exhibit sales – was, for the first time ever, included (in two of three honoree lists) on Trade Show Executive magazine’s “Top 50” lists. See more on that here: http://bit.ly/ZrTGAn.

Learn more at http://hfieventservices.com or call Sue McCart at 770-632-0044.

Hitachi Cable America Hires John Gibson

Manchester, NH, April 15, 2013

Hitachi Cable America Inc. is pleased to introduce a new member to its management staff. John A. Gibson, formerly of Nexans, Inc., has joined Hitachi Cable America as its Sr. VP Engineering and Quality Assurance. Gibson started his wire and cable career with Berk-Tek in 1976. He departed in 1978 to complete his BSME at Drexel University, and returned in 1982 as Product Engineering Manager. Gibson held a variety of technical and operations positions for the Berk-Tek / Nexans US premise copper and fiber optic locations. He and his wife, Mary Susan, relocated to Paris, France in 1998, when he was appointed Global Technical Director, Data Cable Product Line. He returned to New Holland, PA in 2001 as Sr VP of Operations and Technology for the New Holland, PA and Fuquay Varina, NC business units. In addition to this role, Gibson became General Manager of the Elm City, NC aerospace unit in 2004.

About Hitachi Cable America, Manchester Facility:

About Hitachi, Ltd.:

Hitachi Cable America Releases Industrial Ethernet Brochure

Manchester, NH, April 15, 2013

Hitachi Cable America Inc. has released its new Industrial Ethernet brochure. The brochure identifies 22 of Hitachi Cable’s most popular Industrial Ethernet cables. Cable constructions include 22 through 26 AWG cables, solid and stranded, oil resistant, UV resistant, shielded and unshielded cables and more. Cables with flex capabilities in excess of 5,000,000 cycles are available. The large selection of cables ensures there is a cable to meet a customer’s specific needs. And with onsite R&D, new designs are constantly in development. All cables are made in the U.S.A. at Hitachi Cable’s Manchester, New Hampshire facility.

For more information on Industrial Ethernet cables and to learn where to purchase them, please visit the Hitachi Cable America website, www.hca.hitachi-cable.com.

About Hitachi Cable America, Manchester Facility:

About Hitachi, Ltd.:

Hitachi Cable America Releases Reduced Diameter Category 6A Cable

Manchester, NH, April 15, 2013

Hitachi Cable America Inc. introduces a new, reduced diameter Category 6A unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable. The new Supra 10G™ CMP cable has an outside diameter of .32 inches, only slightly larger than most Category 6 cables. The Supra 10G™ has also been verified to the TIA-568-C.2, Category 6A standard by Underwriters Laboratories, the authority in cable verification. The Supra 10G™ will accommodate 10-gigabit Ethernet up to the maximum distance identified in the standard, 100 meters in a channel configuration. The Supra 10G™ is fully compatible with all component compliant Category 6A connectivity and when used in a Hitachi Cable certified installation, can be covered by Hitachi Cable’s Lifetime Warranty.

For more information on this cable and to learn where to purchase it, please visit the Hitachi Cable America website, www.hca.hitachi-cable.com.

About Hitachi Cable America, Manchester Facility:

About Hitachi, Ltd.:

Hitachi Cable America introduces SMPTE Cable

Manchester, NH, April 15, 2013

Hitachi Cable America Inc. is pleased to introduce a line of SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) cable for the broadcast industry. Built to the SMPTE 311 specifications, the cables utilize bend-insensitive optical fiber from Corning Optical Fiber. This feature, combined with Hitachi Cable’s high-end manufacturing processes, enable Hitachi Cable to provide a product that will exceed all market expectations. Both indoor and outdoor rated assemblies are available as well as aluminum or fiberglass deployable type reels. Custom print and special jacket colors are available. This cable is made in U.S.A. at Hitachi Cable’s Manchester, New Hampshire facility.

For more information on SMPTE cables and to learn where to purchase them, please visit the Hitachi Cable America website, www.hca.hitachi-cable.com.

About Hitachi Cable America, Manchester Facility:

About Hitachi, Ltd.:

HOME DEPOT voluntarily recalls defective CE TECH boxes of RISER cable ( 1,000 ft/box) Gray 4pr UTP SMR (UL) E316395. Get a refund

Hazard: The riser cable does not meet fire resistance standards for riser cable, posing a fire hazard.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is an independent federal agency created by Congress in1973 and charged with protecting the American public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772, http//:www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. Further recall information is available at http://www.cpsc.gov.

WASHINGTON, April 9, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Consumers should stop using this product, which is being recalled voluntarily, unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Recall Summary

Name of Product: CE Tech 1,000 ft. Riser Cable

Hazard: The riser cable does not meet fire resistance standards for riser cable, posing a fire hazard.

Remedy: Refund

Consumer Contact: Home Depot at (800) 394-7519 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or online at www.homedepot.com and click on Product Recalls for more information.

Recall Details

Units: About 11,300

Description: This recall involves 1,000 ft. CE Tech riser cable sold in boxes of 1,000 ft. lengths. It is intended to run between floors of a building as data cable. This type of cable must self-extinguish in a fire. The cable is gray and marked (UL) E316395.

The cable's box is blue and black and is marked CE Tech 1,000 ft. riser cable, Cat 6 23-4.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported

Remedy: Consumers should remove the recalled cable and return it to Home Depot for a full refund.

Sold exclusively at: Home Depot stores nationwide from January 2013 through February 2013 for about $100.

Importer: Home Depot U.S.A. Inc., of Atlanta, Ga.

Manufactured in: China

Photo available at http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/2013/Home-Depot-Recalls-CE-Tech-Riser-Cable.

CPSC is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $900 billion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals – contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go online to www.SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054 for the hearing impaired. Consumers can obtain news release and recall information at www.cpsc.gov, on Twitter @OnSafety or by subscribing to CPSC's free e-mail newsletters.

CPSC Consumer Information Hotline

800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054)

Times: 8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. ET; Messages can be left anytime

Call to get product safety and other agency information and to report unsafe products.

Media Contact

Please use the phone numbers below for all media requests.

Phone: (301) 504-7908

Spanish: (301) 504-7800

SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Today's top news from Data Center World

Brought to you by Data Center Knowledge

Data Center World Spring 2013 has officially come to a close. With daily coverage by Data Center Knowledge, here are the top stories from the week:

Microsoft: Centralization is Driving Energy Efficiency

Microsoft is looking deeply into energy efficiency and insists that its gaze must encompass the entire system - not just on the level of the data center, but scrutinizing what it takes to create a unit of content. Read More »

Surviving Sandy: Two Views of the Superstorm

A panel at this week's Data Center World conference showcased two stories of Superstorm Sandy's impact: one from the Jersey Shore at the heart of the damage, another from Philadelphia. Both experiences contained lessons for data center managers. Read More »

BYOD is Not the Enemy: Using Consumer Tech to Manage the Data Center

The Bring Your Own Device movement of adopting consumer technology can be of great benefit for an IT organization, according to health care provider UPMC, which outlined its efforts at Data Center World. Read More »

David Shaw of IO is AFCOM's Data Center Manager of the Year

David Shaw of IO has been named the Data Center Manager of the Year by AFCOM, the leading association for data center and facilities managers. Shaw, the Senior Vice President of IO, was honored Wednesday night in an awards ceremony at Data Center World in Las Vegas. Read More »

Scenes From Data Center World Spring 2013

More than 1,000 data center professionals from 26 countries around the world gathered this week in Las Vegas for Data Center World Spring 2013 at the Mandalay Bay conference center. The event kicked off Monday with in-depth tutorials, several keynote sessions, and a reception. Here's a look at some of the action from day one. Read More »

Save the Date

Data Center World: Orlando

September 29 - October 2, 2013 Orlando, Florida.

Educating. Connecting. Guiding.
www.datacenterworld.com

Daily Data Center Industry News and Analysis

Want the hottest coverage on the data center industry? Subscribe now to get the latest news and industry trends, delivered daily, from Data Center Knowledge.

General Cable’s ULTROL® Products Pass 60-Year-Life Nuclear Qualification Testing

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KENTUCKY, April 15, 2013 ― General Cable (NYSE: BGC), one of the largest wire and cable manufacturers in the world, is proud to announce it has successfully completed third-party environmental qualification testing on its low-voltage line of ULTROL^® 60+ nuclear qualified cable. For nearly four decades, ULTROL^® cables, developed by Brand-Rex Company*, have answered the needs of the nuclear power market. Backed by a continued commitment to the nuclear industry and a dedicated nuclear team, General Cable’s ULTROL^® 60+ cables are intended to support both the existing nuclear fleet and Gen III reactors.

The role of legacy suppliers like General Cable has never been more important than it is today. With this established platform, General Cable began a five-year testing and certification program in 2008 to develop a second generation 60-year-life product line. Recognized for its advanced material innovations, General Cable’s system approach to cable construction reaches new levels of performance with ULTROL 60+.

Adhering to design control requirements from ASME NQA-1 and US NRC 10CFR50 Appendix B, under the regulatory guidelines of the utilities and reactor manufacturers, and extensive third-party testing ensures conformance of ULTROL^® 60+ to all nuclear requirements. Kinectrics, formerly Ontario Hydro Technologies, and General Cable’s choice for testing and product qualification, completed thermal aging, radiation exposure and Design Basis Events (DBE) to a total integrated dosage of up to 350 MRad gamma radiation, proving a 60+ year service life. Confirmatory testing demonstrates that General Cable’s ULTROL 60+ products meet prior industry standards, as well as Gen III+ reactor profile requirements.

“Our proven track record stems from an intimate involvement and a strong position in the nuclear market,” said Robert W. Schuermann, Vice President and General Manager, Specialty Cables, General Cable North America. “Shortly after conferring with reactor manufacturers, design engineers and consultants, we focused on design, engineering and third-party testing to ensure that every cable component would meet the most demanding requirements for long-term performance and reliability. General Cable has been awarded a number of global contracts to supply cables to the nuclear generation market. Due to these recent test results, General Cable continues to position itself as a major nuclear cable supplier to new build installations.”

In addition to General Cable’s certified low-voltage cables, ULTROL 60+ medium-voltage cables are currently going through the same rigorous 60-year-life nuclear qualification testing. As one of the leading North American suppliers of medium-voltage cables to utility and industrial industries, General Cable combines exceptional cable manufacturing capabilities and experience with market-leading insulation and jacket materials to bring innovative solutions to the marketplace.

*1999 - General Cable acquired BICC Cables and Brand-Rex innovation and technology

General Cable (NYSE: BGC), a Fortune 500 Company headquartered in Highland Heights, Kentucky, is a global leader in the development, design, manufacture, marketing and distribution of copper, aluminum and fiber optic wire and cable products for the energy, industrial, specialty, construction and communications markets. General Cable, with annual revenues approaching $6 billion, has 57 manufacturing facilities in 26 countries and offers competitive strengths in such areas as breadth of product line, brand recognition, distribution and logistics, sales and service and operating efficiency. For more information about General Cable products, please contact your local sales representative or visit our Web site at www.generalcable.com.

2013 BOMA Conference Offers Professional Development Opportunities through World-Class Education

(WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 25, 2013) The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International will present its most comprehensive educational program to date at the 2013 Every Building Conference & Expo, which takes place June 23-25 in San Diego. Designed by leading experts for professionals of all levels of experience, the conference curriculum will feature more than 40 sessions organized across six distinct educational tracks. Session topics will include: optimizing asset values; cultivating leadership skills and talent; turning sustainability issues into operational practices; harnessing innovation; retaining tenants; increasing operational performance and NOI; and more.

“In an increasingly competitive marketplace, keeping skills honed through professional development has never been more important,” noted BOMA International Chair Joe Markling, managing director of Strategic Accounts with CBRE. “Our world-class conference education provides industry professionals with the knowledge, ideas and solutions necessary to succeed in commercial real estate.”

Conference attendees can either choose one track that best suits a single educational objective or mix and match sessions from each track to create a customized educational experience. The subject tracks featured at the upcoming conference include:

· Building Operations and Management

o Session spotlight: “Walking the Building for Low-Cost Energy Efficiency Improvements” will explain the most common problems with lighting systems, HVAC equipment and building control and will present checklists, diagnostic tools and techniques to help attendees identify the improvement opportunities that offer the greatest energy savings potential.

· Finance and Asset Management

o Session spotlight: Straight from BOMA International’s new Asset Management Course, which debuts this fall, “Choosing a Brokerage Team” will help attendees learn the connection between the brokerage team and the value of the property; the importance of selecting the appropriate team; and the steps in evaluating, choosing and contracting with a brokerage team.

· Innovation and Technology

o Session spotlight: At “Twitter for Commercial Real Estate: How 140 Characters Is Transforming the Industry,” gain insight on how Twitter can support communications efforts for commercial real estate individuals, firms and properties, and discover best practices for using this social media tool for tenant engagement, marketing, business development and networking.

· Leadership and Career Development

o Session spotlight: At “Leading the Way! Women, Success & Commercial Real Estate,” listen to a panel of accomplished female industry professionals as they discuss how they navigated the challenges of balancing work and personal life, share their perspectives on the advantages and disadvantages of being a woman in commercial real estate and predict future trends for women in the field.

· Sustainability and Energy Management (Sponsored by EEB Hub)

o Session spotlight: The “EPA’s New Portfolio Manager and Benchmarking Analysis” course will demonstrate the entirely upgraded and modernized Portfolio Manager tool. Learn about new features that enable users to establish a more accurate benchmark, easily share data with others and illustrate progress to better inform action. The EPA also will offer insights into the most recent data trends, key drivers of energy use and the savings potential of benchmarking.

· Tenant Relations and Retention (Sponsored by Mars Drinks)

o Session spotlight: At “Create Community First: Keys to Tenant and Employee Engagement,” learn successful engagement strategies and discover how increased tenant engagement can enhance operations, protect your asset and even promote environmental responsibility.

If you own or manage industrial properties, also be sure to check out the new “Industrial Day” on June 25, which will feature special education sessions, including “The Industrial Asset: More than Just Property Inspections,” and an industrial building tour.

All sessions qualify for RPA, FMA, SMA, CPM and ARM renewal and continuing professional development credits. Some sessions also qualify for the continuing education credits required for real estate license renewal in many U.S. states and Canada. Certain sessions also qualify for the LEED Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) and renewal of the Building Operator Certification (BOC).

For more information on the 2013 Every Building Conference & Expo, the commercial real estate industry’s premiere professional event, visit www.EveryBuildingConference.org.

***

About BOMA International

The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International is a federation of 93 BOMA U.S. associations, BOMA Canada and its 11 regional associations and 13 BOMA international affiliates. Founded in 1907, BOMA represents the owners and managers of all commercial property types, including nearly 10 billion square feet of U.S. office space that supports 3.7 million jobs and contributes $205 billion to the U.S. GDP. Its mission is to advance the interests of the entire commercial real estate industry through advocacy, education, research, standards and information. Find BOMA online at www.boma.org.

ACUTA Recognizes Innovative Technology Projects at Four Schools with Institutional Excellence Awards

SAN DIEGO, April 16, 2013 –The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee; Washington University in St. Louis; and Indiana University in Bloomington have each been recognized for their information communications technology projects with an Institutional Excellence award from ACUTA.

ACUTA announced the awards during the organization’s 42 Annual Conference in San Diego. As the only international association dedicated to serving the needs of higher education information communications technology professionals, ACUTA represents nearly 2,000 individuals at some 700 institutions. Its award for Institutional Excellence in Communications Technology is ACUTA’s premier recognition of the work being done on college and university campuses.

The University of the South, the award winner for schools with fewer than 5,000 students, was recognized for its wireless and network infrastructure project, a strategic initiative to provide improved access to campus servers and information systems, online course materials, and the Internet, including many resources from the library. The project will provide wireless coverage for the academic quad areas and the athletic fields for “beyond the walls” learning and recreational experiences.

Washington University in St. Louis, the award winner among schools with 5,000 to 15,000 students, was recognized for its Emergency Mass Communications Dashboard Project, an innovative mass communications plan designed to reach every member of the university community through a single, comprehensive, web-accessible interface. With no products available “off the shelf,” the project allowed WashU to work with vendor partners to utilize technologies such as application programming interface (API) and common alerting protocol (CAP) to integrate with their existing delivery infrastructures, including integration with NOAA weather alerts.

Indiana University, the award winner for schools with more than 15,000 students, received the award for its IUanyWare initiative, which empowered its community with cutting-edge services that deliver valuable software and resources to 110,000 students, faculty, and staff when, where, and how they need them. IUanyWare provides hundreds of software titles from the cloud to any device through an easy-to-use, secure online interface, enabling new possibilities in teaching and learning. IU also won the award in 2000 and received an honorable mention in the competition in 2009 and 2012.

ACUTA also gave an honorable mention to the Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas, for its virtual lab project. A unique feature of this project is how the lab is built on the technology successes that have come before as well as the collaboration between administrative and academic departments that made the project a reality.

“This year’s Institutional Excellence award winners have an important common element, and that is the way that information communications technology is being used to great benefit for both the institutions themselves and their communities,” said Corinne Hoch, CEO of ACUTA. “All of the winning applications reflect the importance of ready access to information that advanced technologies are making possible.”

The Institutional Excellence in Communications Technology Awards, sponsored by Windstream, are part of each ACUTA Annual Conference. The conference is an opportunity for hundreds of representatives of higher education institutions to explore and discuss information communications strategies that support their organizations’ missions.

About ACUTA
ACUTA is an international non-profit educational association serving colleges and universities. Its mission is to advance the capabilities of higher education communications and collaboration technology leaders. ACUTA represents nearly 2000 individuals at some 700 institutions of higher education, with members ranging from small schools and community colleges to the largest U.S. institutions. ACUTA’s Corporate Affiliate members represent all categories of communications technology vendors serving the college/university market. For more information, visit www.acuta.org or call 859-278-3338.

NEWS FLASH = The recent annual ACUTA Conference was a super success on every measureable area. Attendees and staff were very satisfied with the renewed interest and participant in the conference and vendors expo. More next month…

TMC and Crossfire Media Welcome Adobe's Terry Ryan to Present at DevCon5

HTML conference continues to create robust agenda for developers and designers

Norwalk, CT - April 24, 2013 - TMC and Crossfire Media today announced that Adobe's Terry Ryan will present at DevCon5, held July 24-25, 2013, at the Kimmel Center in New York City. DevCon5 will focus on the revolutionary technology, tools and techniques that enterprise, mobile and gaming developers need in order to build devastating HTML5 pages and apps.

Terry Ryan serves as worldwide developer evangelist for Adobe, helping developers using Adobe techniques to be successful. His focus is on web and mobile technologies, including expertise in both Flash and HTML.

"DevCon5 provides access to interactive, informative sessions on the latest products, services, trends and developments, and brings together the thought leaders in the HTML5 industry," said Carl Ford, CEO of Crossfire Media and executive director of DevCon5 Content and Community. "We're pleased to have Terry included in our agenda, as attendees will be able to leverage his background and expertise to dive deeper into educational discussions on mobile and HTML development challenges."

On day one of the conference, Ryan will present a session on mobile development, titled "PhoneGap/Cordova Hacks," to discuss PhoneGap best practices and developments in the Cordova community. On day two of the conference, he will participate in a panel titled "The Role of Frameworks on the Web," and take a deep dive into issues surrounding HTML5 libraries, JavaScript consolidation frameworks and appropriate criteria for using them.

Registration for DevCon5 is now open, with $395 early-bird pricing available until July 15, 2013. Companies interested in exhibiting, sponsorship or advertising packages for DevCon5 should contact TMC's Dan Gold at dgold@tmcnet.com or 203.852.6800 ext. 105. For media registration, contact Ashley Baster.

For the latest DevCon5 news, updates and information, follow on Twitter at @DevConFive.

About TMC
TMC is a global, integrated media company that supports clients' goals by building communities in print, online, and face to face. TMC publishes multiple magazines including Cloud Computing, M2M Evolution, Customer, and Internet Telephony. TMCnet is the leading source of news and articles for the communications and technology industries, and is read by as many as 1.5 million unique visitors monthly. TMC produces a variety of trade events, including ITEXPO, the world's leading B2B communications event, as well as industry events: 3D Printing Conference & Expo; Asterisk World; AstriCon; ChannelVision (CVx) Expo; Cloud4SMB Expo; DevCon5 - HTML5 & Mobile App Developers Conference; M2M Evolution Conference & Expo; Mobile Commerce Zone Conference & Expo; SecureIT; Small Cell Strategy Summit, StartupCamp; Super Wi-Fi Summit; SIP Trunking-Unified Communications Seminars; Wearable Tech Conference & Expo; WebRTC Conference & Expo; and more. Visit TMC Events for additional information.

About Crossfire Media
Crossfire Media is an integrated marketing company with a core focus on future trends in technology. We service communities of interest with conferences, tradeshows, webinars and newsletters. Crossfire Media has a partnership with Technology Marketing Corporation (TMC) to produce events and websites related to disruptive technologies. Crossfire Media is a division of Crossfire Consulting, a full service Information Technology company based in New York.

AFL Awards Grant to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Spartanburg, SC – April 23, 2013 – AFL awarded the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) with a $2,500 grant, made possible by AFL’s Community Outreach Program. The grant supports CHOP’s Social Work Emergency Fund which assists patients with lodging, transportation, food and medications for the uninsured/underinsured.

“The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia continues to provide the very best pediatric care to children across the country,” said Keith Branch, senior human resources manager for AFL. “Many parents need to understand their child’s treatment, how to care for them and their siblings who may not be ill, but are going through some adjustment period. AFL’s grant supports the Children’s Hospital with this critical care.”

Established in 1855, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia was the first pediatric hospital in the United States. Today, the Hospital is one the largest pediatric health care networks in the world. Children and families come from all 50 states and more than 40 countries for the most advanced pediatric care.

“The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has been very successful in helping patient families fulfill the needs of their sick children,” said Corie Culp, community relations manager for AFL. “AFL supports their endeavors, and we are grateful to have the opportunity to positively impact the lives of children and families.”

AFL has an extensive community outreach program that consists of grants, sponsorships, employee engagement projects, disaster relief and more. For more information about AFL’s Community Outreach Program, visit www.aflglobal.com/company/community.aspx.

About AFL
AFL provides industry-leading products and services to the electric utility, broadband, communications, OEM, enterprise, wireless and transit rail markets as well as the emerging markets of oil and gas, mining, nuclear, avionics, medical, renewable and intelligent grid. The company’s diverse product portfolio includes fiber optic cable, transmission and substation accessories, outside plant equipment, connectors, fusion splicers, test equipment and training. AFL’s service portfolio includes market-leading positions with the foremost communications companies supporting inside plant central office, EF&I, outside plant, enterprise and wireless areas.

Founded in 1984, AFL is proud to offer engineering expertise, exceptional products and reliable service that help our customers improve their critical and electrical infrastructure. AFL has operations in the U.S., Mexico, Europe, Asia and the South Pacific. The company is headquartered in Spartanburg, S.C., and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan. For more information, visit www.AFLglobal.com.

Anixter International Inc. Reports First Quarter 2013 Results – a 2.1 percent decrease over last year

GLENVIEW, Ill.

Anixter International Inc. (NYSE: AXE) today reported sales of $1.49 billion for the quarter ended March 29, 2013, a 2.1 percent decrease compared to the year ago quarter. Sales growth year-over-year would have been slightly positive excluding the unfavorable impact of the timing of holidays and the conclusion of a large security solutions contract. Organic sales, which excludes the impact of the following items, declined by 3.8 percent year-over-year:

· $34.1 million from the second quarter 2012 acquisition of Jorvex

· $5.5 million from the unfavorable effect of copper pricing

· $3.2 million from the unfavorable effect of foreign exchange

Operating income of $81.0 million decreased by 6.5 percent from $86.7 million in the prior year period. Operating margin of 5.4 percent compares to 5.7 percent in the prior year period and 5.5 percent in the previous quarter, excluding the fourth quarter of 2012 impairment, pension-related and restructuring charges of $46.7 million.

Net income from continuing operations of $42.6 million compares to non-GAAP net income from continuing operations of $47.0 million in the prior year quarter, which excludes a $9.7 million tax benefit from the reversal of deferred income tax valuation allowances and $1.7 million ($1.1 million, net of tax) in interest expense and penalties related to prior years’ tax liabilities. Earnings from continuing operations of $1.27 per diluted share in the current quarter compares to an adjusted $1.37 per diluted share in the year ago quarter, which excludes the above referenced net benefit of $0.25 per diluted share. The year-over-year decline in earnings per diluted share was primarily a result of industry-wide delays in enterprise data infrastructure investment that began in the fourth quarter of 2011, and the continuation of weaker OEM Supply trends from the third and fourth quarters of 2012.

“We entered 2013 with the expectation that the first half of the year would continue to be challenged by global macroeconomic activity and that we would see strengthening results in the second half of the year. Based on the increased levels of project quoting activity, we are seeing signs that general business conditions and overall levels of capital spending by our customers are beginning to improve,” commented Bob Eck, President and CEO. “We remain focused on margin improvement and working capital management, which will enable us to deliver solid financial results in a business environment that we expect will continue to be characterized by slow growth.”

Income Statement Detail

Gross margin of 22.7 percent improved from 22.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012 and compares to 22.9 percent in the year ago quarter. The decrease in gross margin compared to the prior year was a result of customer and project mix in the company’s OEM Supply and Electrical and Electronic Wire and Cable segments, partially offset by improved gross margin in the company’s Enterprise Cabling and Security Solutions segment.

Strong cost management resulted in operating expenses of $257.2 million, a decline of $5.3 million, or 2.1 percent, year-over-year. Interest expense of $13.6 million increased by $1.5 million compared to the prior year quarter. This increase is a result of the $2.5 million of incremental expense associated with the company’s bond offering in the second quarter of 2012, partially offset by the February 2013 redemption of the Company’s 1.0% senior convertible notes. Foreign exchange and other expense of $1.9 million improved from $3.1 million in the prior year quarter primarily due to lower foreign currency expense.

The tax rate in the current quarter of 35.0 percent compares to an adjusted tax rate of 35.8 percent in the year ago quarter. In the first quarter of 2012, the adjusted tax rate excludes the items discussed above.

Segment Update

Enterprise Cabling and Security Solutions (“ECS”) sales of $745.1 million compares to $778.8 million in the prior year period. The 4.3 percent decline was primarily caused by persistent macro-economic weakness in the European and Emerging Markets regions, partially offset by growth in sales in North America. Sales growth year-over-year would have been nearly flat excluding the unfavorable impact of the timing of holidays and the conclusion of a large security solutions contract. Security sales increased slightly year-over-year but would have been up 10 percent excluding the same holiday and contract conclusion impact.

ECS operating income of $34.8 million compares to $38.2 million in the year ago quarter. The year-on-year decline was caused primarily by declines in Emerging Markets. Operating margin for ECS of 4.7 percent compares to 4.9 percent in the year-ago quarter.

Electrical and Electronic Wire and Cable (“W&C”) achieved record first quarter sales of $517.8 million, up 6.8 percent from the prior year period, reflecting the acquisition of Jorvex and the continued strength in our natural resource extraction and power generation businesses customer sectors. Excluding the $34.1 million favorable impact from the acquisition of Jorvex, the $5.5 million unfavorable impact from copper and the $1.7 million unfavorable impact from foreign exchange, organic sales increased by 1.3 percent. Europe and Emerging Markets achieved record first quarter sales with North America growth relatively flat, primarily due to a lower mix of OEM sales and the timing of large project billings.

Operating income of $41.3 million compares to $39.8 million in the year ago quarter, with gains in the Emerging Markets and EMEA regions offsetting a decline in North America. Operating margin of 8.0 percent compares to 8.2 percent in the year ago quarter.

OEM Supply (“OEM”) sales of $228.0 million declined by 12.0 percent from the prior year quarter caused by a year-over-year decline in heavy truck production levels in North America and continuing weaker manufacturing production levels in Europe. Excluding the $0.6 million unfavorable impact of foreign exchange, organic sales declined by 11.8 percent.

Operating income of $4.9 million compares to $8.7 million in the year ago quarter. Operating margin of 2.1 percent compares to 3.4 percent in the year ago quarter, with declines in North America and Emerging Markets operating margin largely due to lower volumes and unfavorable customer mix.

On a sequential basis, sales improved by 13.8 percent, with double-digit sequential sales growth in each region. This performance resulted in a 350 basis point improvement in segment operating margin versus the prior quarter, excluding the 2012 fourth quarter impairment, pension-related and restructuring charges of $25.9 million.

Cash Flow and Leverage

In the quarter, the company generated $53.1 million of cash from operations due to a sequential decline in quarterly sales combined with working capital improvement initiatives. In the year ago quarter, the company reported $64.7 million of cash used in operations.

“Our disciplined working capital and cash management processes give us the flexibility needed to manage through an uncertain economic environment. With an expectation of continued positive cash flow for the fiscal year, we constantly evaluate the optimal use of our funds,” commented Ted Dosch, Executive Vice-President and CFO. “We continue to have a strong financial position and remain committed to both investing in our business for growth and returning excess capital to our shareholders, as we have done consistently over the past five years.”

Key capital structure and credit-related statistics for the quarter:

· Debt-to-total capital ratio of 47.2 percent compares to 50.3 percent at the end of 2012

· Weighted average cost of borrowed capital of 5.8 percent compares to 5.5 percent in the year ago quarter

· $333 million of availability under bank revolving lines of credit at quarter end

· $220 million of outstanding borrowings under the $300 million accounts receivable securitization facility at quarter end

Business Outlook

“Our outlook for 2013 includes low single digit organic sales growth, which we believe will be weighted to the back half of the year. While global markets are difficult to predict, we took aggressive measures in 2012 that position us to expand our leadership position within each of our segments, further leveraging our global supply chain platform to better serve our customers,” stated Eck. “With ongoing pressure on companies to reduce costs, our business model, which is based on helping our customers lower their supply chain costs and reduce execution risk, is of even greater value. We believe we are well positioned financially, operationally and strategically to capitalize on our opportunities.”

Financial Results From Continuing Operations

(In millions, except per share amounts)

	Mar. 29,	Mar. 30,	Percent
	2013	2012	Change
Net Sales	$1,490.9	$1,522.7	-2%
Operating Income	$81.0	$86.7	-6%
Net Income	$42.6	$55.6	-23%
Diluted Earnings Per Share	$1.27	$1.62	-22%
Diluted Weighted Shares	33.5	34.3	-3%

First Quarter Earnings Call Details

The company will host a conference call to discuss these results beginning at 9:30 a.m. central time today. The call will be available as a live audio webcast and can be accessed at the investor relations portion of Anixter’s website at anixter.com/investor.

Dial-in numbers for the call are as follows:

U.S./Canada toll-free dial-in:				1 (888) 510-1786
International dial-in:				1 (719) 785-1765
Passcode:				2478099

A replay of the call will be available at anixter.com/investor for 15 days following the call. Prior to the beginning of the call a supplemental presentation titled “First Quarter 2013 Highlights and Operating Review” will be available on the company’s investor relations website.

About Anixter

Anixter International is a leading global distributor of enterprise cabling and security solutions, electrical and electronic wire and cable, OEM supply fasteners and other small parts. The company adds value to the distribution process by providing its customers access to 1) innovative inventory management programs, 2) more than 450,000 products and over $1 billion in inventory, 3) approximately 220 warehouses with 7 million square feet of space, and 4) locations in over 250 cities in more than 50 countries. Founded in 1957 and headquartered near Chicago, Anixter trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AXE.

Swisscom Selects Apigee to Support its Company-Wide API Initiatives

Switzerland's Leading Telco Operator Relies on the Apigee API Platform to

Grow App Ecosystems

PALO ALTO, Calif. (Marketwire) – April 11, 2013 -- Apigee, the API company, today announced that Swisscom, Switzerland's leading telecommunications provider, has chosen the Apigee API Platform to drive an expanding ecosystem of apps built on Swisscom's network-based services. Swisscom adds to the growing list of telecommunications service providers that have adopted Apigee's API Platform, which also includes AT&T, KT, Telefonica and Vodafone.

"We are committed to empowering developers to create powerful apps built with Swisscom's key network-based services," said Heinz Herren, CTO at Swisscom. "We needed a solution that could be used across all our API initiatives, both internal and external to Swisscom. Apigee has the technology, API and industry-specific expertise to drive our company-wide commitment to APIs. We expect that introducing APIs will dramatically reduce our time to market."

Apigee helps businesses develop, deliver and manage APIs and the apps built on them. Apigee's flagship offering is Apigee Enterprise, an API platform that reduces the complexity of delivering APIs, drives developer adoption, provides comprehensive analysis and control of API usage and helps businesses scale as API channels grow.

"APIs are the key to developing a platform that unlocks the value of network services to bring new capabilities to developers and consumers," said Chet Kapoor, Apigee CEO. "Swisscom is committed to leveraging the power of APIs to both fuel app innovation and internal development efficiencies, and we are extremely proud to include them in our list of customers."

Apigee recently announced the Apigee API Exchange, the first API interoperability platform for the telecommunications industry. The API Exchange provides a platform for seamlessly integrating operator services into mobile apps, creating expanded reach for operators and developers and new, telco-enhanced mobile app experiences for consumers.

About Apigee

Apigee is the leading provider of API technology and services for enterprises and developers. Hundreds of companies including AT&T, Netflix, eBay, Pearson, and Gilt Groupe as well as thousands of developers use Apigee to simplify the delivery, management and analysis of APIs. Learn more at www.apigee.com.

Masterworks 7.0 for the Mac Available with Next MasterSpec® Update from ARCOM

Salt Lake City, Utah (April 12, 2013) — ARCOM's upcoming MasterSpec update, scheduled for release this April, will introduce Masterworks 7.0 for the Mac for use with Microsoft Word 2011. An addition to ARCOM's SpecWare suite of software, Masterworks for the Mac is the latest development in the industry's most extensive productivity software for use with word processors.

With Masterworks 7.0, licensed MasterSpec users can seamlessly produce, edit, and update construction specifications through either master guide specification system.

Masterworks for the Mac will feature:

single-file tools to create and edit paragraphs, optional text, and notes

multi-file tools:

create tables of contents

edit headers and footers

format documents

convert sections to MasterFormat 1995

generate reports, including submittal and LEED reports

Format Wizard to save format settings and apply to other projects

SpecAgent resources to find the most up-to-date product and manufacturer information

"Formerly only available for PC users, Masterworks now fills a substantial need for our valued Mac users in the specifications industry," said Christopher Bushnell, ARCOM’s President and CEO. "For MasterSpec licensees, Masterworks for the Mac will dramatically simplify spec creation with user-friendly tools for formatting, performing global edits, creating reports, and more."

To view screenshots of Masterworks 7.0 for the Mac, visit SpecTalk, the ARCOM blog, here.

Availability

Masterworks 7.0 for the Mac will be available for download with the upcoming MasterSpec update for licensed users of MasterSpec and will be available to SpecText licensees with the next SpecText update.

ARCOM will release Masterworks 7.0 for the Mac with MasterSpec Small Project 2013, anticipated for release this summer.

About ARCOM

ARCOM is the leader in specifications and exclusively publishes MasterSpec for The American Institute of Architects (AIA) for use by architects, engineers, landscape architects, and design professionals involved in building projects. ARCOM owns and publishes SpecText for use by civil, water/wastewater, and structural engineers for infrastructure projects.

ARCOM also publishes SpecWare and SpecAgent. SpecWare is a suite of specification productivity software tools that dramatically simplifies specification creation and use, from easy-to-use Masterworks to BIM integration. SpecAgent is a web-based resource designed to work with MasterSpec and SpecText that streamlines the process of construction product research and manufacturer selection.

ARCOM is a Salt Lake City-based firm with more than 40 full-time specification development professionals: specification writers and editors, researchers, software developers, technical support staff, and customer service professionals.

ARCOM Now a Registered Provider with ACEC's Registered Continuing Education Program

Salt Lake City, Utah (April 23, 2013) — Last week, the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) welcomed ARCOM as a registered provider for the Registered Continuing Education Program (RCEP), a continuing education system for professional engineers.

ARCOM is a long-time provider of continuing education programs for The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). In 2012, ARCOM joined the ranks of registered providers for the Society for Design Administration (SDA).

ARCOM's continuing education programs include hands-on workshops, webinars, and independent study activities offered to MasterSpec and SpecText licensees. ARCOM hopes to expand its offerings with more technically oriented programs for both ARCOM licensees and non-licensees.

"As the leader in specifications, we strive to reinforce our mission to help design and building professionals produce the most accurate building and construction specifications in the industry," said Christopher Bushnell, ARCOM’s President and CEO. "In addition to our growing continuing education program, we offer the best master specification systems, the widest selection of specification productivity tools, and the most thoroughly researched and reviewed resources."

ARCOM architectural specification writer Joe Berchenko, AIA, CSI, CCS, coordinates independent study programs geared towards architects and landscape architects, and ARCOM’s Salt Lake City-based technical and support staff manage the company's software training programs. Through ACEC's RCEP, ARCOM engineering specification writer Michael Heinsdorf, P.E., LEED AP, CDT, will manage continuing education programs for engineers.

For up-to-date news on ARCOM's continuing education program, visit SpecTalk, the ARCOM blog.

ARCOM is the leader in specifications and exclusively publishes MasterSpec for The American Institute of Architects (AIA) for use by architects, engineers, landscape architects, specifiers, and design professionals involved in building projects. MasterSpec is also exclusively endorsed by the ACEC and the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE). ARCOM owns and publishes SpecText for use by civil, water/wastewater, and structural engineers for infrastructure projects.

In addition to MasterSpec and SpecText, ARCOM publishes SpecWare and SpecAgent. SpecWare is a suite of specification productivity software that dramatically simplifies specification creation and use, from easy-to-use Masterworks and BIM integration to the latest offering, Altarix. SpecAgent is a web-based resource designed to work with MasterSpec and SpecText that streamlines the process of construction product research and manufacturer selection.

To sign up to receive exclusive news alerts and product information from ARCOM, contact:

Angie Matinkhah, M.Arch, Assoc. AIA, CSI

Vice President, Marketing and Sales

ARCOM

amatinkhah@arcomnet.com

801.384.3380

Flash Mobs, Flash Arrests: Smartphone Justice = Article by James Carlini

Last weekend, Chicago’s Magnificent Mile experienced teen-age flash mobs creating disturbances and mayhem among people there who were trying to enjoy the downtown shopping district.

This has been going on for several years, but the Chicago media has filtered it out of their stories until recently. They should be asked, why?

I wrote about this back in 2010, but some even denied it was happening then. The Chicago police didn’t deny it and in fact, thanked me for shedding some light on it. Here was the original article that later got picked up by the Huffington Post:

http://wtnnews.com/articles/7673/

Well, now the problem has gotten worse and it is too big to sweep under the Chicago media’s rug. It needs to be addressed by the Mayor as well as the City Council.

20^th CENTURY SOLUTIONS DO NOT WORK IN THE 21^st CENTURY

There are many solutions that are being touted by the police and politicians, but some of them are locked in to last century’s solutions.

- Saturate the area with police. This would work well for awhile but Chicago is short of police and some politicians are trying to cover that fact up. So this is not a viable solution.

- Make the North Michigan Avenue Merchants Association hire off-duty police in uniform at $30 an hour. Some police say this is too cheap, they want more money as well as full coverage of all insurances.

- Make the North Michigan Avenue Merchants Association pay for more police at $30- $60 an hour. Some people say this is extortion and ask why aren’t the other high-crime areas asked to pay for more police resources that they require and consume?

- Some want this to somehow “just go away” because it is tarnishing Rahm Emanuel’s image and his claim that crime has been reduced. Letting this try to disappear won’t work this time.

All of these solutions will not work for various reasons and it points out the need to understand the underlying technology that is being used to initiate it. The technology also needs to be utilized to stop it.

SMARTPHONE TECHNOLOGY

Smartphones and cell phones are used in setting up flash mob mayhem. Those devices along with Twitter and other social media tools initiate the mob action.

Utilizing the same technology that “creates” the flash mobs, the police can capture the activists and automatically calculate where they are as far as the “scale of offenses” (see below).

The first time a flash mob occurs, the cell tower that covers that specific area should take a total inventory of all the “active” phones that are on the cell tower. Taking a “snapshot” of the active phones will start a data base of potential participants.

A “warning” is generated to all the phones and those numbers are put into a data base. The police might arrest some people on the ground that they can capture, but the majority of flash mob members will probably run free. Any other information gotten off of Twitter and Facebook can also tie in with the information gathered at the cell phone Tower.

The second time a flash mob occurs, the cell tower covering that specific area takes inventory again of all the “active” cell phones. The numbers are cross-checked with the first offense and any that are found out to be the same, get pushed to the second offense category where the phone number is turned off. All names associated with the cell phones (or who are arrested) are put into a data base.

To re-activate the phone, the user must pay a fee. ($200 or so). If it is a cell phone gotten “free” from a government program, the recipient is banned from participating in that program for five years.

The third time the process takes the same approach and if a phone number or person is found to be active a third time, the phone is shut off permanently and anyone associated with a third incident is given a misdemeanor and community service.

The fourth time, any activity would constitute a felony conviction and the penalties would reflect that level of crime. So you have an action and response template for a “wilding” incident.

INCIDENT	RESPONSE	CELLPHONE USER
FIRST OFFENSE	*Phone # and name are collected in data bases*	*Is warned that they are part of suspicious activity* *(Warning only)*
SECOND OFFENSE	*Phone # is turned off*	*Must pay fine to get phone turned back on.* *(Fine, no jail)*
THIRD OFFENSE	*Phone # is turned off permanently*	*Mandatory misdemeanor arrest and sentence - cleaning up the streets*
FOURTH OFFENSE (anything after misdemeanor)	*Any activity arising from flash mob participation – automatic felony*	*Jail Time and/or cleaning up the streets*

This approach has to be refined, but it is more applicable than the solutions that have been offered so far. Using the technology to police the technology is a lot more cost-effective than pursuing the old solutions of the past that require huge amounts of manpower.

(NOTE: Carlini was the Consultant to the Mayor’s Office 1992-1995 on the overall Planning and Design of the Chicago 911 Center as well as the author of the white paper, Intelligent Infrastructure: Securing Regional Sustainability, written for the US Department of Homeland Security 2009)

CARLINI-ISM : As technology is used in committing new crimes, it needs to be used to capture that same criminal element.

Follow daily Carlini-isms at www.TWITTER.com/JAMESCARLINI

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Contact him at 773-370-1888 or james.carlini@sbcglobal.net

How High Quality Wire Saved Time and Money During Kubota Plant Construction – CERROWIRE

Value-added features make large installation go smoothly

Selecting the right type of wire for a facility can make a huge difference how smoothly a construction project is executed. For the construction of a large Kubota tractor plant in Georgia, contractors selected wire with a variety of value-added features that contributed to a fast and efficient installation. THHN cable jacketed with self-lubricating polymer reduced labor and installation costs, while a unique, sequentially printed cable reel provided accurate wire length with each cut, making it easy to plan the long cable runs required. The wire was supplied by Cerro Wire, LLC.

High quality wire sought for large factory addition

As the project manager for construction of Kubota Industrial Equipment’s (KIE’s) new 540,000 square foot factory in Jefferson, Georgia, electrical contractor Cedartown Electric needed wire products that would ensure the installation was fast, smooth, and trouble-free. The new facility will produce compact tractors for the North American market, and is located next to an existing 440,000 square foot KIE facility that manufactures tractor implements, including loaders and backhoes.

Cedartown Electric’s project manager James Moates, who handled procurement, ordering, delivery, and installation for the facility, says, “This was a fairly decent size plant, with feeder wires that had extremely long paths, so the wire chosen had to be as easy as possible to install.”

For procuring wire, they turned to Gexpro, a subsidiary of Rexel, the largest electrical distributor in the United States. Gexpro then requested Electrical Products, Inc. (EPI), who is Cerrowire’s agent representative based in Atlanta, Georgia, to provide a quote offer for this job. EPI worked closely with Cerrowire, being sure to promote their excellent product benefits along with noting their manufacturing location nearby in Alabama.

The original specifications listed several major wire manufacturers, and EPI was successful in having Cerrowire added to the job specification as an approved product. Their addition was based on a detailed review of the specifications on the products the company had to offer. “We were convinced that the Cerrowire products had features that made them ideal for this large installation,” said EPI’s Inside Sales Rep assigned to Cerrowire, Carol Tinberg. “Both Cedartown and Kubota were impressed with the wire, especially the colored wire, SLiPWire™, and the True Sequential Footage markings and Footage Guarantee. They weren’t previously aware of all the benefits of Cerrowire’s products offered, and the proximity of the manufacturing plant to the job site along with EPI offering local Cerrowire stock even closer to the job site, were also positives.”

The nearness of the plant along with the large warehouse inventory provided the quick turnaround time the project managers were looking for, as well as the ability to run product to the job site within hours when needed.

Wire features on display

More than 150,000 pounds of copper wire was used on the project in a wide range of large sizes, and all colors. Many runs were as long as 800 feet and several were 1,000 feet.

Cedartown Electric attributes the ease and speed of installation to a few unique features the wire had to offer. For example, Cerrowire provided SLiPWire™, a thermoplastic high heat-resistant nylon-coated (THHN) cable jacketed with a self-lubricating polymer that provides an improved, lower co-efficient of friction. SLiPWire™ reduces the time, labor and cost for installation, eliminates the materials and labor required for lubricating the wire, and avoids messy clean-up activities. James Moates comments, “I found that it was a better product with the best lubricant, and just about the slickest wire I’ve seen.” They were able to achieve 800 feet pulls at a rate of 3 feet a minute.

EPI’s Carol Tinberg agreed, noting that with many other wire manufacturers you have to use additional lube, but that with SLiPWire, you do not. The product is extremely easy to install and smooth going through the conduit. On-site at the Kubota facility to observe wire pulls, EPI along with representatives from Cerrowire were exceptionally impressed with the product performance. James Moates commented during the visit, “A lot of times when on a wire pull you hear cracking or popping as elbows break loose because of the pressure of the wire coming through, but this doesn’t happen with the SLiPWire,” he explained to Bill Carroll, EPI’s Outside Sales Rep, “Not having to lube the wire cuts down on valuable man hours and time spent running soap and lube.”

The contractor also appreciated the wire’s True Sequential Footage feature. A footage mark is used to document remaining wire, beginning with zero at the bottom of the reel and ending with the finished length at the top. The accurate footage mark allowed for quick identification of the re-order point, guaranteed the full purchased wire length was received, and reduced random lengths, leading to better control of end-of-reel scrap. True Sequential Footage uses Doppler lasers to ensure far more accurate precision than a mechanical counter.

“This feature made a huge difference on our job,” says Moates. “Being able to do a continuous pull without reset, especially when the feeder wires had extremely long paths, made installation a lot easier and helped save money and time.”

He explained that with other wire measured by wire rollers on a spool, you often come up short on a run, whereas with the guaranteed footage, “We no longer had to guess that the wire might or might not make it on a pull. We also knew how much was left and whether we had enough left over to fill the next pull. When you’re trying to match numbers to add up to certain lengths, knowing exactly what is left on the spool makes everything a lot easier.” True Sequential Footage significantly minimized time spent with pulls, therefore helping Cedartown’s production run with exceptional efficiency.

With copper wire being as expensive as it has become, minimizing waste is an important method of saving money on a job. Using wire with the True Sequential Footage feature cut down considerably on unusable scrap wire, which has to be thrown away. This reduces inventory and minimizes labor time spent tracking wire.

Servicing customers on large projects

EPI is proud to represent Cerrowire and is consistently impressed with their emphasis on customer service, as well as their wire’s value-added features that are a good fit for the company’s own “closed loop” philosophy. Per Richard Boyd – EPI’s General Manger, this philosophy is based on working hand in hand with the contractor and distributor to address all material issues and make the job go as smoothly as possible. From their point of view, Cerrowire really delivered to the customer, offering a great product, providing error-free shipping and scheduling emergency shipments, often within a 2-hour window. They also honored their wire footage guarantees.

Cedartown Electric heartily agreed, saying, “They provided the correct poundage of wire early on, and maintained the wire numbers and sales to meet what we needed.” James Moates explained that when dealing with large quantities of wire, it’s common for some things to get missed or dropped in order spools. On the one occasion this happened during the Kubota construction, Cerrowire drove to the site and hand-delivered the shipment the next day to save their customer the cost of paying for overnight Fed Ex delivery.

He concludes, “The job went very smoothly and Cerrowire was always responsive to my needs, interested in helping me rather than simply selling products.”

Berk-Tek Introduces Enhancements to the OneReach PoE Extender System

New Holland, PA; April 9, 2013 – Berk-Tek, a Nexans Company, a leading manufacturer of copper and fiber optic cables, announces the offering of several new components for its award-winning OneReach™ Power over Ethernet (PoE) Extender System. The new components, available immediately, include a higher powered remote port, a smaller rack-mounting bracket and a plenum version of the copper/fiber composite cable. OneReach is a standards-compliant (TIA and IEEE) system that allows users to install PoE powered devices up to 4,000 feet from the telecommunications closet to the device, maintaining consolidated power backup. This system won the ISC West innovative New Product Award, when introduced in 2011.

A one-port Remote Power Port (RPP) capable of supporting High PoE (also known as “PoE++” or “hPoE”) is being added to the product family. This option supports powered devices that require up to 60W of power, including outdoor PTZ cameras with integrated heaters and blowers, which deliver double the power than standard PoE+ equipment. Many of these cameras are supplied with a High PoE midspan power injector, but these injectors are still limited to the traditional 328-foot (100-meter) limit. With existing OneReach cable, this reach can be extended by more than 1,000 feet.

The new 1U mounting bracket for a standard 19” rack can hold two one-port media modules for installations that require fewer end devices. This results in a cleaner, cost-effective installation.

The copper/fiber composite cable, CL3P-OF/PLTC rated, now allows OneReach systems to be installed utilizing pathways that require plenum cable. This expands the applications to include wireless access point devices installed in ceilings, such as in hotel common areas, convention centers and school campuses. The same distance capabilities are available with both plenum-rated and riser-rated cable.

“PoE capability continues to grow in popularity for many IP devices,” notes Mike Connaughton, RCDD, Fiber Optic Products Business Manager at Berk-Tek. “And OneReach continues to evolve to allow end-users to provide increased power and data capability to these devices without having to install separate power at the remote end. With the latest generation of outdoor cameras hitting the market, the High PoE OneReach option will provide designers with a very cost-effective and flexible option. The plenum cable also will allow for expanded use in indoor applications where length restrictions and the installation environment had created barriers.”

The OneReach System is available from major Berk-Tek distribution channels.

About Berk-Tek, A Nexans Company

For more than 50 years, Berk-Tek has been a leading manufacturer of more than 100 different network copper and fiber optic cable products. The company has led in the development of high-performance and enhanced fiber optic and UTP cables designed to transport high-speed data and voice transmissions. Berk-Tek has manufacturing facilities in New Holland, PA, and Fuquay-Varina, NC.For more information, visit www.berktek.com. Nexans, Berk-Tek’s parent company, is a worldwide leader in the cable industry for telecommunications and energy networks. With an industrial presence in 29 countries with 21,000 employees, Nexans is listed on the Paris stock exchange as NEX. Visit www.nexans.com.

BOMA International Announces 2013 Class of Fellows

Nine Professionals Named 2013 BOMA Fellows for Ongoing Contributions to Commercial Real Estate

(WASHINGTON – April 30, 2013) The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International is pleased to announce the 2013 class of BOMA Fellows. The individuals honored as BOMA Fellows have displayed exemplary and sustained contributions to the industry, their profession, the community and BOMA at all levels and have continually answered the call to leadership and service throughout their careers.

The honorees will use the “BOMA Fellow” credential after their names and will be called upon to serve BOMA in a variety of capacities, including teaching, authoring articles, mentoring new members or young professionals, identifying future BOMA leaders and serving as thought leaders to identify future trends.

“The nine individuals honored as 2013 BOMA Fellows are among the most committed property professionals in commercial real estate and their contributions to both the industry and the BOMA community are unrivaled,” remarked BOMA International Chair Joe Markling, managing director of Strategic Accounts with CBRE. “As BOMA Fellows, they will have the opportunity to further advance the industry as they provide leadership and cultivate the talents of the next generation of property professionals.”

Congratulations to the 2013 BOMA Fellows:

· Don L. Erb, RPA, FMA, SUNY Buffalo, Buffalo, N.Y.

· Kent C. Gibson, CPM®, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Kaysville, Utah

· Timothy Steve Harrison, RPA, FMA, LEED GA, Parmenter Realty Partner, Atlanta, Ga.

· Ray H. Mackey, Jr., RPA, CPM®, CCIM, Stream Realty Partners, L.P., Dallas, Tex.

· Edmund J. Mazzei, RPA, CAM, MBA, SDVOSB, Mazzei Realty Services, Inc., Coral Gables, Fla.

· James A. Peck, RPA, FMA, Real Estate Advisors (REA), Albuquerque, N.M.

· Catherine A. Pullen, MBA, RPA, Studley, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa.

· Richard D. Purtell, RPA, Cushman & Wakefield of Ohio, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio

· John K. Scott, RPA, Colliers International Tampa Bay Florida, Clearwater, Fla.

This latest class of BOMA Fellows will be honored at BOMA International’s annual conference this June in San Diego.

***

About BOMA International

BOMA International Announces Newest Class of Buildings to Earn the BOMA 360 Performance Program® Designation

Nearly 600 Buildings Now Boast the BOMA 360 Designation

(WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 16, 2013) The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International conferred the BOMA 360 Performance Program® designation upon 44 properties in major commercial real estate markets across the U.S. in the first quarter of 2013. With this latest class of designees, BOMA 360 now boasts nearly 600 buildings across 57 markets nationwide.

Launched only four year ago, the BOMA 360 Performance Program evaluates commercial properties in six major areas: building operations and management; life safety/security/risk management; training and education; energy; environment/sustainability; and tenant relations/community involvement. Currently, 570 commercial properties demonstrating best practices in these areas boast the prestigious BOMA 360 label.

Earning a BOMA 360 designation offers buildings tangible results, measured through higher tenant retention and satisfaction scores, higher rental rates and documented operations and management savings and efficiencies as reported in designee surveys and by Kingsley Associates and CoStar.

“We are pleased to recognize the latest class of BOMA 360 Performance Program designees for operating at the highest levels of excellence in the commercial real estate industry,” commented BOMA International Chair Joe Markling, managing director of Strategic Accounts with CBRE. “As demonstrated by the growing number of buildings seeking the BOMA 360 label, building owners and managers clearly value the competitive edge that the designation can give their properties in the marketplace.”

The new class of BOMA 360 buildings includes:

100 Congress
Austin, Tex.
Owned by: Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
Managed by: CBRE, Inc.

1000/1100 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, Va.
Owned by: Monday Properties
Managed by: Monday Properties

1101 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, Va.
Owned by: 1101 Wilson Owners, LLC
Managed by: Monday Properties

1800 Massachusetts Avenue (SEIU)
Washington, D.C.
Owned by: 1800 Massachusetts Avenue Corporation
Managed by: John Akridge Management Company

200 West Madison
Chicago, Ill.
Owned by: MEPT 200 West Madison
Managed by: Transwestern Commercial Services

3100 Timmons
Houston, Tex.
Owned by: Hartman Income REIT Property Holdings LLC
Managed by: Hartman Income REIT

333 South Seventh Street
Minneapolis, Minn.
Owned by: CalSTRS
Managed by: CBRE, Inc.

525 B Street
San Diego, Calif.
Owned by: Hines 525 B Street, LP
Managed by: Hines GS Properties

55 Allen Plaza
Atlanta, Ga.
Owned by: TR 55 Allen Plaza LLC
Managed by: Lincoln Property Company

601 Sawyer
Houston, Tex.
Owned by: Hartman 601 Sawyer LLC
Managed by: Hartman Income REIT

650 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, D.C.
Owned by: Brookfield Office Properties
Managed by: Brookfield Office Properties

750 East Pratt Street
Baltimore, Md.
Owned by: 750 East Pratt LLC
Managed by: Cassidy Turley Commercial Real Estate Services

Arrington Building
Richmond, Va.
Owned by: FC Richmond II, LLC
Managed by: Forest City Commercial Group

Atrium I
Houston, Tex.
Owned by: Hartman Income REIT Property Holdings LLC
Managed by: Hartman Management

Atrium II
Houston, Tex.
Owned by: Hartman Income REIT Property Holdings LLC
Managed by: Hartman Management

Bayberry Building
Richmond, Va.
Owned by: FC Richmond II, LLC
Managed by: Forest City Commercial Group

Bent Tree Green
Dallas, Tex.
Owned by: Hartman Income REIT, Inc.
Managed by: Hartman Bent Tree Green, LLC

Capstone Building
Richmond, Va.
Owned by: FC Richmond II, LLC
Managed by: Forest City Commercial Group

Eleven Hundred Peachtree
Atlanta, Ga.
Owned by: Manulife Financial
Managed by: Manulife Financial

Energy Crossing I
Houston, Tex.
Owned by: TR Energy Crossing Corp.
Managed by: Lincoln Property Company

Esperanté
West Palm Beach, Fla.
Owned by: CBRE Global Investors, LLC
Managed by: CBRE, Inc.

Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pa.
Owned by: Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
Managed by: Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia

Fifty South Sixth
Minneapolis, Minn.
Owned by: Hines Global REIT 50 South Sixth LLC
Managed by: Hines

Fountain Place
Dallas, Tex.
Owned by: JP Morgan
Managed by: Cassidy Turley Commercial Real Estate Services, Inc.

Georgia Pacific Center
Atlanta, Ga.
Owned by: GA-Met LLC
Managed by: Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, Inc.

Gulf Plaza
Houston, Tex.
Owned by: Hartman Gulf Plaza Acquisitions, LP
Managed by: Hartman Income REIT Management

Hazard Center Office Tower
San Diego, Calif.
Owned by: 7510 Hazard, LLC
Managed by: PM Realty Group, LP

Highland II Building
Richmond, Va.
Owned by: FC Richmond II, LLC
Managed by: Forest City Commercial Group

Hillcrest Building
Richmond, Va.
Owned by: Hilcrest Investments, LLC
Managed by: Forest City Commercial Group

Kilroy Centre Del Mar, Building 1
San Diego, Calif.
Owned by: Kilroy Realty Corporation
Managed by: Kilroy Realty Corporation

Kilroy Centre Del Mar, Building 3
San Diego, Calif.
Owned by: Kilroy Realty Corporation
Managed by: Kilroy Realty Corporation

Kilroy Centre Del Mar, Building 4
San Diego, Calif.
Owned by: Kilroy Realty Corporation
Managed by: Kilroy Realty Corporation

Kilroy Santa Fe Summit
San Diego, Calif.
Owned by: Kilroy Realty Corporation
Managed by: Kilroy Realty Corporation

Landmark Square
Long Beach, Calif.
Owned by: BOP Landmark Square Co. LLC
Managed by: Brookfield Office Properties

Marina Towers
Marina del Rey, Calif.
Owned by: Marina Airport Building, Ltd.
Managed by: Brookfield Office Properties

McPherson Building
Washington, D.C.
Owned by: Clarion Partners
Managed by: Cassidy Turley

Meridian Building
Richmond, Va.
Owned by: FC Richmond II, LLC
Managed by: Forest City Commercial Group

North Belt
Houston, Tex.
Owned by: RFP Lincoln Greenspoint, LLC
Managed by: Lincoln Property Company

Northchase
Houston, Tex.
Owned by: RFP Lincoln Greenspoint, LLC
Managed by: Lincoln Property Company – Northchase

Regions Center
Birmingham, Ala.
Owned by: Regions Financial Corp.
Managed by: Cassidy Turley

Sarasota Commerce Center II
Sarasota, Fla.
Owned by: Piedmont Operating Partnership, LP
Managed by: Piedmont Office Realty Trust

Southwest Medical Plaza 2
Houston, Tex.
Owned by: Memorial Hermann Health System
Managed by: CBRE, Inc.

Tower Pavilion
Houston, Tex.
Owned by: Al Hartman
Managed by: Hartman Income REIT

Westheimer Central Plaza
Houston, Tex.
Owned by: Hartman Income REIT Property Holdings, LLC
Managed by: Hartman Income REIT

To view all the buildings that have received the BOMA 360 designation, visit the BOMA 360 building listings.

For more information on the BOMA 360 Performance Program, visit the BOMA 360 Performance Program webpage.

***

About BOMA International

BOMA International's 2013 MOB Conference, Presented by Lillibridge, to Break All Attendance Records

(WASHINGTON, DC—April 26, 2013) The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International announced today that its 2013 Medical Office Buildings and Healthcare Facilities Conference is set to exceed all attendance numbers from years past. BOMA's MOB conference takes place May 1-3, 2013, at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco and will bring together more than 750 of the industry’s brightest professionals from all facets of the healthcare real estate sector. The event is presented by Lillibridge Healthcare Services, Inc., the largest owner and manager of MOBs in the U.S. and a wholly owned subsidiary of Ventas, Inc.

This year’s conference will feature a high-powered line-up of more than 90 speakers presenting in four General Sessions and four tracks of programming: Capital Markets, Compliance and Regulatory, Leasing and Management and Provider Strategies. The conference also will feature three provocative keynote speakers:

Dr. Marty Makary will kick off the conference at the Opening Plenary Session on Wednesday, where he will discuss the troubling issues raised in his best-selling book, Unaccountable: What Hospitals Won't Tell You and How Transparency Can Revolutionize Healthcare.
At the Keynote Luncheon on Thursday, Connie R. Curran, EdD, RN, FAAN, will share her insights on hospital safety and quality in an era of reform.
The conference will end with a bang on Friday with healthcare futurist and innovation thought leader Nicholas Webb, who will explain how disruptive market changes require completely new strategies. He will paint a clear vision of the future of healthcare—a vision that includes a number of earth-shattering insights.

New to the conference this year are Facilitated Roundtable Discussions, which will bring speakers and attendees together in an intimate setting designed to encourage problem solving and an exchange of ideas. These roundtable discussions will allow for 15 to 20 attendees to engage in lively, candid discussions with subject matter experts on the latest in leadership and technology.

“From beginning to end, this conference promises to offer unique and innovative lessons for leaders from the most progressive healthcare and real estate organizations,” said Todd W. Lillibridge, president and chief executive officer for Lillibridge and executive vice president of Medical Properties for Ventas. “We’re particularly excited to have Nicholas Webb as the closing speaker. We’re encouraging everyone to stick around for what promises to be a thought-provoking, inspiring presentation.”

“We’ve sponsored BOMA’s Medical Office Buildings and Healthcare Facilities Conference for four years in a row, because we believe this event is critical to our industry,” added Vincent M. Cozzi, senior vice president for Ventas, Inc. “It’s a forum that brings together visionaries to share ideas that are shaping the way healthcare is delivered.”

“This conference brings together a blend of healthcare providers and healthcare real estate professionals, creating an outstanding mix of the best minds in the field together. In this watershed year closing in on the implementation of the Accountable Care Act on January 1, 2014, the impact is still unknown. These issues will be thoroughly discussed and examined during the conference,” said Neil Carolan, president of Healthcare Real Estate Consulting, LLC and co-chair of the BOMA International Medical Office and Healthcare Facilities Committee and Conference. Carolan is the first healthcare executive to hold an appointed office within BOMA International.

For more information about the 2013 Medical Office Buildings and Healthcare Facilities Conference, including a complete speaker list and registration materials, visit www.boma.org/MOB.

***

About Lillibridge
Lillibridge has been a leader in the healthcare real estate industry for nearly three decades. The company provides management and leasing, facility development and advisory services to highly rated hospitals and health systems throughout the United States. Lillibridge’s portfolio spans 400+ owned and managed MOBs totaling more than 20 million square feet across 29 states, 168 cities and 164 markets. Lillibridge is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ventas, Inc., an S&P 500 company and a leading real estate investment trust. Its diverse portfolio of more than 1,400 assets in 47 states (including the District of Columbia) and two Canadian provinces consists of seniors housing communities, skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, medical office buildings and other properties. More information about Ventas and Lillibridge can be found at www.ventasreit.com and www.lillibridge.com.

About BOMA International
The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International is a federation of 93 BOMA U.S. associations, BOMA Canada and its 11 regional associations and 13 BOMA international affiliates. Founded in 1907, BOMA represents the owners and managers of all commercial property types, including nearly 10 billion square feet of U.S. office space that supports 3.7 million jobs and contributes $205 billion to the U.S. GDP. Its mission is to advance the interests of the entire commercial real estate industry through advocacy, education, research, standards and information. Find BOMA online at www.boma.org.

Brady releases LINK360™ 2.1 software update -New checklist features and template functions improve ease-of-use

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (April 23, 2013)—Brady announced today the release of a new software update to its LINK360™ cloud-based software platform for visual management. The LINK360™ 2.1 software update offers many new features, including a new checklist feature for a step-by-step guide to lockout procedures, in addition to new administrative functions for improved ease-of-use.

The new LINK360™ 2.1 software checklist guides users through their lockout procedure to ensure each step is followed. In addition to the procedural checklist, users can also access a printed list of lockout devices to be used when performing the lockout procedure.

The lists are designed to help the user document specific steps during the procedure. The feature also enables users to record the condition of devices to ensure everything is in proper working condition. Users can also save a scanned copy of a completed checklist, search for previous checklists and delete old checklists.

The new update also offers the capabilities to add company logos to lockout procedure templates, change the password from the home page and transfer file ownership. Users with premium and enterprise subscriptions will have an optional verification column available within their lockout procedure templates.

“This cloud-based software program offers the ability to achieve lockout/tagout and reliability compliance across an entire organization,” says Marlon Davis, software product manager. “As the need for compliant, streamlined solutions grows, we continue to update our LINK360™ software to ensure users can achieve compliance and standardize their procedures, while sustaining their process through the use of alerts, notifications and reports.”

Brady’s LINK360™ cloud-based software program launched in August 2012 and gives managers a 360-degree view on all activities performed to create, use, and update equipment visuals at a single location or across many locations.

For more information:

For more information about Brady’s LINK360 software, visit www.BradyID.com/LINK360. For Brady’s complete line of products, visit www.BradyID.com. In Canada, visit www.BradyCanada.ca

About Brady Corporation:

Brady Corporation (NYSE: BRC) is an international manufacturer and marketer of complete solutions that identify and protect premises, products and people. Its products include high-performance labels and signs, safety devices, printing systems and software, and precision die-cut materials. Founded in 1914, the company has millions of customers in electronics, telecommunications, manufacturing, electrical, construction, education, medical and a variety of other industries. Brady is headquartered in Milwaukee and employs 6,900 people at operations in the Americas, Europe and Asia/Pacific. Brady’s fiscal 2012 sales were approximately $1.3 billion. More information about Brady Corporation is available at www.bradycorp.com.

AT&T Launches Home Security and Monitoring Services

A year after announcing that it's getting into the home security and remote monitoring business, AT&T is announcing the first markets where the service will be available, plus how much it will cost.

Digital Life service is available in 15 markets: Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Boulder, Colo.; Chicago; Dallas; Denver; Houston; Los Angeles; Miami; Philadelphia; Riverside, Calif.; San Francisco; Seattle; St. Louis; and select areas of the New York and New Jersey metropolitan area. The company said the service will be available in up to 50 markets by the end of 2013, said CNet.

Digital Life lets people monitor and manage home security and energy systems from afar using a smartphone, computer, or tablet. AT&T provides and installs Internet-connected cameras, along with sensors on doors and windows, and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, door locks, thermostats, and moisture sensors. The devices and sensors are all hooked up to a home broadband connection and can be controlled from a computer or mobile device. The Digital Life application is available on most browsers and there are mobile apps for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone devices, AT&T said.

At the crux of the customizable Digital Life offering is around-the-clock home security monitoring, available as part of a $29.99 a month "Simple Security" pricing plan. There is an additonal $149.99 for equipment and installation. If there's a break-in or fire, AT&T monitors will alert the local police and fire departments. Included in the Simple Security plan is a wireless keypad, keychain remote control, recessed sensors and an indoor siren.

The "Smart Security" plan is $39.99 a month, plus $249.99 for installation and gear adds such items as a motion sensor, carbon monoxide sensor, glass break sensor and smoke sensor, said USA Today.

Technology analyst Avi Greengart of Current Analysis said about the new service: "There's a lot to like — a single point of contact for installation, clear pricing, and promises of more innovation to come," says analyst Greengart. "It isn't obvious that consumers are looking to wireless carriers for home security or home automation, but AT&T is gambling that it can stretch its brand and take advantage of its retail presence."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/04/26/att-launching-home-security-and-automation-service/2113511/

Connected World Magazine Announces Best of the Best in M2M and Connected Devices with the Unveiling of 2013 Value Chain Award Finalists

Carol Stream, Ill. – April 17, 2013 – The top companies in agriculture, automotive, energy, healthcare, and more will be honored this June by Connected World magazine. The publication today announced the finalists for the 2013 Value Chain Awards.

The Connected World magazine Value Chain Awards honor the most successful corporate adopters of M2M technology and connected devices, as well as the solution providers that help make their technology adoption a success.

The awards recognize the process of combining multiple technologies, such as device-connectivity hardware, modules, network service and provisioning, as well as application software and infrastructure, to create a winning solution for the end customer based on quantifiable results.

The 2013 Connected World Value Chain Awards finalists are:

Acclaim Energy Advisors

AimTruancy

All Traffic Solutions

Genesis Health Technologies

Guardity Technologies, Inc.

Intelligent Illuminations, Inc.

Kelle's Transport Service Inc.

Restaurant Technologies

Securus, Inc.

Sensuss

SoBi Bicycle Connected by AT&T

Southwest Airlines Cargo

TrackPoint Systems

Urban Green Energy

USA Technologies

Varian Medical Systems

Vecima Networks

Wheelz, Inc.

“When it comes to technology today, innovation is a term we hear everywhere we turn. But what exactly can―and should―it mean for your company? At this year’s Connected World Conference, we will examine how this idea can be converted into something tangible, something that will allow your business to grow to new levels,” says Peggy Smedley, editorial director, Connected World. “The 2013 Value Chain Award finalists are outstanding examples of how companies are ‘reinventing innovation’ today, and we look forward to honoring the winners in June.”

The Value Chain Awards are annually presented during a formal gala, along with the winners of the ConnectED Awards. The Connected World magazine ConnectED Awards honor individuals who have applied innovation and vision to successfully bring their ideas to the M2M and connected-devices marketplace.

The awards gala is one of the highlights of the annual Connected World Conference, being held June 10-12 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in California. This year’s conference will also include the second annual M2M App Challenge, held June 7-9.

The Connected World Conference brings together technology-driven professionals, tech-minded consumers, and upwardly mobile entrepreneurs, all around the idea of either creating or consuming the latest emerging devices and technologies.

Want to see your company or client included in 2014?

Be sure to contact Helina Washkowiak for more information.

For more information regarding the Value Chain Awards, the ConnectED Awards, or the 2013 Connected World Conference, please visit the conference Website.

To see the 2012 Value Chain Awards winners, please click here.

About Connected World magazine

Connected World is the business and technology publication that provides the intelligence industry titans need and the guidance consumers crave. It’s all about M2M. www.connectedworldmag.com

General Cable Introduces New GenClean™ Jacketing Technology

Highland Heights, Kentucky, April 24, 2013 — General Cable (NYSE: BGC), an industry-leading wire and cable manufacturer, is pleased to introduce GenClean^™, its proprietary new cleanable jacket technology for rubber portable cord used in the food and beverage industry. The global Food & Beverage industry is a $3.2 trillion market, with the Top 10 North American Food & Beverage companies in North America generating over $300 billion in sales annually.

“There are Food & Beverage processing facilities in every state and with this expansive of a potential market, the opportunities for General Cable’s new GenClean Portable Cord product offering are endless,” said Tom Bisson, Vice President of Sales – Electrical Distribution, General Cable. “We are very excited to offer a portable power solution that can both withstand abusive environments and address stringent hygiene requirements of Food & Beverage applications.”

Cables manufactured by General Cable with a GenClean jacket permit organic remnants to be more readily removed in a wash cycle, which would substantially reduce the environmental conditions conducive to microbial growth. For water wash-down, water temperatures up to 212°F (100°C) are acceptable. The maximum temperature for operation in water is 140°F (60°C).

“Our GenClean jacket technology gives the end user the ability to combine the durability normally associated with Carol rubber cords with an enhanced cleanability feature that many markets should find attractive,” said Jon Schemmel, Product Manager, Carol^® Brand Cord & Cordset Products, General Cable.

GenClean offers all the benefits and durability of rubber cord plus a cleanable jacket. Its super tough jacket construction is built to withstand daily abuse, temperature extremes (-50°C to 105°C) and high-stress industrial environments. It is abrasion-, cut-, heat-, flame-, sunlight- and chemical-resistant.

General Cable will produce a test sample based on the size and conductor count you are looking for. Currently, GenClean technology is being offered with the company’s full line of Carol^® Brand Super Vu-Tron^® Supreme products, which include a high-visibility yellow jacket. There are other cable constructions and colors that will be available as Make-to-Order items.

Call General Cable today at 859.572.8525 to ask about GenClean. To learn more now about how GenClean^™ technology is used with the Super Vu-Tron line, click here for the spec sheet.

General Cable (NYSE:BGC), a Fortune 500 Company, is a global leader in the development, design, manufacture, marketing and distribution of aluminum, copper and fiber optic wire and cable products for the energy, industrial, specialty and communications markets. With annual revenues of approximately $6 billion, General Cable is one of the largest wire and cable manufacturing companies in the world. It operates 57 manufacturing facilities in 26 countries and employs approximately 14,000 associates. Visit our Web site at www.GeneralCable.com.

General Cable Achieves Platinum Level in IDEA’s Bands of Excellence Program

Program recognizes electrical industry manufacturers for providing exceptional marketing support to trading partners

Highland Heights, Kentucky – General Cable (NYSE: BGC) recently reached IDEA’s Platinum Band, the most prestigious status of IDEA’s Band of Excellence Program, which recognizes manufacturers for providing exceptional marketing support to trading partners. IDEA is the official technology service provider of the electrical industry, owned by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED).

“Reaching IDEA’s Platinum Band of Excellence has been a high priority with General Cable,” said Greg Lampert, General Cable’s Executive Vice President, President and CEO, The Americas. “We are always looking for new ways to provide value and efficiencies for our electrical distribution partners and IDW has provided us with a robust e-business tool to accomplish this goal.”

The Bands of Excellence rating system measures each manufacturer’s completion percentage for providing robust product marketing content to distributors through the Industry Data Warehouse (IDW). Specification documents, Attributes, Images, and Descriptions all must be populated with product data for 75-100% of a manufacturer’s stock products to achieve the Platinum level status. Once this marketing information is populated in the IDW, distributors can download the information and share it with their customers using web storefronts, print catalogs and other media.

“General Cable has taken a leadership role, and it is appropriate that they be recognized. They are working exceptionally hard to adapt to changing customer expectations, and I’ve been extremely impressed with the way they responded to this challenge,” said Bob Gaylord, President and CEO, IDEA.

Visit IDEA’s Website to view all banded manufacturers and learn more about this program.

About General Cable:

General Cable (NYSE:BGC), a Fortune 500 Company, is a global leader in the development, design, manufacture, marketing and distribution of aluminum, copper and fiber optic wire and cable products for the energy, industrial, specialty and communications markets. With annual revenues of approximately $6 billion, General Cable is one of the largest wire and cable manufacturing companies in the world. It operates 57 manufacturing facilities in 26 countries and employs approximately 14,000 associates. Visit our Website at www.GeneralCable.com.

About IDEA:

The Industry Data Exchange Association, Inc. (IDEA) is the official technology service provider and eBusiness standards body of the electrical industry. The company helps thousands of electrical manufacturers and distributors find the most cost-effective methods for running day-to-day business. The IDW is an online application in which manufacturers can securely share product information with all their distributors simultaneously. Distributors can use the IDW to obtain the most up-to-date and complete product information from all their suppliers in one standard format. [Company Name]’s distributors can access their product information by logging into the IDW at https://idw.ideaservices.net/. To learn more about the IDW and sign up for an account, please visit http://www.idea-esolutions.com/solutions-services/service/idw.

GHS and Hazard Communication seminars and webinars available from Brady - Training courses designed to explain regulations, latest changes

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (April 25, 2013)—Brady has expanded its safety consulting services to include a variety of professional training courses, including courses specific to GHS and Hazard Communication. Sessions are available in seminar and webinar format and are available on a variety of dates throughout the year.

Face-to-face seminar offers expert training

Brady’s GHS-HazCom instructor-led seminar offers an in-depth, one-day course held at Brady’s corporate classroom in Milwaukee, Wis. The course, led by one of Brady’s experts, offers customers face-to-face training that covers OSHA’s updated Hazard Communication Standard and explains all of the requirements to the Globally Harmonized System (GHS).

In addition, customers will learn the deadlines to adhere to new regulations, specified formats for labeling and unique differences between the 16-section Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and the former Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). This course highlights all the best practices, processes, documentation, visuals and valuable information that customers will need to comply with new standards.

Webinar serves as faster, cost-effective option

Brady also offers a one-hour GHS: Incorporation to HazCom webinar that explains the regulatory changes, new requirements, key changes and best compliance practices for labeling, authoring and classification.

During the month of May, the introduction to GHS-Hazard Communication webinar will take place on Tuesday, May 7 at 11:30 am (CT). The GHS-HazCom seminar will be held on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 from 8:00am-4:30 pm and lunch will be provided.

“The webinars and seminars are designed to offer our customers the training they need, based on the schedule they have,” says Heather Marenda, compliance engagement manager. “The seminar provides detailed, face-to-face training and interaction, whereas the webinar provides the critical information you need, in a faster time span. Either option offers the key training information that customers need to ensure they are compliant.”

Brady offers a variety of additional professional services ranging from hands-on workshops, safety audits, online training courses and on-site training. The course topics include visual lockout procedures, hazard communication, safety signage, egress, flammable liquids, confined space, safety leadership and more.

For more information:

For more information about Brady’s professional services or to register, visit Brady’s seminar page and Brady’s webinar page. To see Brady’s entire professional services and consulting offering, visit www.BradyID.com/Services

About Brady Corporation:

HAI by Leviton Announces 350 Five-Star Dealers

Dealer recognition program honors outstanding installation dealers

Melville, New York, April 10, 2013 – HAI by Leviton announced today the recipients of its 2013 Five-Star Dealer recognition program at the International Security Conference in Las Vegas, Nev.

HAI by Leviton’s annual Five-Star Dealer program was initiated in 2001 to recognize and reward select outstanding dealers. Recipients are selected based on various criteria including the number of years the dealer has been installing HAI by Leviton solutions, the number of systems installed in the previous year and unique marketing or programming solutions that involve HAI by Leviton products.

“The annual recognition program allows us to amplify the reliable and innovative work that our installing dealers are conducting worldwide,” said Greg Rhoades, HAI by Leviton Director of Marketing. “This also provides HAI by Leviton with an opportunity to receive detailed feedback regarding our marketing, training and engineering efforts, helping to refine our products and support programs for our integrators and end-users.”

Home and business owners across the world can easily find all local winning companies named as 2013 HAI by Leviton Five-Star Dealers by entering a zip code or selecting a country in the dealer listing database at www.homeauto.com/howtobuy.

The Five Star Dealer logo can be downloaded here: http://www.homeauto.com/_SiteElements/images/HAILogos/2013FiveStarDealer.jpg.

About HAI by Leviton

HAI by Leviton creates integrated automation and security solutions for residential and commercial use. As a leader in home automation, HAI by Leviton offers a complete line of award-winning automation products, connecting all devices – from programmable communicating thermostats, smart light switches and distributed audio systems to video surveillance equipment and access control products – through touchscreen interfaces with VoIP and software that allows access and control of an automation system over the Internet or a smart phone. Learn more at www.homeauto.com, http://www.facebook.com/homeautomationinc, http://www.twitter.com/homeauto or http://www.youtube.com/homeautomationinc.

About Leviton

Leviton is the smart choice, providing the most comprehensive range of solutions to meet the needs of today’s residential, commercial and industrial buildings. Leveraging more than a century of experience, Leviton helps customers create sustainable, intelligent environments through its electrical wiring devices, network and data center connectivity solutions, and lighting energy management systems. From switches and receptacles, to daylight harvesting controls, networking systems, and equipment for charging electric vehicles, Leviton solutions help customers achieve savings in energy, time and cost, all while enhancing safety. For more information, visit www.leviton.com, http://www.facebook.com/leviton, http://twitter.com/leviton or http://www.youtube.com/Levitonmfg.

HAI by Leviton Announces Yale Real Living™ as Latest Connectivity Partner

New offers integrate two-way ZigBee and Z-Wave wireless door locks

Melville, New York, April 8, 2013 – HAI by Leviton announced today that Yale Real Living^™ has been added as a Connectivity Partner, allowing two-way integration with Yale’s ZigBee and Z-Wave wireless door locks. A live integration will be showcased at the International Security Conference in Las Vegas, NV, April 10-12, 2013, in Booth #20126.

With the integration of Yale Real Living into an HAI by Leviton system, homeowners can monitor the status of locks and even lock or unlock doors remotely, without having to make copies of their keys. Users gain the ability to lock and unlock up to 16 doors from HAI by Leviton’s Ethernet Touchscreens, key fobs and remotely via mobile Apple and Android devices. The systems allow users to use the lock as a trigger for other scenes or events in the home, including automatically setting lighting, music and temperature based on the locked or unlocked status of the door. Homeowners can also learn who accessed the door all by code.

“Yale Real Living residential access control locks integrate seamlessly into the HAI by Leviton security and automation control systems,” said Jay McLellan, president of HAI by Leviton. “With our systems, not only can the door be unlocked remotely for a contractor or maid, but a surveillance camera could be viewed beforehand to ensure the proper person is at the doorway.”

Available in deadbolt and lever locks with either a sleek capacitive touch screen or push button key pad, the locks feature all metal construction, fully gasketed installation and an industry-exclusive capacitive touchscreen available on ZigBee locks.

The door lock integrations are compatible with all Ethernet-enabled HAI by Leviton Omni and Lumina automation controllers, including Omni Pro II, Omni IIe, Omni LTe, Lumina Pro, and Lumina, utilizing firmware version 3.14 or later. The Z-Wave integration requires a Leviton RF+3 Serial Interface Module (Leviton Part Number: VRC0P). The ZigBee integration requires usage of HAI’s ZigBee Interface Module (HAI Part Number: 81A00-3ZB), running firmware 14.08 or later.

The HAI by Leviton and Yale Real Living integration is available now. A high resolution photo of a Yale lock with an HAI by Leviton automation system can be downloaded here: http://www.homeauto.com/mediacenter/HaiPRImage.asp?image=OmniYaleCollage.jpg

About HAI by Leviton

About Leviton

About Yale

Yale Locks & Hardware is recognized worldwide as a leader and innovator in the architectural hardware industry, with millions of Yale products used in over 125 countries. Backed by over 150 years of quality and customer-oriented service, Yale offers a complete selection of door hardware for residential and commercial applications.

ICC New 8” Residential Combo Enclosure

La Mirada, California - ICC is introducing the new 8” residential combo enclosure in six (6) packs. The combo is designed to act as the central distribution point in a residence for phone and video connectivity; perfect for apartments, condos and small townhomes with 2 to 3 bedrooms. ICC’s 8” combo offers the best value in the market today.

Each box contains six enclosures, covers, and voice/video modules. Offering the combo in six packs offers convenience and lowers the unit cost of each enclosure compared to buying them individually. The enclosure is made of UL-rated ABS plastic, and the base is designed to be installed between wall studs or wall mounted. The base has knockouts allowing cables to enter and exit from the top, bottom and sides. The cover snaps on with a tab for padlock to prevent unwanted access.

The included voice module has a 110 IDC bridged design with 8-ports, allowing phones to be installed in eight locations. The included 2 GHz CATV module has one input and six outputs allowing video to be connected to six locations.

ICC’s 8” combo enclosure is available through a nationwide network of ICC Elite Preferred DistributorsTM. To locate a distributor near you, visit www.icc.com/distributor or call ICC at 888-ASK-4ICC (275-4422).

About ICC

ICC is a leading manufacturer of commercial and residential structured cabling products governed by strict ISO 9001:2008 standards. With 29 years of innovation, ICC products have established a reputation of premium quality, proven performance and competitive prices supporting voice, data, audio, video and fiber optic connectivity. For more information, visit ICC’s website at www.icc.com.

IDEAL Gives Away First of Four SignalTEK II Cable Qualifiers

Still time to win, enter today!

SYCAMORE, IL APRIL 26, 2013 -- IDEAL Industries Networks today announced the winner of its first-ever SignalTEK II Giveaway: Dave Nichols of Spectrum Solutions in Madison, Alabama won a SignalTEK II FO qualifier, valued at $2,195.00 (USD). Additional winners will be announced each quarter for the remainder of the year, giving datacom pros more chances to win the completely redesigned SignalTEK II, the most advanced qualifier on the market today.

To register for upcoming drawings and to learn more about SignalTEK II, go to www.signaltek2.com.

The SignalTEK II multifunctional handheld cable qualifier is a cost-effective alternative to traditional cable certifiers. Perfect for small- to medium-sized LANs, it will validate that copper or fiber cabling is capable of supporting bandwidth-heavy VDV and IP-based video surveillance applications over 10/100 Megabit or Gigabit Ethernet.

SignalTEK II is targeted at data cabling installers, IT administrators, systems integrators and facilities managers who need to demonstrate that new and existing cabling installations meet performance and reliability expectations. A bi-directional "pass/fail" test of a network's links based on IEEE 802.3ab determines within seconds whether the installed cable can support higher bandwidth applications such as VoIP or Gigabit Ethernet without problems. Additional active network troubleshooting capabilities of PoE and PoE+ maximize return on investment.

TECH FOR WORK N' PLAY CONTEST

Datacom pros can also enter to win in the IDEAL "TECH FOR WORK N' PLAY" contest running from now until July 31, 2013. IDEAL is rewarding customers with points whenever they purchase an SignalTEK II (Standard and FO) and select versions of NaviTEK® II and LanXPLORER™ testers. Also eligible for points are fiber optic SFP modules and Smart Remote accessories. Points can be redeemed for Apple® iPads® and iPods®, or OGIO® golf and messenger bags.

The promotion is structured in a way to allow savvy customers to accumulate points very quickly. And there is no limit as to how many points can be earned by a single customer. Users have a full six months to earn their points, allowing them to work the program into 2013 purchasing plans to earn thousands of dollars in gifts.

To find out all the details, visit www.idealindustries.com/whatsnew/promotions

For more product information, visit www.idealindustries.com

ABOUT IDEAL INDUSTRIES NETWORKS

IDEAL INDUSTRIES NETWORKS is an innovative manufacturer of Hand Held Network Testers deployed in LAN Installation, LAN Management and WAN Access. Its mission is to deliver testing solutions that meet the key needs of the IT professional including accelerating the testing process, improving accuracy of overall results, and ultimately to save businesses time, money and manpower over other methods of testing. For more information about IDEAL Industries Networks products, visit www.idealindustries.com/products/datacomm.

IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC. has been serving the electrical industry since 1916. IDEAL is one of the world's leading manufacturers of professional quality tools and supplies serving installation professionals in the construction, maintenance, data communications and original equipment manufacturing industries. Visit www.idealindustries.com for more information.

Industry Leaders to be Honored at NAED National Meeting - Robert Reynolds of Graybar receives NAED’s highest honor

St. Louis, Mo….The National Association of Electrical Distributors will honor four industry leaders who have made significant contributions to the electrical industry with NAED Annual Achievement Awards.

The awards, recognizing individuals and companies that embody the industry's highest standards, will be given during a closing ceremony at the 2013 NAED National Meeting in Boston on Monday, May 6 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at the Boston Marriott Copley Place.   

NAED congratulates:

Robert Reynolds is the retired executive chairman of St. Louis-based Graybar and recipient of the NAED's highest honor, the 2013 Arthur W. Hooper Achievement Award. This honor is presented to an individual who has led an exceptional career in electrical distribution spanning many years. Reynolds was with Graybar for 40 years, including nearly 12 years as chairman, president and CEO. During his tenure as CEO, Reynolds successfully led Graybar through times of economic prosperity and recession, strengthened the company’s financial condition and invested in technology. He has also been heavily involved with the NAED serving several terms as Member-At-Large on the NAED Board of Directors; as the NAED Education & Research Foundation Chair in 2005-2006; and as the NAED Chair in 2011-2012.

Burt Schraga is the CEO and chairman of Bell Electrical Supply, Santa Clara, Calif., and recipient of the 2013 NAED Distributor Distinguished Service Award. The award is given in recognition of outstanding and dedicated service to NAED and the electrical distribution industry. Schraga is a veteran volunteer for the NAED. He has served as Western Region vice president, membership committee chair, and NAED board chair.

Roger Vaught, vice president of Atkore International and recipient of the 2013 NAED Associate Service Award. The Associate Service Award is given to an individual at a manufacturing firm who has consistently promoted and supported the tenets and goals of the NAED. He has been an NAED mainstay over the years including his involvement with the Manufacturer’s Council for more than six years including a serving as chair as well as his work with several advisory committees and networking groups.

Leviton will receive the 2013 NAED Industry Award of Merit. This award is presented in recognition of a company or individual in the electrical manufacturing business that has been remarkably active in promoting and supporting the wholesale electrical distribution industry. Leviton is receiving this award for its dedication and commitment to both the NAED and the industry.

The NAED is the trade association for the $70+ billion electrical distribution industry. Through networking, education, research, and benchmarking, the NAED helps electrical distributors increase profitability and improve the channel. The NAED’s membership operates in approximately 4,400 locations internationally.

Jill Loftis Joins ARCOM Manufacturer Support Services Team as National Sales Manager

Salt Lake City, Utah (April 30, 2013) — ARCOM is pleased to welcome Jill Loftis to lead the national expansion of its business-to-business services for product manufacturers. As National Sales Manager of ARCOM’s Manufacturer Support Services (MSS) Division, Loftis leads ARCOM's professional sales staff and collaborates with cross-functional team members from the marketing, sales, IT, and software development departments.

In addition to managing and guiding the current MSS sales staff, she works closely with top management to strategize and develop ARCOM's national sales expansion plan.

Loftis says, “It’s exciting to be associated with such an innovative company; I’m proud to have joined the ARCOM team. With our first expansion phase nearly complete, I look forward to developing our national sales force and expanding ARCOM's business.”

Loftis, a proven leader in the field of business-to-business sales, formerly worked as managing director of New Origins Media, business development manager for Orlando Business Journal, and regional sales manager for HP. She has nearly 20 years of delivering results in sales, marketing, strategic development, and business management.

Christopher Bushnell, ARCOM’s President and CEO, said, "We welcome Jill to the ARCOM team. Her experience and enthusiasm brings a new level of professionalism and service to our manufacturer clients, and she will be critical in making our information resource products and services even more successful."

ARCOM has provided services to manufacturers for over 10 years, and, in 2010, ARCOM created the MSS Division. This division is responsible for building product manufacturer (BPM) product evaluations, listings, and specification services, which supply the details and technical data specifiers need. Today, MSS develops innovative tools and programs, such as SpecAgent and Product MasterSpec, to provide further efficiencies to specifiers.

About ARCOM

ARCOM is the leader in specifications and exclusively publishes MasterSpec for the AIA for use by architects, engineers, landscape architects, specification writers, and design professionals involved in building projects. ARCOM owns and publishes SpecText for use by civil, environmental, and structural engineers for infrastructure projects, including water, wastewater, and sanitary engineering.

Contact:

Angie Matinkhah, M.Arch, Assoc. AIA, CSI

Vice President, Marketing and Sales

ARCOM

amatinkhah@arcomnet.com

801.521.9162 x 224

MEDIA BIAS: CALLING OUT THE “EXPERTS” article by JAMES CARLINI

Are you as tired as I am in listening to someone who is supposed to be giving you the news and instead is spinning the story to adhere to some personal political agenda they have? Evidently, the only way to stop this obtuse reporting is to call it out every time it happens and question those who are either totally clueless or have some other agenda they are trying to foist on us.

IS THE FBI ANY GOOD ANYMORE?

Last week there was a huge breaking story across all the networks. The Boston Marathon got interrupted by two bombs exploding at the finish line. Before many facts were in, we had the “experts in the media” coming out and telling us who they thought did it.

I was stuck in a waiting room in a hospital and all they had on was ABC. It’s not my first choice as a news source, but I had no choice in the matter. I watched as ABC had Brad Garrett, former FBI Agent, relating to the shocking event and saying pretty much that it was some American white Supremacist group who did the bombing.

Well, Brad was 100% wrong in his “expert assessment”. The two brothers, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who were the alleged and now “self-confessed” masterminds of the crime are not in any white Supremacist group.

This is not the first time the ABC “experts” have been wrong, but you start to wonder if it is intentional.

What about the Aurora, Colorado theatre shooter, James Holmes? ABC’s Brian Ross rushed to report Holmes was a member of the Tea Party. He wasn’t and ABC had to issue an apology for “jumping the gun” in its coverage.

Then, you wonder what they (the FBI) did not see when Russia told them to watch out for the older Tsarnaev brother, Tamerlan, as a terrorist. Did they drop the ball? Someone did. That is a whole other story to investigate, but it leaves me wondering – is someone not doing a good job in law enforcement as well?

Is there a hidden agenda that they have to follow as to swing the public’s perception? I am concerned about this agency that used to be top notch and apolitical.

WHAT ABOUT OTHER REPORTERS?

When it comes to other news analysts who I have no use for watching, Chris Matthews comes to mind. His latest terrorist assessment, “Normally, domestic terrorists, people, tend to be on the far right” was way off.

Sorry Chris, your assessment doesn’t come close to being factual. How do you stay on TV?

Then there is the NPR reporter/analyst, Dina Temple-Raston. Her big quote, “April is a big month for …right-wing individuals…Columbine…Hitler’s Birthday.”

Sorry Dina, not only do I not want to listen to you, I do not want to keep funding your inaccurate assessments, so how come my tax money is going to fund NPR? I don’t see that as balanced reporting and if it is not balanced, taxpayers should not be supporting it.

Add NPR to the list of “mandatory budget cuts” in Congress. If you personally donate to NPR, you are only condoning a biased news source.

Want to be charitable? Give your money to the Boston victims’ fund (I am sure they will be needing a lot of money), a veterans group, an animal rescue center, or a building preservation group. NPR needs to go by the way of the dinosaur and de-funding it will help accelerate its extinction.

And the Salon.com reporter, David Sirota saying, “Let’s hope the Boston Marathon bomber is a white male” doesn’t impress me as for him having a shred of journalist integrity. Did I somehow take that out of context? If I did, it can only be because it is so out-of-order as a journalistic comment.

Many TV and other media analysts are so far off the mark, why do we keep them in prime time news shows and in charge of aiming the public spotlight?

Where are they today with their apologies for their obtuse and inaccurate comments? They’re too busy working on their next story. Who cares if it’s accurate?

You and I do!

CARLINI-ISM : He who controls the press, controls the rest.

Follow daily Carlini-isms at www.TWITTER.com/JAMESCARLINI

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Contact him at 773-370-1888 or james.carlini@sbcglobal.net

D-Tools, Inc. Announces 2013 Design Awards Contest - Call for Entries

CONCORD, CA. April 11, 2013 - D-Tools, Inc., the worldwide leader in system integration software, today announced call for entries for its annual contest, the Design Awards. D-Tools is pursuing System Integrator software users' greatest success stories and project designs that display how the software has positively affected their business and ROI. Winning success stories will be selected from a diverse group of D-Tools users. Winners will be announced at CEDIA Expo in Denver, CO in September.

Contest categories include Best Residential, Best Commercial, Most Unique, and Best Overall.Winners will be selected by the D-Tools product team and select Certified Partners. The winning entries will be judged on a number of criteria, including originality, deep use of D-Tools' software, overall system design and which entries best communicate and demonstrate the system designer's knowledge of the software.

"Every year some of the most distinguished residential and commercial system integrators share their outstanding D-Tools designs and stories with us through the Design Awards," said Adam Stone, President and CEO of D-Tools. "We truly look forward to this annual contest to see how companies are excelling with our solution and we anticipate this year's awards to be the greatest yet."

Winners will receive prizes from the contest sponsors and D-Tools Manufacturer Vantage Point (MVP) partners, which will be announced soon. D-Tools customers can submit their entries by visiting www.d-tools.com/2013designawards or by sending an email to Jill Reddy at JillR@d-tools.com.

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About D-Tools, Inc.

D-Tools, founded in 1998 and based in Concord, California, is a worldwide leader in accessible, highly accurate system design and documentation software. The company's -flagship product, System Integrator™ (SI), is a total design solution that utilizes Autodesk® AutoCAD and Microsoft® Visio for comprehensive system design, documentation and project management. D-Tools SI allows residential and commercial integrators to streamline their business processes to increase overall revenues while reducing the time and costs associated with the installation and integration of low-voltage systems. Over 4,400 leading companies use D-Tools software to reduce time and costs and streamline the system integration process. D-Tools is a three time recipient of the Consumer Electronics Association's Mark of Excellence Award, multiple recipient of Custom Retailer's Excite Award (2007,2008,2009,2010,2011), Multi-Room Audio Video Awards - Best Installation Aid, National Systems Contractors Association, Sound and Video Contractor's Innovations in Technology for Business Productivity Award and CE Pro's High Impact Award for Design Software.

For more information, contact D-Tools at (866) 386-6571, e-mail at info@d-tools.com, follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DTools, like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/beatool or visit D-Tools online at http://www.d-tools.com

D-Tools, Inc. to Display System Integrator SIX at Electronic Security Expo (ESX) held in Nashville, TN from June 17-21, 2013

CONCORD, CA. April 24, 2013 - D-Tools, Inc., the worldwide leader in system integration software, recently announced that they will be demonstrating the latest version of award-winning System Integrator software at ESX 2013, held in Nashville, TN from June 17-21. As an active Associate Member of the Electronic Security Association, D-Tools provides solutions that help security and audio/video integrators streamline their estimation, system design, and project management processes.

ESX is the only major, national trade event purely focused on the needs of installation, integration and monitoring companies. ESX offers business, product and market information and connections invaluable to these companies and focuses intensely on the growth and maintenance of their key asset--Recurring Monthly Revenue or RMR. ESX is a progressive event helping participants identify new business and technical challenges and opportunities (like IP and systems integration), new business models and best practices that increase revenues and profits.

ESX 2012 will be held at the Nashville Convention Center and attendees can view demos of SIX during the show on June 19-20 at D-Tools Booth #228.

D-Tools System Integrator is currently used by over 4,400 companies to streamline the design, estimation, and documentation processes associated with the installation and integration of low voltage systems. SI SIX helps residential and commercial AV, Networking, and Security system integrators streamline the design, documentation, and integration of low voltage systems.

"We are pleased to exhibit at ESX for the third consecutive year. This year we will have our latest software version, SIX, on display and we're excited to share the new enhancements our company has made to further support security integrators," said Tim Bigoness, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for D-Tools. "We look forward to networking with this group of specialized integrators demonstrating how our solution can help them reduce time and costs as well as increase the accuracy and efficiency of their security and other low voltage installs."

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About D-Tools, Inc.

D-Tools Enhances Manufacturer Vantage Point (MVP) Program with Paradigm

International leader in speaker design and manufacturing joins D-Tools MVP Program to offer current System Integrator users detailed product information free-of-charge.

CONCORD, CA. April 4, 2013 - D-Tools, Inc., the worldwide leader in system integration software, today announced that Paradigm Electronics has recently joined their D-Tools Manufacturer Vantage Point (MVP) program. For over thirty years, Paradigm has set the standard for sonic excellence in every product category they offer. And while the company remains focused on what it considers the "absolutely essential" performance/value relationship, they continue to push the boundaries of speaker design. Breathtaking accuracy, a spacious soundstage, pinpoint localization, deep, powerful bass and thrilling dynamics are hallmarks of Paradigm's advanced speaker designs.

"D-Tools solution operates across a data-driven platform and they provide their users with the most comprehensive and accurate product data for their project proposals. We are pleased to be an active contributor in these efforts by offering D-Tools users Paradigm's entire data product-line free-of-charge," said Paul Grove, Vice President North American Sales for Paradigm Electronics. "We are excited to be named D-Tools latest MVP partner and we anticipate a rewarding partnership."

The D-Tools Manufacturer Vantage Point (MVP) program is designed to help provide system integrators with the most up-to-date product information to over 4400 companies using D-Tools System Integrator software. D-Tools MVP members are dedicated to helping companies streamline the design process and making it easier for System Integrators and installers to provide accurate proposals to their clients.

"Paradigm consistently manufacturers award-winning and reliable speakers, proving why they are a leader in their market," said Adam Stone, President and CEO of D-Tools. "Paradigm's cutting-edge technology and sleek designs will offer our users exceptional speaker options for their proposals and we look forward to offering our users this product information soon."

About Paradigm

Innovative design, advanced materials, in-house manufacturing, and state-of-the-art engineering have made Paradigm® an international leader in speaker design. With more than 250 industry awards for audio excellence and numerous rave reviews from around the world, Paradigm® is committed to being at the leading edge of speaker technology and consistently achieving the ultimate in sound for music and home theater. Visit Paradigm online at www.paradigm.com.

About D-Tools, Inc.

Leviton Announces West Cal Technologies as New West Coast Manufacturer Representative

West Cal will market Leviton products across three states

Bothell, Washington, April 25, 2013 – Leviton announced today an agreement with West Cal Technologies, LLC, a manufacturer representative for the telecommunications industry in California. West Cal Technologies will now market Leviton network connectivity products and systems throughout California, northern Nevada and Hawaii.

“As one of the largest datacom manufacturers’ representative agencies in not only California, but the United States overall, West Cal brings a wealth of expertise and sales support,” said Brad Leland, Vice President of Sales for Leviton Network Solutions. “This is an exciting partnership for Leviton as we are able to utilize West Cal’s expertise to promote our solutions throughout the region.”

West Cal Technologies will sell Leviton copper and fiber optic network infrastructure solutions through distribution networks across the region. The company’s customer support includes four RCDD sales engineers in addition to their inside and field sales staff.

In addition to representing Leviton, West Cal Technologies, LLC, currently represents Berk-Tek – a Nexans Company, and Cooper B-Line, Geist, JDSU, Tii Porta Systems, STI and TKH Security Solutions.

About Leviton Network Solutions

Leviton Network Solutions delivers complete network infrastructure systems for enterprise, data center, government, education, health care and residential markets around the globe. Solutions include copper and fiber optic connectivity, power distribution units, and much more. All Leviton products are engineered to exacting standards, offer industry-leading performance and are backed by the industry’s best service and support. Builders, contractors and other industry professionals consistently rank Leviton products as the most preferred brand in the industry. Make the smart choice for a better network. Learn more at leviton.com/ns or twitter.com/LevitonNS.

About Leviton

About West Cal Technologies, LLC

Established in 1981, West Cal Technologies is a California based sales engineering agency representing manufacturers of cabling, connectivity, and associated products to support standards based installations of premise cabling, data center support, and IP surveillance offerings. Learn more about West Cal at www.westcaltech.com.

Leviton Security & Automation Reduces Mobile Application Prices - iOS, Android, Kindle Fire app prices reduced by more than 50 percent

Melville, New York, May 1, 2013 – Leviton Security & Automation (formerly HAI by Leviton) announced today the reduction in pricing of their one-time purchase mobile applications (apps) – the Snap-Link Mobile remote access product family – by more than 50 percent.

A single Snap-Link Mobile app from Leviton Security & Automation can control multiple properties without site license fees or associated monthly fees, ideal for homeowners with vacation homes or for franchisee owners with multiple store locations. In addition, multiple tablets/smartphones can utilize the same app without device license fees, so a homeowner’s smart phone, tablet and other devices can be integrated with a single purchase. For various device platforms, pricing of the Smart-Link Mobile app has been reduced as follows:

Snap-Link Mobile for iOS devices has been reduced from $49.99 to $24.95
Snap-Link Mobile for Android devices has been reduced from $49.99 to $19.99
Snap-Link Mobile for Kindle Fire e-readers has been reduced from $49.99 to $19.99

“Since 1985, Leviton Security & Automation has offered our customers remote access from their mobile devices without monthly service fees, beginning with original touchtone phones to the revolutionary mobile hardware of today,” said Jay McLellan, president of Leviton Security & Automation. “By reducing the price of our fully-featured remote access applications for iOS, Android and Kindle Fire devices, we are further facilitating remote access for every family member.”

Snap-Link Mobile works in conjunction with Leviton Security & Automation’s Ethernet-enabled security and automation controllers, including the OmniPro II, Omni IIe, and Omni LTe. Additionally, the app can also connect to the energy-management focused automation controllers, Lumina Pro and Lumina.

A high-resolution image detailing Leviton Security & Automation’s Snap-Link Mobile remote access software can be viewed and downloaded here: http://www.homeauto.com/mediacenter/HaiPRImage.asp?image=AppCollage.jpg.

About Leviton Security & Automation

Leviton Security & Automation (formerly HAI by Leviton) creates integrated automation and security solutions for residential and commercial use. As a leader in home automation, Leviton Security & Automation offers a complete line of award-winning automation products, connecting all devices – from programmable communicating thermostats, smart light switches and distributed audio systems to video surveillance equipment and access control products – through touchscreen interfaces with VoIP and software that allows access and control of an automation system over the Internet or a smart phone. Learn more at www.homeauto.com, http:// www.facebook.com/LevitonSA, http://www.twitter.com/LevitonSA or http://www.youtube.com/homeautomationinc.

About Leviton

Leviton to Showcase New Fiber System at 2013 Interop Trade Show

New Enclosures Accommodate 96 Fibers in a 1RU Space

Bothell, Washington, April 29, 2013 – Leviton announced plans today to showcase its new Opt-X^® HD Enclosure System, along with a number of additional innovative solutions, at the 2013 Interop Trade Show and Exposition at Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, from May 7-9.

Serving as the centerpiece of Leviton’s booth (#1767), the new Opt-X HD Enclosure System increases fiber density by up to 50 percent within the same rack space, and accepts Opt-X Evolve MTP Cassettes and Adapter Plates. Cassettes are pre-terminated, pre-tested and custom-built to your specifications. Adapter plates connect to field-terminated backbone cabling or pre-terminated trunks, and are offered in 6, 12 or up to 72/144 fiber configurations.

Additionally, an optional retrofit sliding tray — unique in the industry — allows users to upgrade existing Opt-X Ultra or 1000i enclosures to accept the Opt-X Evolve cassettes and adapter plates. This provides extra density in the same rack space without the need to purchase a new enclosure.

"The Opt-X HD Fiber Enclosure System is ideal for data center and enterprise applications where network expansion is a priority, now and in the future," said Tony Yuen, Senior Product Manager, Fiber, for Leviton Network Solutions. “The combination of MTP cassettes and adapter plates in conjunction with Opt-X Unity products allows for easy migration to 10, 40 and 100 Gbps transmission speeds.”

For more information on Leviton’s offerings at the 2013 Interop Trade Show and Exposition, visit: http://www.leviton.com/OA_HTML/SectionDisplay.jsp?section=50374&minisite=10251. Additional details about Leviton’s Opt-X high-density solutions can be found at: www.leviton.com/optxhd.

About Leviton Network Solutions

About Leviton

Premier machine-to-machine technology event - M2M Evolution Las Vegas Conference Agenda Announced

Premier machine-to-machine technology event boasts new technologies, use cases as M2M industry flourishes

NORWALK, Conn. - April 23, 2013 - TMC and Crossfire Media have announced the agenda for the M2M Evolution Conference and Expo, the premier machine-to-machine technology event, set for August 26 - 29, 2013. M2M Evolution is collocated with ITEXPO, one of the world's largest and best-attended communications and technology trade shows, taking place at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada.

At M2M Evolution, attendees will learn how M2M technologies and the "Internet of Things" can be utilized to significantly improve business processes, minimize risk, spur innovation and drive revenue. M2M Evolution highlights M2M applications within all vertical markets and will concentrate on specific applications within the supply chain, transportation, energy and healthcare sectors.

"The agenda for M2M Evolution Las Vegas is the best yet," said Carl Ford, CEO of Crossfire Media and M2M Evolution conference co-chair. "We are bringing back Battle of the Platforms preconference programing and focusing the main event on a few different verticals that are strongly gaining popularity. Vendors will be showcasing the latest technologies and use cases, and attendees will walk away with the information they need to forge strong M2M strategies."

The full agenda is available on the M2M Evolution Conference and Expo website. Featured sessions include:

M2M Managing Energy Solutions
Retail - Vending, Kiosks and more
4G LTE New Generation of M2M Applications
Data Security and Privacy: A Holistic Approach
Beyond Traditional Internet of Things
Big Data - Unique Ways M2M is Enabling the Enterprise

M2M Evolution is sponsored by Platinum Sponsor Flexera, Gold Sponsors Kore, ThingWorx, ILS Technology, AT&T and Systech.

Registration for M2M Evolution is now open. For information about exhibitor or sponsorship opportunities, contact Matthew Gleeson at mgleeson@tmcnet.com or 203.852.6800 ext 145. For information about media and analyst registration, contact Ashley Baster.

For the latest M2M Evolution news, updates and information follow the event on Twitter at #M2MEvolution.

About TMC
TMC is a global, integrated media company that supports clients' goals by building communities in print, online, and face to face. TMC publishes multiple magazines including Cloud Computing, M2M Evolution, Customer, and Internet Telephony. TMCnet is the leading source of news and articles for the communications and technology industries, and is read by as many as 1.5 million unique visitors monthly. TMC produces a variety of trade events, including ITEXPO, the world's leading B2B communications event, as well as industry events: 3D Printing Conference & Expo; Asterisk World; AstriCon; ChannelVision (CVx) Expo; Cloud4SMB Expo; DevCon5 - HTML5 & Mobile App Developers Conference; M2M Evolution Conference & Expo; Mobile Commerce Zone Conference & Expo; SecureIT; StartupCamp; Super Wi-Fi Summit; SIP Trunking-Unified Communications Seminars; Wearable Tech Conference & Expo; WebRTC Conference & Expo; and more. Visit TMC Events for additional information.

Harger Lightning & Grounding - Lightning Protection Installation Course

Lightning Protection Installation Course - Register at www.harger.com

Do You Have Questions About Lightning Protection or the UL Certification Process? Sign Up Today - Classes Available Monthly!

Harger’s Lightning Protection Installation Course at Harger University provides the basic requirements of how to properly install a complete lightning protection system which meets the requirements of nationally recognized lightning protection standards NFPA 780 and UL 96A.

Our instructor-lead class provides all materials, covers all areas of lightning installation including: Proper Grounding Practices, Surge Protection, Ground Work, Down Conductors, Bonding, Rooftops, Zone of Protection, Proper Component Usage, Concealed Systems, Bonding Requirements, Potential Equalization, Project Management, UL Listing and Master Label Certification.

The course content is presented by Mark S. Harger, an industry expert with over 20 years experience, through interactive class discussion and participation, the use of videos, and multi-media presentations. A tour of an actual installed lightning protection system is conducted along with product samples available to view and touch for a true hands-on learning experience.

Participation in the class gives the electrical specialist an additional skill set that provides a well rounded solution for their customer. The experience also builds and strengthens further business partnerships as Harger provides continuous support after the class ends with design, project and engineering services for a total system solution.

· Covers all installation practices

· Review NFPA 780 requirements

· Hands-on learning

· Monthly classes available

o Class is held in Grayslake, Illinois

· Earn CEC hours*

o Certain states apply

For more information and to register please visit www.harger.com

Harger Lightning & Grounding 2013 Weld Metal Promotion UltraShot® / NUWTube® Reward Program – Attention Contractors!

Harger’s Weld Metal Reward Program for Contractors launched March 1 and runs throughout 2013! Contractors can earn product for their purchases of UltraShot® and / or NUWTube® weld metal. Buy $500 of UltraShot® and / or NUWTube® and Get One (1) “B” Mold FREE or Buy $2000 of UltraShot® and / or NUWTube® and Get One (1) USCONTROLLER FREE. Submit Proof of Purchase (Distributor Invoice) and Harger will send a “B” Price Mold or USCONTROLLER – the contractor’s choice! For additional details & promotional form visit www.harger.com and click on “Contractors Earn Free Products” on the home page. Or email ultrapromo@harger.com to receive the form by email.

Graybar named Greenest of the Green – recognized by tED magazine, the official publication of the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED)

Published 4/12/2013 10:39:17 AM

tED magazine, the official publication of the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED), is pleased to announce that St. Louis-based Graybar has received the 2013 “Greenest of the Green” award. The award recognizes NAED distributor member companies that have implemented energy-efficiency solutions in their own operations.

“We have a long-term view when it comes to sustainability, which is consistent with how we approach our business,” said Graybar Chairman, President and CEO, Kathleen M. Mazzarella. “As an employee-owned company, our sustainability plan is about acting as responsible stewards of our resources, reducing our impact on the environment and offering sustainable solutions to our customers. We thank NAED for this honor and the work they are doing to make sustainability a focus across our industry.”

Graybar’s green efforts are led by a sustainability committee comprised of senior executives and supported by a cross-functional “Green Team.” Graybar has adopted a sustainability policy that sets the tone for the entire organization. In 2012, the company opened its first facility built to Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED®) standards in Tucson, Ariz. Graybar also has completed lighting retrofits in more than 100 of its owned locations.

In addition, Graybar offers access to a wide range of customer services that support sustainability, including recycling programs for lamps, ballasts and batteries, as well as programs for reducing and recycling packing materials. Graybar PowerSmart® serves as the company’s main platform for intelligent energy solutions for its customers.

Graybar will be recognized for its sustainability efforts at NAED’s National Meeting, which will be held May 4-7 in Boston.

tED magazine is the primary source of information for the electrical distribution channel across North America. The publication is dedicated to best practices for the electrical supply chain. In addition to its print edition, tED magazine produces up-to-the minute news.

The NAED is the trade association for the $70+ billion electrical distribution industry. Through networking, education, research, and benchmarking, NAED helps electrical distributors increase profitability and improve the channel. The NAED’s membership operates in approximately 4,400 locations internationally.

NAED to Recognize Industry Training Efforts at National Meeting - Eaton and Hunzicker Brothers first recipients of Excellence in Training Award

St. Louis, Mo….The National Association of Electrical Distributors will honor one distributor and one manufacturer for their innovative training programs with a new award – Excellence in Training. Hunzicker Brothers and Eaton are the first recipients of this prestigious award.

“The NAED is proud to recognize two leaders in the areas of employee training and development,” said Tom Naber, NAED President/CEO. “Innovative training programs like those that Hunzicker Brothers and Eaton have will help to attract and retain top talent to our industry.”

Three years ago, Hunzicker Brothers made the decision to focus on employee training and development programs. Today, many of Hunzicker Brothers sales team are Certified Electrical Professionals. Their training courses are available in a variety of formats including webinars, podcasts and e-learning which makes it more accessible to employees. The success of these programs is due in large part to senior management’s support.

Eaton’s electrical sales and distributor training team provides multiple opportunities to learn the knowledge and skills needed to sell and support their products and services. They offer a variety of learning opportunities from the traditional instructor-led training to online courses and podcasts to learning games. Eaton also supports their training program by providing tools to make it easier to navigate the variety of opportunities as well as quick reference job aids to support employees in their daily work.

The awards will be given during a closing ceremony at the 2013 NAED National Meeting in Boston on Monday, May 6 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at the Boston Marriott Copley Place.   

'Fastest 50' Trade Shows List Includes NECA - the Electrical Industry's Favorite Show

When Trade Show Executive magazine assembled its list of the "Fastest 50" trade shows for 2012, the NECA Show - the largest U.S. event for electrical professionals, including contractors - made the list for the first time ever.

Top industry shows were ranked in three "Fastest 50" categories. The NECA Show - to be held Oct. 13-15 this year, in Washington, D.C. - was included on two: Number of Exhibiting Companies and Total Attendance. More:http://bit.ly/ZrTGAn.

Held in conjunction with the National Electrical Contractors Association's Convention, the NECA Show is open to all electrical professionals, whether working for NECA-member companies or not. Free Show floor passes (where 300-plus exhibiting companies and organizations await) include admission to more than 18 Technical Workshops (also free) over the 3-day event.

"We are privileged to have been recognized by Trade Show Executive," said Beth Ellis, director of NECA's Convention & Show operation. "It's an honor. But we think we've got plenty of growing to do in 2013 and beyond - adding even more exhibitors in lighting (including LEDs), data cabling and data centers, solar photovoltaics and other energy solutions, safety, vehicles, and of course tools and equipment - the contractor's bread-and-butter."

Renewed NECA Show exhibitors range from major suppliers (Graybar, Schneider, Siemens) to software providers (Project DocControl, McCormick Systems, Trade Service Corp.) and other familiar electrical industry names - Fluke, Ford, Greenlee, GM Fleet, Klein Tools, Milwaukee Electric Tool, Nissan, Ram Trucks, Southwire . . . just to name a few. The full exhibitor list (updated frequently) is available here: http://bit.ly/10xC3yy

HOW TO GET YOUR FREE SHOW PASS: Online registration opens June 4. Electrical professionals should look for FREE registration codes in e-mails and magazine ads (including those in Electrical Contractor magazine). See www.necaconvention.org for more information.

Klein Tools® Introduces Splinter GuardTM Fish & Glow Rods

Wire pulling is now pain free!

April 9, 2013 (Lincolnshire, IL) – Klein Tools, (http://www.kleintools.com/) for professionals since 1857, introduces Splinter Guard Fish and Glow Rods, now with a proprietary protective coating to keep hands free of fiberglass splinters when wire pulling. Raw fiberglass shards become exposed when rods scrap against the sharp edges of electrical boxes, wire trays and threaded rod. The protective coating safeguards hands from these painful fiberglass splinters.

Fish and glow rods are used to install wires above ceilings, in attics, through walls, in crawl spaces, under carpets and raised floors. Extra durable and lightweight, Splinter Guard Rods are available in a variety of lengths and flexibilities. Also, the sections can be threaded together to customize the length needed for the job at hand - no tools needed. In addition, the improved luminescent rods glow two times longer and twice as bright in dark work spaces.

“The first thing most electricians mention when discussing fiberglass fish rods is the painful splinters they get from handling them,” states Marina Wolk, product manager. “The protective coating on the Splinter Guard Rods help protect the hands and allow the electrician to maintain manual dexterity when wire pulling because they don’t need gloves.”

Extra durable and lightweight, Splinter Guard Rods are available in 5/32”, 3/16” and ¼” flexibilities and a variety of lengths. Sets include bullet nose and hook attachments to attach and grab wires. For more information, visit www.kleintools.com or contact your local distributor.

Splinter Guard is a trademark and Klein Tools is a registered trademark of Klein Tools, Inc.

Since 1857 Klein Tools, a family-owned and operated company, has been designing, developing and manufacturing premium-quality, professional-grade hand tools. The majority of Klein tools are manufactured in seven plants throughout the United States and are the number one choice among professional electricians and other tradespeople. For more information, visit www.kleintools.com.

New Video on Lighting Control Education Programs Released by ElectricTV.net = SAVINGS

Latest video highlights the benefits of the NECA/IBEW training programs for lighting control technologies and energy reduction.

Denver, CO April 05, 2013 Dimmer switches are what most often come to mind when thinking about lighting control. They’ve been around since electrical lighting started to become common in the late 19th century - however, it wasn't until about 1960 that solid-state technology made them safe and practical for everyday use. But according to the US Department of Energy, there’s still much work to be done here in 2013 where lighting control and the resulting energy reduction is concerned.

Lights eat more than half of the energy used in today’s commercial buildings. When one considers that less than 1% of those buildings are equipped with modern lighting control systems, it’s easy to recognize there is money to be saved and countless other ‘green’ benefits to be realized by installing a lighting control system today.

Lighting control benefits include lowered energy costs, automated control over how and when artificial lighting is used and compliance with new mandates and regulations.

Broader lighting control benefits include lowered energy costs, automated control over how and when artificial lighting is used and compliance with new mandates and regulations.

To ensure the latest lighting control technologies are installed correctly, a new cutting-edge lighting control training is being carried out by a partnership between NECA and the IBEW, as well as input from Lutron and NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research Development Authority).

This training, along with the value a customer realizes through an efficient new control system, is the subject of the latest mini-documentary from ElectricTV.net, and can also be found on ElectricTV’s YouTube Channel, available at http://www.youtube.com/electrictvonline.

ABOUT ELECTRICTV.NET: ElectricTV.net is a website sponsored by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) for the purpose of promoting and educating the general public about the latest electric technologies as well as the role of those organizations in the installation, utilization and integration of such technologies. Find them online at http://www.electrictv.net

Barry Julien Joins BICSI As Director Of It; Garry White Appointed Manager Of Training Delivery And Operations for BICSI

Tampa, Fla., March 29, 2013—BICSI, the association supporting the information technology systems (ITS) industry with information, education and knowledge assessment, is pleased to announce the appointment of Barry Julien to the position of Director of IT.

Julien’s educational background includes a master’s degree in management of technology from NYU Polytechnic Institute. He has 15 years of experience in the technology field, most of which involved managing complex IT environments. Prior to joining BICSI, Julien held IT management positions for several companies, such as AT&T, Spring Air Inc., The Wallace Foundation and Republic National Bank.

Julien maintains memberships with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) and ASAE, the center for association leadership. As BICSI’s Director of IT, Julien oversees all IT Department functions; is responsible for the development and implementation of technology strategies for BICSI; and is responsible for maintaining and improving the operational effectiveness of the IT department and all IT business procedures.

Additionally, BICSI’s former Master Instructor/Subject Matter Expert, Garry White, RCDD, RTPM, CCNA, has been promoted to Manager of Training Delivery and Operations. He studied computer engineering at Daytona State College and the University of Central Florida and holds several industry certificates, as well as credentials from both BICSI and Cisco. White has more than 35 years of experience, with 15 years in management positions. Before joining BICSI, he participated in several civilian and Department of Defense projects while at Lockheed Space Operations, Corp.

White has been with BICSI since 2010 and has been responsible for acting as a Master Instructor for BICSI courses and a subject matter expert for members and course content. In his new role, some of White’s duties include managing department-sponsored event development, implementation and evaluation; supporting the development and continuing education of BICSI instructors and Authorized Training Facilities; and administering the BICSI Authorized Training Facility Program.

BICSI is a professional association supporting the information technology systems (ITS) industry. ITS covers the spectrum of voice, data, electronic safety & security, project management and audio & video technologies. It encompasses the design, project management and installation of pathways, spaces, optical fiber- and copper-based distribution systems, wireless-based systems and infrastructure that supports the transportation of information and associated signaling between and among communications and information gathering devices.

BICSI provides information, education and knowledge assessment for individuals and companies in the ITS industry. We serve more than 23,000 ITS professionals, including designers, installers and technicians. These individuals provide the fundamental infrastructure for telecommunications, audio/video, life safety and automation systems. Through courses, conferences, publications and professional registration programs, BICSI staff and volunteers assist ITS professionals in delivering critical products and services, and offer opportunities for continual improvement and enhanced professional stature.

Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, USA, BICSI membership spans nearly 100 countries.

BICSI Appoints New Middle East & Africa District Chair

Tampa, Fla., April 15, 2013—BICSI, the association supporting the information technology systems (ITS) industry with information, education and knowledge assessment, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ayman Ahmed Aboslema, RCDD, NTS, OSP, CDCDP, CCNA, CCDA, as the new District Chair for the BICSI Middle East & Africa District.

A systems engineer with Panduit, Aboslema has more than 12 years of information technology systems (ITS) industry experience with comprehensive skills in network infrastructure deployment and data center site preparation and design, including electronic safety and security (ESS) systems, building automation systems and pathways and spaces. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and electronics engineering from Ain Shams University in Cairo. Prior to joining Panduit, Aboslema held the position of pre-sales engineer for IBM and structured cabling consultant with Shaker Consultancy Group. Aboslema currently resides in Doha, Qatar.

“The appointment of Ayman Ahmed Aboslema to BICSI Middle East & Africa District Chair highlights BICSI’s commitment to growth in this very important area of the world. Ayman brings leadership and experience, and we look forward to his contributions now and in the future,” said BICSI President Jerry Bowman, RCDD, RTPM, NTS, CISSP, CPP, CDCDP.

With ample project management experience and a focus on teamwork, Aboslema hopes to increase the demand for BICSI Registered Communication Distribution Designers (RCDDs) and BICSI standards and best practices in the district. He plans to promote BICSI’s leadership through the use of social networking, regional events that include inviting key clients and consultants and ensuring that quality educational presentations are featured at regional conferences.

Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, USA, BICSI membership spans nearly 100 countries.

BICSI Japan District Welcomes New Chair And Secretary

Tampa, Fla., April 17, 2013—BICSI, the association supporting the information technology systems (ITS) industry with information, education and knowledge assessment, is pleased to announce the appointment of Yoshitaka Matsushima, RCDD, as the new BICSI Japan District Chair, and Masayuki Mori, RCDD, as the new BICSI Japan District Secretary. Together, Matsushima and Mori bring more than 30 years of ITS experience to the Japan District.

Currently working as a data center manager and operation team manager with ING Life Insurance Company in Tokyo, Matsushima has more than 16 years of experience including data center design, disaster recovery, management of multiple data center sites and installation. Matsushima joined the BICSI Japan Steering Committee in 2007 and has served as BICSI Japan District Secretary since 2009. He is also a BICSI Certified Trainer. As District Chair, Matsushima hopes to further increase BICSI membership in Japan, disseminate BICSI best practices and standards and introduce the concept of certified BICSI installers. His ultimate goal is to eventually grow the Japan District to Region status.

Mori is an assistant sales manager with TE Connectivity and has 17 years of industry experience, including project management of several sizable projects throughout Japan. After receiving his RCDD in 2004, Mori assisted with the translation of BICSI’s Telecommunications Distribution Methods Manual (TDMM) into Japanese and is working to translate the ANSI/BICSI 002-2011, Data Center Design and Implementation Best Practices standard. As the BICSI Japan District Secretary, Mori will work with the District Chair to increase BICSI membership and promote the association to ITS Installers in the District.

"BICSI is proud to have these two individuals take up such important leadership positions in BICSI's Japan District. This commitment demonstrates their dedication to the association and to the industry," said BICSI President Jerry Bowman, RCDD, RTPM, NTS, CISSP, CPP, CDCDP. "Both Yoshitaki Matsushima and Masayuki Mori bring with them years of experience that will help steer BICSI Japan membership and increase best practices and standards in the district for years to come."

BICSI is a professional association supporting the information technology systems (ITS) industry. ITS covers the spectrum of voice, data, electronic safety & security, project management and audio & video technologies. It encompasses the design, project management and installation of pathways, spaces, optical fiber- and copper-based distribution systems, wireless-based systems and infrastructure that supports the transportation of information and associated signaling between and among communications and information gathering devices.

Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, USA, BICSI membership spans nearly 100 countries.

BICSI Meets Industry Need With New Healthcare Standard

Tampa, Fla., April 10, 2013—BICSI, the association supporting the information technology systems (ITS) industry with information, education and knowledge assessment, recently released its newest standard, ANSI/BICSI 004-2012, Information Technology Systems Design and Implementation Best Practices for Healthcare Institutions and Facilities.

A healthcare facility’s main function is to save lives, and its infrastructure must be capable of supporting that mission. BICSI 004-2012 has been developed to provide guidance on issues specific to the healthcare environment. Today’s healthcare facility’s technology infrastructure supports an increasing amount of medical procedures and clinical processes, as well as business and enterprise operations. With industry initiatives such as electronic health records and enhanced security coupled with the convergence of clinical and information technology, the need to build, upgrade or replace the built electronic infrastructure has become a critical issue with healthcare. This standard provides requirements and recommendations for best practices for the design and implementation of information technology systems infrastructure for healthcare institutions and facilities for meeting today and tomorrow’s needs.

Written for the wide variety of facilities including hospitals, outpatient clinics and skilled nursing facilities, BICSI 004-2012 covers not only common telecommunications and IT infrastructure concerns, but specific healthcare systems such as nurse call, interactive television/hospitality systems and connected medical imaging.

“BICSI 004-2012 is a great resource for ITS designers working on healthcare facilities. It is a continuation of BICSI’s history of leadership in documenting industry best practices and developing standards,” said Jerry Bowman, RCDD, NTS, RTPM, CISSP, CPP, CDCDP, BICSI President. “It is the culmination of the efforts of many BICSI subject matter experts in a wide variety of disciplines related to healthcare.”

BICSI 004-2012 is available for purchase at www.bicsi.org/004.

Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, USA, BICSI membership spans nearly 100 countries.

FiberPlex Appoints Cardone, Solomon & Associates to Represent its Fiber Optic Line

Firm adds fiber optics line to secure communications for financial, law enforcement and other organizations in New England and metro New York plus surround territory

Annapolis Junction, MD – With IT and AV industries converging and fiber optics now a vital link between the two, leading fiber optics manufacturer FiberPlex Technologies recently signed on firm Cardone, Solomon & Associates (CS&A) to represent its fiber optic product line to AV integrators and their clients in the New England and metro New York City plus surrounding territory.

“We’re experiencing unprecedented demand for fiber optic technology and with this boom comes a responsibility to educate the market. We are very fortunate to have the CS&A team on board with us to provide expert consulting and support to our customers,” said Kyle Rosenbloom, Eastern Regional Client Relations Executive for FiberPlex.

CS&A is well known for its consultative approach to systems integration and works with top financial, law enforcement, and other large organizations for which secure communications is paramount.

FiberPlex manufactures a line of fiber optic communication products and has a brand presence that goes back a quarter of a century as a leading global communications company, including an early leadership role in TEMPEST mitigation for the U.S. government.

The two are teaming up to provide solutions to organizations with high-risk data, video and audio content now exceeding the limitations of traditional copper cabling. Fiber optic technology by FiberPlex offers ten times the transference rate of copper and isn’t susceptible to the signal leakage problems typical of copper cabling, which can result in security breaches and data corruption over longer distances.

“FiberPlex is an important addition to our portfolio because they solve our customers’ growing need for long-distance, secure signal distribution, which is taxing on copper cable,” commented John Cardone, who co-founded CS&A along with Mike Solomon in 1997 to work closely with AV systems integrators.

With this new line, CS&A will be able to provide better data handling and security solutions to AV integrators and their customers, who are now faced with larger volumes of data distributed over longer distances as well as stricter data privacy laws holding them accountable for safeguarding customer information.

“Together, with our integration expertise and FiberPlex’ products, we will be able to strengthen and secure networks for integrators and their clients,” said CS&A’s Mike Solomon.

About FiberPlex Technologies, LLC (www.fiberplex.com)

FiberPlex Technologies, LLC is the global leader in secure digital communications. The FiberPlex brand has been engineering, manufacturing and delivering secure fiber solutions to the U.S. government for a quarter of a century and shares that expertise with commercial and international markets. As an expert in the industry, FiberPlex educates all sorts of businesses, including houses of worship, hospitals, financial institutions, campuses, broadcasters and live production firms, on how to leverage technology to lower risk and increase profits.

Minuteman Releases Security Power Resources for Users & Installers at ISC West - White paper, video, and website provide valuable insight about security power protection

Las Vegas, NV – April 10, 2013 – Para Systems, Inc., manufacturer of the Minuteman line of power protection products today announced the release of a full set of security power resources at the International Security Conference (ISC) in Las Vegas. Resources include a white paper titled “Security and Power: The Critical Role of Power Protection for Security Applications,” an educational video, as well as an online Security channel page at Minutemanups.com. These resources focus on the potential consequences of security system failure, along with the power protection solutions needed for protecting critical equipment.

The white paper, video, and channel page, www.minutemanups.com/security, aim to provide background information on power and its associated anomalies, as well as showing users and installers how power problems can affect businesses and campuses. The use of power protection within security applications is also outlined, and readers are shown how a comprehensive power plan can further contribute to securing facilities. Above and beyond merely causing an inconvenience, power problems can endanger the safety of employees, students, patrons and customers.

“Security systems and power are closely intertwined with each other,” stated Bill Allen, director of marketing for Para Systems. “Without power, security systems cease to function, leaving businesses, employees and customers unprotected – and that’s not a good thing.”

Power protection is needed wherever there are cameras, video recording devices (DVRs and NVRs), access control systems, fire alarms, intrusion detection devices, emergency communications equipment, asset protection or loss prevention systems. All these mission critical systems play a part in protecting a business or other institution.

“By the time a power incident occurs or disaster strikes, it’s too late to take many of the important steps to protect a business. Too many business owners and managers take the supply of power for granted and do not plan accordingly,” stated Allen.

Minuteman Power Technologies provides many solutions that can protect business and security systems ranging from AC Surge Products to Extended Runtime UPSs. AC Surge Products are designed to protect equipment from catastrophic power problems, and are recommended for non-critical devices. Data Line Surge products are also available to protect cameras, DVR’s, POE and IP devices.

For mission critical equipment, Minuteman’s uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) protect devices from 100% of power problems. These units use a variety of hardware to remove problems from incoming utility power, including spikes, electrical interference, brownouts, and surges. A UPS also provides the battery backup power needed to keep your security system working during a power failure.

In today’s connected world, being without power is simply not an option. Minuteman's comprehensive line of power protection products offer business owners the peace of mind from knowing their physical assets, customers, and staff will be safe when power problems occur, and they didn’t have to break the bank to get there. View all of the Security Power Resources at www.minutemanups.com/security.

About Para Systems, Inc.

Para Systems, Inc., based in Carrollton, TX, is a leading provider of power technologies. The company’s Minuteman brand of comprehensive power protection solutions include small to large-scale uninterruptible power supply (UPS) products, a full line of unique surge suppressors, power distribution units, and remote power management systems. Minuteman products protect telephone/VOIP systems, personal computers, network servers and infrastructure peripherals, security systems, and industrial applications. The Minuteman brand of products is sold through a large network of distributors and resellers. Para Systems is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Components Corporation of America, headquartered in Dallas, TX, whose roots date back to 1916. For more information, visit www.minutemanups.com.

RAD Launches Secure SCADA-Aware Solution for Power Utilities and Transportation Networks

MAHWAH, New Jersey, May 2, 2013 – RAD Data Communications, the veteran manufacturer of Service Assured Networking solutions for utilities and transportation networks, has announced the launch of its new ruggedized IEC 61850-3 and IEEE 1613 compliant SecureFlow™ Ethernet switch/router.

“What makes SecureFlow unique is that it is the only secure, SCADA-aware switch/router in the market that incorporates up to 16 Fast Ethernet and two Gigabit Ethernet ports as well as integrated serial interfaces, protocol gateway functionality and an advanced firewall in a single box,” states Mati Epstein, Power Utilities & Transportation Line of Business head at RAD.

SecureFlow provides flexible connectivity for Ethernet intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) as well as older serial remote terminal units (RTUs) with full redundancy over various topologies using fiber optic rings, 2/3G cellular modems and external radio systems. The gateway function enables it to comprehend both Ethernet IED and serial RTU protocols, so, in utility applications, SecureFlow can convert old IEC-101 SCADA protocols to the new IEC-104 IP-compatible equivalents, or Modbus serial to IP, DNP3 and others. These conversions enable seamless communication of IP SCADA to both old and new RTUs.

“SecureFlow is future proof, in that it leverages new packet-switched infrastructure for legacy connectivity,” Epstein notes. “This will reduce CapEx and OpEx in the years ahead, even after the migration to packet-switched networks is complete.”

The solution’s advanced security package includes a per-port SCADA-aware firewall employing deep packet inspection, and an integrated VPN agent for inter-site connectivity using IPsec, so that critical information is encrypted end-to-end. “Security threats and regulations are forcing the adoption of combined protection mechanisms in any new communications solution,” Epstein explains. “Bringing distributed security directly into every node in the network, rather than restricting it to a central site, protects the entire system from the latest generation of risks, which can emanate from many different directions,” he adds. “Unmanned sites may otherwise be easily penetrated, regardless of the precautions taken at the control center.”

“Ruggedized and built for the demanding conditions of utilities and transportation networks, SecureFlow provides a total multiservice solution,” Epstein concludes.

RAD’s power utility customers include Eskom, Terna, Enel, National Grid USA, Hydro Quebec, Endesa, IEC, Kepco, Meralco, E-on, Elia, Nampower, AES, Powercor, and Novosibirsk Energo. Its solutions have also been deployed at international airports in Britain, Germany, India, and Korea; by nationwide railways in Romania, Singapore, Spain, and Vietnam; and by expressways in Australia, Canada, Japan, and Switzerland.

About RAD

RAD Data Communications provides Service Assured Access solutions that reduce operational complexity and improve service profitability for retail, wholesale and mobile service providers, as well as evolutional migration solutions for service providers and power and transportation utilities, facilitating a smooth, secure and cost-effective transition to packet-based networks. RAD’s multi-faceted in-house technology embraces OAM and performance management; service assurance; traffic management; fault management; synchronization and timing over packet; TDM pseudowire; ASIC and FPGA development; hardware miniaturization; and SFP form-factor solutions. The company's installed base exceeds 12,000,000 units and encompasses more than 150 service providers around the world, as well as scores of power utilities, transportation systems and government institutions. RAD is active in industry standardization bodies such as the IETF, Broadband Forum, ITU, and MEF. RAD is a member of the $1.2 billion RAD Group of companies, a world leader in networking and internetworking product solutions. RAD site: www.rad.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/RADdatacomms

RAD to Service Providers: Normalize Your Network with Service Assured Access

New Service Assured Access Solution Provides Comprehensive Offering to Lower Service Provider TCO and Increase Revenue Opportunities

MAHWAH, New Jersey, April 15, 2013 – At Light Reading Ethernet Europe 2013 in Frankfurt, Germany and the IP Possibilities Conference & Expo in Minneapolis, Minnesota, RAD will unveil for general availability its new Service Assured Access (SAA) solution. This follows a successful limited rollout to select service provider customers on several continents.

The comprehensive offering features a robust service lifecycle toolkit that is designed to normalize the access network using a vast array of capabilities that go beyond MEF CE 2.0 requirements, and supports multiple deployment mode scenarios over various bearer circuits: fiber, DSL and PDH. Service providers implementing RAD’s SAA solution will be able to significantly increase their service revenues while lowering all aspects of their operational costs in the access network.

“RAD’s new Service Assured Access solution gives service providers a multi-faceted lifecycle toolkit covering service turn-up, traffic management, timing synchronization, TDM pseudowire, ongoing performance monitoring, fault management, and various resiliency mechanisms,” said Ilan Tevet, head of RAD’s Service Provider Line of Business.

“Each component of the MEF-certified SAA solution is designed towards cost reduction and adding value throughout the service lifecycle for retail providers of business Ethernet services, international service providers, wholesale providers, mobile operators leasing backhaul networks, and cloud providers.”

With its rich service lifecycle toolkit, RAD’s SAA can be adapted to different deployment scenarios.

“Network buildouts typically take place at a varied pace,” Tevet explained. ”Service providers can implement RAD’s SAA to fit their rollout plans, existing infrastructure, migration plans, and OpEx/CapEx objectives. It lets them build a complete Carrier Ethernet access network, including smart demarcation and Ethernet service pre-aggregation."

Tevet added that “They can also use RAD’s SAA to build only a part of the network, for example to facilitate inter-carrier ENNI handoff or to provide smart demarcation, where the edge or aggregation layer is provided by another vendor. RAD has vast experience in working with all major metro/core switch and MSAN vendors to ensure interoperability and seamless integration.”

Alternatively, RAD’s Service Assured Access solution provides instant Carrier Ethernet functionality for third-party switches, routers, and Ethernet converters using the unique MiNID^® – RAD’s miniature NID in an SFP sleeve form factor.

“Plugging the MiNID into non-Carrier Ethernet equipment is a fast and easy way to normalize an existing network and enable it with Ethernet OAM capabilities and service demarcation while reusing existing SFP optics and avoiding unnecessary network forklifts,” Tevet noted.

"Our research shows worldwide revenue for business Ethernet services is projected to exceed $45 billion by 2016,” said Erin Dunne, Director of Research Services at Vertical Systems Group. “Management tools are an increasingly critical element for service providers to meet this demand and deliver scalable services efficiently.”

“Every customer and prospect we have spoken to has repeated the same basic mantra: We want a solution that will cut our costs and increase our revenues. RAD’s SAA does just that," Tevet said.

Light Reading’s Ethernet Europe and the IP Possibilities Conference & Expo both open on April 16.

About RAD

RAD Data Communications provides Service Assured Access solutions that reduce operational complexity and improve service profitability for retail, wholesale and mobile service providers, as well as evolutional migration solutions for service providers and power and transportation utilities, facilitating a smooth, secure and cost-effective transition to packet-based networks. RAD’s multi-faceted in-house technology embraces OAM and performance management; service assurance; traffic management; fault management; synchronization and timing over packet; TDM pseudowire; ASIC and FPGA development; hardware miniaturization; and SFP form-factor solutions. The company's installed base exceeds 12,000,000 units and encompasses more than 150 service providers around the world, including Bharti Airtel, British Telecom, CenturyLink, China Mobile, China Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, Embratel, France Telecom/Orange, Hutchison, KDDI, KPN, SingTel, SoftBank, Sprint, Telefónica, A1 Telekom Austria, TeliaSonera, Telstra, Telus, T-Mobile, Verizon International, and Vodafone. RAD is active in industry standardization bodies such as the IETF, Broadband Forum, ITU, and MEF. RAD is a member of the $1.2 billion RAD Group of companies, a world leader in networking and internetworking product solutions.

UK’s Largest Zoo Chooses Fluke Networks’ OptiView XG to Help Identify and Fix Network and Application Issues Fast

EVERETT, Wash. – April 26, 2013 – Chester Zoo, the largest zoo in the UK and home to more than 11,000 animals,has selected Fluke Networks’OptiView™ XG Network Analysis Tablet to gain visibility that helps quickly troubleshoot problems with its network and applications. With more than 175 PCs, 300 IP phones, 100 PC-based electronic point-of-sales cash registers (or EPoS tills) and 50 printers, the 400 person staff relies heavily on the zoo’s network to meet the needs of the more than 1.4 million visitors a year. The OptiView XG allows the IT department to proactively monitor performance, and when problems emerge, immediately isolate and take issues by the horns before they impact productivity and operations.

“Prior to the OptiView XG, when an application crashed or the network went down, more often than not, we were notified by actual users in the field. At this point, the damage was already done and we had to hoof it to fix it as fast as possible,” said Martin King, IT manager at Chester Zoo. “Since most of our tools were complex and required significant training, engineers would spend days hunting down a problem and would have to manually correlate mountains of data to find a root cause. We just couldn’t fix problems fast enough.”

The zoo IT department also struggled to proactively monitor the overall health and performance of the network. Using a mixed bag of outdated tools, King and his team constantly burrowed into key network and application devices daily to verify performance. This took a tremendous amount of time, sometimes more than two hours a day.

“The solutions we had in place gave us some really basic ‘up or down’ insight into key technologies we had deployed, but we were blind as bats to real granular readings that gave us foresight into problems that might be building,” Kingsaid. “We needed to a solution to automate and streamline this process. The OptiView XG was it. Not only does it give us visibility into performance in just minutes, but also when a problem does rear its ugly head, we can instantly use it to isolate that problem, from a remote location, and then send an engineer to the exact location to perform a fix.”

The OptiView XG has already paid for itself many times over at Chester Zoo and continues to save IT staff significant amounts of time and money. “It gives us proactive insight into information that previously we could only see by reacting with complex tools. Its built-in intelligence and graphical format helps us fix the problems fast, we can dig into packet level details, and the mobility of the tablet means we can quickly head into the field and get more detailed information from the source, if need be,” King said. “I’m so impressed with its ease-of-use and the depth of information it provides – it’s now our go-to networking guru.”

For more information on the OptiView XG or to arrange a demo, visit the website.

About Chester Zoo
Chester Zoo is a registered conservation charity located in Cheshire and welcomes more than 1.4 million visitors a year. It was established in 1931 and is the largest zoo in the UK. It is home to more than 11,000 animals and 500 different species, many of which are endangered. For more information, please visit the website.

About Fluke Networks
Fluke Networks is the world-leading provider of network test and monitoring solutions to speed the deployment and improve the performance of networks and applications. Leading enterprises and service providers trust Fluke Networks’ products and expertise to help solve today’s toughest issues and emerging challenges in WLAN security, mobility, unified communications and data centers. Based in Everett, Wash., the company distributes products in more than 50 countries. For more information, visit www.FlukeNetworks.com or call +1 (425) 446-4519.

For additional information, promotions and updates, follow Fluke Networks on Twitter @FlukeNetENT, Facebook, or on the LinkedIn Company or Group page.

Oberon Introduces New Model 1076 and 1078 Recessed-Wall or Hard-Lid Ceiling Enclosures for Multimedia Gateways and WAPs

Enclosure mounts secures wireless access points or Apple TVs® in classrooms and public spaces for security, improved wireless or IR signal coverage.

State College, PA – April 18, 2013 Oberon, Inc., a leading developer of wireless and telecommunications enclosures, announced an addition to their line of enclosures designed to secure either multimedia gateways, such as the Apple TV®, or wireless access points. The launch follows a November 2012 announcement of two related mounting enclosures for securing access points and gateways in suspended ceiling, Models 1075 and 1077. The 1075 is a ceiling tile insert at 12 ¾” x 12 ¾” x 3” while the 1077 is a 2'x2' ceiling tile replacement. The new Models 1076 and 1078 bring the same functionality to hard-lid spaces application, providing a recessed mounting solution for either walls or ceilings.

The new Model 1076 wireless LAN access point mounting solution products is a locking, recessed-wall, or hard-ceiling insert designed to conveniently secure wireless access points and other wireless components while satisfying UL criteria for heat and visible smoke release in air-handling spaces. AP vendor-specific doors are also available.

Installation requires a square opening to be cut into the wall or ceiling. The Model 1076 series has The a 15" square, powder-coated beveled flange which provides an attractive finish. The Model 1078 series has a perimeter “mud ring” such that the enclosure back-box can finished into the wall, revealing only the door. Both enclosures are only 3” deep, so they can be installed in just about any wall or ceiling, and the enclosure is retained in place by two included wall bridges.

Oberon's recent trend of providing a choice of doors for the same back-box continues, making the enclosure highly configurable and aiding in the migration to new wireless access points or multimedia gateways. This aesthetic, white powder-coated steel enclosure is available with a white ABS plastic lid to conceal a wireless access point (1076-WA) or a clear polycarbonate dome (1076-CP), Both covers are virtually transparent to wireless signals, and the clear dome allows the use of IR remotes for enclosed multimedia devices. Additional doors have been designed specifically for mounting and securing Cisco (1076-CCOAP) and Aruba Networks (1076-AP135) access points in a securely and aesthetically. Oberon’s enclosure doors are interchangeable, simplifying future equipment upgrades.

For more information about securing wireless and multimedia devices, please call 1-877-867-2312 or visit http://oberonwireless.com. Apple TV® is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.

ABOUT OBERON, INC. -

Since 1999, Oberon, Inc. has been providing products and services to integrators and end users of wireless LAN "Wi-Fi" network products. Oberon’s wireless enclosures and antenna products are used where the RF coverage, infrastructure security, environmental robustness, and aesthetics are paramount in the network design and implementation. Oberon offers ceiling-mounted telecommunications enclosures for Ethernet switches, patch panels, wireless controllers, and other networking and A/V components - ideal for structured cabling, Fiber-to-the-Enclosure (FTTE), and PON deployments.

Oberon’s products and services have helped thousands of integrators and end-users in the global healthcare, government, transportation and logistics, education, retail, hospitality, and manufacturing achieve reliable indoor network connection mobility.

Open Your Ears And Your Hearts - Listen To This Amazing Voice!

THIS WILL BLOW YOU AWAY............AMAZING VOICE

No matter what your faith, I think this is something we all pray for.

Not only is this original song FANTASTIC but the singer will blow you away. I had to share this with you. It is truly beautiful. Hope you enjoy it as much a I did.

http://www.staged.com/video?v=NtK

Click here: To Believe

OSP® Magazine Announces Closing Keynote Speaker for OSP EXPO® 2013

Schaumburg, Illinois OSP^®magazine, the leader in telecom network education, today announced Ernie Carey, Senior Vice President-Construction and Engineering, AT&T Operations, Inc. as the closing keynote at OSP EXPO on Thursday, October 10, 2013. Mr. Carey joins Diane McCarthy, Senior Vice President of Verizon’s Network and Technology – Service Delivery & Assurance organization in the keynote lineup at OSP EXPO 2013. Ms. McCarthy will present the opening keynote on Wednesday, October 9, 2013. OSP EXPO will take place October 8 – 10, 2013 at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, TX.

Carey is responsible for planning, design, construction and capital maintenance of the wireline and wireless network infrastructure across AT&T’s national footprint, including Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. He is also responsible for the Project Lightspeed build, which prepares AT&T facilities to support the entire U-verse product set including voice, video and data. He was appointed to his current position in March 2008. “Ernie has been an important partner of the OSP brand over the years, as well as leader in our segment of the industry. We are thrilled he will join us this year in Dallas,” said Sharon Vollman, President/Editorial Director OSP magazine.

Since July 2007, Carey served as Senior Vice President-Network Services for AT&T Southwest, where he was responsible for the customer provisioning, repair, construction and maintenance of the network infrastructure in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. Previously he served as Vice President, Advanced Network Technologies.

Carey began his career in Houston with Southwestern Bell in 1974 after graduating from college and holds both BBA and MBA degrees. He progressed through a series of operations, engineering, and marketing jobs in Southwestern Bell/SBC and now AT&T.

Carey is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Sam Houston Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He was appointed by then Governor Bush as a member of the Commission on State Emergency Communications and also served for eight years on the Board of Directors of the Greater Harris County E911 District. He is a former board member of the Houston Technology Advisory Board, the Technology Opportunity Institute, and a former member of the Engineering Advisory Board, College of Engineering, at the University of Houston. He currently serves on the board of the Circle Ten Council for the Boy Scouts of America in Dallas.

With the OSP EXPO 2013 exhibit floor nearly sold out, and 7 out of 10 attendees armed with purchasing authority or influence, OSP EXPO 2013 will be the must-attend telecom tradeshow for everything network related. For complete information about OSP EXPO 2013, visit http://www.ospmag.com/expo. Registration will begin in May.

About OSP EXPO

OSP EXPO is owned by Practical Communications Incorporated (PCI), a world-class publisher of technology information resources, dedicated to advancing technology businesses with niche magazines and trade shows. OSP EXPO, the industry leader in telecom network education, will bring together OSP professionals from the ILEC, IOC, and CLEC communities delivering the latest OSP technologies and seminars offering attendees the opportunity to receive continuing education credits from BICSI, ETA, and BCSP. The Network Solutions Marketplace, OSP EXPO 2013, will take place October 8 – 10, 2013 at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, Texas. For more information, visit www.ospmag.com/expo.

Practical Communications, Inc., parent company of OSP magazine, OSP WORLD, and OSP EXPO is certified as a women’s business enterprise through the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). By doing business with Practical Communications, Inc. – a WBENC certified company – you position your company to receive the best communications, the best delivery and the best technology, all with the added benefit of entrepreneurship and heightened commitment to quality shown by a woman-owned business. The WBENC is the nation’s largest third party certifier of business owned and operated by women in the U.S. We recognize the commitment to supplier diversity that is embraced by corporations and government agencies today and look forward to adding diversity to your supply chain.

Our Immediate Economic Future – commentary by Joe Salimando

By Joe Salimando (ecdotcom@gmail.com)

There’s a significant chance that, despite all of the happy talk among economists and pundits, you and I – as participating members in the global economy – are about to fall into a gigantic, almost-inescapable pothole.

Like the one in 2007-08? No. Worse. Really.

Here are three articles I’ve read recently. You should read them:

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, Helicopter QE will never be reversed.

John Hussman, We should already know how this will end.

Doug Noland, Things Have Gone Too Far.

These three people might not know each other. Pritchard writes (wonderfully) for a British newspaper. Hussman is a famous money manager (that is, he actually invests billions of dollars of client money). Noland’s “Credit Bubble Bulletin” – which I’ve read weekly since at least the year 2000 – is a roundup of what’s going on in the world of credit . . . with a strong leaning toward sound money.

What these three pieces have in common should scare you:

1. They are recent.

2. They contain facts (as well as opinion). The facts are what’s important.

3. You will encounter facts in these pieces that you don’t see in the mainstream media, or even the business media. That doesn’t make them speculation or opinion; these still ARE facts!

Pritchard: “Columbia Professor Michael Woodford, the world's most closely followed monetary theorist, says it is time to come clean and state openly that bond purchases are forever, and the sooner people understand this the better.”

In other words: The Fed and the other Central Banks of the world, many of which are in the midst of massive programs of buying the debt of their governments – as rapidly as they can – are never going to “unwind” these positions. Essentially, if this is correct, the world is continuing on the road to permanently monetizing the debt of its governments.

Parallel Infrastructure Secures Tower Development Agreements With 21 Short-line Railroads in 2012

Today the Company has Agreements with 22 Railroads in 17 States; nearly 1,700 miles of Corridor Property now in its Communications Development Portfolio

CORAL GABLES, FL – (April 16, 2013) – Parallel Infrastructure LLC, a leading right-of-way (ROW) land management and communications infrastructure development company, continues its national expansion with the signing of 21 new short-line and regional railroad agreements over the past 12 months. This brings the total amount of managed right-of-way property in Parallel Infrastructure’s communications development portfolio to nearly 1,700 miles spanning 17 states across the country.

“We continue to expand our footprint nationwide, forming strategic relationships and adding prime corridor property to our growing communications infrastructure portfolio,” said Frank Chechile, CEO of Parallel Infrastructure. “We look forward to creating long-term value for our new railroad partners. The contiguous nature and appealing geography of their properties allows us to create a modern infrastructure that can be leveraged by mobile carriers, railroads, local municipalities, and other tenants to increase the range, capacity, and capability of their networks on a local and regional basis.”

Combining its more than 100 years of right-of-way property management and development experience with its telecommunications development expertise, industry relationships, and financial strength, Parallel Infrastructure is uniquely able to assist right-of-way property owners with maximizing the value of their real estate. The company works with right-of-way property owners, public sector agencies and wireless communication service providers nationwide to maximize the opportunity to establish infrastructure in key locations.

Parallel Infrastructure will continue its expansion in 2013, according to Chechile. “We will also widen our focus to include other types of properties, such as those owned by public sector entities, and diversify our development efforts to include other types of infrastructure,” he added.

About Parallel Infrastructure

Parallel Infrastructure LLC is the first universal Right-of-Way (ROW) management and communications infrastructure development company focused on monetizing and maximizing the value of underutilized land assets along railroad and highway corridors for third-party clients. The company’s service offerings include real estate management services, telecommunications infrastructure development, and generating ancillary revenue streams through alternative ROW uses. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla. with regional offices nationwide, Parallel Infrastructure is a wholly owned subsidiary of Florida East Coast Industries, Inc. For more information, visit www.parallelinfrastructure.com

904) 450-4830

info@parallelinfrastructure.com

4601 Touchton Road East
Bldg. 300, Suite 3200
Jacksonville, FL 32246

About Florida East Coast Industries, Inc.

Florida East Coast Industries, Inc. (FECI) is one of Florida’s oldest and largest full-service commercial real estate and infrastructure companies. Headquartered in Coral Gables, Fla., FECI has a rich history dating back over a century. Mr. Henry Flagler first established a predecessor company in 1892, which became a pioneer in the development of Florida's eastern coast. Today, FECI continues to transform Florida as the parent company to four distinct business lines including Flagler, a full-service commercial real estate company; All Aboard Florida, the United States’ first privately owned, operated and maintained intercity passenger rail; South Florida Logistics Services, an integrated logistics company that offers a wide range of logistics services and solutions; and Parallel Infrastructure, a leader in third-party Right of Way (ROW) management and development services. FECI is owned by private equity funds managed by affiliates of Fortress Investment Group LLC. For more information, visit www.feci.com

Fiber Momentum Continues to Build: FTTH Council Applauds Announcement of Third Google Fiber City

(WASHINGTON) Earlier today, Google announced Provo, Utah will become the third Google Fiber City, providing gigabit connectivity to one of the nation's innovation hubs. This announcement comes just weeks after the selection of the second deployment, Austin, Texas, was revealed. The Fiber to the Home (FTTH) Council Americas, a non-profit association dedicated to expanding the deployment of ultra-high speed, all-fiber networks across the country, issued the following statement by President, Heather Burnett Gold:

Today's announcement from Google is yet another validation that fiber is finally coming into its own in America. Communities across the country are increasingly committed to providing their citizens with the vital infrastructure they need to compete and succeed in the information economy. Cities large and small, from Seattle, Washington to Lafayette, Louisiana, understand that ultra high-speed networks will play a crucial role in empowering our nation's communities and we congratulate Google Fiber on adding Provo, Utah to the ever-growing roster of Gigabit Cities.

For those countless cities across America still struggling to upgrade their networks, the FTTH Council remains committed to continuing our work to provide community and business leaders with the tools they need to obtain fiber connectivity and we look forward to discussing them with you during our upcoming workshop, "From Gigabit Envy to Gigabit Deployed" in Kansas City, MO on May 29th-30th.

About the Fiber to the Home Council Americas

The Fiber to the Home (FTTH) Council Americas is a non-profit association consisting of companies and organizations that deliver video, Internet and/or voice services over high-bandwidth, next-generation, direct fiber optic connections - as well as those involved in planning and building FTTH networks. Its mission is to accelerate deployment of all-fiber access networks by demonstrating how fiber-enabled applications and solutions create value for service providers and their customers, promote economic development and enhance quality of life. More information about the Council can be found at www.ftthcouncil.org. More information about the Community Toolkit Conference: From Gigabit Envy to Gigabit Deployed, can be found at www.ftthcouncil.org/p/cm/ld/fid=71.

The Light Brigade® and iT Learning Solution Partner for Fiber Optic Training in Asia

Tukwila, WA – The Light Brigade and iT Learning Solution (iTLS), a Singapore-based IT training company, have signed an agreement to prepare a global workforce for the rapidly growing need of experienced fiber optic technicians and managers in the fiber optic industry. The partnership expands iT Learning Solution’s world-class IT training portfolio to include fiber optic training provided by The Light Brigade and in turn, broadens The Light Brigade’s reach into the Asia Pacific market.

“With bandwidth continuing to expand, only fiber optic technology can deliver the services vital to meet the communications needs of society. A new breed of skilled professionals is required to design, plan, install and maintain these systems so that businesses can grow,” explained Dario De Paolis, vice president and general manager of The Light Brigade. “This partnership brings the experience, reach and confidence IT managers require so they can deliver leading-edge courses that prepare their staff for real-world situations involving fiber optic networks.”

Norbert Jacobsen, vice president of APAC South/iTLS reaffirmed, “With The Light Brigade’s experience and proven track record, we are confident they can provide the appropriate training and maintain competitive standards ensuring that we have highly-skilled trained professionals knowledgeable with the most up-to-date fundamentals of fiber optic technology.”

iTLS aspires to be one of the most sought-after education companies in Asia. Operating under the Fast Lane group of companies of Germany, iTLS commits to maintaining the same level of absolute educational competency, great customer service and guaranteed customer satisfaction. iTLS has been delivering basic to high-end IT training in south Asia Pacific covering countries such as Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, New Zealand, Vietnam, Philippines and Sri Lanka.

The Light Brigade operates primarily in North America and with this partnership, plans to establish a strong presence in Asia. As a catalyst in this rapidly-evolving field of fiber optics, The Light Brigade will continue to help the communications industry advance in North America and abroad.

About The Light Brigade

Founded in 1987, The Light Brigade has instructed over 45,000 attendees worldwide in its public and custom classes on fiber optic design, maintenance, and testing, including advanced topics such as FTTx, DWDM, and PMD/CD. In addition to creating custom courses tailored to any need or skill level, the company produces educational DVDs and CDs that provide focus on specific fiber related topics. To learn more, visit their website at www.lightbrigade.com.

About iT Learning Solution

iT Learning Solution (iTLS), a Fast Lane company, was founded in the year 2004 is a cloud and data center certification specialist in Asia Pacific. Prior to this partnership, iTLS has been delivering IT trainings for almost a decade primarily Cisco, NetApp and Citrix and including trainings in participation with a partner for RedHat, Microsoft, VMware, HP, Juniper and Fast Lane courses. To learn more, visit their website at http://sg.itls.asia/company.

Times Microwave Systems Extends Times-Protect® Product Warranty

Times Microwave Systems has extended its product warranty for its world class line of Times-Protect^® lightning protection products. In addition to the standard warranty, Times now offers to replace any Times-Protect^® lightning protector free of charge during the warranty period if it’s damaged or destroyed in a lightning strike while protecting the RF equipment. Complete warranty information is available at:

http://www.timesmicrowave.com/documents/resources/Times-Protect%20Warranty.pdf

About Times Microwave Systems

Times Microwave Systems has over 60 years experience in designing innovative, high-reliability, coaxial cables and assemblies for demanding interconnection problems. An engineering oriented organization, the company specializes in the design and manufacture of high performance flexible and semi-rigid coaxial cable, connectors, and cable assemblies for RF transmission from HF through microwave frequencies as well as surge arrestors for the protection of RF equipment.

Alteva Enhances Award-Winning Advanced Call Center Solution

Become more efficient, effective and productive with Alteva’s Advanced Call Center Solution

PHILADELPHIA, PA – April 11, 2013 – Alteva (previously referred to as WVT Communications Group) (NYSE MKT: ALTV), the parent company of leading cloud communications pioneers, announces today the upgrade of its Advanced Call Center, a purpose-built, cloud-based solution that offers innovative capabilities, leveraging all of the functionality of the award-winning Alteva platform. The latest Advanced Call Center features include robust call center reporting, providing Alteva customers with access to comprehensive, real-time and historical data on agent and queue activity, utilization and performance; and web-based client, featuring an easy-to-use interface that allows calls to be handled more efficiently.

“Alteva continues to innovate in the best interests of all of our customers who look to our future-proof solutions as a viable way to streamline business operations in the simplest, most efficient manner,” states Mike Timar, Vice President Product Management at Alteva. “Alteva’s Advanced Call Center provides great functionality and efficiency for businesses, eliminating the need for costly, on-premise call center solutions. The recent upgrades are indicative of Alteva’s dedication to providing our customers with the latest and greatest in technology for our customers.”

Other Key Features of the Alteva Advanced Call Center include:

Automatic Call Distribution (ACD), quickly routing route callers to the appropriate agent with the correct skills and in the right priority, using a flexible set of routing policies.
Queuing: Ensuring that incoming callers never receive a busy signal or no answer, and are greeted with appropriate announcements and hold media (audio or video).
Web-based Agent & Supervisor Desk Clients: Providing a next-generation look and feel for call center management and options for when, where and how users manage their customers, agents and queues.
Virtual Queues: Including agents and supervisors that span multiple locations, allowing employees to work from anywhere.
Powerful Reporting Engine: Allowing supervisors and managers to monitor real-time queue and agent activity, as well as generate in-depth historical data and trends on queues and agents, allowing them to improve performance and ensure calls are handled efficiently.
IVR/Auto Attendant: Guiding callers through with self-service applications, using voice or video prompts to identify the appropriate queue or agent.

To learn more about Alteva’s Advanced Call Center, go to: http://www.alteva.com/solutions/altevas-hosted-call-center.

For more information about Alteva, visit http://www.alteva.com. You can also follow Alteva on Twitter @AltevaInc or call 1-877-258-3821.

# # #

About Alteva

Alteva, a cloud-based Unified Communications (UC) solutions provider, offers the most reliable network, the most responsive and proactive customer service and the best value to its customers. It delivers cloud-based UC solutions including Voice over IP phone systems and service (VoIP PBX),hosted Microsoft Communication Services, fixed mobile convergence, and advanced voice applications for the desktop. Alteva's service requires minimal installation and configuration while eliminating monthly phone and on-premise system maintenance charges, reducing overall communication costs and enabling organizations to improve productivity. By combining Alteva's voice service with Microsoft Communication Services products, including Microsoft Exchange, Office Communication Server (OCS) , and SharePoint, Alteva's customers receive a true, high-quality, voice-enabled UC solution that easily integrates with existing business applications. Alteva is one of the top ten largest hosted IP telephony and UC providers in North America.

Bob Gohn of Navigant Research Appointed to CABA Board of Directors

April 11, 2013 CABA -The Continental Automated Buildings Association announced today that Bob Gohn of Navigant Research, the dedicated research arm of Navigant, has been named to the association's Board of Directors. CABA is a nonprofit industry association that provides information, education, and networking to help promote advanced technologies for the automation of homes and buildings.

"We are delighted to welcome Bob Gohn to CABA's Board," said Ronald J. Zimmer, President & CEO of CABA. "His industry market research expertise focused on global high technology will provide valuable expertise and insight to our organization."

Bob Gohn is senior research director leading Navigant Research's smart buildings practice including responsibility for research content management, client consulting engagements, and key industry relationships. His research responsibilities include advisory services in building automation, energy efficient lighting, energy management, green buildings, and smart building technologies.

Gohn joined Navigant Research in 2009 and developed Navigant Research's Smart Grid practice, contributing leading analysis of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), smart grid communications, and home area networking (HAN) markets. In his current role leading the Smart Building practice, Gohn's personal research areas include building automation, controls and communications, and building-to-grid technologies and services.

Gohn has over 30 years of experience in engineering, strategic marketing, corporate strategy, market research, and executive leadership. Before joining Navigant Research, Gohn worked with companies ranging from successful startups to multinational corporations, including such companies as Ember Corporation, Freescale Semiconductor, Motorola, CPort Corporation, 3Com, and Standard Microsystems. He has led numerous client engagements and is a regular speaker at industry conferences in addition to being frequently quoted in the press.

"CABA contributes an important perspective to our industry, bringing a unique mix of companies, individuals and organizations together to advance the adoption of smart building solutions," stated Gohn. "I am looking forward to making meaningful and substantive contributions to the industry through this organization."

Gohn holds a BEEE from Stony Brook University and an MSEE from Polytechnic University (now part of NYU).

About CABA

The Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA) is a leading industry association that promotes advanced technologies in homes and buildings in North America. More information is available at http://www.caba.org/.

CABA Appointed to SmartGrid Canada Board

April 11, 2013, CABA President & CEO Ronald J. Zimmer has been appointed to the Board of Directors of SmartGrid Canada for a two-year term.

SmartGrid Canada is a national association of public and private organizations that includes utilities, vendors, technology and service providers, academics and other industry leaders. The members of SmartGrid Canada are united by a passion and dedication to building a more innovative, reliable and cost-effective electricity delivery system for the benefit of all Canadians.

CABA and SmartGrid Canada previously entered into a memorandum of understanding in 2011 to further the provision and sharing of high quality data concerning intelligent home and building technologies and the smart grid.

Under that agreement, CABA and SmartGrid Canada established forums for timely and open exchanges of information and new approaches to engage a broad array of stakeholders including the utility industry, regulatory organizations, energy service providers, building automation vendors, telecommunication firms, information technology vendors, consumer groups and government organizations.

"CABA is proud to collaborate with SmartGrid Canada," stated Zimmer. "Our mission explicitly seeks to develop multi-disciplinary partnerships and strategic alliances, and we believe our relationship with SmartGrid Canada is one of the strongest our organization has forged. CABA is intent to strengthen this relationship, which coincides with our recent market research efforts that focused on the impact of smart grid technologies on both intelligent buildings and connected homes over the previous year."

In 2012, CABA completed a collaborative research study to identify, define and size the principle business opportunities presented by the growth of smart grids in relation to intelligent buildings. CABA's "Smart Grid Impact on Intelligent Buildings" research study estimated that the North American smart grid marketplace will reach $8 billion in revenue by 2013 and will exceed $10 billion by 2015. The study found that the fastest growing components of the smart grid market are grid applications, followed by: demand response and peak load management, building energy management systems, and smart meters. CABA also completed its Smart Grid on Connected Homes Study last year, which found the "connected home concept" desirable amongst consumers, due to the perceived homeowner benefits of controllability, energy savings and security.

"We are pleased to welcome CABA to the SmartGrid Board," stated Alex Bettencourt, Managing Director, SmartGrid Canada. "Closer cooperation between our two groups will lead to enhanced innovation which will better Canada's smart grid infrastructure."

About CABA

GSA’s Green Building Advisory Committee Recommends LEED for All GSA Buildings

Committee of private and public sector leaders says LEED is the best green building tool to meet the goals of the Energy Independence and Security Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 3, 2013) – This week, the Green Building Advisory Committee established by the General Services Administration (GSA), officially recommended to GSA that the LEED green building certification system be used for all GSA buildings as the best measure of building efficiency. The committee also conveyed that LEED should be the primary way to show how agency buildings use energy and water and that LEED standards are the most conducive to meet the Energy Independence and Security Act.

The Green Building Advisory Committee has evaluated more than 160 tools and systems since it began in 2011, and in February, GSA released a request for information (RFI) that publicly lauded the value of green building rating systems like LEED and asked for additional input into important issues that could help GSA accelerate and improve its green building work.

“GSA has been a leader in energy and sustainability, and we are thrilled to see the leaders in the public and private sectors continue to recommend LEED as the best choice for GSA to maintain its leadership status while improving sustainability, reducing energy and saving money for its buildings,” said Roger Platt, senior vice president of Global Policy & Law, USGBC. “Consensus-based and market-driven, LEED has been and continues to be invaluable to thousands of building professionals and remains the best option for the GSA and any governmental agency looking to save taxpayer dollars and increase energy efficiency.”

According to an article released this week by Federal News Radio, GSA received more than 400 comments from 162 stakeholders from all facets of the building and academic industries as well as local federal and local government agencies. The full list of comments will be released later this spring, but the recommendation to use LEED comes from a study of more than 160 tools and standards, which found only three of them addressed the entire building system.

“Every single time green building and LEED have been evaluated by our most prestigious institutions, like the National Academy of Sciences, the National Research Council and the National Laboratories, the practice or green building and LEED certification has been shown to save taxpayer dollars and increase energy efficiency,” continued Platt. “Lawmakers should see these repeated conclusions and continue supporting public sector use of LEED.”

A study done by The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) found that GSA LEED certified buildings used 25 percent less energy than the national average and cost 19 percent less to operate. GSA’s application of LEED has helped in the agency’s building efficiency efforts, and there are now more than 4,000 LEED certified government projects with another 8,000 in the pipeline as registered projects. A recent report from GSA shows the agency has successfully reduced its energy use by almost 20 percent since 2003 and water use by almost 15 percent since 2007.

In addition, in a letter to GSA in July of 2012, 1,260 companies from the green building industry opposed deviating from LEED in federal facilities because such a change would add cost to the building and leasing process across the building industry.

To see why LEED is the only rating system diverse and dynamic enough to continue to drive market transformation, check out our latest infographic that shows LEED in motion.

About LEED

As the most widely recognized and widely used green building program across the globe, LEED is transforming buildings, homes and communities in all 50 states and 135 countries. LEED guides the design, construction, operations and maintenance of nearly 50,000 projects worldwide, comprising 9.3 billion square feet of commercial and institutional construction space, and nearly 117,000 additional residential units.

By using less energy, LEED-certified spaces save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce carbon emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community. Learn more at usgbc.org/leed.

About the U.S. Green Building Council

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC works toward its mission of market transformation through its LEED green building program, robust educational offerings, a nationwide network of chapters and affiliates, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities. For more information, visit usgbc.org and connect on Twitter and Facebook.

USGBC Adds Green Building Finance Expert - Investment Industry Veteran Dan Winters to Bolster Green Building Presence in Institutional Real Estate Portfolios

(Washington, D.C.) — April 8, 2012 — The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced today that Dan Winters recently joined the organization as Senior Research Fellow for Business Strategy and Finance.

Winters, a 20-year veteran of real estate finance and one of the first LEED Accredited Professionals in the financial industry, is the previous recipient of the 2012 USGBC Mark Ginsberg Sustainability Fellowship. Now with USGBC as a full-time staff member, Winters will utilize his background in institutional real estate finance, alongside his capital market perspectives, to foster and strengthen the growing relationships between the green building and investment communities.

“Dan is one of the foremost minds among those who develop high-performance buildings, the commercial brokerage community and the institutional financiers who seek to incorporate sustainable properties into real estate investment portfolios,” said Chris Pyke, vice president of research, USGBC. “USGBC is fortunate to be working with Dan, who will help lead our efforts to bring Wall Street into the fold while helping institutional investors realize the benefits associated with green building ownership.”

Winters plays an important ongoing role in USGBC’s newly released Green Building Information Gateway (GBIG), a global platform for green building insights and innovation. Winters works to implement key features within GBIG while further uniting the investment community with USGBC’s existing stakeholder base. He also helped support USGBC’s efforts regarding the recently released National Academy of Sciences report that reviewed the U.S. Department of Defense’s use of green building rating systems and recommended the continued use of LEED.

“It is a tremendous honor to serve USGBC, an organization peerless in its industry leadership,” said Winters. “Developing advanced solutions such as GBIG drives market transparency, which can reduce information asymmetry and address capital market failures. Increasing engagement with the investment community allows USGBC to strengthen industry mindshare and further its mission.”

Prior to joining USGBC, Winters was founder of Evolution Partners, a real estate advisory firm specializing in the financial aspects of environmentally responsible real estate projects. He was primary author of the Green Building Financial Underwriting Standard on behalf of the Capital Markets Partnership, and he worked with North American real estate firms to maximize the financial return of their sustainability efforts.

Winters’ professional background includes tenure at Russell Investments, a world-class institutional investment advisory firm, where he served as an industry analyst in Russell’s real estate private equity group. In addition, he spent several years at CBRE’s top-producing Washington, D.C., office engaged in debt placement and underwriting for major real estate projects. He was a participant on the Washington, D.C., Green Building Task Force, which helped to pass the District’s Green Building Act of 2006, and he was previously vice chairman of the USGBC Maryland Chapter.

Winters holds a master’s degree in real estate finance and development from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, an MBA from Southern Methodist University and a bachelor’s degree in consumer behavior and real estate from the University of Wisconsin. He is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Maryland’s Colvin Institute of Real Estate Development.

About the U.S. Green Building Council

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC works toward its mission of market transformation through its LEED green building program, robust educational offerings, a nationwide network of chapters and affiliates, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, the Center for Green Schools and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities. For more information, visit usgbc.org, explore the Green Building Information Gateway (GBIG) and connect on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

SCTE CABLE-TEC EXPO® 2013 Website - Launches, Discounted Pre-Registration Under Way For Oct. 21-24 Event

Registrants by June 12 can save $235 or more off non-member on-site rate

May 2, 2013 (Exton, PA)—The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) today announced that its SCTE Cable-Tec Expo^® 2013 website—http://expo.scte.org—is live and that discounted pre-registrations are available for the cable telecommunications industry’s engineering show of the year.

SCTE Cable-Tec Expo^® 2013 is set for Monday through Thursday, Oct. 21-24, including an opening-day symposium entitled “Creating the Cable Generalist” and a second symposium to be announced shortly. Both SCTE Cable-Tec Expo and the symposia will take place at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Registration for both SCTE Cable-Tec Expo and the symposia are at http://expo.scte.org. Kevin Hart, executive vice president and CTO of Cox Communications, is the Expo 2013 program chairman.

In conjunction with SCTE Cable-Tec Expo 2013, SCTE is instituting new early-bird pricing that promises substantial savings for non-members and members alike. Non-members who register by June 12 will save $235 off the on-site cost; SCTE members who register by the same date can enjoy an additional discount of $150 for a total savings of $385 off the non-member on-site rate. Non-members who join SCTE for $68 are immediately eligible for the member pre-registration discount. Non-members can join SCTE by visiting the Member Services section of www.scte.org or by calling 800-542-5040.

SCTE Cable-Tec Expo^® is the leading venue for helping the cable telecommunications industry and its workforce to reduce costs, deploy new services and increase customer satisfaction. SCTE Cable-Tec Expo 2013 will offer a wide variety of learning events and demonstrations, as well as peer-to-peer interaction and networking.

Expo will feature thought leaders confronting technical challenges facing the industry; hundreds of hands-on, technology-centric exhibits; an extensive menu of robust and relevant technical workshops; the International Cable-Tec Games; the IP Challenge highlighting expertise in IP networking and engineering; and other events.

Expo exhibitor, advertiser, and sponsor opportunities are available. For more information on exhibit space, please contact Lori Bower at lbower@scte.org. To request information on advertising or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Heather Gosciniak at hgosciniak@scte.org.

The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) is a non-profit professional association that provides technical leadership for the telecommunications industry and serves its members through professional development, standards, certification and information. SCTE currently has nearly 14,000 members from the U.S. and 70 countries worldwide and offers a variety of programs and services for the industry’s educational benefit. A prime example is SCTE’s Smart Energy Management Initiative (SEMI), an unprecedented effort to help cable operators leverage financial and environmental advantages of implementing Green strategies. SCTE has 68 chapters and meeting groups and more than 3,000 employees of the cable telecommunications industry hold SCTE technical certifications. SCTE is an ANSI-accredited standards development organization. Visit SCTE online at www.scte.org. Connect with SCTE at www.scte.org/socialmedia.

Siemon Expands Data Center Airflow Solutions with Toolless Blanking Panels

April 19, 2013. Watertown, CT - Siemon, a leading global network infrastructure specialist, is pleased to expand its line of airflow solutions for the data center with new Toolless Blanking Panels that help improve thermal efficiency by preventing airflow through vacant rack-mount spaces within cabinets and enclosures.

By isolating the front airspace of the cabinet and blocking recirculation of hot air, Siemon Toolless Blanking Panels keep cold air directed at the equipment where it is needed, preventing overheating and improving cooling system effectiveness in the data center or other network spaces. These durable, lightweight blank filler panels simply snap into the square holes of vacant rack unit spaces with no tools required. Also ideal for aesthetically concealing openings and reserving rack unit positions for future use, Siemon Toolless Blanking Panels are easily removed when necessary.

“In today’s data center environment, it’s rare to find every rack-mount space filled with equipment. When rack-mount spaces are left vacant to allow room for growth or reduced power consumption in enclosures, it’s important to prevent airflow through those spaces,” says Robert Carlson, vice president of global marketing at Siemon.

“Siemon Toolless Blanking Panels are the fast, easy and cost-effective way to keep hot air from coming back to the front of the equipment where it can cause overheating.”

Offered in a 1U height for maximum flexibility and bulk packaging of 10, the Toolless Blanking Panels are a smart, inexpensive solution for improving thermal efficiency.

Siemon also offers a variety of other flat and angled blank filler panels in several rack-unit sizes, including a Brush Guard Panels that allows cables to pass through while still providing thermal protection to maintain isolation.

Learn more about Siemon toolless blanking panels and other airflow and cable management solutions at: http://www.siemon.com/go/toolless

About Siemon

Established in 1903, Siemon is an industry leader specializing in the design and manufacture of high quality, high performance network cabling solutions and services for Data Centers and Intelligent Buildings. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, with global sales, technical and logistics expertise spanning 100 countries, Siemon offers the most comprehensive suite of copper and optical fiber cabling systems, cabinets, racks, cable management, data center power and cooling systems and Intelligent Infrastructure Management solutions. With more than 400 patents specific to structured cabling, Siemon Labs invests heavily in R&D and the development of Industry Standards, underlining the company’s long-standing commitment to its customers and the industry.

Siemon Kicks Off New Educational Webinar Series

May 2, 2013. Watertown, CT - Siemon, a leading global network infrastructure specialist, is pleased to announce that it is kicking off a new webinar series aimed to cover a broad range of educational topics, from copper and fiber structured cabling and optimized data center design, to converged networks, intelligent infrastructure management and everything in between. The first of these informative webinars titled, The Advantages of Using Siemon Shielded Cabling to Power Remote Network Devices, will take place on May 22, 2013.

With more than 100 million PoE-enabled ports purchased annually, a new 4-pair IEEE 802.3 PoE application on the horizon, and advanced standards-based technology ready to deliver up to 100 watts of power—enough to power a television—delivering dc power over twisted-pair cabling has revolutionized the look and feel of the IT world. Based on an upcoming Siemon white paper, the first educational webinar will take a look at the effects of the rising number and variety of devices supported by PoE and the need for proper selection of network cabling to eliminate the risk of damaging connectors and generating heat within cable bundles that can contribute to failures and downtime. It will include discussion of the advantages that qualified shielded category 6A and category 7_A cabling systems provide when deploying remote power technology, as well as an overview of relevant standards requirements, demonstration of power arcing effects and an update on the emerging IEEE PoE application.

“Our new free webinar series is designed to provide up-to-date information in a flexible and convenient format,” says David Wall, Global Integrated Marketing Manager at Siemon. “As part of Siemon’s commitment to keeping industry professionals and their customers informed, these interactive educational webinars will highlight a variety of the latest technologies, applications and standards for anyone looking to enhance and expand their knowledge.”

Starting with the May 22nd webinar, each webinar will highlight a new topic and be led by a knowledgeable industry expert. A live Q&A portion at the end of each webinar will allow participants to interact with the presenter and get the answers they need. All Siemon webinars will be archived for participants to select and review previously recorded sessions at any time.

To register for the May 22nd webinar, The Advantages of Using Siemon Shielded Cabling to Power Remote Network Devices, visit: www.siemon.com/webinars. Anyone who registers for the event will also gain first access to the Siemon white paper.

About Siemon

Silver Fox director, Nick Michaelson, elected IET member

Nick Michaelson, CEO of Silver Fox, the UK manufacturer of high performance labelling solutions, has been elected a full member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), one of the largest science, engineering and technology institutions in the world.

The IET provides members with a professional home, allowing them to engage with the IET global engineering and technology community and access resources, information and guidance including research and publications, training courses and professional development support.

“It’s a great honour to be elected a member of the IET,” said Nick Michaelson. “Over many years we’ve worked hard to put Silver Fox – a UK-owned and managed company – at the forefront of labelling technology.

“We offer professional engineers across the globe highly durable labelling solutions that also save them considerable amounts of time and trouble,” he continued. “Indeed, Silver Fox has been so successful at flying the flag overseas that, in 2005, as one of some 80 companies, it received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise – International Trade.”

Silver Fox’s international markets include the European Union, the USA, Canada, the former USSR, the Middle East and Asia.

“I’m delighted to have been elected as a member of the IET,” added Nick, who is also a Fellow of the RSA, and who founded Silver Fox with the aim of making labelling simple, fast and durable while offering exceptional levels of customer service.

“My passion for excellence and determination to be the best in the field has enabled Silver Fox’s solutions to be industry leaders worldwide,” he continued. ”I look forward not only to enjoying the benefits of membership but also to being able to offer something from Silver Fox’s experience and expertise to the engineering and technology sector through the IET.”

A leader in UK manufacturing labelling solutions using a special Plug’n’Play thermal printer or a standard office printer - ensuring fast and efficient identification of cables, wires, optical fibres, panels and equipment - Silver Fox delivers solutions for the Energy, Power, Rail and Data & Telecoms industries worldwide.

Silver Fox tests its labels at recognised independent UKAS certified test laboratories in compliance with a number of different MIL and other standards. Silver Fox is ISO 9001:2008 registered.

About Silver Fox Ltd

Silver Fox production of independently tested durable labelling is only part of the story. It also offers three levels of software, all of which are downloadable from the Silver Fox website, for free trial. Developed in conjunction with engineers over the past 15 years or so, these software solutions offer an array of unique time-saving options which, for the time-critical project, can turn time into profit.

Silver Fox tests its labels at recognised independent UKAS certified test laboratories in compliance with a number of different MIL and other standards. Silver Fox is ISO 9001:2008 registered. Silver Fox has spent over 30 years developing its products. Its commitment to global business was recognised in 2005 by the Queen’s Award for Enterprise – International Trade.

SoleraTec Ships New Phoenix RSM Version 6

New features include Export Decision Lists (XDL), RDX storage support, video tagging, and integration for ExacqVision VMS.

San Diego, CA – April 30, 2013 – SoleraTec LLC, provider of innovative video lifecycle management and storage products, has begun shipping new version 6 of its Phoenix RSM™ surveillance video management software. Phoenix RSM delivers a unique solution for affordable long-term retention needs of today’s video surveillance systems. By integrating online, near-line, and offline storage devices, Phoenix RSM version 6 makes available the most efficient use of hard disk capacity along with the most economic use of offline storage such as LTO and RDX and COLDSTORE.

As organizations are demanding longer and longer retention times –coupled with the ever increasing megapixel resolution cameras– video storage management is becoming increasing complex. SoleraTec’s Phoenix RSM multi-tiered storage management capabilities allow for pain-free ultra-fast video search and playback of low-resolution companion files while linking to the unaltered original video stored on offline media.

Phoenix RSM’s unique storage management technology creates a connection between the low-resolution companion file on spinning disk and the offline original video, which delivers specific time-stamped video segments back to the operator within mere minutes. Phoenix RSM provides the tools necessary to “find the needle” as surveillance systems create video “haystacks.” With this version of Phoenix RSM organizations can save more cameras, more resolution, more frames, for more days for less cost.

“New version 6 of Phoenix RSM delivers the video storage management capabilities that more and more customers are requiring,” stated Mark Armstrong, CEO of SoleraTec. “Delivering a cost effective solution to this growing challenge is becoming key to an overall video surveillance solution. Our 15+ years of experience in multi-tiered storage management is allowing us to showcase this ‘save more for less’ solution,” added Armstrong.

Some of the new features of Phoenix RSM version 6 include the ability to tag comments to areas of interest within the recorded video. This tagging capability allows operators to perform specific searches for comments that will display the relevant video of interest quickly. Version 6 also includes the ability to search against a user-customizable set of camera descriptors (also known as metadata) that will speed up the search function. Searching on the camera metadata or tagging notes produce more relevant search results for quicker video playback and export.

Another key feature of new Phoenix RSM Version 6 is the support for the ExacqVision VMS software. Customers of ExacqVison can now add behind-the-scenes video storage management capabilities of Phoenix RSM with multi-tiered storage management to round out an affordable long-term video retention solution.

Assisting in video investigations is the new Export Decision List feature. Instead of moving large video files between users involved in an investigation, operators can search and create a queue of video clips from a number of cameras. This list of video “pointers” can then be easily emailed to other staff members where the list quickly loads the video segments for review. This delivers significant savings on network bandwidth, time, and productivity.

New Version 6 now supports the RDX removable hard disk technology thereby offering another offline storage option. As with the already supported LTO jukebox and the Veracity COLDSTORE storage array options, RDX significantly reduces the monthly operational expense of a video surveillance storage solution.

"ISD is very excited to closely partner with SoleraTec to help customers manage the enormous amount of data that HD megapixel cameras create,” stated Ian Johnston, CEO of Innovative Security Designs, manufacturer of award-winning megapixel IP-cameras. “By managing this data onboard the camera, SoleraTec can effectively manage the entire video lifecycle right from the sensor itself. Customers gain the advantage of managing and extending storage capacities while reducing the total cost of the system," continued Johnston.

About SoleraTec

SoleraTec is a leading developer of archive, storage, and video lifecycle management products. SoleraTec leverages a heritage of over 15 years to deliver quality, innovation, and technological advancement that has established it as one of the premier data protection solution providers in the industry. SoleraTec works through OEMs, dealers, and system integrators to deliver complete video asset protection solutions. The company was established in 1997 by a team of industry veterans with experience deploying data protection, HSM, and storage lifecycle management solutions to some of the largest companies around the world. For more information, please visit www.SoleraTec.com.

COLLEGE DEGREE and COLLEGE DEBT? NO GUARANTEE FOR A GOOD JOB

Commentary article by JAMES CARLINI

Did you know that the amount owed on college student loans is over $1 Trillion and two thirds of the graduating seniors (in 2011) owe a little over $26,000 when they walk out trying to find a job? (Source: http://projectonstudentdebt.org/)

The amount owed for student loans is more than what is owed on the total amount of credit card debt. The big difference is that you cannot declare bankruptcy in order to avoid paying back the student loans.

Many recent graduates today are serving tables at the local Red Lobster or Capital Grille. Some say, that’s if they are lucky. Unemployment for recent grads is high with some saying it is over 16%. Some articles try to low-ball the number of unemployed by using Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers and when they do, you read the readers’ comments after the article saying they are WAY off. How many are underemployed? 50%?

If one year’s tuition at a "good school" is $31K (DePaul University) to $35K (Northwestern U.) and this is WITHOUT room & board (and books & booze), a price-tag of $125K to $140K is hefty for a degree.

If they took out loans, grads could easily be in debt for $60K-$80K, so no one is looking at buying that brand-new BMW 3-series just yet. They probably moved back home with Mom and Dad.

You cannot do much if you are making $9 an hour and have a $1,400 a month student loan payment. Many want their student loans forgiven, but they don’t understand that someone else has to foot that bill of “loan forgiveness”.

COLLEGE ALTERNATIVES?

Maybe a real alternative is to buy an 18-year old a business franchise and tell them to "run it" for four years and get real experience under their belt to understand the elements of business.

For $125K-$140K, you can buy a halfway decent franchise operation. Some say that no bank would ever loan an eighteen year-old that type of money. But, think about it. The Bank of Mom and Dad does. Plus, there ARE banks that will let an eighteen year-old sign for a student loan.

Why? Because once they sign, they are “in debt” to the bank and they cannot weasel out of it by declaring bankruptcy.

Giving someone an opportunity to see all facets of a business from a hands-on basis is valuable experience. Maybe blending that experience with some older workers (mentors) working alongside of them would make it even a richer experience and have more success.

This strategy may not fit everyone, but it IS a viable alternative to what was once thought to be the "universal strategy" for everyone: Go get a college degree.

BE ALL YOU CAN BE – Well, MAYBE

Another route which many might not find appealing would be to go into the military for 2-3 years. That is a place where you can grow up fast and actually be a lot more mature than your equivalent junior in college.

You would be surprised to see some 18-25 year-olds actually opting for that after seeing some of their friends wind up with no progress in college. I know of a girl going into the Navy after getting her AA degree and a son of a friend who was waiting tables (and making about $40 an hour in tips) but felt there was no future in it. He had about 3 years of college, and was 25.

He is now in the Coast Guard making good money and benefits while working in Homeland Security in Washington, DC. He scored really high on their tests and they have given him a great opportunity.

They are sending him to finish his degree (and PAYING for it). In a couple of years, he will be in a much better position to either get a civilian job or stay with the Coast Guard.

I thought he made the right choice in the situation he was in. Serving a couple years in the military is good on the resume.

Another 21 year old is working part-time at a health club and also working with an artist in publishing and promoting a collection of his paintings in a book. This is great practical experience for him and I told him that he should somehow get some type of college credit for it and go back to school. Right now, he is learning the ups and downs of book publishing, marketing, and general business dealing with real world issues. You don’t get that in a classroom.

What worked before in positioning for a good job doesn’t necessarily guarantee success today. You must have skills focused on flexibility, adaptability, creativity, and technology in order to be marketable in today’s economy.

CARLINI-ISM : College degrees are not the universal solution anymore to a good career.

Follow daily Carlini-isms at www.TWITTER.com/JAMESCARLINI

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Contact him at 773-370-1888 or james.carlini@sbcglobal.net.

FiberPlex Appoints Sales Force & Associates to Represent its Fiber Optic Line

“It’s all going fiber,” said firm’s digital systems specialist. “Our industry’s big data requirements are starting to exceed the limitations of copper cabling.”

Annapolis Junction, MD – With copper cabling now giving way to fiber optic strands to solve the high-bandwidth issues of today’s AV systems, fiber optic technology manufacturer FiberPlex Technologies recently signed on manufacturing rep firm Sales Force & Associates, Hollywood, Florida, to represent its line to the AVL industry in Florida and the Caribbean.

“It's all going to fiber,” commented Frank Woolf, Digital Systems Specialist with Sales Force & Associates, an AV firm known for its diversification and expertise in the pro audio, lighting and video industry. “When you see the issues of copper being simply resolved (by fiber) in an elegant, way more efficient feature-rich fiber system, it's hard to then hold your head high and recommend a copper solution,” he added.

The firm services every facet of the AVL industry, including designers, installers and integrators as well as production houses, rental studios and retail stores. Its customer base includes Disney World, Universal Studios, Carnival Cruise lines among other high profile names. Adding FiberPlex’ LightViper and myriad of other fiber optic transport systems to its AVL line card, along with FiberPlex design and support, gives Sales Force & Associates the technology needed to bypass many of the issues that come with getting large video and audio streams from place to place.

“The prices of copper solutions are going up and many of the fiber solutions are coming down in price. Regardless of price, you just can't do with copper what you can easily do with a FiberPlex fiber solution,” said Woolf.

“We’re experiencing demand for fiber optic products now more so than ever because of that cost factor, yes, but also because there’s just no other way to meet the delivery requirements of big data,” agreed Kyle Rosenbloom, Eastern Regional Client Relations Executive for FiberPlex.

“As demand for fiber increases, it’s companies like Sales Force & Associates that will ensure that it is installed and integrated with the systems and products needed to make it truly useful to our customer base of AV integrators,” added Rosenbloom.

FiberPlex has signed on almost 15 local reps in recent months in order to keep up with demand.

About FiberPlex Technologies, LLC (www.fiberplex.com)

FiberPlex Technologies, LLC is a leader in digital transport and communications technology. The FiberPlex brand has been involved in the engineering and manufacturing of secure fiber solutions to the U.S. government for a quarter of a century. In recent years, FiberPlex extended its secure communications and fiber optic products to the commercial and AV sectors. As a fiber optics expert and equipment manufacturer, FiberPlex educates businesses, houses of worship, hospitals, financial institutions, campuses, broadcasters and live production firms on how to leverage fiber optics technology for large bandwidth delivery as well as to lower security risk and increase profits.

Top 10 Ways Commercial Real Estate Professionals Can Go Green for Earth Day

BOMA International Releases Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Strategies for Commercial Properties

(WASHINGTON—April 18, 2013) The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International has issued its “Top 10 Ways” commercial real estate professionals can make energy efficiency and sustainability a priority on Earth Day and every day. With the office building industry accounting for nearly 20 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, BOMA has committed to helping its members and the industry as a whole improve energy management and sustainability practices.

“These tips offer property professionals effective operational and management strategies for reducing energy consumption and elevating sustainability,” said BOMA International Chair and Chief Elected Officer Joe Markling, managing director of Strategic Accounts with CBRE. “As we approach Earth Day, it’s important to remember that making significant energy-efficiency improvements is within the reach of most building owners and managers, and many of the methods are no- or low-cost.”

Here are the Top 10 Ways commercial real estate professionals can green their building operations this Earth Day:

1) Measure and Manage. Benchmark energy and water consumption through ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager.

2) Audit Yourself. Perform regular energy audits to identify opportunities for cost-effective energy reductions. Remember to perform midnight evaluations to make sure lighting and HVAC aren’t running when the building is unoccupied.

3) Get the Word Out. Institute a Tenant Energy Awareness Program – use your company newsletter and/or building announcements to keep tenants informed about energy management goals and how they can help. Provide them with energy savings tips.

4) Become Enlightened. Replace incandescent lights with CFLs, which use less energy, have a longer lamp life and produce less heat.

5) Go Low Flow. Install low-flow/flush fixtures and hands-free fixtures in restrooms.

6) Don’t Forget Electronics. Hold an e-waste day and collect old printers, computers and electronics for recycling.

7) Use Sensors. Install occupancy sensors and photo sensors that monitor daylight. Occupancy sensors also work for HVAC controls.

8) Be Shady. Install solar shades to block heat.

9) Encourage Eco-Friendly Transportation. Install bicycle racks and electronic vehicle chargers.

10) Improve IAQ. Use high-efficiency HVAC filters – and change them often. Use low-VOC paints, sealants and adhesives for building improvements.

BOMA International received the 2013 ENERGY STAR Award for Sustained Excellence. This is the sixth time BOMA has been recognized by the EPA with an ENERGY STAR Award and remains the only commercial real estate association to be recognized with an ENERGY STAR award. In 2009, BOMA International received the Climate Protection Award, the EPA’s highest honor.

For more information on BOMA International’s green initiatives, as well as more tips and strategies for greening buildings, visit www.boma.org/sustainability.

***

About BOMA International

Megladon Angle Polished HLC® ScratchGuard® Fiber Optic Patch Cords are a big value for CATV and other fiber networks

The fragile nature of fiber mating surfaces, however, has continued to plague an industry that is more competitive than ever. We purchased some of those patchcords to use in testing network performance on various systems in North Florida. A recent examination of the patch cords showed the still had the same undamaged connector mating surfaces after hundreds of uses in the field. The technicians that use these HLC® ScratchGuard Fiber Optic Patch Cords now insist on these cords for all their network service calls on CATV. Kevin Moy, lead tech [Certified Fiber Optics Installer (ETA)] for CPC- Communication Planning Corporation, Jacksonville, Florida told us “ I think I’ve tried and tested them all. The ScratchGuard HLC is better than any other preterminated fiber cable available.”

Solutions for OSP – CATV

For additional information regarding Megladon’s variety of fiber optic products please contact John Culbert at 512.615.4687 or by email at scratchguard@megladonmfg.com.

“Once you have tried this Megladon product you won’t use anything else…ever.”

REMEMBER TO RECYCLE, REDUCE AND REUSE

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Issue: May 2013 By: Frank Bisbee

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Issue: May 2013
By: Frank Bisbee