Wireville.com

Imagine a fire drill (office building, hospital, or school) where everyone was required to wear a blindfold while exiting the building. That seems sort of ridiculous, but that may replicate part of the scenario that may occur if there is a real fire. Thick black smoke or colorless and odorless gas can have the same effect on the individual.

Gas emissions, due to the heat decomposition of some return-air plenum (CMP) communications cable materials, are dangerous, because when they come in contact with water (even minute amounts), they immediately form acid. The water source that the gasses use to form these acids can be found almost anywhere-moisture in the eyes, throat and lungs of individuals with whom it comes in contact. For example: due to the heat decomposition, FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene), may emit a colorless and odorless hydrogen fluoride gas, which becomes hydrofluoric acid in the eyes, nose and throat of the individuals exposed to the gas.

During a fire, the occupants should try to exit the structure immediately. However, they may be blinded and choking from either heavy smoke or acids from invisible gasses. Typically, fire injuries and death can occur as a result of a two-stage process. The first stage is incapacitation, which results from exposure to fire effluent consisting of smoke and a range of toxic products. This is followed by the second stage of death resulting from continued exposure to heat and toxic gasses, with carbon monoxide particularly important as an ultimate cause of death.

The incapacitation hazard from smoke, irritant and asphyxiant toxic gases is a critically important factor. Conditions in most fires rapidly become lethal within a few minutes of those conditions causing incapacitation.

For many years we have acknowledged the issues of reduced flame spread and low smoke generation. The cables that are located in the plenum space (usually above the ceiling) are potential concealed highways for a fire to spread. Reduced flame spread is part of the safety formula. The low smoke generation property of the cable is designed to inhibit the obscuration factor associated with thick smoke. We need to see the exit signs and the pathways to safety. Smoke also has a choking effect when inhaled. That is one more reason to limit the smoke. Both flame spread and smoke are part of the testing criteria (UL910/NFPA 262 for CMP) for communications cables for use in return-air plenum space.

Safety is too important to ignore. There are two major areas of concern that remain undressed in the NEC 2002 (National Electric Code). As businesses are besieged with higher insurance premiums and liability litigation about the safety issue, we asked the "BIG" question. Does the testing process for fire safety measure the TOXICITY of the cables when overheated or burned? The answer is shockingly "NO".

Measuring toxicity output from cables used in building air systems is NOT part of the testing criteria for communications cables. This important aspect of safety is completely absent from the criteria of the current of the NEC 2002 (National Electric Code) and the proposed criteria of the upcoming NEC 2005.

During the past several decades, we have seen the effect of product “toxicity” on various industries and the victims. No one can ignore the echoing repercussions from tobacco, asbestos, and lead. The finger pointing and lawsuits continue to be prominent in the news. One common area of these products seems to be the failure to warn the buyers/users about the dangers.

Currently in the cabling marketplace, limited combustible cable is touted as the premier cable construction for fire safety. Limited combustible cable (by all current manufacturers) is only insulated and jacketed with FEP.

The fire testing (per NFPA 90A-National Fire Protection Association) includes maximum potential heat value of 3500 btu/lb, and maximum smoke developed index of 50 for the NFPA 255 surface burning characteristics test. The cable is UL (Underwriters Laboratories) approved and marked CMP-Limited Combustible. The testing (NFPA 90A) for smoke generation and flame spread is more stringent that the tests (UL910/NFPA 262) for CMP. At this time, FEP appears to be the only material commercially available that will pass the LC test.

In the last cycle of the National Electric Code (NEC 2002) an important development for the cabling industry took place. The need to reduce the fuel load in the return air plenums was identified and the code added a provision for the removal of "abandoned" cable.

Currently, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is wrestling with new issues for cabling safety that will be considered for the next cycle of the NEC (NEC 2005). In mid August, the NFPA 90A committee is scheduled to meet to deal with several areas of concern. Topics included in their published agenda, are the discussions about the use and applications of limited combustible cable. Several parties have discussed the use of limited combustible cables in air ducts in addition to the currently approved return air plenums.

One of the underlying issues of the limited combustible cable is safety. Is limited combustible cable really safer? We looked into the question of toxicity. Toxicity is an important area that can affect the overall safety of cables that are installed in the building air systems. Can cables emit toxic gases when heated beyond their operating threshold? Currently, cable products are tested for smoke generation and flame spread. Toxicity is not measured. However, toxicity can have a major impact on the safety issue because toxicity can affect the same functions that we are trying to control with low smoke and reduced flame spread materials in the cabling.

In summary, what you can't see can blind you and what you don't know about cabling might kill you. After of years of research we have determined that there is no PERFECT cable. The best solution seems to be a fully informed buyer/user. What is the safety performance rating of your cable?

Further Info: Web Resources

For more information on fire safety or the abandoned cable removal issue, see these locations on the Web:

* Combustion atmosphere toxicity of materials intended for internal cables - white paper by Borealis

http://www.borealisgroup.com/public/pdf/customer_centre/0202toxicity_FROCC.pdf

* Hydrofluoric Acid MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) by DuPont

http://msds.dupont.com/msds/pdfs/EN/PEN_09004a2f801b4efc.pdf

* Environmental Working Group – www.ewg.org

* Toxics Use Reduction Initiative – www.turi.org.

* Explanation of NEC abandoned cable requirements (from a contractor’s site): Go to this URL, click on “Abandoned Cable NEC Code Summary” www.henkelsandmccoy.com/LOB/NetworkCablingSolutions/ncs.asp .

*"Cabling: What You Don’t Know Can Kill You" article by Stephen Saunders

http://www.wireville.com/news/Cabling%20Can%20Kill%20You.html

And, NEVER TEXT WHILE DRIVING.

But that’s just my opinion,

Frank Bisbee - Editor

"HOTS - Heard On The Street" Monthly Column

www.wireville.com

4949 Sunbeam Rd, Suite 16

Jacksonville, FL 32257

(904) 645-9077 office

(904) 645-9058 fax

frank@cablingnewswire.com or frank@wireville.com

VVisit www.communicationplanning.com - our home website

University of New Mexico is home of new ACUTA President

April 11, 2014, Lexington, KY. At the 43^rd Annual ACUTA Conference in Dallas March 30-April 2, Mark Reynolds, Associate Director and Interim Director of IT at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, assumed leadership of the association as the elected President for 2014-15. Reynolds has been an active participant in ACUTA for more than 25 years and has worked in the field of telecommunications for 40 years. His career includes experience as a technician, engineer, manager, and director.

“ACUTA has contributed greatly to my professional and personal growth,” says Reynolds. After serving as a Director at Large, he was elected President-elect in 2012; but over the years he has served on many ACUTA committees and panels, led users groups, written white papers and journal articles, and participated in advisory functions.

At the University of New Mexico today, Mark serves on the Staff Council, Student Success Committee, Communications Success Committee and EOC (Emergency Operations Center for Communications). He holds BICSI RCDD (Registered Communication Distribution Designer) certification, a plant journeyman license, and certifications in ITIL V3 and PMI (project management). He is a graduate of the UNM Management Academy and has hundreds of hours of continuing education in human resources and other related certification programs.

“Leading the association at this time clearly has its challenges due to the rapid evolution of the campus technology landscape,” says Reynolds. “But the ACUTA network has always served us well, and we know there are hundreds of people always ready to share the information we need to succeed.”

In the tradition of past ACUTA presidents, Reynolds has chosen a theme for the year--Strategic Management--promising to continue to provide the tools, resources, education, exposure, marketing, training, and strategies necessary to support the collective missions of member institutions in keeping with the ACUTA mission statement.

The ACUTA president serves a one-year term after serving as President-elect for one year. As a volunteer organization, ACUTA requires a substantial commitment on the part of the Board, and the President must secure approval from his campus before undertaking this demanding leadership track. ACUTA encourages past presidents to continue to be involved by offering them complementary registration at all ACUTA events.

“We are extremely pleased to have Mark as our next President,” says Dr. Ron Kovac, Immediate Past President of ACUTA. “He has served diligently on the Board, and his vision for ACUTA’s future is ‘spot on.’ Although this year will require a significant commitment on Mark’s Part, it will be worth it for ACUTA and for the University of New Mexico as it will provide him with highly valuable insights and enhance his strategic thinking skills.” At the close of the Annual Conference in April 2015, Reynolds will assume the position of Immediate Past President.

About ACUTA
ACUTA is an international nonprofit educational association serving colleges and universities. Its mission is to advance the capabilities of higher education communications and collaboration technology leaders. ACUTA represents nearly 2,000 individuals at about 700 institutions of higher education, with members ranging from small schools and community colleges to the very 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.

Editors Note - REMEMBER: ACUTA is definitely part of the GEM sector [Govt. -Education-Medical] The importance of marketing focus on this group cannot be understated.

Just Say “O” Article by Jim Hayes from ECMAG – ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR Magazine published April 2014

Optical local area networks (OLAN) will cause you to rethink practically everything you have learned about LANs and LAN cabling. Of course, any major change in technology like this causes FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt), just like voice-over Internet protocol (VoIP) and Wi-Fi have already.  

VoIP integrated voice into data networks and shares cabling, meaning only one cabling system is needed, therefore simplifying installation. Wi-Fi was scary until contractors realized that wireless access points needed cabling and power. In the case of OLANs, it’s not just the new technology and single-mode fiber that is scary; it’s the fear of losing all the work installing giant bundles of Cat 5e/6/6a cable and all the associated hardware, such as racks and cable trays. (Like many others in the industry, I lazily refer to all these versions of category-rated unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cables as “Cat 5.” So where I write Cat 5, I mean the whole group of category-rated UTP cables.) 

OLANs—which need only a single fiber cable to the work area, replacing eight or more Cat 5 cables—will indeed cut down the number of cables installed. However, it means installing one cable that will bring premium prices instead of eight cables at commodity pricing. It also means installing the splitters needed to create the passive LAN network. And at the end of each of those fibers, one needs a small fiber-to-Cat 5 switch that will require mounting and power. It will reduce time spent testing, troubleshooting and fixing problems. Profitability should improve. Jobs will go faster. 

Contractors have adapted quickly to these new networks, often taking on more of the networking equipment installation work in addition to the cabling. For many contractors I talked with, adapting was easy because they had already been installing distributed antenna systems in large buildings, which use the same single-mode cabling technology. 

Designing OLAN cabling structures is not difficult. There are far fewer cables involved, and they are smaller and lighter—all those good things you have heard about fiber optics for a long time—so cable trays are smaller, if needed at all. Some building owners may prefer fiber cable to be installed in ducting for protection, but even so, the structures required are much simpler than a copper network. Ducting is an especially good idea in an upgrade if the OLAN is being installed and then the older structured cabling is removed. The possibility of damage to the new fiber optic cable when removing the old copper is greatly reduced when installed in bright orange ducting. 

Part of the design must include the location of the splitters that are used to create the passive network. It’s best to place them closer to the user switches to reduce the length of fiber optic cable required, so they are often installed in the telecom rooms where the switches would normally be mounted. Splitters are available in rack-mount versions that can be mounted next to fiber optic patch panels. Other versions are available for mounting above ceilings or on walls or other structures where the National Electrical Code allows. 

At the user work area, you need space for a work area switch called an optical network terminal (ONT) that provides gigabit Ethernet outputs for several users (typically four). These ONTs, about the same size as a DSL or cable modem, can be mounted on walls or on or under desks. Some even fit in a standard wall box. The ONT needs power, usually provided from the same supplies as the connected devices. It needs to be conveniently mounted so the user can reach it to connect their Cat 5 patchcord, the only copper in the whole system. 

If the user’s device also requires power—as would a wireless access point or VoIP phone—the ONTs used in OLANs offer options for power over Ethernet (PoE). Local PoE is much more efficient since the resistive losses of a short patchcord is much less than 100 meters of horizontal cabling. 

Transitioning to this new technology is simplified by using the support of vendors that have developed appropriate products and trained staff members to assist contractors. Now is the time to begin learning about OLANs from these manufacturers, as they have all been promoting the advantages of this new technology, especially cost, heavily to their customers and probably yours, too.  

You need to be prepared for when customers start asking you about OLANs, so you can discuss the technology intelligently with them. Learn about the differences in design between an OLAN and traditional structured cabling and how it differs in installation—a subject that will be this column’s topic for next month.

Source URL: http://www.ecmag.com/section/systems/just-say-o

REPRINTED with permission from ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR Magazine –

Scientists Increase Fiber Optic Throughput 10 Times Article By Timothy Johnson in ECMAG.com - ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR Magazine – Published: March 2014

Optical fibers transmit data in the form of light pulses, and they are becoming a go-to solution for transmitting data thousands of miles at incredible speeds. Proponents would have you believe they are the apex of modern telecommunications technology. However, while their sheer speed is unmatched, their capacity is limited. 

The limitation is physical. The light pulses are lined up one after another in the fiber, and they require a minimum space between them to prevent interference. The necessary byproduct is unused, empty space. 

Two scientists from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne think they have found a way to address the limitation problem. Camille Brès and Luc Thévenaz have developed a method for fitting pulses together within the fibers, thereby reducing the space between pulses, making it possible to use all the potential in an optical fiber. They say they can achieve a 10-fold increase in throughput in telecommunications systems using fiber optics. 

“Since it appeared in the 1970s, the data capacity of fiber optics has increased by a factor of 10 every four years, driven by a constant stream of new technologies,” said Brès, of the Photonics Systems Laboratory (PHOSL). “But for the last few years, we’ve reached a bottleneck, and scientists all over the world are trying to break through.” 

There have been other approaches to this problem in the past, but those solutions have come with the costly burden of needing to replace existing infrastructure. EPFL said one strength of this technique is that only transmitters would need to be changed, not the cables, so the cost to upgrade networks would be relatively low. 

Of course, with cabling being electrical contractors’ bread and butter, this development might be written off. However, with lower upfront costs, more facility owners would be inclined to invest in upgrades, seeing a much greater return on investment, and electrical and low-voltage contractors would be able to get in and get out without the need to pull cable. If this EPFL-developed solution catches on, contractors could find themselves bidding to replace a lot of components. 

Source URL: http://www.ecmag.com/section/your-business/scientists-increase-fiber-optic-throughput-10-times%E2%80%A9

REPRINTED with permission from ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR Magazine – www.ecmag.com

Megladon’s Angle Polished HLC® ScratchGuard® Fiber Optic Patch Cords Are A Life Saver For Network Managers

Austin, Texas, Since 2011 – Megladon Manufacturing Group has been making a product which is perfectly suited for the Optic Local Area Network (OLAN). Originally designed to serve the CATV market by adapting the HLC process to angle polished connectors. Angle polished connectors have been used for years in high speed video transport applications due to inherent low reflection characteristics. The fragile nature of fiber mating surfaces, however, has continued to plague an industry that is more competitive than ever. As the line becomes blurred between the TELCOS and CATV carriers, the competition has heated up to a fever pitch. The network companies are learning, sometimes the hard way, that a breach of service can send hordes of once loyal subscribers scurrying to the competition.

The patch cord is the weakest link in most fiber optic networks. This is an area where network managers should never cut corners. If you think this subject is being over-stressed, imagine standing in front of the executive committee and explaining how your savings on bargain patchcords just cost the company several thousand customer due to a service failure.

With the growing 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. Add in the critical performance requirement of the added load of VOIP telecommunication services, today the demands of a growing network load at higher speeds are a formula for disaster if performance fails to meet the requirements.

The SCRATCHGUARD Fiber Optic Patch Cords (by Megladon Manufacturing Group) delivers a critical step ahead 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 anything else they have ever used.” said Frank Bisbee, Editor of the Heard On The Street column (www.wireville.com ), “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.

Megladon’s SM 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 2011 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 significant reduction in insertion loss and reflection over traditional angle polish products,” said John Culbert, President of Megladon.

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.

Fiber Optic Association - FOA Now Offers Fiber Optic Textbook And Web Pages In Spanish

New Textbook on Fiber Optics in Spanish

Recognizing the expanding application of fiber optics worldwide, the Fiber Optic Association now has available it's popular textbook on fiber optics, The FOA Reference Guide to Fiber Optics, translated into Spanish. In addition, the FOA technical website has been translated into Spanish also. (http://www.thefoa.org/ESP/index.htm)

The book is available from CreateSpace, Amazon.com and many other booksellers.

Guía de Referencia de la Asociación de Fibra Óptica (FOA) Sobre Fibra Óptica

Guía de estudio para la certificación de la FOA

Este libro es una guía de diseño e instalación para redes de cableado con fibra óptica. Fue escrito como un libro de referencia para los instructores y estudiantes en clases para certificación CFOT FOA, así como una referencia para cualquiera que trabaje en el campo. Este libro ofrece una cobertura amplia de los componentes y procesos de fibra óptica que se utilizan en todas las aplicaciones y prácticas de instalación.

Disponible desde CreateSpace, Amazon.com y muchos otros libreros

Guía de referencia sobre fibra óptica de la FOA Y Guía de estudio para la certificación de la FOA

La guía básica de fibra óptica de la FOA ha sido traducida al español. Es la versión completa de la FOA Guía básica Online traducido por especialistas técnicos, incluyendo todos los dibujos. Por favor, lea o comprar una copia del libro impreso y nos dan su opinión sobre cómo podemos mejorarlo!

Léela aquí.

Si usted está enseñando a la fibra óptica, póngase en contacto con nosotros ya que estamos ahora traduciendo el programa de formación FOA CFOT también.

Quick Links...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FOA Website: www.thefoa.org

FOA Online Newsletter

FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide

phone: 760-451-3655

FOA Website: www.thefoa.org

A Safe and Integrated City – free webinar

Thursday, April 24, 2014 | 1:00 PM ET | 12:00 PM CT | 11:00 AM MT | 10:00 AM PT

By 2050, it is projected that there will be 3.1 billion additional people living in cities as the trend toward urbanization continues with approximately 80 percent of the world's GDP coming from urban centers. People are moving back to urban areas to have access to industry, as well as the services and conveniences a city offers. This growing urban population makes planning for current and future needs more difficult and puts increased pressure on infrastructure and budgets.

As a city's population grows, security becomes an even larger issue. Increased criminal activities create additional stress for the cities law enforcement and the judicial system, since the city now requires additional police patrolling. In addition, there seems to be a new competitiveness for cities to attract and retain residents and corporations to take advantage of the benefits of a broader tax base.

The purpose of this webinar is to explore ways that city leaders can work towards the goal of a safe and secure integrated city. In addition, explore options for financing safety and security technologies for their city.

KeyTakeaways:

How city leaders and managers will need to plan and budget for funding technology improvements for city systems and infrastructure. Technology will play an increasingly important role in protecting property and most importantly, the residents. City leaders will need to plan for the future trends and invest in technology that has a planned integration path downstream to maximize their existing infrastructure.
There are multiple funding options available for city leaders and managers for financing their security projects. City of Atlanta will share practical insights on how they successfully obtained funding for their security improvements.

Presented by:

Grant Hawkins

Vice President of Programs and Strategic Projects

Atlanta Police Foundation

Grant Hawkins is a proven strategic programs oversight professional with more than 10 years of project management, program planning, development, implementation and law enforcement experience.

Hawkins currently serves as Vice President of Programs and Strategic Projects for the Atlanta Police Foundation - a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization established to manage and fund programs aimed to drive the Atlanta Police Department to be a best-in-class organization and initiatives that improve public safety in the city of Atlanta. In this role, Hawkins manages key initiatives through several Foundation programs designed to immediately and directly impact crime reduction in the City, i.e., increased police visibility: Recruitment, Housing and Mounted Patrol programs; policing best practices: Operation Shield and Strategic Initiatives; and police effectiveness: Scholarships, and Training.

Through Hawkins' leadership, the APF spearheaded the design and build-out of the Operation Shield Video Integration Center – one of the largest public/private camera integration projects in the nation – and he has been instrumental in securing more than $3.5 million to fund the project's continued expansion.

Prior to joining the Atlanta Police Foundation, Hawkins held various roles in the non-profit and law enforcement sectors. He holds a Masters degree in Public Administration from Jacksonville State University and dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and African American Studies from the University of Georgia. Hawkins currently lives in Midtown Atlanta where he is an active community volunteer serving on various local organizations, civic boards and maintains his Georgia Peace Officer Certification.

Robert (Rob) Welton

National Business Manager

Siemens

Robert (Rob) Welton is a National Business Manager for Siemens Industry, Inc. with a focus on enterprise security solutions for cities and critical infrastructure. He has over 30 years of experience in the security and information technologies industries.

Rob's experience ranges from managing federal and selected commercial verticals to the successful implementation of integrated command and control solutions for seaports and airports. He has directed homeland security business development for Magal, an international manufacturer of intrusion detection systems. Rob served as an Executive VP of sales & marketing for Knowledge Vector, a developer of security management software. Under his leadership the firm was able to secure venture capital funding and major contracts in aviation and military markets. He is also a former Vice President of World Wide Business Development for Alcatel where he helped grow sales of voice over IP solutions.

Rob is a graduate of East Carolina University and a former United States Air force pilot. He and his wife live in Clayton, North Carolina. Thank you to the sponsor: SIEMENS

https://event.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1032071&utm_source=SIW+Webcast+Information&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS140408009&o_eid=9564I7025245D0S

Education, Business and Environmental Leaders Call for Action to Ensure Universal Sustainability Literacy in all U.S. Public Schools by 2040

Center for Green Schools at USGBC and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Release National Action Plan for Educating for Sustainability

Washington, D.C. — (March 25, 2014) — Today, the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council, together with global education leader Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), released a National Action Plan for Educating for Sustainability, a call for action to ensure that Education for Sustainability (EfS) is accessible to all students across the United States. The plan outlines a robust goal for all 50 states to adopt a comprehensive green schools policy that includes a graduation requirement around sustainability literacy by 2040.

This plan marks the first time in the sustainability education movement that the most notable leaders of education, top U.S. providers of K-12 academic content and practitioners on the ground have come together around EfS themes.

“When the U.S. Department of Education published its Green Ribbon Schools award which called for all K-12 graduates to be environmentally literate, we received that as a directive for the community to band together and figure out how we will ensure that happens,” said Rachel Gutter, director of the Center for Green Schools at USGBC. “This National Action Plan represents the perspectives of the leading minds and the strongest champions of EfS for the first time together with one voice committing to a series of actions that will ensure that every student graduating from a U.S. K-12 school will be environmentally literate by the year 2040.”

The action plan contains 11 sections that examine critical elements involved in ensuring that every student receives sustainability education by 2040. These categories include: collaboration, economic drivers, integrated content and curriculum, leadership, policy, pre-service teacher preparation, professional development, public awareness, research, student assessment and teacher evaluation. Each section is authored by a different expert in the EfS field, with additional content provided by schools and business contributors including leaders from United Technologies Corporation, Office Depot and Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.).

“EfS increases student engagement, a catalyst for both academic achievement and drop-out prevention, providing a meaningful context to prepare students for careers and life beyond school,” said David Sobel, senior faculty at Antioch University New England and lead author of the National Action Plan. “EfS allows schools, districts and states to focus simultaneously on preparation for college, career and civic life by providing students opportunities to explore and improve social, economic and environmental conditions at home and abroad. And recent national calls to prioritize STEM education (science, technology, engineering and math) are deeply enriched by the interdisciplinary nature of EfS.”

In June 2013, the Center for Green Schools and HMH brought together stakeholders from academic, corporate and nonprofit sectors to envision a future where our schools support thriving, healthy and regenerative communities. Subject matter experts undertook the task of recommending key actions that, collectively, outline a pathway to achieve the ambitious goal around environmental literacy within this generation. The action plan intends to propel efforts to affect policies and practices through collaboration, alignment and large-scale implementation.

“At Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, we believe that all students can and should graduate educated for a sustainable future. As one of the world’s leading K-12 education providers, we have the unique opportunity to directly impact this goal through our content,” said Mary Cullinane, chief content officer and executive vice president, corporate affairs at HMH. “We’re calling on our colleagues within the education sector to read this National Action Plan, consider your role in educating for sustainability and join us to take action to ensure all students graduate empowered and enthusiastic about their future.”

Recently, HMH launched a first-ever campaign that rewards every school or district decision-maker with a donation to the Center for Green Schools at USGBC’s Green Apple initiative when they consider the environment by registering for a virtual sample instead of requesting a physical sample pack from their HMH sales representative.

For more information and to download the National Action Plan for Educating for Sustainability, please visit centerforgreenschools.org/nationalactionplan.

About the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council

The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Business Council is making sure every student has the opportunity to attend a green school within this generation. From kindergarten to college and beyond, the Center works directly with staff, teachers, faculty, students, administrators, elected officials and communities to drive the transformation of all schools into sustainable places to live and learn, work and play. For more information, visit centerforgreenschools.org or find us on Twitter and Facebook.

About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (NASDAQ:HMHC) is a global learning company with the mission of changing people’s lives by fostering passionate, curious learners. Among the world’s largest providers of pre-K–12 education solutions and one of its longest-established publishing houses, HMH combines cutting-edge research, editorial excellence and technological innovation to improve teaching and learning environments and solve complex literacy and education challenges. HMH’s interactive, results-driven education solutions are utilized by 50 million students in over 150 countries, and its renowned and awarded novels, non-fiction, children's books and reference works are enjoyed by readers throughout the world. For more information, visit www.hmhco.com.

Graybar Enhances Energy-Efficient Offerings- Receives ENERGY STAR® certification for 15 branches

ST. LOUIS, March 26, 2014 – Graybar, a leading distributor of electrical, communications and data networking products and provider of related supply chain management and logistics services, has enhanced its energy-efficient offerings.

Externally, Graybar has expanded its Graybar PowerSmart® platform to offer both energy-efficient products and sustainable solutions to its customers. Regional Graybar PowerSmart teams have been formed to help customers save money by reducing energy usage. Furthermore, Graybar is also proud to announce the launch of Graybar PowerSmart Monthly, a new electronic newsletter that provides news and industry trends on energy efficiency and building intelligence. Customers can receive this free monthly publication by signing up at www.graybarpowersmart.com/newsletter-signup.

Internally, Graybar has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its energy efficiency efforts. Graybar recently earned EPA ENERGY STAR certification for 15 of its branches. The EPA awards ENERGY STAR certification to buildings that perform in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency and meet strict energy efficiency performance levels.

Graybar locations in Green Bay, Wis.; Norcross, Ga.; Portland, Ore.; San Diego; Austell, Ga.; Joliet, Ill.; Stafford, Texas; Youngstown, Ohio; Billings, Mont.; Columbia, S.C.; Pittsburgh; Providence, R.I.; Tucson, Ariz.; Duluth, Minn.; and the company’s Corporate headquarters in St. Louis earned ENERGY STAR certification. Graybar’s Tucson branch was awarded LEED gold certification in 2012.

“Graybar is committed to sustainability, both in how we run our business and in the products and services we offer to our customers,” said Bill Mansfield, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing. “We’re proud to achieve ENERGY STAR certification of many of our eligible facilities, and we are even prouder to help our customers improve their energy efficiency and save money through Graybar PowerSmart.” Graybar, a Fortune 500 corporation and one of the largest employee-owned companies in North America, is a leader in the distribution of high quality electrical, communications and data networking products, and specializes in related supply chain management and logistics services. Through its network of more than 240 North American distribution facilities, it stocks and sells products from thousands of manufacturers, helping its customers power, network and secure their facilities with speed, intelligence and efficiency. For more information, visit www.graybar.com or call 1-800-GRAYBAR.

Graybar, a Fortune 500 corporation and one of the largest employee-owned companies in North America, is a leader in the distribution of high quality electrical, communications and data networking products, and specializes in related supply chain management and logistics services. Through its network of more than 240 North American distribution facilities, it stocks and sells products from thousands of manufacturers, helping its customers power, network and secure their facilities with speed, intelligence and efficiency.

FUTURE SHOCK = ENERGY - US Navy 'game-changer': converting seawater into fuel

Washington (AFP) - The US Navy believes it has finally worked out the solution to a problem that has intrigued scientists for decades: how to take seawater and use it as fuel.

The development of a liquid hydrocarbon fuel is being hailed as "a game-changer" because it would significantly shorten the supply chain, a weak link that makes any force easier to attack. The US has a fleet of 15 military oil tankers, and only aircraft carriers and some submarines are equipped with nuclear propulsion.

All other vessels must frequently abandon their mission for a few hours to navigate in parallel with the tanker, a delicate operation, especially in bad weather.

The ultimate goal is to eventually get away from the dependence on oil altogether, which would also mean the navy is no longer hostage to potential shortages of oil or fluctuations in its cost.

Vice Admiral Philip Cullom declared: "It's a huge milestone for us."

"We are in very challenging times where we really do have to think in pretty innovative ways to look at how we create energy, how we value energy and how we consume it.

"We need to challenge the results of the assumptions that are the result of the last six decades of constant access to cheap, unlimited amounts of fuel," added Cullom. "Basically, we've treated energy like air, something that's always there and that we don't worry about too much. But the reality is that we do have to worry about it."

US experts have found out how to extract carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas from seawater.

Then, using a catalytic converter, they transformed them into a fuel by a gas-to-liquids process. They hope the fuel will not only be able to power ships, but also planes. That means instead of relying on tankers, ships will be able to produce fuel at sea.

Game-changing' technology -

The predicted cost of jet fuel using the technology is in the range of three to six dollars per gallon, say experts at the US Naval Research Laboratory, who have already flown a model airplane with fuel produced from seawater.

Dr Heather Willauer, an research chemist who has spent nearly a decade on the project, can hardly hide her enthusiasm.

"For the first time we've been able to develop a technology to get CO2 and hydrogen from seawater simultaneously, that's a big breakthrough," she said, adding that the fuel "doesn't look or smell very different."

Now that they have demonstrated it can work, the next step is to produce it in industrial quantities. But before that, in partnership with several universities, the experts want to improve the amount of CO2 and hydrogen they can capture.

"We've demonstrated the feasibility, we want to improve the process efficiency," explained Willauer.

Collum is just as excited.

"For us in the military, in the Navy, we have some pretty unusual and different kinds of challenges," he said.

"We don't necessarily go to a gas station to get our fuel, our gas station comes to us in terms of an oiler, a replenishment ship.

"Developing a game-changing technology like this, seawater to fuel, really is something that reinvents a lot of the way we can do business when you think about logistics, readiness."

A crucial benefit, says Collum, is that the fuel can be used in the same engines already fitted in ships and aircraft.

"If you don't want to re-engineer every ship, every type of engine, every aircraft, that's why we need what we call drop-in replacement fuels that look, smell and essentially are the same as any kind of petroleum-based fuels."

Drawbacks? Only one, it seems: researchers warn it will be at least a decade before US ships are able to produce their own fuel on board.

FUTURE SHOCK…ENERGY – HYDROGEN GAS

Some news events may signal a major change in the industries that integrate to deliver our infrastructure to government, business, and society. Like the transistor, the PC, fiber optic cabling, and a new source of clean energy.

Only a few really astute planners will pick up on the opportunities in a timely fashion. They will “change the course of rivers” and alter history.

LEAD, FOLLOW, OR GET OUT OF THE WAY. Are you a visionary?

General Cable Announces Electrical Distribution Channel Awards At 2014 National Sales Meeting

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KENTUCKY, April 2, 2014 – General Cable (NYSE: BGC) recently awarded their Carol^® Brand/GC and STABILOY^® Brand representative agencies at the company’s 2014 National Sales Meeting, which was held in Phoenix, Arizona.

Coresential, based in Tampa, Florida, received two prestigious awards during the meeting:

· 2013 Representative Agency of the Year, Carol^® Brand and General Cable Branded Products

·2013 Representative Agency of the Year, STABILOY^® Brand Products

“Coresential is a valued General Cable business partner and their focus on their clients and growth in their trading area were significant factors that delivered results in three areas – sales, metal pounds and margin productivity,” said General Cable’s Tom Bisson, Vice President, Electrical Distribution Sales. “It is truly impressive that Coresential received both of these top honors, as they truly worked their General Cable and STABILOY^® plans in every manner, exceeding our expectations and delivering a stellar year.”

In addition to these two top Agency Representative Awards, General Cable also presented the following awards during the National Sales Meeting:

General Cable Representative Agency Awards

Director’s Club Award Winners, who represent General Cable’s Carol Brand and GCC branded product offering, are selected based on objective results that General Cable’s Electrical Distribution Sales team agrees to each year. The awards for 2013 went to:

Eastern Region	Central Region	Western Region
· Cardel-Criste	· Gaynor Sales & Associates	· Blomquist, Densley & Young
· Coresential	· Davenport	· DSI Southwest
· Electrical Products, Inc.	· Young & Champagne	· Ewing-Foley, Inc.
· Vertex		· I-PRO, Inc.

Each year, General Cable’s Electrical Distribution Inside Sales Representatives select a peer as Agent Inside Sales Associate of the Year. For 2013, the award was presented to Brent McKenna of Gobeille-Robinson, Inc. This award was based on Brent’s overall knowledge of General Cable’s products, processes, computer systems, clients and markets, and his or her ability to deliver outstanding customer service. He also exhibited the knowledge and skills to successfully grow sales and manage daily business flow.

STABILOY^® & NUAL^® Representative Agency Awards

Regional Representative Agency of the Year Award Winners, who represent General Cable’s STABILOY^® Brand product offering, are selected based on objective results that General Cable’s Electrical Distribution Sales team agrees to each year. The awards for 2013 went to:

· Synergy Electrical Sales – Eastern Region		· ElectroTech, Inc. (West) – Western Region
· Electrical Sales Associates – Southern Region		· Desdowd Inc. – Canada

The Partnership Award is presented to the representative for all-around partner excellence. GB Agencies Ltd., located in Winnipeg, MB, Canada, was chosen to receive the 2013 Partnership Award Ltd for their excellence in representing the NUAL^® Brand in Canada.

Each year, the STABILOY Team kicks off the President’s Challenge sales contest. This challenge acknowledges the top performers meeting and/or exceeding sales incentives for STABILOY^® Brand MC Cables. The 2013 President’s Challenge Award Winners are:

· PWA	· Coresential
· DSI	· Desdowd Inc.

About General Cable

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 and communications markets. With annual revenues of $6.4 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 more than 14,500 associates. Visit our Web site at www.GeneralCable.com.

Cable, Connectors, Meters, & Satellite Antennas - Check out PerfectVision Manufacturing

PerfectVision was founded and is operated upon the core tenets of Quality, Value, Availability and Compatibility. Our products are designed and manufactured with the highest quality materials and standards. We deliver premium products at value prices, to keep your business running smoothly. We utilize best-in-class logistics to make our products available to you as soon as possible. We have representatives world-wide to service our international partners. All of our products are designed and manufactured to work with any manufacturer's product, making them highly compatible with your existing infrastructure. Customer service is a priority at PerfectVision. You are not just a customer at PerfectVision, you are a business partner, and we succeed when you succeed.

Our Story

Founded in 1979 by Terry Fleming, PerfectVision Manufacturing® had a goal to provide high quality satellite antennas at competitive prices. Using innovative engineering and a customer-focused business approach, PerfectVision Manufacturing has become a $400 Million per year, multinational manufacturer of coax cable, category cable, connectors, meters, accessories, and other leading-edge products for the telecommunications industry.

Privately owned and headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA, PerfectVision’s superior design processes have resulted in over 25 patents. Over 30 years our key imperatives have remained the same--to put the customer first, to provide the highest quality products and to make our products always available at the most competitive prices.

Our Mission

Our mission is to establish trusting relationships between channel partners and end users that generate new ideas and innovations in the telecommunications industry, have the capability to design, engineer, mass produce and distribute Quality products that create Value for our partners and users, with dependable Accessibility, and have trusted Compatibility throughout the spectrum of serviceable platforms. Our commitment to our mission sets the highest priority to the customer and the need to become a solutions partner across the telecommunications industry.

We constantly strive to create the solutions our customers need and exceed their expectations. We want to be a valuable source for quality, competitively priced products in the telecommunications industry. Maintaining consistent availability for all customers and all products is one of our key goals.

Consistent Quality

PerfectVision Manufacturing pledges to provide the highest quality products for the telecommunications industry. Our manufacturing processes, combined with our unparalleled quality control procedures allow us to constantly meet and exceed industry specifications while maintaining a high value and rapid ROI for our customers.

In Process Quality Control
Raw Material Control
Statistical Process Control
Product Traceability
Statistical Data Analysis
Industry Leading Test Equipment

Adding Value

Our vertical integration, of making everything from the PVC jacketing, to the aluminum foil, center core and plastic reels and brackets all within our own facilities, works together with our huge volumes and purchasing power to save you money. Our innovative packaging designs save time and space, which also saves money for shipping and storage. The experience we bring and the innovative and expert engineering of our products make you more money, by providing you the best products possible.

Our Availability

At PerfectVision, we offer best-in-class logistics to make certain our products are where they need to be when you need them to be there. We have six warehouses strategically placed throughout the U.S. to allow us a 2-day turnaround from the point of purchase to 95% of the country. In our manufacturing facilities, we can easily expand our capacity to fulfill any order within a short timeframe. We use state-of-the-art machinery and technology to get the job done quickly and to the highest standards. We make use of container consolidation when shipping world-wide to control costs and keep our warehouses stocked at all times. We produce 14 million feet of cable daily, and 250 million connectors annually.

Standards and Certifications

We use real-time statistical process control to monitor for consistency and quality standards required by key industry regulators, including the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Canadian Standards Association (CSA), and the Society for Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE). PerfectVision cable consistently meets the following standards and certifications:

ISO 9001; 2000 certifications
ISO 140000 certification
UL E341555; UL E342531
UL E343972; UL E344384
SARFT qualification (domestic)
UL-CSA certification
RoHS and SGS Ethnic Audit
Thomson QMS/GE EHS certification
Riser certification

Our Compatibility

All PerfectVision products are designed, engineered and manufactured to be compatible not only with all other PerfectVision products, but also other manufacturers' products that you may already be utilizing. Ensuring compatibility makes it easier for you to use PerfectVision products within your existing set-up, which saves you time and money, as well as making certain you will get the best quality product and end-result. All PerfectVision products are engineered for optimal useful life, reducing replacement costs, and manufactured to provide the best RF performance.

Perfect Vision Manufacturing 16101 La Grande Drive - Little Rock, AR 72223

Toll Free: 800-205-8620 - International/Local: 501-955-0032

www.perfect-vision.com (Manufacturing) www.perfect-10.tv (Distribution)

CRAIG CONSULTING SERVICES – New BICSI Training Schedule April – July 2014

APRIL 1, 2014

BICSI Training Schedule

April - July 2014

Dates Class

APRIL

4/7 – 4/11 ITS Copper (IN225)

4/21 – 4/25 ITS Fiber (IN 250)

MAY

5/5 – 5/9 ITS Copper (IN 225)

5/19 – 5/23 ITS Fiber (IN250)

JUNE

6/9 – 6/13 ITS Technician (TE 350)

6/23 – 6/27 ITS Copper (IN 225)

JULY

7/7 – 7/11 ITS Fiber (IN 250)

7/21 – 7/25 ITS Technician (TE 350)

Schedule subject to change based upon Customer requests.

Craig Consulting Training Center

13370 Branch View Lane, Suite # 140

Dallas, Texas 75234

(972) 393-1669 Office

(972) 393-5735 Fax

www.craigconsultingservices.com

International Tourism Safety Conference Co-Located with ISC WEST in Las Vegas April 2-4, 2014

December 19, 2013

ISC West is the largest physical security tradeshow in North America and is considered the security industry’s premier launching pad for new products, solutions and technologies. Each year, ISC West hosts over 1,000 international and domestic security product manufacturer companies and over 26,000 security professionals. In addition to the 10,000+ products featured on its show floor, ISC West offers business critical education sessions on the newest technologies in security, with more than 75 sessions designed for every security professional. ISC West is sponsored by SIA, the Security Industry Association. Currently, ISC West is completely sold out with sales projections pacing towards a ten percent growth in show floor space making ISC West the largest exhibition hall in the US for security. This year’s SIA Education@ISC West will provide the latest insights and applications for security professionals involved in every segment of the industry. It is the security industry’s broadest offering of education, developed by the industry, designed to take today’s security professional to the next level.

Experts from Around the World Gather to Share Best Tourism Safety Practices in Las Vegas April 2-4, 2014

LAS VEGAS, December 19, 2013 – The International Tourism Safety Association, the Las Vegas Security Chiefs Association, and ISC West announced an agreement in which they will co-locate their events in one venue in 2014. Both the International Tourism Safety Conference and ISC West will be held during the first week in April 2014 at the Sands Expo Convention Center in Las Vegas.

The International Tourism Safety Conference is an annual gathering for hundreds of safety and security officials in the travel and tourism industry worldwide and focuses on providing delegates with new information, trends, equipment, strategies and best practices in keeping visitors safe. The conference, which first began in 1992, is hosted by the International Tourism Safety Association, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the Las Vegas Security Chiefs Association.

“This is a great opportunity for attendees of both events as they’ll be able to share more information and gain added insight on the latest safety strategies, technology and equipment,” said Ray Suppe, president of International Tourism Safety Association and director of security for the LVCVA. “Providing a safe and secure experience for visitors is a top priority for any city’s tourism industry, and by combining our events, we’ll be able to offer more training and collaboration which ultimately helps ensure the safety of visitors in destinations and attractions here in Las Vegas and around the world.”

“ISC West is known as the launching pad for new physical security products and services,” said Ed Several, senior vice president and general manager, ISC Events. “We’re delighted to work with the International Tourism Safety Association to bring their members to the show, where they can see the newest products and technologies that can be immediately implemented in their organizations.”

Both the International Tourism Safety Conference and ISC West will each manage its own event but will combine some functions, such as the marketing, sharing meeting space and complementing show hours, where appropriate and for the benefit of attendees.

The International Tourism Safety Conference will be held April 2-3 with optional tours on April 4 and Tourism Oriented Policing and Protective Services (TOPPS) certification courses offered prior to the event on March 31 and April 1. ISC West will take place April 2 through April 4, with the SIA Education@ISC West beginning April 1.

For more information or to register for the conferences, visit www.iscwest.com and www.touristsafety.org.

ABOUT ISC WEST

ABOUT THE LVCVA

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is charged with marketing Southern Nevada as a tourism and convention destination worldwide, and also with operating the Las Vegas Convention Center and Cashman Center. With more than 150,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas alone and 10.7 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space citywide, the LVCVA’s mission centers on attracting ever increasing numbers of leisure and business visitors to the area. For more information, go to www.lvcva.com or www.lasvegas.com.

ELEARNING – Installation Programs – Building Automation, Industrial Data, CCTV, VoIP and more

In the 21^st Century, people have to learn more than ever before – CSTI’s programs are self-paced. Do any of the following programs interest you?

Cabling Installation Program
VoIP-PBX Installation
Data Network Cabling
Industrial Ethernet Data Installation
CCTV Installation
Fiber Optic Installation
Burglar Alarm Installation
Estimating, Design and Bid SCS
Point of Sale-Hardware and Cabling Installation
Outside Cable Plant – Campus Cabling
RFP Engineering
Building Automation System Ethernet/IP SCS Installation

Communication Systems Technology Institute (CSTI) is one of the only distance-learning Institute to offer unique programs that relate specifically to the growing low voltage industry. CSTI has been and still designing and developing training programs for the past 15 years.

Our programs start from the entry level and go to the top level of needed knowledge to advance in one’s present job.

Our programs have been designed by those who work in the low-voltage industry – leaders and educators in the installation of electronics, communications, signaling and electrical systems, some having over 40 years of experience.
We wish you luck in finding your future endeavors.

www.communicationsystemstechnologyinstitute.com

Dallas, TX (469) 264-9248 or Steve Paulov, Director Steve.inm@hotmail.com

The Chemical Giant gets bad news. Court threw out a $920M award to DuPont over trade secrets

A federal appeals court on April 3, 2014 threw out a $919.9 million jury verdict in favor of DuPont Co in a case over the alleged theft of trade secrets for a fiber used to make Kevlar bulletproof vests.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia said the verdict against South Korea's Kolon Industries Inc must be voided because the trial judge improperly excluded relevant evidence that was material to Kolon's defense.

A Richmond jury had awarded the damages in September 2011, after DuPont had accused Kolon of deliberately stealing trade secrets and confidential information regarding its Kevlar para-aramid fiber. The fiber is also used to make tires and fiber-optic cables, in addition to body armor.

ShoreTel Awarded 5-Star Rating in CRN's 2014 Partner Program Guide

Annual guide recognizes the very best channel partner programs in the market

SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- ShoreTel® (SHOR), the leading provider of brilliantly simple phone systems and unified communications (UC) solutions for the cloud and premises, today announced it has been awarded a 5-Star rating in the CRN 2014 Partner Program Guide. The annual directory is the definitive listing of technology vendors that service solution providers or provide products through the IT channel. The 5-Star Partner Program rating recognizes an elite subset of companies that offer solution providers the best partnering elements in their channel programs.

ShoreTel has grown its channel partner program to more than 1,000 partners around the world. The Champion Partner Program is designed to enable solution providers to offer ShoreTel's end-to-end UC communications products and services. The program includes mainstays such as opportunity registration, sales and technical training, MDF/marketing support and more. In addition, it offers tools and programs to increase solution provider success and profitability, such as workshops to facilitate cloud business planning and enablement, and sales professional recruiting assistance.

To determine the 2014 5-Star recipients, The Channel Company's research team assessed each vendor's application based on investments in program offerings, partner profitability, partner training, education and support, marketing programs and resources, sales support and communication.

"This recognition by CRN is further support that our channel program is meeting the needs of solution providers and enabling them to have successful businesses," said David Petts, senior vice president of worldwide sales at ShoreTel. "ShoreTel and its partners share the same goals of delivering UC solutions that improve communication and collaboration, with superior levels of customer care and satisfaction."

ShoreTel's 5-Star designation comes following a recent revamping of the Champion Partner Program including the addition of cloud tiers that enable channel partners to take advantage of one of the fastest growing communications segments.

"Solution providers have a lot of choices when it comes to selecting vendor partners. Identifying the right vendor, with the right technologies, and the right approach can make all the difference," said Robert Faletra, CEO of The Channel Company. "Our annual Partner Program Guide and 5-Star rating recognizes the very best channel programs available in the market today to help solution providers determine which vendor delivers the best partner elements for their individual business goals."

The 2014 Partner Program Guide will be featured on CRN.com and the 5-Star Partners listing will be highlighted in the April issue of CRN.

About The Channel Company
The Channel Company is the channel community's trusted authority for growth and innovation, with established brands including CRN, XChange Events, IPED, and SharedVue. For more than three decades, we have leveraged our proven and leading-edge platforms to deliver prescriptive sales and marketing solutions for the technology channel. The Channel Company provides Communication, Recruitment, Engagement, Enablement, Demand Generation and Intelligence services to drive technology partnerships. Learn more at www.thechannelcompany.com.

About ShoreTel, Inc.
ShoreTel, Inc. (SHOR) is a leading provider of brilliantly simple IP phone systems and unified communications solutions. Its award-winning on-premises IP-PBX solution and cloud-based hosted phone system eliminate complexity and improve productivity. Recognized for its industry-leading customer experience and support, ShoreTel's innovative business phones, application integration, collaboration tools, mobility, and contact center applications enable users to communicate and collaborate no matter the time, place or device, with minimal demand on IT resources. ShoreTel is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., and has regional offices and partners worldwide. For more information, visit www.shoretel.com.

Communication Planning Corporation is North Florida’s leading ShoreTel dealer.

Since 1980, CPC has provided quality service for their communications and cabling needs. CPC and ShoreTel can deliver unified communications. www.communicationplanning.com

Contact Michael Shannahan, Vice President – Communication Planning Corporation (Jacksonville, FL) Tel. 904-645-9077 or michael@communicationplanning.com

Klein Tools Expands Its Insulated Tool Line

April 3, 2014 (Lincolnshire, IL) – Klein Tools (http://www.kleintools.com), for professionals since 1857, announced the release of their full line of Electrician’s Insulated Tools with slimmer, sleeker profiles, certified by VDE and made in the USA.

New injection-molded grips feature Klein’s unique, three part insulation that includes a white underlayer that acts as a continuous sleeve around the steel handle and serves as a warning sign if the insulation is compromised. This also adds an extra layer of protection compared to other insulated tools on the market.

The multi-color, sleek design features small thumb guards for ease of handling and storage in the tool belt. This series offers the core tools an electrician needs to get the job done safely, including New England style side cutters, diagonal cutters, long-nose pliers, cable cutters, pump pliers and wire strippers.

Each tool is marked with the official 1000V symbol which signifies that the tool has been tested to 10,000V. Additionally, they are marked with the official VDE GS logo, signifying that each tool is certified by the VDE Testing and Certification Institute in Germany, one of the world’s most prominent independent testing organizations for electric and electronic products.

To conform to these standards, Klein’s insulated tools are put through an internal rigorous testing process to ensure that the tool can handle any situation it might come across in the field. Klein Tools controls the entire manufacturing process in the United States starting with a proprietary blend of steel forged by Klein, through a proprietary three stage heat treating and testing process.

“Safety is extremely important to electricians,” states David Klein, product manager at Klein Tools. “This line was developed to provide the tools electricians use every day in a sleek insulated design that are easy to use and store”.

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

2016 Greenbuild Annual Conference & Expo to Take Place in Los Angeles

Washington, D.C. — (Apr. 3, 2014) — The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Hanley Wood announced today that the 2016 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo will move from San Diego, Calif. to Los Angeles, Calif.

The announcement came during the Clinton Global Initiative’s 21st Century Infrastructure and Innovation for a Resilient Economy event, where Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and former President Bill Clinton, a previous Greenbuild plenary speaker, were speaking.

Even in a state where green building success stories abound, Los Angeles has distinguished itself as a national leader in green building. Mayor Garcetti has been a green building proponent from his early days on the City Council, where as President he authored the nation’s largest green building ordinance. Mayor Garcetti also authored legislation establishing the nation’s largest solar Feed-in Tariff program.

“Los Angeles is the ideal setting for Greenbuild 2016,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “Sustainable building is a priority for our time, for our city, and for my administration—and our city is leading the way forward. Hosting this conference and expo in our diverse and cosmopolitan city is another step in the right direction, and will facilitate important connections, inspire leadership, and spur innovation, both locally and globally.”

“Los Angeles is green building hub,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “Home to 268 LEED-certified commercial buildings, 1,431 LEED-certified residential units, and more municipal LEED-certified square footage than any other city, Los Angeles is the perfect place to convene the world’s leading green building conference & expo. Our very active Los Angeles USGBC chapter, USGBC, and our partners at Hanley Wood are looking forward to hosting more than 30,000 passionate green building advocates here in 2016.”

Plans are well underway for Greenbuild 2014 in New Orleans. “Every city, every region is special, but the common thread is the extraordinary work that occurs on the ground in every state and more than 150 countries around the world. That’s what Greenbuild celebrates better than any other event,” added Fedrizzi.

“The USGBC – Los Angeles Chapter is thrilled to roll out the red carpet and welcome the Greenbuild Nation to our city, “Amelia Doyle Feichtner, Principal (and USGBC-LA Chapter Chair). “We are excited to share our progress in building sustainable communities through advocacy, regional green building research and stellar green building programs. Nowhere in the world will we find a better place to put the spotlight on green building.”

Greenbuild host cities are selected several years in advance and Greenbuild 2016 was originally planned for San Diego. Occasionally, however, updates are made to the schedule so that an optimal show experience can occur.

About Greenbuild International Conference & Expo

The Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, brought to you by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), convenes the industry’s largest gathering of representatives from all sectors of the green building movement. The 2014 show will be held Oct. 22-24 in New Orleans, La. Three days of extensive educational programming, workshops, a vast exhibition floor and ample networking events provide unrivaled opportunities to learn about the latest technological innovations, explore new products and exchange ideas with other professionals. In 2013, Greenbuild entered a strategic partnership with Hanley Wood, which includes acquisition of the brand and plans to grow the conference globally. Greenbuild is also a three-time recipient of IMEX Green Meetings Award. For more information, visit greenbuildexpo.com and follow us on Twitter @Greenbuild and Facebook.

America Ilsintech, Dallas, TX has an impressive package of fiber optic cabling tools and components

As the tsunami of demand increases for fiber optic cabling, contractors are pleased to discover America Ilsintech.

Mike Shannahan, Vice President of Communication Planning Corporation (Jacksonville, FL) told us that “The Ilsintech splicer was as effective as any other top-rated splicer, but not as costly. Ilsintech is a great combination of Innovation + Performance + Price.”

Ilsintech is the only fusion splicer manufacturer that offers portable all-in-one fusion splicers. These models include an automatic thermal stripper, one step precision cleaver and a cleaner dispenser in one unit. Ilsintech also offers standard fusion splicer models such as the F3 clad alignment splicer and the S3 core alignment splicer. Swift Connectors are high quality, low cost splice on connectors in a variety of styles and sizes that can be used with all Ilsintech fusion splicers. To see the full line of Ilsintech products, VISIT www.americailsintech.com

Founded in 1982 as a high precision tools manufacturer, Ilsintech started supplying Optical Fiber Termination Products in 1999 in order to meet the market needs for high quality and high efficiency products. Starting with optical fiber cleavers, Ilsintech continued introducing many other optical fiber termination and splicing products such as a core alignment splicer, clad alignment splicer integrated with thermal auto stripper and cleaver, splice-on connector, single action cleaver, angle cleaver, ultrasonic cleaver, thermal automatic fiber stripper, etc.

Ilsintech is also a leading supplier of 8° Angle Fiber Cleaver in the world market, and it is distributed worldwide through global distributors like 3M.

Sales/Customer Service: 972-556-0916

Maintenance/Tech Support: 972-998-5123

Email Us At: Info@AmericaIlsintech.com

Anixter Sale Said to Falter as Buyers Balk at Price

By David Welch, Matthew Campbell and Aaron Kirchfeld Apr 1, 2014 1:33 PM ET

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An effort to sell Anixter International Inc., the wiring parts maker that counts billionaire SAM ZELL among its investors, has stalled as potential buyers reject the company’s price expectations, according to several people familiar with the matter.

French electrical-equipment distributor Rexal SA (RXL), which was earlier considered one of the more likely buyers, passed on making an offer, two of the people said, asking not to be identified discussing private information. Private-equity funds Advent International Corp. and CVC Capital Partners Ltd., also chose not to bid after looking at the asset, two people said.

The company was seeking offers of more than $115 per share -- about 13 percent above yesterday’s close of $101.52 (AXE) -- while Rexel wasn’t willing to pay more than $110, one of the people said. Anixter’s shares gained 45% in the year through yesterday, giving the company a market value of $3.3 billion.

The shares fell 4.2 percent to $97.29 as of 1:30 p.m. in NY today.

The company’s largest shareholder is Chai Trust Co., a division of Zell’s Equity Group Investments. Sam Zell is chairman of Anixter and his son Matthew is a director.

While Anixter, whose products are installed in office buildings and data centers, stands to profit from a pickup in non-residential construction, the private-equity funds weren’t convinced of its growth prospects, two people said. Sales, which fell slightly to $6.23 Billion in 2013, should grow in the “mid-single digit” range, the company said in February.

The sale effort, directed by Goldman Sachs Group Inc., is now in limbo and likely to be terminated, the people said. Dawn Marks, a spokeswoman for Glenview, Illinois-based Anixter declined to comment.

3M Cogent MiY Biometric Access Control Readers Integrated with Schneider Electric’s Integrated Security and Building Management Solutions

- Integration allows complete user/credential management through Schneider Electric’s Andover Continuum security and building management software -

ST. PAUL, Minn.- Schneider Electric’s Andover Continuum™ Integrated Security and Building Management Solutions are now further enhanced with the latest generation of 3M™ Cogent MiY (Make it Yours) Biometric Access Control Readers.

3M Cogent MiY readers are now integrated with Andover Continuum CyberStation™ 1.91 or greater. The first complete integration of the MiY solution for user and credential management into a third party software, leveraging MiY’s framework, provides biometric capture and cardholder enrollment directly from any CyberStation or using any 3M MiY reader on the network.

The 3M Cogent MiY product portfolio was designed to provide integrators with a comprehensive yet easy-to-develop framework, shortening the product development time and creating feature-rich solutions for end users. The award-winning MiY product line provides single to multi-factor access control and is FIPS 201 certified.

CyberStation, a complete user interface for Andover Continuum Integrated Security and Building Management Solutions, provides true integration of security (access control, intrusion monitoring, fire alarm monitoring and digital video surveillance), power monitoring, climate control equipment and energy management within a single user interface. “The successful integration of 3M Cogent’s MiY biometric access control readers with Schneider Electric’s Andover Continuum allows us to provide customers with best-in-class solutions that enable optimal, efficient building performance and reduce energy consumption, capital expenditures, and operating expenditures while also improving overall business performance,” said LK Wong, Director of Applications and Sales Support for Schneider Electric.

“Biometric access control is a rapidly growing requirement for facilities security,” commented Christopher Crump, who manages the global access control portfolio for 3M Cogent. “Integrating 3M Cogent’s MiY framework provides Schneider Electric’s customers the ability to use 3M Cogent’s high-quality biometric access control products seamlessly.”

About 3M Identity Management
3M delivers end-to end, innovative security solutions to businesses and governments worldwide—helping to ensure security of people and documents. With an unmatched mix of leading technologies in biometrics and credentialing as well as expert systems integration and support, 3M helps solve an array of security challenges, including efficient border management, secure issuance and authentication of civil IDs, and controlling access to facilities and information. 3M identity management technologies are used in over 100 countries around the world. For more information, visit www.3M.com/IdentityManagement

About 3M
3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms them into thousands of ingenious products. Our culture of creative collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops inventing. With $31 billion in sales, 3M employees about 89,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com

About Schneider Electric
As a global specialist in energy management with operations in more than 100 countries, Schneider Electric offers integrated solutions across multiple market segments, including leadership positions in Utilities & Infrastructure, Industries & Machines Manufacturers, Non-residential Buildings, Data Centers & Networks and in Residential. Focused on making energy safe, reliable, efficient, productive and green, the company’s 150,000 plus employees achieved sales of 31 billion US dollars in 2013, through an active commitment to help individuals and organizations make the most of their energy. For more information, visit www.schneider-electric.com/us

This article is an excerpt from James Carlini's upcoming book - Location, Location, Connectivity.

The new wonder metal, graphene, is being looked at as a building block for communications and electronic devices on the level of what the transistor was sixty years ago.

Graphene is a one-atom thick, mesh-like (think hexagonal honeycomb or chicken wire), semi metal that will add more battery-life into a smartphone among other breakthrough ideas like bendable displays. It is also ten times stronger than diamonds so its resiliency is perfect for use in a smartphone or any other device that requires super-ruggedness.

Wikipedia defines it as:

High-quality graphene is strong, light, nearly transparent and an excellent conductor of heat and electricity. Its interactions with other materials and with light and its inherently two-dimensional nature produce unique properties, such as the bi-polar transistor effect, ballistic transport of charges and large quantum oscillations.

Is this a new miracle micro-metal or film that will become a universal coating for many devices? It will definitely become a building block for next-generation communication devices as well as quick-charge batteries. IBM has already tested it in a computer chip and it runs 10,000 faster than previous chips with graphene added to them. In the past, graphene has been hard to mass-produce, but that is being worked on by Samsung.

This will definitely effect the development of smartphones and give them new capabilities as well as extend what is now considered big limitations like battery life and rigid phone frameworks. Samsung is doing a lot of research with this new capability. If they can mass produce it cheaply as a part for their smartphones, they will definitely raise the ante in the big war of innovation with Apple.

CIO, CTO & Developer Resources

In an everyday example, how long does it take for you to recharge your smartphone? What if you could do it in 30-40 seconds and then not have to recharge for several weeks? That is the difference graphene can make just in battery life. Just think if one phone maker gets that capability and the others can't.

Other Applications?
Research has already demonstrated that graphene, which is made up of carbon atoms, is capable of absorbing 90 percent of electromagnetic energy across a high bandwidth. This could be used in many ways.

Think of graphene being used as a one-atom thick, micro-privacy drape that could filter out EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) from car windows or buildings to eliminate EMI interference. This could be a new building block for secure wireless networks and other applications needing EMI filtering.

Using this type of EMI "graphene drape" could be a good way to secure trading floor networks in all the stock exchanges as well as other mission-critical wireless networks found in so many industries today. Because graphene is transparent, offices could have this applied to windows so that no one could intercept signals being emitted by a wireless router and being picked up by a directional antenna.

This definitely could be viewed as an "Intelligent Amenity" for 21st century real estate, especially those buildings wanting to offer security from electronic eavesdropping. New buildings would have it as part of the design spec and existing buildings could add it if they wanted to compete for security-conscious corporate tenants.

• • •

Carlini's visionary book, "Location, Location, Connectivity" will be coming out later this year.

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

James Carlini, MBA, a certified Infrastructure Consultant, keynote speaker and former award-winning Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University, has advised on mission-critical networks. Clients include the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, GLOBEX, and City of Chicago’s 911 Center. An expert witness in civil and federal courts on network infrastructure, he has worked with AT&T, Sprint and others.

Da VINCI TOWER: INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS MEET DYNAMIC ARCHITECTURE by James Carlini

The latest in modern skyscrapers is not going up in New York City or Chicago. It is not going up in the Far East either. The DaVinci Tower, which boasts a whole new architectural concept called Dynamic Architecture, is going up in Dubai. David Fisher is the architect.

Dynamic Architecture opens up a whole new approach to constructing Intelligent Buildings in urban areas. The applications of new architecture, technology, and pre-fabricated construction techniques can be easily seen in this next-generation commercial building.

See five minute video – http://www.flixxy.com/dubai-dynamic-architecture.htm

EVERY FLOOR ROTATES AND IS SEPARATED BY A WIND TURBINE

Talk about an innovative approach to provide the latest in green technology as well as luxury amenities, each floor of this tower will be able to rotate 360 degrees every 90 minutes. That means you will be able to see a panoramic view of the city as your floor turns. In addition, each floor is separated by a wind turbine which will be able to provide power to the building as well as the city.

Each floor is being built off-site and the construction of the building on-site should take a lot less time than a traditional building. It is estimated each floor and its modular pieces of the building will take six days to add on compared to a traditional building’s build out per floor of six weeks. A huge significant change is evident in the construction techniques implemented for this building.

TRADITIONAL BUILDING
2000 workers
30 months to build
1 floor per six weeks

DYNAMIC BUILDING
90 workers
18 months to build
1 floor per six days

Add to these huge differences in construction approaches, the idea of adding wind turbines in-between each floor. So there is no “extra footprint” for a wind turbine, it is all consolidated in the footprint of the building. This new concept is being adopted for several buildings globally.

They did not address fiber optics or broadband connectivity in this building approach, but I am sure they have incorporated some new approaches for these intelligent amenities as well for each base unit.

When you take a look at all the new concepts being implemented in this building, you realize how almost all buildings up to this point have not utilized some of these unique approaches. It is clear some architectural approaches which were standard rules-of-thumb yesterday are totally obsolete today. Does your building have movable floors? Does it have a wind turbine beneath each floor to generate power?

CARLINI-ISM: Adding this new dimension to architecture changes what was considered “Best Practices” and standard rules-of-thumb. Move forward and adopt these new ideas.

Carlini's visionary book, "Location, Location, Connectivity" will be coming out later this year.

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

Carlini’s visionary upcoming book, Location Location Connectivity will be available later this year.

He will be the Keynote Speaker at next week’s Illinois State Wireless Association’s Annual Educational Luncheon. Details are at http://www.ilswa.org for reservations.

Cleveland Indians Trade-Up to ShoreTel Communications Platform for Ease of Use and Higher Productivity

MLB team selects ShoreTel portfolio for 900 phones at two sites, improving employee productivity and fan satisfaction, reducing costs by 50 percent

-SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- ShoreTel® (SHOR), the leading provider of brilliantly simple phone systems and unified communications (UC) solutions, today announced the Cleveland Indians have selected ShoreTel for its downtown Progressive Field stadium, front office, call center operations and spring training facility in Goodyear, Ariz. The ShoreTel unified communications platform is displacing an Avaya PBX to bring improved communications for staff and fans.

Working closely with ShoreTel Gold Partner Teletronics, the team purchased the ShoreTel IP-PBX solution with integrated unified communications, ShoreTel Enterprise Contact Center, ShoreTel Microsoft Dynamics CRM Integration, ShoreTel Conferencing, ShoreTel Mobility and several ShoreTel Dock units. When fully installed, the system will support 900 phones, with 125 users on mobility, and will reduce the team's projected cost by more than 50 percent.

"When our old contract was expiring, we decided to shop around for a new UC system, and with the guidance of Teletronics, ShoreTel quickly became the clear choice," said Whitney Kuszmaul, director of IT at the Cleveland Indians. "Ease of use of the ShoreTel system was a huge factor in our decision – everything was cumbersome and complicated with our previous phone system! ShoreTel Mobility was another differentiator. It puts us light-years ahead of where we were before. In addition, the system's ability to grow with us as we expand was an important consideration."

The Cleveland Indians also appreciate the benchmarking and reports provided by the ShoreTel system, which have helped improve its processes and drive efficiency, as well as a significantly simplified server environment. With ShoreTel, the team is seeing a dramatic reduction in the amount of data center footprint space and the number of ports required. In one location, the technology requirements went from 20 servers to four servers, an 80 percent reduction.

The team's use of ShoreTel Enterprise Contact Center has improved productivity and efficiency, especially among the fan services and sales teams. Utilizing the system's auto attendant and auto and abandoned callback functionalities, the abandon call time has been reduced from 21 minutes to three minutes, an 85 percent reduction, and hold times have been reduced from three minutes to less than one minute – significantly improving the overall fan experience. ShoreTel Enterprise Contact Center is also integrated with the Cleveland Indian's CRM system to further streamline operations.

"ShoreTel's integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM provides easier access to information, with screen pops and straightforward call routing, which means we can deliver an even better experience to our fans," added Kuszmaul.

"The Cleveland Indians are leveraging the benefits of ShoreTel's integrated communications system and applications to improve employee productivity whether they are in the office or a remote location," said Mark Roberts, chief marketing officer at ShoreTel. "ShoreTel enables the team to having winning technology."

The Cleveland Indians are the fourth Major League Baseball team to select ShoreTel for their UC needs, joining the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Miami Marlins.

About Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians Baseball Club, established in 1901 as one of the four Charter members of the American League, is an organization dedicated to creating memories, connecting generations and celebrating families. The Indians organization has provided superior customer service and entertainment to nearly 50 million fans at Progressive Field since the gates opened in 1994.

ShoreTel and the ShoreTel logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of ShoreTel, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Major League Baseball and MLB are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. All other trademarks, trade names and service marks herein are the property of their respective owners.

Communication Planning Corporation is North Florida’s leading ShoreTel dealer.

Since 1980, CPC has provided quality service for their communications and cabling needs. CPC and ShoreTel can deliver unified communications. www.communicationplanning.com

Contact Michael Shannahan, Vice President – Communication Planning Corporation (Jacksonville, FL) Tel. 904-645-9077 or michael@communicationplanning.com

EU Slaps $416 Million Fine on Power Cable Cartel

Published 4/3/2014 12:58:34 PM

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union's antitrust authority is imposing a 302 million-euro ($416 million) fine against 11 producers of high voltage power cables for operating a cartel.

EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said Wednesday the firms "knew very well that what they were doing was illegal" and therefore "acted with great secrecy."

The EU says the six European companies, three Japanese and two South Korean producers colluded to allocate customers between themselves from 1999 for about 10 years "on an almost worldwide scale."

The underground and submarine high voltage cables are typically used to connect power plants to the electricity grid, to interconnect power grids in different countries or to connect offshore wind farms.

Lisa Belodoff joins CABLExpress as vice president

Previously, she worked as west coast regional account manager at Rochester Precision Optics. She worked for CXtec from 2002 to 2008.

Belodoff earned a master's degree in business administration and marketing from Syracuse University, and a bachelor's degree in communication from the State University of New York College at Geneseo. She served as adjunct professor at the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University from 2004 to 2007.

Belodoff was elected to serve as program chair on the board of the Optical Society of Southern California for the 2013-2014 term. She resides in Syracuse.

CABLExpress® manufactures high-performance optical connectivity products. We’ve offered data center cabling infrastructure technologies worldwide for more than three decades, beginning our expertise by supplying everything from raised flooring and underfloor bus and tag cables, to ESCON® cables, to Token Ring connectors and other legacy products. We also provided used replacement parts for mainframes, and have continued to expand our expertise into today’s data center systems. Today, CABLExpress offers everything your cabling infrastructure needs. Quite simply, we make your network…work.

Over 30 years of experience at work for you. We have BICSI Registered Communications Distribution Designers (RCDD) on-site and we’re corporate members of both the BICSI Data Center Standards Committee and AFCOM. We bring an in-depth understanding of TIA-942 data center standards and we design solutions based on them that are that are scalable and future-proof. Don’t risk your mission-critical applications on a connectivity provider that dabbles in data center solutions, but offers no real understanding. info@cablexpress.com

www.cablexpress.com

SHAREHOLDER ALERT: Brodsky & Smith, LLC Announces Investigation of the Board of Directors of Anixter International Inc. - AXE

BALA CYNWYD, Pa., April 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Law office of Brodsky & Smith, LLC announces that it is investigating potential claims against the Board of Directors of Anixter International Inc. ("Anixter" or the "Company") (AXE).

Click here to learn more about the investigation http://brodsky-smith.com/736-axe-anixter-international-inc.html, or call: 877-534-2590. There is no cost or obligation to you.

It has been reported that efforts to sell Anixter may have stalled as potential buyers may have rejected the Company's price expectations. It had previously been reported that a French electrical- equipment distributor may have been willing to pay up to $110.00 per share for the Company. The investigation concerns possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of state law by the Board of Directors of Anixter for not acting in the Company's shareholders' best interests in connection with the sale process.

If you own shares of Anixter common stock and wish to discuss the legal ramifications of the investigation, or have any questions, you may e-mail or call the law office of Brodsky & Smith, LLC who will, without obligation or cost to you, attempt to answer your questions. You may contact Jason L. Brodsky, Esquire or Evan J. Smith, Esquire at Brodsky & Smith, LLC, Two Bala Plaza, Suite 602, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004, by e-mail at investorrelations@brodsky-smith.com, by visiting http://brodsky-smith.com/736-axe-anixter-international-inc.html, or calling toll free 877-LEGAL-90.

Brodsky & Smith, LLC is a litigation law firm with extensive expertise representing shareholders throughout the nation in securities and case action lawsuits. The attorneys at Brodsky & Smith have been appointed by numerous courts throughout the country to serve as lead counsel in class actions and successfully recovered millions of dollars for our clients and shareholders. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Three Billion Square Feet of Green Building Space LEED®-Certified. Major milestone for the global green building industry

Washington, D.C. — (April 8, 2014) — The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced today that 3 billion square feet of green construction space has earned LEED® certification around the globe.

“This milestone is the result of leaders across our industry making the business and environmental case for healthy, sustainable buildings,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “More than 4.3 million people live and work in LEED buildings. As our numbers continue to gain momentum, the impact is significant — jobs are created, revenue is generated and well-being is prioritized — proving every day that LEED works.”

Green construction has grown massively over a short period of time: McGraw-Hill estimates that it will comprise half of U.S. construction and be worth up to $248 billion by 2016. LEED is the most widely recognized and used green building program across the globe, with more than 1.7 million square feet of commercial building space LEED certifying each day in more than 140 countries and territories.

In the U.S. alone, buildings account for 41 percent of energy use, 73 percent of electricity consumption and 38 percent of all CO2 emissions. Globally, buildings use 40 percent of raw materials, or 3 billion tons annually. LEED is designed to minimize the adverse effects of constructing, operating and maintaining buildings, while maximizing sustainability and health-related features. By encouraging the careful sourcing and selection of building materials, reducing energy use and waste, conserving water and ensuring a healthy and safe indoor environment, LEED is being used to optimize building projects in new construction, retrofits and ongoing building operations across the commercial and residential sectors, as well as neighborhood developments.

“Some of the best-designed and well-maintained buildings of the green movement utilize LEED, which is defined by innovation and imagination,” added Fedrizzi.

Some of the most well-known LEED buildings include The World Bank in Washington, D.C.; the Fifth Avenue Tiffany & Co., the Time Life Building and the Empire State Building in New York, N.Y.; the Merchandise Mart in Chicago; and Taipei 101, one of the tallest buildings in the world, in Taipei, Taiwan.

Recently certified LEED buildings that helped tip the scales to 3 billion square feet include the Hilmar Cheese Company’s LEED Platinum Headquarters and Innovation Center. Certified in February 2014, this 55,000-square-foot building in Hilmar, Calif., utilizes daylighting strategies and occupancy sensors and employs solar energy to provide about 25 percent of the overall building energy demand.

Other recent certifications include the LEED Platinum Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Ore.; Hines’ LEED Gold recertification of the One and Two Shell Plazas in Houston; Jones Lang LaSalle’s LEED Platinum Aon Center in Chicago; and the LEED Gold Kv. Jublet building in Stockholm.

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.

As Fiber Optic Cable Demand Sweeps The Market, America Ilsintech is the only fusion splicer manufacturer that offers portable all-in-one fusion splicers

Ilsintech is also a leading supplier of 8° Angle Fiber Cleaver in the world market, and it is distributed worldwide through global distributors like 3M.

Dallas TX - Sales/Customer Service: 972-556-0916

Maintenance/Tech Support: 972-998-5123

Email: Info@AmericaIlsintech.com

Light Brigade® and FTTH Council Asia-Pacific Join for FTTx Training

Tukwila, WA – Light Brigade has been endorsed by FTTH Council Asia-Pacific to enhance fiber-to-the-home (FTTx) training programs in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. The training initiative will improve workforce skills, productivity and FTTH uptake through FTTH training in the region. Through this partnership Light Brigade will build student confidence by providing trainees with access to the professional level FTTx training necessary to support the region’s telecommunication networks.

“Light Brigade’s FTTx for Installers and Technicians training program will support the FTTH Council Asia-Pacific’s charter to provide ongoing employability of people working in this industry within the APAC region,” said Dario De Paolis, vice president and general manager of Light Brigade. “Our program ensures the FTTH skills and qualifications of the region’s associates are consistent and reflect the needs of local telecommunication networks.”

The four-day class provides 16 hours of classroom lecture and 16 hours of hands-on training on the topics of testing splitters, WDM devices, measuring reflectance and bidirectional testing that are unique to FTTx networks.

Established in 2005, the FTTH Council Asia-Pacific is building on the success of its sister organizations in the US and Europe to educate the industry and the general public on the opportunities and benefits of FTTH solutions. For additional information about FTTH Council Asia-Pacific, visit ftthcouncilap.org.

For more information about Light Brigade, visit www.lightbrigade.com.
Contact Dario De Paolis, VP/ General Manager - dario.depaolis@lightbrigade.com
Light Brigade – Tel. 206.575.0404

About Light Brigade

Since its founding in 1987, Light Brigade has instructed more than 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 online courses that focus on specific fiber-related topics.

Hillsdale College Adds FiberPlex Optical Multiplexing for Broadband AV

Annapolis Junction, Maryland – March 31, 2014 -- When it comes to broadband AV, it’s optical fiber all the way for Hillsdale College in Michigan. The independent private college started running high-speed, secure optical fiber across its indoor track using audio optical technology by FiberPlex Technologies in May and is now gearing up for another, longer optical run that will shuttle multimedia across its campus.

In the next few months, the College will roll out FiberPlex’s WDM-16 multiplexer into existing fiber strands for moving large multimedia files from its auditorium and sports fields to a control studio on campus.

Hillsdale’s Director of Technical Media Ted Matko is working with AVI Systems, headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minn., on the project and expects the WDM-16 active wave division multiplexer to save the college the cost of trenching in new fiber in some areas of the campus by reusing existing optical runs which will generate substantial savings.

“We needed capacity to get video from the athletic fields, the auditorium, the fine arts building and elsewhere to our new control studio about a quarter of a mile away. Multiplexing will make it cost effective to do that,” said Matko, explaining that FiberPlex’s WDM-16 lets him multiplex 16 separate channels at 3Gb/s each onto two fiber pairs used by the campus network.

The additional channels are needed to stream the college’s live volleyball, football and baseball games across a quarter-mile distance from its athletic fields to the control studio, which was originally the College’s bookstore but now serves as the command center for media control and the head-end to the LTN feed picked up by the networks. The College also shuttles media to its control room from its auditorium on a regular basis for guest speaker engagements.

Previously, in May, the College installed FiberPlex LightViper optical audio snakes for its graduation ceremony held in its indoor track facility with 5,000 people in attendance --including commencement speaker U.S. Senator Ted Cruz. A LightViper snake connected the mics on stage to a mixing console at the back of the field some 265 feet away over fiber optic cabling. Another LightViper optical snake routed the audio channels – via optical cable – from the track to the studio control room across campus.

All audio is controlled and networked through Peavey’s MediaMatrix audio control system.

“This is a standalone digitally networked sound system that can handle just about anything they want to do from the field. If they need to change anything, they just click on a control page from their laptop and now they’re switched over to any device or location they want through optical fiber and the LightViper system,” said Andrew Walker with Avtek AV, who designed the system and recommended the LightViper optical snake instead of copper snake because it can transport audio error-free and transparently over greater distances, by a 400:1 ratio compared to copper. A typical LightViper system includes a FOH breakout unit and 32x8 stage box connected by optical cable for sending and receiving optical signals to a remote location. One fiber cable weighing less than eight pounds can transmit the same data as two, 40-pair copper cables weighing 700 pounds.

In the next few weeks, the College’s LightVipers will be joined by new WDM-16 multiplexers that will take the school’s multimedia endeavors a step further by routing video over optical fiber to the control studio elsewhere on the campus for full head-end control of media files.

Hillsdale College is just one example of how fiber optic technology can be leveraged for educational and communication purposes. FiberPlex makes fiber optic products and systems for government agencies as well as for houses of worship, corporate facilities, broadcast applications, and K-12 and higher education.

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

FiberPlex Technologies, LLC is a leader in digital transport and communications technology. The FiberPlex name has been around for a quarter of a century and is known for its secure fiber solutions to the U.S. government. Recently, 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.

FiberPlex Incorporated has been a leader and innovator in the Fiber Optic Communications industry since 1987. It was founded by engineers who had the vision of future communications and understood its value to governmental and civilian security. In 2004, spearheaded by Buddy Oliver, the company introduced the LightViper™ brand of products bringing its extensive knowledge and expertise into the Pro Audio market.

FiberPlex Technologies, LLC was formed by Buddy Oliver and Cynthia Oliver Peters in July, 2011 for the purpose of acquiring the assets and operations of FiberPlex, Inc. With over 20 years of experience in the electronic manufacturing industry and Federal contracting, Buddy is fully equipped to lead FiberPlex Technologies LLC to an exciting and prosperous future. Cyndi has extensive training and experience in organizational change management and executive coaching. With a background in accounting, Cyndi has owned and operated several businesses over the past 25 years and has served on boards of directors and committees for several organizations.

This fusion of new dynamic leadership and revitalized capital with a brand, products and reputation built over more than a quarter century has created a strong foundation for growth both domestically as well as internationally. FiberPlex Technologies, LLC will continue the commitment to the US economy by keeping all of its jobs and manufacturing in the USA. We will build on the quality that the FiberPlex name and its brands have come to symbolize as we pursue the innovation of the next generation of fiber optic communications equipment.

About Hillsdale College (www.hillsdale.edu)

Hillsdale College, founded in 1844, has built a national reputation through its maintenance of a classical core curriculum and its principled refusal to accept federal or state taxpayer subsidies. It also conducts an outreach effort promoting civil and religious liberty, including a free monthly speech digest, Imprimis, with a current circulation of over two million.

Cisco and Partners to Build World's Largest Global Intercloud – over a one billion dollar investment

March 24, 2014

Global Network of Clouds Represents Next Phase in Cloud Computing, Key Enabler of "Internet of Everything"

LAS VEGAS – March 24, 2014 – As businesses increasingly embrace private, public, and hybrid clouds to cost-effectively and quickly deliver business applications and services, Cisco today announced plans to build the world's largest global Intercloud – a network of clouds – together with a set of partners. The Cisco global Intercloud is being architected for the Internet of Everything, with a distributed network and security architecture designed for high-value application workloads, real-time analytics, "near infinite" scalability and full compliance with local data sovereignty laws. The first-of-its-kind open Intercloud, which will feature APIs for rapid application development, will deliver a new enterprise-class portfolio of cloud IT services for businesses, service providers and resellers.

Cisco expects to invest over $1 billion to build its expanded cloud business over the next two years. Its partner-centric business model, which enables partner capabilities and investments, is expected to generate a rapid acceleration of additional investment to drive the global scale and breadth of services that Cisco plans to deliver to its customers.

The company plans to deliver Cisco Cloud Services with and through Cisco partners. The following organizations, which are either planning to deliver Cisco Cloud Services or have endorsed Cisco's global Intercloud initiative, represent a sampling of the kinds of global partners Cisco expects to work with to build its cloud business: leading Australian service provider Telstra; Canadian business communications provider Allstream; European cloud company Canopy, an Atos company; cloud services aggregator, provider and wholesale technology distributor Ingram Micro Inc.; global IT and managed services provider Logicalis Group; global provider of enterprise software platforms for business intelligence, mobile intelligence, and network applications MicroStrategy, Inc.; enterprise data center IT solutions provider OnX Managed Services; information availability services provider SunGard Availability Services; and leading global IT, consulting and outsourcing company Wipro Ltd.

"Customers, providers and channel partners alike are turning to Cisco to create open and highly secure hybrid cloud environments, and they want to rapidly deploy valuable enterprise-class cloud experiences for key customers – all while mitigating the risk of capital investment," said Robert Lloyd, president of development and sales, Cisco. "The timing is right for Cisco and its partners to invest in a groundbreaking, application-centric global Intercloud to provide broader reach and faster time to market. Together, we have the capability to enable a seamless world of many clouds in which our customers have the choice to enable the right, highly secure cloud for the right workload, while creating strategic advantages for rapid innovation, and ultimately, business growth."

Accelerating the Internet of Everything

Hosted across a global network of Cisco and partner data centers, the Cisco global Intercloud will offer an expanded suite of value-added application- and network-centric cloud services to accelerate the Internet of Everything.

The networked connection of people, data, processes and things, dubbed the Internet of Everything, is expected to be a $19 trillion economic opportunity in the coming decade. The Internet of Everything movement, which is creating an entirely new set of requirements for globally distributed and highly secure clouds, has empowered Cisco and its partners to initiate the development of a massively scalable, flexible and highly secure Intercloud to deliver the mobile, collaborative and rich video cloud services that enable today's new connected experiences.

The Cisco OpenStack-enabled Intercloud is designed to allow organizations and users to combine and move workloads – including data and applications – across different public or private clouds as needed, easily and securely, while maintaining associated network and security policies. It will also utilize Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) to optimize application performance and to make rolling out new services much faster. Cisco will improve application security, compliance, auditing and mobility by using ACI's centralized, programmable security policy to enable fine-grained control and isolation at scale; suitable for private and public cloud environments.

Extending Cisco Cloud Leadership

Cisco Cloud Services expand on the Cisco industry-leading cloud portfolio, which already includes SaaS offerings, such as WebEx®, Meraki® and Cisco Cloud Web Security; differentiated cloud services, such as hosted collaboration and cloud DVR; and technologies and services to build public and private clouds, such as the Cisco Unified Computing System™ (Cisco UCS®), integrated infrastructure solutions such as VCE Vblock™ Systems and NetApp FlexPod, and Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI).

Go-to-Market Strategy

Cisco is expanding the Cisco Powered™ program to include Cisco Cloud Services. Cisco will sell these new services through channel partners and directly to end customers. Partners who develop Cisco Powered services can offer more cloud offerings faster, with lower up front development costs, and operate at cloud speed and scale.

Cisco Cloud Services Offers

PaaS / IaaS – virtual compute, storage, and networking with world-class economics

Cisco Cloud Services powered by SAP HANA – the popular in-memory platform optimized for Cisco Unified Compute System (UCS)

Collaboration -- Cisco WebEx® suite of collaboration applications and services

Security – Cisco Scansafe managed threat defense

Network Infrastructure Management – Cisco Meraki (cloud managed networks)

Virtual Desktop-as-a-Service - desktop virtualization solutions from Cisco, VMware and Citrix

Partner-branded Cisco Hosted Collaboration Services

Cisco Videoscape Cloud DVR – scalable cloud resources for content ingest, recording and playout

Cisco Virtualized Mobile Internet – a premium data delivery service

Virtualized Managed Services – cloud-based virtual services for faster provisioning and service agility (e.g., vFW, vPE and vCPE)

Remote Management Services (RMS) – remote management of IT operations enabled by Cisco Smart Services

Compliance and Configuration Management Services (CMCS) – automated management of Compliance and Configuration ITIL processes

IT Service Management Services (ServiceGrid) – cloud-based management of the IT Service Management function

Energy Management Services (Energywise) – automated management of electricity usage for the entire IT network

Collaboration as a Service (CaaS) – voice and contact center as a service

Supporting Quotes from Cisco Cloud Services Partners

Erez Yarkoni, Executive Director Cloud, Global Enterprise and Services, Telstra, spoke of the Cisco relationship and the opportunities it presents for Telstra customers: "Our customers will now have access to cloud infrastructure from a global leader, allowing them to select the cloud service to meet their requirements and scale network and cloud resources to deliver service agility, security and performance. Applications are critical to delivering business value and we believe we can offer a differentiated solution for managing applications across clouds. Our longstanding relationship with Cisco allows us to offer deeper and broader service capabilities to help our customers manage their critical applications, making the transition to the cloud simpler and more cost effective."

"Allstream is the only coast-to-coast communication provider in Canada exclusively focused on serving the business community. We pride ourselves on being able to deliver great customer service and cost-effective business solutions, backed by our world-class IP network," said Michael Strople, President, Allstream. "We're excited to use Cisco Cloud Services to expand our cloud portfolio and rapidly offer new cloud-based services to our customers without the need for major capital investments."

"As our enterprise customers continue to transition to the cloud, they are demanding hybrid cloud capabilities to meet the needs of differentiated workloads. Cisco Cloud Services offered via Canopy will give them a reliable, highly secure and flexible cloud platform option," said Jacques Pommeraud, CEO, Canopy the Atos cloud. "As the largest European cloud provider, we are keen to further our portfolio, in particular in SaaS and data analytics building on Cisco's vision on the Internet of Everything which will be supported by Cisco Cloud Services"

"Demand for reliable, highly secure and flexible cloud services that are easily managed from a single platform and can quickly scale is growing within the IT channel," says Nimesh Dave, Executive Vice President of Global Business Process and Cloud Computing, Ingram Micro. "As channel partners' service models continue to evolve, they are seeking out vendors offering turnkey cloud services that are easily integrated and enable them to meet customers' business needs. Cisco Cloud Services are a great example of what channel partners are looking for from a vendor partner in this new era of anywhere, anytime computing."

"As our customers continue to transition to the cloud they are demanding reliable, highly secure, open and flexible cloud platforms, layered with services and applications on top that transform their access to and use of a growing range of business transformation applications," said Chris Gabriel, CTO Logicalis Group. "They then want cloud to provide scale and consistency of service wherever their organisation might be, anywhere in the world. In launching their own Cloud Services, Cisco has made a significant undertaking to our customers to make cloud reliable, highly secure, flexible and scalable, and this is truly credible because these services are backed by one of the world's strongest technology brands and IT service innovators."

"We're excited about Cisco's cloud strategy announcement," said Ian Matteson, Vice President and General Manager, Cloud, MicroStrategy. "These new capabilities will allow us to better meet our customers' business requirements by augmenting our existing SaaS offer with Cisco's global reach and advanced deployment options. Addressing customer needs around data sovereignty and hybrid cloud will help us capture new opportunities with an affordable business model."

"Utilizing Cisco Cloud Services will enable OnX to focus on our core competency; which is to deliver a world-class managed services experience, based on ITIL and ITSM best practices." said Wayne Kiphart, President, OnX Managed Services. "Our customers are looking for flexibility in their cloud infrastructure solutions, including the ability to integrate and customize the highly secure delivery of services from multiple cloud providers, regardless of location. Because Cisco is building its cloud services as an open, secure, heterogeneous hybrid cloud environment we can cost effectively address their needs and deploy our capital resources on strategic initiatives."

"Our customers continue to look to the cloud for more information availability functions such as cloud enabled managed hosting services, extra compute capacity, disaster recovery, and more," Keith Tilley EVP Sungard Availability Services. "Cisco Cloud Services give us the ability to quickly scale our cloud offerings to meet our customers' needs enabling us to continue to provide the value added services they need to grow their businesses."

"Our customers have many reasons to migrate to the cloud, and the business case justifications are well documented; to drive cost savings, to move to a variable cost base, access to a scalable platform and an environment to provision services quickly," said Jeff Heenan-Jalil, Vice President, Wipro Ltd. "For whatever the drivers may be they definitely want access to a service which will enable an evolution of innovation and service improvement through the use of this technology. This partnership with Cisco Cloud Services complements our portfolio and further strengthens our continued relationship with Cisco."

Additional Resources:

Cisco's Robert Lloyd Platform blog on Cisco Intercloud

RSS Feed for Cisco: http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/rss.html

Tags: Cisco Services, Cisco Intercloud, Cisco Evolved Services Platform, Robert Lloyd

About Cisco:

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in IT that helps companies seize the opportunities of tomorrow by proving that amazing things can happen when you connect the previously unconnected. For ongoing news, please go to http://thenetwork.cisco.com.

Lightpath lights up 100G Optical Network Service in NYC

Lightpath is giving its customers that reside in the New York metro area a new speed option by offering a 100G optical transport service (OTS).

This is not just a build-it-and-they-will-come offering. The new service is already being used by an area media and entertainment company to move large volumes of video across the region.

Available throughout the entire Lightpath footprint, the 100G OTS service is offered for a flat, monthly recurring charge.

Like other service providers, Lightpath said it is seeing demand for 100G services from a number of the vertical markets it serves, including financial and market data services, media and entertainment and healthcare. All of these segments are requiring higher bandwidth to support their migrations to the cloud and the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) movement.

In particular, 100G is also becoming an attractive option for the healthcare and financial industries that have to comply with new regulatory requirements to securely store data.

Besides offering higher speeds, the OTS offering includes what it says is "premium" monitoring and support. To ensure uptime, Lightpath built the service with diverse and redundant network routing.

This new service comes at a time when Lightpath is increasing its reach into more New York metro businesses. In September, it expanded on its on-net fiber presence to 6000 buildings, which could be a prime target for the 100G OTS product.

COMCAST faces tough questions on integration with Time Warner in Senate Hearing

It's a busy week for the folks at Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) as they rev up their efforts to bring Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) into the Xfinity family.

The MVPD has now officially filed its proposed $45.2 billion acquisition with the FCC, which has already been preparing for its part in the regulatory process. Without being asked, Comcast laid out a series of conditions from its previous acquisition of NBCUniversal that it said will apply to the new TWC merger, including open Internet rules, a standalone broadband access pledge, broadcast commitments and other programming agreements and a pledge to maintain separation between its broadcast and cable arms.

Claiming they face increased competition from online players, the two companies argued that their merger would not be anti-competitive, arguing instead that the very nature of the marketplace opens the door for companies to combine resources to present a more competitive product.

Even as the two companies put the pieces in place to defend their merger, they also are gearing up for a potential grilling before the Senate Judiciary Committee where they can expect robust opposition from at least one member of the Senate panel, Gene Kimmelman, a former member of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division and now head of Public Knowledge, a company that has openly opposed the merger.

Other witnesses expected to appear at the hearing include James Bosworth, from independent channel Back9Network; Richard Sherwin, of managed Wi-Fi provider Spot On Networks; and University of Pennsylvania law school teacher Cristopher Yoo. Comcast will be presented by Executive Vice President David Cohen and Time Warner Cable will have Executive Vice President Arthur Minson to present its case.

Many in North Carolina Closer to Up to 1 Gigabit Network Speeds Delivered by AT&T

RALEIGH, N.C., April 10, 2014 -- The finish line to offer more North Carolinians a fiber broadband network capable of speeds up to 1 gigabit per second is within sight. AT&T* is in advanced discussions with the North Carolina Next Generation Network (NCNGN) to deliver AT&T U-verse with GigaPower(SM) to parts of the Triangle and Piedmont Triad regions. NCNGN is a regional initiative focused on stimulating the deployment of next generation networks to North Carolina.

The proposed plan outlines potential fiber deployments in the areas of Carrboro, Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh andWinston-Salem where there is demand for ultra-fast broadband and local policies that support broadband network investment. The next step is for the governing bodies of these six NCNGN member communities to ratify the agreement.

The 100-percent fiber network can deliver speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second, 10x faster than the fastest consumer broadband available in these communities today, as well as cutting-edge TV and voice services.

How fast is 1 Gigabit?**

Download 25 songs in one second

Download your favorite TV show in less than 3 seconds

Download an HD online movie in less than 36 seconds

"The chance to deploy the fastest consumer Internet speeds the Triangle and Piedmont Triad regions have ever seen shows how dedicated its policymakers and university and business leaders are to bringing the latest technology to the state," saidVenessa Harrison, President, AT&T-North Carolina. "We're encouraged by our conversations with NCNGN and remain committed to investing in our communities and delivering the technology people want."

The plan includes options for public Wi-Fi hotspots, free AT&T U-verse with GigaPower at up to 100 public sites and an all-fiber network connected to up to 100 business buildings. It also outlines a free 3 Mbps AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet offer available to 10 affordable housing complexes, up to 3,000 homes. These hotspots, public sites, buildings and apartment complexes will be across the six communities and identified by NCNGN. The plan would also bring AT&T U-verse to the residents and businesses of Durham for the first time.

If the proposed plan is approved, AT&T will work with leaders throughout the Triangle and Piedmont Triad regions to discuss how a fiber platform can advance the area's technology ecosystem. These talks would also outline where these innovative services can have greater reach throughout the six communities.

"All of the participants in the NCNGN project are encouraged by AT&T's interest to deliver ultra-fast bandwidth to the Research Triangle and Piedmont regions," said Tracy Futhey, Chair of the NCNGN Steering Committee and Vice President of Information Technology at Duke University. "This kind of private sector investment is essential to ensure our regions remain competitive and at the forefront of next-generation applications that are important to all sectors of the economy."

This potential investment is part of AT&T's ongoing efforts to expand its fiber network to tens of thousands of North Carolinaresidents and businesses over the next two years. The company invested more than $1.6 billion in its North Carolina wireless and wireline networks between 2011 and 2013.

Other AT&T initiatives in 2014 include:

Enhance and expand its 4G LTE wireless network, the most reliable network in the nation.*** AT&T 4G LTE wireless service is available in 24 North Carolina markets.

Expand our U-verse footprint to more areas of North Carolina. U-verse is currently available in Raleigh, Chapel Hill,Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Charlotte, Asheville and surrounding areas.

AT&T launched AT&T U-verse with GigaPower to tens of thousands of households in Austin and surrounding communities in December and in January announced it will expand the fiber network to double the households in the Austin area this year as a result of high demand that has exceeded expectations. AT&T also plans to expand to other markets, like parts of Dallas, in 2014 and beyond.

* AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

** Internet speed claims represent maximum Service Capability. Actual customer speeds may vary and are not guaranteed. Actual speeds vary based on internet factors including site traffic, content provider server capacity, network management activities, device capabilities and use of other U-verse services.

*** Reliability claim based on data transfer completion rates on nationwide 4G LTE networks. LTE is a trademark of ETSI. 4G LTE not available everywhere.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and internationally. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's most reliable 4G LTE network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV service with the AT&T U-verse® brand. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com/aboutus or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/att and YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/att.

About NCNGN

The North Carolina Next Generation Network (NCNGN) is a regional initiative focused on stimulating the deployment of next generation networks in North Carolina. The coordinated effort includes the municipalities of Cary, Chapel Hill, Carrboro,Durham, Raleigh, and Winston-Salem and their university partners Duke University, North Carolina State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Wake Forest University/Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. NCNGN, through the Triangle J Council of Governments, issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) on February 1, 2013, inviting one or more private companies to build and operate next generation networks in their communities.

Additional information about NCNGN is available at www.ncngn.com.

Molex Adds EXTreme Ten60Power™ Split Blade to its Portfolio, Delivering Greater Power Contact and Design Flexibility

Product joins EXTreme Ten60Power family of best-in-class connectors that combine low profile with increased power and signal density to meet ever-increasing power needs

LISLE, IL – April 16, 2014 – Molex Incorporated expands its EXTreme Ten60Power™ High Current Connector line of products with the introduction of the EXTreme Ten60 Split Blade contact system, allowing the company to meet an even wider range of power and signal requirements for data communications, telecommunications, and power supply customers requiring high current density and low power loss. The split blade power modules are part of a robust portfolio of modular, custom configurable, high current hybrid power and signal connectors that achieve up to 260.0A per linear inch in a low profile (10.00mm) housing design that enhances system airflow.

“As computing power demands increase there’s more pressure on hardware and power supply manufacturers to custom tailor their power connectors, providing more amps in less space without drastically increasing the cost,” said Jeff Torres, global product manager, Molex. “Solving this power equation with maximum design flexibility has been a major focus for the Molex product development teams. By continuing to grow the EXTreme Ten60Power family of connectors, we have solidified our leadership position in providing the largest breadth of modular solutions on the market today that deliver high current and signal density in the smallest overall package.”

“The new EXTreme Ten60Power split blade power module separates the two halves of the standard EXTreme Ten60Power power terminal with dielectric plastic positioned in between. Each split blade terminal carries a 30.0A current rating at 30°C T-rise. By splitting the blades and shortening the distance between energized power contacts, the split blade module delivers faster response times, lower overall impedance, and greater capacitance benefits while also providing greater granularity if the customer does not need the full 60.0A current rating of the standard Ten60 power contact for all domains. The modular design allows the split blade modules to be easily integrated into hybrid EXTreme Ten60Power assemblies along with standard power modules and high-density signal (HDS) modules to meet specific customer requirements.”

Extreme Ten60Power connectors are available in one through nine circuit split blade power modules, one through 10 circuit standard power blade modules, and six through 60 circuit signal modules. All of the modules can be configured to accommodate virtually any design application with no tooling costs or additional lead-time. The high-current contact blades in DC (5.50mm) and AC (7.50mm) spacing options provide even greater design flexibility. Power blades are available in right angle and vertical orientations to accommodate either coplanar or perpendicular applications. Both the plug and receptacle utilize reliable, proven Molex power and signal contact designs and feature last-mate/first-break (LMFB) or first-mate/last-break (FMLB) capability. The original 3-row signal module comes in 2.54 by 2.54mm pitch signal spacing while the high-density, 5-row signal module (HDS) is available in a 2.00 by 1.65mm pitch for use in space constrained areas.

For more information about the EXTreme Ten60Power connector family please visit www.molex.com/link/ten60.html. To receive information on other Molex products and industry solutions, please sign up for our e-nouncement newsletter at www.molex.com/link/register.

About Molex Incorporated

Providing more than connectors, Molex delivers complete interconnect solutions for a number of markets including: data communications, telecommunications, consumer electronics, industrial, automotive, commercial vehicle, aerospace and defense, medical, and lighting. Established in 1938, the company operates 45 manufacturing locations in 17 countries. The Molex website is www.molex.com.

Follow us at www.twitter.com/molexconnectors, watch our videos at www.youtube.com/molexconnectors, connect with us at www.facebook.com/molexconnectorsand read our blog at www.connector.com.

400 Gigabit Ethernet Task Force ready to get to work at IEEE

The effort to create specifications for 400 Gigabit Ethernet (400GbE) has reached a major milestone with the formal creation of the IEEE P802.3bs Task Force. John D’Ambrosia, chair of the 400GbE Study Group within the IEEE as well as chair of the Ethernet Alliance, was named acting chair of the Task Force. D’Ambrosia, who should be formally installed as Task Force chairman at the IEEE 802.3/IEEE 802.1 Joint Interim Meeting in Norfolk, VA, the week of May 12, 2014, faces a very full plate of decisions and issues that must be cleared in the path toward a ratified standard.

AFCOM Announces Data Center Manager of the Year Finalists for 2014

IT Industry Leaders Honored at Data Center World in Las Vegas

West Chester, OH—April 2, 2014—AFCOM, the world's leading data center association, today announced the finalists for its annual “Data Center Manager of the Year” award. The 2014 finalists are Dave Leonard, Chief Data Center Office at, ViaWest; Robert McClary Senior Vice President & General Manager at FORTRUST; and Jason Pfaff, Vice President, North America DCaaS at IO. These IT professionals have all been recognized for outstanding leadership and excellence in the field of data center management. The Data Center Manager of the Year winner will be announced during a special reception at 2014 Spring Data Center World during a special luncheon on Tuesday, April 29, 2014 from 12:15–1:30pm.

“Nomination for the Data Center Manager of the Year award marks the pinnacle of professional achievement in our industry,” said Tom Roberts, president of AFCOM and chairperson of Data Center World. “These three individuals stand out at as leaders for their companies and demonstrate clear leadership in the Data Center industry. In a business that evolves as rapidly as ours, Dave Leonard, Rob McClary and Jason Pfaff are leading the way.”

AFCOM’s Data Center Manager of the Year Award recognizes outstanding leadership and excellence in the field of data center and facilities management. Award recipients are effective leaders who run highly efficient data centers, giving their company an edge in the industry. The award embodies innovation, organization, versatility and ambition in data center management. Judging criteria is based on the following characteristics: tenure of excellence, history of innovation, superior customer service, positive team environment, and community focus.

Dave Leonard
Chief Data Center Officer, ViaWest

As Chief Data Center Officer, Dave Leonard directs the design and construction of new data centers and data center expansions, as well as defining the standards and practices for operation of ViaWest’s data centers. He is also responsible for strategy and positioning of the data center colocationproduct lines.

Prior to ViaWest, Leonard founded Critical Infrastructure Consulting LLC., and was the chief technology officer of Infocrossing for nine years. He was also the chief technology officer for (i)Structure, a division of Level(3) Communications which Infocrossing later acquired. Prior to that, Leonard was chief technology officer of Corporate Express, Inc. based in Broomfield, Colorado.

Leonard is also a Fellow at the Uptime Institute, the leading educational and standards organization in the data center industry, and is a judge for their annual Green IT awards in the Data Center Design category. Leonard holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Texas Christian University.

Robert McClary
Senior Vice President & General Manager, FORTRUST

Rob McClary joined FORTRUST in 2001, and continues to hold the critical role of building the company into the premier data center services provider and colocation facility that it is today. As Sr. VP & GM, he is responsible for the overall supervision of business operations, high-profile construction and the strategic technical direction of FORTRUST. Rob developed and implemented the process controls and procedures that support the continuous uptime and reliability that FORTRUST’s customers seek.

Rob developed and honed his management philosophy, attention to detail and strict process standards during his 16-year tenure in the United States Navy serving in both enlisted and officer roles. Rob completedover 25 service, engineering, technical, leadership and management schools and courses while in the United States Navy and is a graduate of Southern Illinois University. Additionally, Rob received designation as an Accredited Tier Specialist (ATS) by the Uptime Institute in 2010.

Jason Pfaff
Vice President, North America DCaaS, IO

Jason Pfaff brings over 15 years of related experience to the benefit of the data center industry, 12 of which have been directly managing data centers. He has been directly involved in the design, build, and operation of 1.5 million sq. ft. and 175MW of power. Since his time at IO, he has been Senior Vice President and a pivotal leader in the data center transformation from raised floors into the new age of modules.

Jason oversees all of North America for IO, which equates to 1.3 million sq. ft./four sites, and is specifically responsible for the successful construction, commission and delivery of a 12 MW dedicated data center suite in only 90 days.

Prior to joining IO, he worked for Sterling Network Exchange, where he and his team were at the forefront of innovation, as they were the first group to install Stulz plug fan technology in a data center in Arizona.

The Spring Data Center World 2014 will be held April 28 – May 2 at The Mirage in Las Vegas. Highlights of this five-day conference include:

· Keynote Session, “The Emerging Market Data Center Revolution” by Scott Noteboom

· Panel presentations moderated by Jason dePreaux of IHS and Jennifer Koppy of IDC

The schedule for the Spring 2014 Data Center World can be found at http://www.datacenterworld.com/spring2014/account/events/schedule#&panel1-1

To track the conference on Twitter, follow us @datacenterworld and/or search for the #datacenterworld or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DataCenterWorld.

About Data Center World Conference
Data Center World is produced by AFCOM (www.afcom.com), the leading association supporting the educational and professional development needs of data center professionals around the globe. Established in 1980, AFCOM currently boasts3500 data centers professionals and 40 chapters worldwide, and provides unique networking opportunities and educational forums and resources through its bi-annual Data Center World Conferences, published magazines, regional chapters, research and hotline services, and industry alliances. For additional information on the conference and exhibits, visit www.datacenterworld.com

AFL Launches TruEvent™ Technology

Lowell, MA and Spartanburg, SC – April 16, 2014 – AFL is launching TruEvent Technology, advanced event analysis software used in AFL’s M-series OTDRs that provides a new level of accuracy and reliability in event analysis. This new technology allows the user to confidently determine where losses meet or exceed specifications from data centers to long haul applications.

“The introduction of TruEvent Technology provides industry-leading event analysis that makes AFL’s newest models the most accurate OTDRs in the market,” stated Lee Kellett, director of product marketing for AFL’s test and inspection division. “Our research focused on developing software that reported all events accurately, while not reporting false events. More accuracy translates into faster, lower cost troubleshooting and data you can count on.”

Used to test new fiber installations and locate faults in deployed fiber optic networks, AFL’s OTDRs are available for both multimode and single-mode networks. OTDRs scan fiber optic networks from one end of the fiber, displaying a trace and reporting pass/fail results for detected events such as splices, connectors and micro- or macro-bends. Fiber length is reported along with location and loss of detected events.

Several AFL OTDRs are available with an integrated visual fault locator (VFL), optical light source (OLS), and/or optical power meter (OPM). OTDR results can be saved and uploaded to a PC for further analysis and/or archiving.

Additional OTDRs with TruEvent Technology will be available by mid-year. For additional information about AFL, its products and services, visit www.AFLglobal.com.

About AFL
AFL provides industry-leading products and services to the electric utility, broadband, communications, enterprise and OEM markets as well as the emerging markets of oil and gas, mining, nuclear, avionics, renewables and transportation. 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, Canada, Europe, Asia and the South Pacific. The company is headquartered in Spartanburg, SC and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan. For more information, visit www.AFLglobal.com.

90% of Sales Success Is… article by by John Chapin

Not to be cliché, but in reality most of life and business success is so simple that it borders on cliché. While the saying that “90% of success is just showing up” is true, there’s a lot behind that 90%. First, most people won’t do the hard work necessary to show up where and when they need to. Second, it isn’t just showing up that matters, it’s how you show up.

What it means to Show Up

Showing up means your number shows up on caller-ID, it means you physically show up on the doorstep, it means showing up at the places where your prospects and clients hang out and in the publications they read. It also means showing up in mailboxes, both physical and e-mail, showing up when and where customers need you, and going above and beyond and showing up in pleasant, unexpected ways. Showing up is keeping communication open, giving clients gifts, and doing what you can to build solid relationships that the competition can’t crack.

Showing up isn’t hanging out on Facebook for three hours or waiting for someone to call you. It’s proactive marketing where you make it happen, where you control the number of people and prospects you interact with. In other words, showing up means doing the hard work that the majority of people avoid. This includes cold calling and doing anything else you need to do in order to have the number of prospects you need to exceed your business goals and have a huge network of people who know who you are, like you, and are excited about doing business with you.

How to Show Up

1) Show up prepared

Showing up prepared means being dressed the part, being sold on your product, and being able to speak enthusiastically and intelligently about your product. Being prepared means you qualify the prospect, find out what is most important to her, and focus completely on doing what’s best for her.

Being prepared means being ready when your opportunity arises whether it’s at a networking event, or you run into someone in an elevator or on the street. Being prepared means you’re able to adjust and adapt to people and situations, you’re able to zig when you need to zig and zag when you need to zag. You need to be prepared when the opportunities present themselves and then you need to be able to make the most of them. Love or hate Tom Brady, here’s a guy who was ready when Drew Bledsoe went down, and the rest, as they say, is history.

2) Don’t worry about showing up perfect

While you want to show up prepared, realize that there’s a fine line between prepared and perfect. To err is human and you can never be perfect. Perfect is an excuse that the crowd uses to give into their fear and never take action. Don’t worry about what’s going to happen or having the perfect thing to say, just show up and let life take its course.

3) Work hard consistently and persistently

As Calvin Coolidge said regarding success, “Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” You have to hang in there and be persistent, though not in an obnoxious, overbearing way. Regarding hard work, have you ever noticed that when you’re on a roll, you get all the breaks? You don’t get that random phone call with the “look-what-I-found” order when you’re sitting there hoping the phone’s going to ring or playing Words with Friends. No, you get it when you’re calling people, chasing people down, working hard, pushing yourself and making it happen, that’s when the breaks happen.

The successful keep showing up. They don’t call once and give up, they don’t fold like a lawn chair when they get an objection or something goes wrong during the day. The successful don’t wait for the opportunities, they make them. If their ship doesn’t come in, they swim out to it.

Ultimately, the reason why that 90% is so important is because the people who are willing to show up when and where they need to are simply willing to do what the unsuccessful won’t. They make the calls and do the hard work. They have the attitude, persistence and drive to overcome any and all obstacles. They’re not making excuses, whining, or doing paperwork during prime calling hours. They “get” that if your purpose, your WHY, is strong enough, you’ll figure out the HOW, you’ll get it done, you simply will find a way. They also know that, no matter how dark, dim, and hopeless it may seem, the hard work will eventually pay off but you’ve got to have the self-discipline to stick to it and keep showing up until it pays.

Right now there’s a call you need to make, it’s the one you’ve been putting off for weeks, maybe even months, that call you’ve been afraid to make. Make it. From a personal standpoint, there’s that person you’ve wanted to ask out, that trip you’ve wanted to make, that new adventure that you’ve been talking about for five years, but that you’re afraid to take. Take it. For all of the above, schedule it and then show up. And while you want to be prepared, and you want to be ready, for most people that’s just an excuse to give into the fear and not do it. Don’t worry about what to say, or what to do, you’ll be 90% of the way there if you just show up.

John Chapin is a professional sales and motivational speaker and trainer. For his free newsletter, or if you would like him to speak at your next event, go to: www.completeselling.com John has over 26 years of sales experience as a number one sales rep and is the author of the 2010 sales book of the year: Sales Encyclopedia. For permission to reprint, e-mail: johnchapin@completeselling.com.

John Chapin

# 1 Sales Rep w 26+ years experience, Author of the 2010 sales book of the year: SALES ENCYCLOPEDIA - The most comprehensive "how-to" guide on selling.

508-243-7359 - 24/7
johnchapin@completeselling.com
www.completeselling.com

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ASHRAE, NAHB, ICC to develop new National Green Building Standard

Applications to serve on the National Green Building Standard Committee will be accepted through April 6, 2014.

March 27, 2014 The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), building science society ASHRAE, and the International Code Council (ICC) agreed to jointly develop the 2015 edition of the ICC/ASHRAE 700 National Green Building Standard. This is the third edition of the standard and the first time that ASHRAE has partnered on its development.

In 2007, NAHB and ICC convened a consensus committee of home builders, code officials, product manufacturers, building science and energy-efficiency specialists, and governmental representatives to develop the standard. It was approved in 2009 by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as the first green standard for residential construction, development, and remodeling. Since then, the National Green Building Standard has helped define and advance sustainable home building, remodeling, and development—a sector expected to represent as much as a third of the market by 2016.

Now known as the ICC 700 National Green Building Standard (NGBS), it was updated in 2012 by a subsequent consensus committee and again approved by ANSI. NGBS has been used to certify more than 32,000 single- and multi-family homes and residential developments for reaching its established benchmarks for energy, water and resource efficiency, indoor environmental quality, homeowner education, and site development.

Applications to serve on the NGBS consensus development committee are open through April 6, 2014, which also is the deadline to submit proposals to update or amend the new edition. The application and the proposal submission forms can be found at www.homeinnovation.com/ngbs, the website for the Home Innovation Research Labs, which is serving as secretariat, or administrator, for the standard development process.

"ASHRAE is pleased to stand beside NAHB and ICC as a co-sponsor of ICC/ASHRAE 700," ASHRAE President Bill Bahnfleth said in a release. "This collaborative agreement provides a path forward for ASHRAE to contribute its technical and standards expertise to support one of the most important sectors of the built environment—our homes. We look forward to this joint effort to promote sustainability in the residential sector."

BOMA 360 Performance Program® Designates First Buildings in Canada and Japan

More Than 700 Buildings Worldwide Have Now Earned the BOMA 360 Designation

(WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 8, 2014) In the first quarter of 2014, the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International conferred the BOMA 360 Performance Program® designation upon 66 properties in commercial real estate markets across the U.S and, for the first time, across the world, with the designation of the Hongo Segawa Building in Tokyo and Bankers Hall and the Exchange Tower in Canada. The BOMA 360 designation has expanded its reach to nearly 60 markets worldwide.

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. Since the program’s inception, more than 700 commercial properties demonstrating best practices in these areas have earned 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 CoStar, Kingsley Associates and BOMA’s Experience Exchange Report®.

“The BOMA 360 designation has become a widely recognized indication of excellence in building operations and management throughout the commercial real estate industry both in the U.S. and abroad,” commented BOMA International Chair Rich Greninger, managing director with Carr Properties. “With the BOMA 360 Performance Program designating its first three buildings located outside of the U.S. this quarter, it is clear that building owners and managers value the competitive edge that the BOMA 360 designation gives properties in an increasingly global marketplace.”

The new class of BOMA 360 buildings includes the following properties (* denotes renewal):

100 Cambridge Street

Boston, Mass.

Owned by: MassDevelopment/Saltonstall Building Redevelopment Corporation

Managed by: CBRE/New England

Ford Center

Minneapolis, Minn.

Owned by: Ford United Tenant, LLC

Managed by: Cushman & Wakefield/NorthMarq

11 Stanwix Street

Pittsburgh, Pa.

Owned by: GLL Real Estate Partners / 11 Stanwix LLC

Managed by: CBRE

Forum One

Louisville, Ky.

Owned by: TIER REIT, Inc.

Managed by: Behringer Harvard Property Management

1100 Investment Blvd.

El Dorado Hills, Calif.

Owned by: LBA Realty Fund III, Company II, LLC

Managed by: LBA Realty, LLC

Forum Two

Louisville, Ky.

Owned by: TIER REIT, Inc.

Managed by: Behringer Harvard Property Management

1102 Investment Blvd.

El Dorado Hills, Calif.

Owned by: LBA Realty Fund III, Company II, LLC

Managed by: LBA Realty, LLC

Forum Three

Louisville, Ky.

Owned by: TIER REIT, Inc.

Managed by: Behringer Harvard Property Management

1104 Investment Blvd.

El Dorado Hills, Calif.

Owned by: LBA Realty Fund III, Company II, LLC

Managed by: LBA Realty, LLC

Forum Four

Louisville, Ky.

Owned by: TIER REIT, Inc.

Managed by: Behringer Harvard Property Management

1414 Mass Ave.

Cambridge, Mass.

Owned by: Piedmont Operating Partnership, LP

Managed by: Piedmont Office Management

Fulbright Tower*

Houston, Texas

Owned by: Crescent 1301 McKinney, LP

Managed by: CBRE

1701 Pennsylvania Ave, NW

Washington, D.C.

Owned by: Grosvenor Americas

Managed by: Cassidy Turley

Honey Creek I*

Milwaukee, Wis.

Owned by: Geneva Honey Creek I, LLC

Managed by: Greywolf Partners, Inc.

2001 NW 64th Street

Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Owned by: Piedmont Office Realty Trust

Managed by: Piedmont Office Management

Honey Creek III*

Milwaukee, Wis.

Owned by: Geneva Honey Creek I, LLC

Managed by: Greywolf Partners, Inc.

2020 K Street

Washington, D.C.

Owned by: 2020 K Corp.

Managed by: Transwestern

Honey Creek IV*

Milwaukee, Wis.

Owned by: Geneva Honey Creek I, LLC

Managed by: Greywolf Partners, Inc.

2175 K Street

Washington, D.C.

Owned by: Deka Immobilien Investment GMBH

Managed by: Cassidy Turley

Hongo Segawa Building

Tokyo, Japan

Owned by: Shohei Institute of Real Estate, Inc.

Managed by: Mitsui Fudosan Facilities Co., Ltd.

250 S. Wacker Drive

Chicago, Ill.

Owned by: Credit Suisse

Managed by: CBRE

Hunnington

Louisville, Ky.

Owned by: TIER REIT, Inc.

Managed by: Behringer Harvard Property Management

250 W. Pratt Street*

Baltimore, Md.

Owned by: Behringer Harvard

Managed by: Behringer Harvard

Hurstbourne Park

Louisville, Ky.

Owned by: TIER REIT, Inc.

Managed by: Behringer Harvard Property Management

303 West Madison*

Chicago, Ill.

Owned by: 303 Madison Chicago, LLC

Managed by: CBRE, Inc.

Hurstbourne Place

Louisville, Ky.

Owned by: TIER REIT, Inc.

Managed by: Behringer Harvard Property Management

455 Massachusetts Avenue

Washington, D.C.

Owned by: ASB Real Estate Investments

Managed by: Cassidy Turley

Key Tower*

Cleveland, Ohio

Owned by: Columbia Property Trust

Managed by: Jacobs Real Estate Services

500 E. Pratt Street

Baltimore, Md.

Owned by: TIER REIT, Inc.

Managed by: Behringer Harvard Property Management

Lakeview

Louisville, Ky.

Owned by: TIER REIT, Inc.

Managed by: Behringer Harvard Property Management

5601 Hiatus

Tamarac, Fla.

Owned by: Piedmont Office Realty Trust

Managed by: Piedmont Office Management

Lava Ridge Business Center*

Roseville, Calif.

Owned by: Property Reserve, Inc.

Managed by: CBRE, Inc.

601/701 South 12th Street*

Arlington, Va.

Owned by: Brookfield Properties

Managed by: Brookfield Properties

OHSU Center for Health & Healing*

Portland, Ore.

Owned by: RIMCO, LLC

Managed by: CBRE

620 F Street, NW

Washington, D.C.

Owned by: BAC F Street, LLC

Managed by: Cassidy Turley

One Midtown Plaza

Atlanta, Ga.

Owned by: Tishman Speyer

Managed by: Tishman Speyer

77 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, Ill.

Owned by: 77 West Wacker Drive, LLC

Managed by: Jones Lang LaSalle

One Oxmoor Place

Louisville, Ky.

Owned by: TIER REIT, Inc.

Managed by: Behringer Harvard Property Management

799 9th Street

Washington, D.C.

Owned by: Brookfield Office Properties

Managed by: Brookfield Office Properties

One Spartan Way

Merrimack, N.H.

Owned by: Fidelity Investments

Managed by: CBRE

800 Fifth Avenue*

Seattle, Wash.

Owned by: Block 24 Seattle Ltd., L.P.

Managed by: Hines GS Properties

Oracle*

Colorado Springs, Colo.

Owned by: Oracle America, Inc.

Managed by: Oracle America, Inc.

9211 Corporate Blvd.*

Rockville, Md.

Owned by: Piedmont Office Realty Trust

Managed by: Piedmont Government Services, LLC

Park Place*

Irvine, Calif.

Owned by: LBA Realty, LLC

Managed by: LBA Realty, LLC

Arlington Gateway

Arlington, Va.

Owned by: Piedmont Office Realty Trust

Managed by: Piedmont Government Services, LLC

Park Tower

Tampa, Fla.

Owned by: Sterling American Property, Inc.

Managed by: Colliers International Tampa Bay

AT&T Center*

Los Angeles, Calif.

Owned by: Olive/Hill Street Partners, LLC

Managed by: LBA Realty, LLC

Piedmont Pointe II

Bethesda, Md.

Owned by: Piedmont Office Realty Trust

Managed by: Piedmont Government Services, LLC

Balfour Beatty Center*

Plantation, Fla.

Owned by: The Realty Associates Fund VIII, L.P.

Managed by: Pointe Group Advisors

Potomac Tower*

Arlington, Va.

Owned by: Brookfield Office Properties

Managed by: Brookfield Office Properties

Bankers Hall

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Owned by: Brookfield Office Properties

Managed by: Brookfield Office Properties

Quadrant Building*

Greenwood Village, Colo.

Owned by: CBRE Investors AAF CalSTRS

Managed by: CBRE, Inc.

Barnabas Building

Glendale, Wis.

Owned by: Linda & Vic Hunter

Managed by: Barnabas Building Properties

Rambler Park

Dallas, Texas

Owned by: Rambler Road, LLC

Managed by: Parmenter Realty Partners

Burlington 5

Burlington, Ala.

Owned by: Oracle

Managed by: Oracle

Southridge 1

Orlando, Fla.

Owned by: EastGroup Properties, LP

Managed by: EastGroup Properties, LP

Colorado State Bank*

Denver, Colo.

Owned by: LBA Realty Fund III – Company III, LLC

Managed by: LBA Realty, LLC

Steeplechase

Louisville, Ky.

Owned by: TIER REIT, Inc.

Managed by: Behringer Harvard Property Management

Denver Place*

Denver, Colo.

Owned by: LBA Realty Fund III – Company III, LLC

Managed by: LBA Realty, LLC

Terrell Place

Washington, D.C.

Owned by: Beacon Capital Partners

Managed by: Cassidy Turley

Exchange Tower

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Owned by: Brookfield Office Properties

Managed by: Brookfield Office Properties

The WWF Building

Washington, D.C.

Owned by: World Wildlife Fund, Inc.

Managed by: Cassidy Turley

Federal Reserve Bank of New York*

New York, N.Y.

Owned by: Federal Reserve Bank of New York

Managed by: Federal Reserve Bank of New York

TIAA-CREF*

New York, N.Y.

Owned by: Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association

Managed by: Cushman & Wakefield, Inc.

Federal Reserve Bank of New York East Rutherford Operations Center*

East Rutherford, N.J.

Owned by: Federal Reserve Bank of New York

Managed by: Federal Reserve Bank of New York

Two Midtown Plaza

Atlanta, Ga.

Owned by: Tishman Speyer

Managed by: Tishman Speyer

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

The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International is a federation of 93 BOMA U.S. associations and 14 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 a vibrant commercial real estate industry through advocacy, influence and knowledge. Learn more at www.boma.org.

BOMA Asks Commercial Real Estate to Support Global “Lights Off” Event

(WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 24, 2014) The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International is encouraging its members to participate in the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) 2014 Earth Hour. To take part in the annual initiative, the WWF asks individuals, businesses, organizations and governments around the world to turn off all non-essential lighting for one hour at 8:30 pm local time on Saturday, March 29, 2014. The aim of Earth Hour is to visibly demonstrate a commitment to creating a sustainable future for the planet and to finding solutions to environmental challenges.

“BOMA International has a rich history of leading the charge for energy efficiency in the commercial real estate industry,” commented BOMA International Chair Rich Greninger, managing director with Carr Properties. “By supporting Earth Hour, BOMA International continues its commitment to helping building owners and managers reduce energy use and implement sustainable operations practices.”

In 2007, BOMA International launched the 7-Point Challenge, which asked members to reduce energy consumption by 30 percent by 2012. In 2011, BOMA launched the BOMA STARS campaign to promote the importance of benchmarking energy consumption in commercial buildings through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager. These two efforts highlighted the effectiveness of the voluntary marketplace in reducing energy consumption without costly new mandates.

BOMA published the industry’s first green lease guide, now in its second edition, which includes enforceable lease language to ensure tenants comply with a building’s green priorities. BOMA also partnered with the Clinton Climate Initiative to develop the groundbreaking BOMA Energy Performance Contract (BEPC) model, which allows building owners to perform major energy retrofits to existing buildings by removing key barriers. EPA has awarded BOMA International with the ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award, most recently in 2013, for its continued leadership in protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency. This is the sixth ENERGY STAR award for BOMA and it remains the only commercial real estate association to have received this honor. BOMA was also the recipient of EPA’s Climate Protection Award in 2009, the agency’s highest recognition.

This is the fifth consecutive year that BOMA International has supported Earth Hour, which started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour to take a stand against climate change. A year later, Earth Hour became a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries and territories participating. In 2013, more than 7,000 cities and towns in more than 150 countries and territories around the globe took part in the event. For more information about Earth Hour, visit www.earthhour.org.

About BOMA International

Mike’s Holt's Understanding the 2014 National Electrical Code®, Volume 1 released

Mike’s Code training products give you the knowledge and the confidence you need to apply the NEC® correctly, on the job and in the field. Order your copy to find out why these books and DVDs have set the standard for electrical training.

Here are some of the features that make these products a great choice for you:

The writing style of the textbook. Informative, practical, and easy to read and understand.
Visual explanations. Volume 1 (Articles 90-480) contains over 1,200 detailed full-color illustrations. These graphics help teach the concepts in a visual and user-friendly way.

The DVDs. Get an in-depth view of each of the articles covered. Mike and his team of experts come together to review the Articles from a 360 degree perspective, providing commentary and background information that you won’t find anywhere else.

www.mikeholt.com

Colin Doherty new president and CEO of optical packet transport vendor BTI Systems

April 8, 2014 - Lightwave Staff www.lightwaveonline.com

Optical transport systems and cloud networking vendor BTI Systems has named Colin Doherty its new president and chief executive officer. He replaces Steve Waszak, who BTI Systems says is leaving for “personal reasons.”

Doherty will be responsible for all of BTI Systems’ corporate, business, and product operations worldwide. A 25-year veteran of the telecommunications industry, Doherty comes to BTI Systems from Arbor Networks, a security solutions provider. Doherty was named CEO of Arbor in 2009; during his tenure in that position the company was acquired by Danaher in 2010 and itself acquired Packetloop last year. Prior to his tenure at Arbor Networks, he was CEO of Mangrove Systems and held senior management, sales, and operations roles with NMS Communications and Nortel Networks.

“I’m thrilled to be joining BTI at such an exciting time for the company and the market,” Doherty said. “It’s a terrific match with my experience and expertise. I look forward to working with the tremendous team as well as its customers and partners.”

Waszak had served as BTI Systems’ president and CEO since 2010. He oversaw a significant expansion of the company’s product portfolio, including its Intelligent Cloud Connect initiative (see “Intelligent Cloud Connect from BTI Systems targets SDN-enabled cloud services”). BTI closed a $27 million financing round this past December, bringing to $60 million the amount of growth capital the company has raised since 2011. Investors include Bain Capital Ventures, BDC, Covington Capital, GrowthWorks, and additional strategic investors.

“BTI is experiencing the best growth and performance in the company’s history, delivering category-defining cloud networking solutions to some of the world’s fastest growing, most innovative and most demanding cloud and service provider customers, such as Equinix, Digital Realty, VK and a rapidly expanding list of others,” said Neil Ferris, chairman of BTI’s board. “We’re thrilled Colin is joining as CEO because he has a unique understanding of our market opportunity, the networking software space and top-tier carrier, cloud and data center customers. He brings an excellent track record of scaling growth businesses and we’re very excited that he’ll lead BTI's next phase of growth."

For more information on high-speed transmission systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide

Brady Debuts the BMP®21-PLUS Handheld Printer - New label printer combines a tough exterior with smart printing capabilities

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (March 31, 2014) — Brady (NYSE:BRC), a global leader in industrial and safety printing systems and solutions, today announced the release of the BMP®21-PLUS handheld label printer. This new portable printer is the latest in on-the-job labelers for electrical, telecom, datacom and general industrial environments. It combines a tough exterior with smart printing capabilities for wires and cables, terminal blocks, patch panels, flat surfaces and more.

“Once you experience the unstoppable labeling power of the BMP21-PLUS printer, you are not going to want to share,” says Matt Luger, product marketing specialist for Brady. “It improves your labeling experience by bringing together the brains and the brawn needed to take on the day-to-day rigors of any job.”

The shape of the BMP21-PLUS printer has been re-engineered for enhanced durability and ergonomics, with a center balance and ridges for easy gripping and handling. The high-visibility yellow and black colors and protective rubber bumpers give the printer jobsite visibility backed by proven performance. It has passed shock and vibration testing, per MIL-STD-810G Method 5.16.6 S4.6.5, to demonstrate that it can take a beating and still perform.

Not only has the BMP21-PLUS labeler been made tougher on the outside, but it’s also even smarter on the inside. The printer features a new lithium-ion long-life battery, a large back-lit LCD display and a graphics library with 104 symbols for electric, smart home, safety and datacom applications. It also has automatic label formatting for nine common applications, including wire markers and patch panels, allowing users to simply drop in a label cartridge and begin printing – no setup required.

These elements are enhanced by the printer’s expanded material color and size options, including 70 highly-engineered material parts in 0.25-0.75 inch-wide continuous label formats. Once the label is printed and cut, the grabber feature holds onto the label and prevents it from falling out and onto the ground.

“The structural integrity and wide range of printing capabilities alone make the BMP21-PLUS printer a standout in the marketplace. Plus, when you add in its attractive entry-level price point, the printer becomes too good to pass up,” adds Luger. “What’s more, you can rest assured that your printer will remain in top working condition with the Brady360® two-year warranty that comes standard on this printer.”

Available accessories for the BMP21-PLUS label printer include a heavy duty magnet accessory for the convenience of hands-free printing and a multi-functional accessory with magnet, flashlight and retractable printer stand for easy handling.

With the release of the BMP21-PLUS printer, the current BMP21® product is discontinued. The accessories and supply cartridges for the BMP21 printer will also work in the new BMP21-PLUS printer.

For more information:

To learn more about Brady’s new BMP21-PLUS printer, visit BradyID.com/BMP21Plus. For Brady’s complete product offering, visit BradyID.com. In Canada, visit 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 2013 sales were approximately $1.15 billion. More information about Brady Corporation is available at www.bradycorp.com.

Cablesys® Introduces Feed-Through Patch Panels

April 11, 2014 - Fullerton, California - Cablesys introduces the new 24 port, 1RMU feed-through patch panels.

With RJ-45 ports on both sides, the feed-through patch panels are ideal for existing data centers which require additional patching. The feed-through patch panels are less messy than traditional punch down patch panels and even perform better. If used with Cablesys high performance patch cords, they will surpass Channel or Permanent Link performance standards per ANSI/TIA-568. Panels are easy to install by IT professionals and mounting screws are included.

All RJ-45 ports are rated to withstand 750 times of repeated insertions. Panels are made of heavy duty 16 gauge steel with powder coating. The panel only takes up one rack mount space on standard 19” racks. An extension bracket is available to fit 23” cabinets. Feed-through patch panels come in three configurations: Category 6A (10G), Category 6 (GB) and Category 5e (VoIP). Category 6A (10G) is available in UTP or ScTP option.

Feed-through patch panels are available for purchase on www.cablesys.com. For more information or to speak to a dedicated account representative, call 800-555-7176.

About Cablesys

Founded in 1997, Cablesys is a manufacturer of copper and fiber optic cable and connectivity solutions headquartered at 2100 E. Valencia Dr. Fullerton, California 92831. Cablesys offers a broad selection of cable and connectivity products with high availability. Cablesys also provides custom cable assemblies, labeling, bundling and kitting with fast turnaround. Most orders are shipped the same day from our California warehouse. For more information, please visit www.cablesys.com.

Since 1997, Cablesys (formerly GoCables) has been a fast growing cable supplier for the Datacomm and Telecomm industries. Our company's focus is making strong connections: between the latest technology and our product offering, between industry demands and cost efficient solutions and between our customers and Cablesys.

We are an ISO 9001:2008 registered manufacturer. We have over 14 years of experience specializing in the design and manufacturing of data assemblies. Quality cable assemblies are a necessity for the integrity of today's network system. Our team carries the knowledge, the people and the resources to tackle challenges with lightning speed. We offer OEM solutions with quality and prices that our customers truly appreciate. Our professional and knowledgeable sales and customer service teams are always ready to work with you on your copper and fiber cable requirement.

As a growing company, we continue to expand our product portfolio with the latest technology and innovations. Our vision is to build a strong brand in cable connectivity for all major industries. Our team is dedicated to service your cable requirements and we want you to join thousands of our customers and let us become your cable partner. Our products specialize and excel at manufacturing and providing cable assemblies to meet the latest standards. Utilizing our in-house design and engineering resources in combination with our in-house design and manufacturing resources, we are proud to offer highest performance cable assemblies at the lowest possible prices. There are also domestic custom solutions for a variety of products.

We offer thousands of standard off the shelf items with same day shipment from Southern California. We offer domestic custom solutions for customers with demand for quick turnaround. We understand the importance of quality and being efficient so that is why we have value added services such as customization to specific requirements that work best for you.

Cablesys, headquartered in Fullerton, California, is a leading manufacturer of high performance audio and video cabling solutions. We have been working closely with our customers to provide friendly service and superior products at great prices.

###

ICC manufactures a wide range of quality and affordable network connectivity and cable management solutions. As an ISO-9001 registered company, ICC offers its customers a tradition of excellence through the company’s extended warranty programs, through BICSI accredited training courses, and by providing the finest technical support and customer care.

Our Mission

ICC specializes in manufacturing structured cabling products. We tailor to small and medium size structured cabling system installers. Our mission is to become the product of choice among small and mid-size installers.

About ICC

The key to ICC’s success has been helping our Elite Installers grow and profit. Thousands of them have switched from big name brands to ICC because we level the playing field and give them a better advantage to compete in the marketplace. Once you try ICC products, it doesn’t make sense to go back and pay for the big name brands ever again.

• We aggressively help Elite Installers win jobs with incentives, project pricing and even assisting them to convince spec engineers or enterprises to open the spec that calls out for a big name brand. It’s hard to win projects if you have to pay a 20%-40% premium for name brands. When you are bidding, we know that price determines if you get the job

• We price ICC products aggressively because we operate with low overhead and we don’t have to make obscene margins. We have one goal in mind - offer quality products at the lowest price possible.

• We have local Regional Managers and live tech support that are proactively working with Elite Installers to win business.

• ICC products not only exceed TIA performance standards, but we went one step further and took our products to independent test labs such as Underwriters Laboratory (UL) and ETL, and had them verified.

• We pride ourselves in being an ISO 9001:2008 registered manufacturer since 1999 and we constantly maintain and improve product quality.

• ICC is a minority certified company with diverse and highly qualified personnel working to the highest standards.

• We also offer industry leading warranty programs, 15-Year and Lifetime, to ensure quality cabling installations by our Elite and Certified Elite Installers.

Company History

Founded in Cerritos, California in 1984, ICC is an independently-owned company that provides hardware to the telecommunications industry. ICC has been supplying solutions to the telecommunications industry for over 20 years, and has grown from what was once a small company to become a major industry player. As part of our ongoing commitment to quality, ICC is registered as a company compliant with ISO 9001 standards. Customer service, quality, and technology are our trademarks. We have built our reputation on them so that we can provide superior interconnectivity product designs and solutions for you. We stand behind our mission statement.

Quality

ICC products are consistently rated higher in performance and overall value by industry installers. Our stringent quality control procedures assure that ICC products have been inspected and/or tested to comply with strict FCC, TIA/EIA, and UL standards. The comprehensive ICC warranty programs confirm that we stand proudly behind our products and our products meet or exceed industry standards such as UL, CSA and TIA/EIA. ICC is a proud member of BICSI and TIA/EIA.

Value

Our research and development engineers are at the leading edge of the rapidly changing technology, and continue developing applications, procedures, and products to provide flexibility and convenience for our customers. As a result of this unceasing pursuit to exceed customer expectations, ICC products have emerged as “the tools of the trade” throughout the industry by supplying superior performance at extremely competitive prices.

Innovation

ICC has become a highly respected manufacturer of innovative products, by providing peak performance and intelligent solutions to the telecom industry. Throughout the industry ICC is acclaimed as a preeminent source for developing imaginative, precision products engineered to enhance productivity, provide superior quality, and increase efficiency.

Customer Satisfaction

Our customer care professionals set the standard for excellence in customer care throughout the industry because we believe customer satisfaction is crucial in a highly competitive marketplace. We are taking steps to build even stronger relationships with our distribution partners, and customers by expanding our stock availability at ICC and throughout our distributor network allowing us to process, fill and ship orders in record time. Product information and assistance from our staff of technical experts and customer service representatives is readily available.

Our engineering department designs and develops new product to achieve peak system performance for our customers. We make it our business to know the needs of our telecommunications system customers, and we even guarantee our ICC components with a Life Time Certified System Warranty. ICC’s Quality Control Department inspects and tests every component before it leaves our warehouse to ensure strict compliance to FCC, TIA/EIA, and UL standards. As a result, we have one of the lowest defect and return rates in the industry!

CXtec, lead by Bill Pomeroy, is a global provider of new and certified pre-owned networking and voice equipment and a great deal more… at substantial savings

CXtec is a global provider of new and certified pre-owned networking and voice equipment. For over 30 years, CXtec has helped customers reduce the cost of their networking and technology infrastructure. www.cxtec.com

William G. “Bill” Pomeroy is founder and CEO of CXtec® and TERACAI®, two multi-million dollar technology companies based in Syracuse, NY.

In April 2009, Bill launched sister company TERACAI. TERACAI is a Cisco® Silver Partner that helps commercial, health care and education customers design, install and manage their core networking, communications and data center solutions.

Bill has received several entrepreneurial awards, including the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Entrepreneur of the Year, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and the Syracuse University Distinguished Entrepreneur of the Year. Bill is also a past recipient of the Central New York Sales & Marketing Executives Crystal Ball Award, bestowed annually to a local businessperson for contributions to the sales and marketing profession.

Bill earned his bachelor’s degree in Management Engineering from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and his MBA in Marketing from the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania.

He is an active member of several local and national non-profit boards, including the National Marrow Donor Program, the Be The Match Foundation, Centerstate CEO and the Erie Canal Museum. He is also on the Advisory Board of The Salvation Army of the Syracuse Area, a member of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Lally School Advisory Council and a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society First Connection Volunteer. In 2006, Bill was honored to receive the annual Courage Award from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Central New York.

Alongside his charitable and community activities, Bill’s personal interests include amateur radio, travel and adventure, collecting coins, stamps, recorded music and mainframe computers and genealogy. He currently resides in Lafayette, NY with his wife Sandra. http://www.cxtec.com/281/294/history

Check out this company to find real value at affordable prices… AMERICAN COMPANY WITH AMERICAN VALUE.

Deborah L. O’Mara - Award Winning Journalist & Photographer Launches Writing Firm

CHICAGO—April 10, 2014—Deborah L. O’Mara, a leading journalist and trade magazine editor, has launched DLO Communications. The Chicago-based company provides writing, social media, content development and media consulting services to the trades – including electrical contractors, systems integrators, technology solution providers and manufacturers in security and related industries.

O’Mara spent the bulk of her career in B2B endeavors, most significantly as the managing editor of Security Distributing & Marketing magazine; editor of Integrated Systems Contracting (an Electrical Contractor magazine publication formerly known as Security + Life Safety Systems) and Security Dealer & Integrator magazine. She has a degree in journalism and focuses on providing new age communication services, including social media, blogs, print and eNewsletters, press releases and other written collateral to clients.

“Deb is one of the hardest working people I’ve ever known,” says Carol Enman, former publisher of SD&I magazine and owner at Enman Strategic Business Initiatives in Portland, Maine. “She’s sees a task that needs doing and digs in and gets it done, while she is juggling a dozen other things. She constantly meets stringent deadlines, understands her market, is exceptionally knowledgeable of the industry’s technology, builds strong relationships within the community and is always pleasant - besides being an excellent writer. She has embraced all aspects of the 21st century publishing community in print, in digital forms, on the web and all the social media tools that are used today. There is no better editorial resource than Deb,” Enman says.

“It’s time for electrical contractors and systems integrators to embrace the fact that they need to communicate with customers and prospects through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn Groups,” says O’Mara. In fact, according to Pew Research Center’s December “Social Media Update 2013,” an estimated 73 percent of adults now use a social networking site of some kind. “Without regular communications to the right channel, contractors will not be able to keep pace with the ever-competitive world of providing services to customers.”

O’Mara is available on a per-project or retainer basis and can be reached at 847.384.1916; dlomara@att.net; http://www.dlocommunications.com.

EPA Recognizes BOMA International with 2014 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award

Award Marks Seventh Earned by BOMA International

(WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 3, 2014) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International with a 2014 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award for its continued leadership in protecting the environment through a superior commitment to energy efficiency. BOMA International has received a total of seven ENERGY STAR awards and remains the only commercial real estate association to have received this honor.

The 2014 Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Awards are given to a select group of organizations that have exhibited outstanding leadership year after year. These winners have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by setting and achieving aggressive goals, and employing innovative energy efficiency approaches. These awards recognize ongoing leadership across the ENERGY STAR program, including energy-efficient products, services, new homes and buildings in the commercial, industrial and public sectors. Award winners were selected from the 16,000 organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program and will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on April 29, 2014.

BOMA International, an ENERGY STAR partner since 2005, will be honored for its long-term commitment to energy efficiency, which is integrated into a number of its programs and initiatives, including:

· The 7-Point Challenge, which called on BOMA members to reduce energy consumption by 30 percent across real estate portfolios as gauged against an average building measuring a 50 on the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager benchmarking tool over a five-year period. Since the program’s successful conclusion in 2012, BOMA analysis has shown that participating buildings saw an average decrease of 26.7 kBtu/square foot in adjusted energy use and an average decrease of 113.35 kGal in total water use.

· Annual conference offerings, including the “Sustainability and Energy Management” education track and the Green Pavilion and ENERGY STAR® Showcase, which highlights solutions and products to help property professionals stay one step ahead of the energy management curve.

· Various publications, including Commercial Lease: Guide to Sustainable and Energy Efficient Leasing for High-Performance Buildings, the industry’s first green lease guide now in its second edition, and Working Together for Sustainability: The RMI-BOMA Guide for Landlords and Tenants, a free eBook created in collaboration with the Rocky Mountain Institute that provides a framework for tenants and owners to share the benefits of energy efficiency savings.

· The BOMA 360 Performance Program® and the Outstanding Building of the Year® (TOBY) competition, both which require applicants to complete benchmarking through the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. BOMA 360 rates buildings across several areas of operations and management, including categories in Energy and Environmental/Sustainability.

· The launch of the BOMA STARS initiative in 2011 to promote the importance of benchmarking energy consumption in commercial buildings through EPA’s Portfolio Manager by sharing that data with BOMA’s Master Account. This effort highlighted the effectiveness of the voluntary marketplace in reducing energy consumption without costly new mandates. Since its launch, more than 3,000 buildings have benchmarked and shared their data with BOMA International.

· Ongoing cumulative accomplishments in the areas of advocacy, education, research and other industry initiatives.

Across the U.S., top organizations and companies are leading the way toward a more energy-efficient future through their participation in ENERGY STAR. Through 2013, with help from ENERGY STAR, American families and businesses have saved $297 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 2.1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

“Winning our seventh ENERGY STAR award reaffirms BOMA International’s continued role as an energy efficiency leader in the commercial real estate industry,” commented BOMA International Chair Rich Greninger, managing director with Carr Properties. “We remain committed to providing building owners and managers with the energy management tools, education and resources to reduce consumption and strengthen the voluntary marketplace. We also would like to extend our congratulations to our many member companies who have been honored with 2014 ENERGY STAR awards for their sustainability efforts.”

“BOMA International has earned EPA’s highest ENERGY STAR award—the 2014 Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award—because of its unwavering commitment to helping its industry become increasingly more energy efficient,” added EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe.

BOMA International previously was honored as Energy Star Partner of the Year in 2007 and 2008, and received the Sustained Excellence Award in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013.

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About BOMA International

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency. Today, ENERGY STAR offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money, and help protect the environment for future generations. 16,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes and buildings. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).

UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY MAY NOT BE YOUR FRIEND. You deserve better. EWG – Environmental Working Group

Remember the West Virginia chemical spill? The one that left hundreds of thousands of people without water for more than a week in January because the water supply was contaminated?

Well, if the Chemicals in Commerce Act proposed in the House of Representatives were to become law, it would rubber-stamp that very chemical as safe.

Chemical industry lobbyists are shopping the bill around Congress, but EWG has an opportunity stop it right now. This proposed legislation is so reprehensible that more than 42,000 people have already contacted their representatives to oppose CICA - we know you're standing with us.

But we need your financial help right now. EWG is a non-profit, and fighting big bucks chemical industry lobbyists is expensive. Your donation of $10 today will make sure that we can stop this regressive bill in its tracks.

Click here to donate $10 or more to fight back against the Chemicals in Commerce Act! We need toxics reform that protects us - not chemical companies!

This bill is so pro-industry that around the office we've taken to calling it the "More Chemicals in Commerce Act."

In its scheme to identify what substances are safe, it simply divides the chemical world into two categories - high and low priority - and it doesn't require companies to provide even a minimum set of safety information to the Environmental Protection Agency. Once a chemical is designated a low priority, the EPA would consider it safe.

Environmental Working Group is the nation’s most effective environmental health research and advocacy organization. Our mission is to conduct original, game-changing research that inspires people, businesses and governments to take action to protect human health and the environment. With your help -- and with the help of hundreds of organizations with whom we partner -- we are creating a healthier and cleaner environment for the next generation and beyond.

www.ewg.org

FSR Appoints Bongiorno & Associates as Manufacturers Representative for Power, Communications and AV Product Lines

Woodland Park, NJ (April 2, 2014) — FSR, a leading manufacturer of a wide variety of power, communications and pro AV products, has named Bongiorno & Associates (B&A) as its newest manufacturers representative. B&A will market and sell FSR’s extensive range of floor, wall, table, and ceiling boxes as well as the Company’s full line of connector interfaces, distribution amplifiers, matrix switchers, seamless switchers and CATx solutions. B&A will also service customers with sales and technical support from headquarters in Woodbridge, NJ, and from satellite offices located throughout the Northeast.

“We’re pleased to represent FSR, a company that not only produces a varied and exceptionally high-quality series of dependable and useful products, but demonstrates its concern for the environment by using a lead-free process on its electronics,” declared Rob Bongiorno, B&A president. “FSR also strives to be as green as possible by keeping its manufacturing in the United States which eliminates the fossil fuels necessary to import from abroad while simultaneously supporting the US economy. FSR products will be a solid compliment to the B&A AV portfolio, which includes the Belden and Lencore product lines."

“We are thrilled to add B&A to our family of reps,” said company president Jan Sandri. “The B&A staff has nearly 200 years of industry experience and represents a variety of industry leading manufacturers in the security, data communications and audio/visual industries. With B&A’s expertise, we look forward to reaching even more customers with our award-winning and diverse product lines and new technology solutions. This new business partnership will make FSR’s popular products more accessible to an even wider customer base.”

For more information about FSR, please visit, www.fsrinc.com or for more information about B&A, please visit, www.bna-rep.com.

About FSR

FSR, established in 1981, manufactures a wide variety of products for the audio / video, education, hospitality, government, and religious markets, including AV floor, wall, table, and ceiling connectivity boxes, as well as a full line of interfaces, distribution amplifiers, matrix switchers, seamless switchers and CAT-5 solutions.

The company is an Energy Star Partner and complies with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to demonstrate its deep commitment to preserving the planet.

FSR offers live 24/7 technical and sales support throughout the country from expertly trained technicians and sales representatives. For more information: www.fsrinc.com.

Graybar Raises More than $116,000 for Charity

ST. LOUIS, April 11, 2013 – Graybar, a leading distributor of electrical, communications and data networking products and provider of related supply chain management and logistics services, today announced that it raised more than $116,000 over the past month for charities across the United States through its community platform, Graybar CARES.

Graybar employees, customers and manufacturers raised funds to benefit various charities focused on helping veterans and their families such as the Wounded Warrior Project, Semper Fi Fund and Feherty’s Troops First Foundation.

These charitable efforts served as a preview to the company’s national training conference held in San Antonio this week. The conference featured a keynote speech by Eric Greitens, founder of The Mission Continues, a nonprofit organization that empowers veterans to adjust to life at home by serving and succeeding in their communities. The conference also included a speech by General James T. Conway who served as the 34^th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps.

“Graybar is committed to making a difference in the communities where we do business,” said Graybar Chairman, President and CEO Kathleen M. Mazzarella. “We are honored that we can give back to the service men and women who have given so much for our country. Thanks to our employees, manufacturers and customers for their overwhelming generosity and support.” Graybar, a Fortune 500 corporation and one of the largest employee-owned companies in North America, is a leader in the distribution of high quality electrical, communications and data networking products, and specializes in related supply chain management and logistics services. Through its network of more than 250 North American distribution facilities, it stocks and sells products from thousands of manufacturers, helping its customers power, network and secure their facilities with speed, intelligence and efficiency. For more information, visit www.graybar.com or call 1-800-GRAYBAR.

EC&M Announces Klein Tools Wins Product of the Year in Three Categories

Open Jaw Cable Cutter, Rolling Tool Bag and Splinter Guard^TM Fish and Glow Rods are recognized for excellence in new product development

March 31, 2014 (Lincolnshire, IL) – Klein® Tools, (http://www.kleintools.com/) for professionals since 1857, announces that they won Electrical, Construction and Maintenance magazine’s Product of the Year award in the Tools (Hand), Tools (Bags & Totes) and Tools (Accessory Items) categories.

The 2014 EC&M Product of the Year competition received a record-breaking 200 entries over 44 categories. Each entry was evaluated by a panel of 16 judges consisting of electrical professionals from the engineering, contracting, and plant facilities and maintenance industries.

Tools (Hand) Product Category Winner

Klein’s Open Jaw Cable Cutter (Cat. No. 67311) won the Tools (Hand) product category. A front loading jaw makes it much easier to get into tight, confined spaces than the commonly used closed jaw cable cutters. Powerful, ratcheting jaws allow for single-handed cutting of 600 MCM copper and 750 MCM aluminum without burrs or sharp edges. The open, shear-type jaw easily reaches around large diameter cable in service panels and sub panels. A spring release lever allows for fast jaw reset between cuts.

Tools (Bags & Totes) Product Category Winner

Klein’s Tradesman Pro™ Organizer Rolling Tool Bag (Cat. No. 55452RTB) topped the Tools (Bags & Totes) category with a bag that lets you take your tools nearly anywhere. The bag is designed to easily transport heavy or large amounts of tools, with 6” rugged wheels that not only help elevate the bag off the ground, but also easily roll over varied jobsite terrain. This bag is Load tested up to 200 pounds (100 lbs. inside, 100 lbs. on top), and has a molded kick plate that helps protect from the elements. The reinforced metal frame opening stays open while loading and unloading. It has a heavy-duty telescoping handle and bright orange interior to help find tools faster.

Tools (Accessory Items) Product Category Winner

Klein Tools won the Tools (Accessory Items) category with Splinter Guard™ Fish and Glow Rods that offer pain-free wire pulling due to a proprietary protective coating that safeguards the user from getting painful fiberglass splinters while wire pulling. Glow rods provide added visibility in dark workspaces with a glow that is 2x brighter and lasts 2x longer. Available in a variety of flexibilities and lengths, sections can also be threaded together for even more length options. Sets include bullet nose and hook attachments to attach and grab wires.

“We strive to provide durable, innovative products that make the tradesman’s job easier, safer and more efficient,” states Mark Klein, vice president domestic sales at Klein Tools. “This award validates that we are designing the right tools for the job.”

“It never ceases to amaze me how many pioneering products are introduced,” states Mike Eby, editor-in-chief of EC&M Magazine. “Congratulations on being included among the ‘best of the best’.”

Category winners go on to compete for the 2014 Product of the Year Platinum, Gold, and Silver awards which will be determined through an online readers’ poll held in June and announced in August.

About Klein Tools: 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 plants throughout the United States and are the number one choice among professional electricians and other tradespeople. For more information, visit www.kleintools.com.

LEDs Taking Big Share of Lighting Market

By Jack Keough

Sales of LEDs are now making up a larger percentage of many electrical manufacturers' total lighting sales and a new Department of Energy report says that adoption of LED lighting is happening far faster than many had expected.

Significant progress has been made in SSL and it is now apparent that LED technology has merely begun to achieve its full market and energy savings potential. The study titled: Solid State Lighting: Early Lessons Learned on the Way to Market, noted replacement of lamps are just one important segment for LEDs.

"Larger potential market impacts are evident, for example, in outdoor area and roadway lighting where LED replaces high-intensity discharge sources and commercial interior and where LED replaces a number of sources including pin-based CFLs and, increasingly, linear fluorescent sources," the report said.

The growth of LEDs is truly remarkable, especially in such a short time relative to its introduction.

In a newly-released study, Strategies Unlimited, (www.strategies-u.com) a market intelligence/research firm says that LED revenues hit $14.4 billion in 2013 with the projection for growth to $25.9B in 2018. Ten companies were responsible for 68 percent of those sales. In addition, the company says there was moderate growth in the 7% range from 2012 to 2013 but the forward projection calls for double-digit growth over the next five years driven by LED-based general lighting. The results of the research study were reported in LEDs magazine.

Packaged LED revenue hit $13.7 billion in 2012, while solid-state lighting (SSL) revenue for lamps and luminaires combined reach $11.8 B. Both markets will continue to grow through 2017 although LED revenue growth will be moderated by falling component prices even as more LEDs are manufactured.

Electrical manufacturers agree on the projections for LED sales.

Philips, for example, in releasing its latest earnings statement, says LEDs showed a year on year quarterly growth of 48 percent.

LED sales now represent 34 percent of the company's total lighting sales compared to 25 percent in the comparable quarter in 2012. The company noted China, Brazil, Taiwan and Indonesia showed double digit increases while sales in Western Europe were up 5 percent but were basically flat in the U.S. Company officials point out that that energy efficiency is high on the agenda in Europe while U.S. sales were impacted by slowness in the construction markets. However, Philips has been helped by growth on the retail side of the lighting business.

Philips recently won a ten-year performance contract to deliver monitoring service and an integrated lighting system with 13,000 connected LED fixtures and adoptive management controls for parking garages in Washington, D.C.

Eaton is also reporting lighting growth due in part to LEDs.

Alexander M. "Sandy" Cutler, Eaton's CEO, recently told financial analysts in an earnings conference call, that his company is investing heavily in LEDs.

"That segment of our business now contributes 37 percent of our total lighting revenue," he said.

Cree, one of the larger manufacturers of LED products, is putting a number of innovative lighting solutions into the marketplace. Sales of Cree's lighting products, which include LED bulbs and LED fixtures, were up 42% year over year and 17% quarter over quarter due to increased use of LEDs.

Sales of Cree's LED bulbs to consumers doubled in the second quarter compared to the first quarter. In its latest fiscal quarter, the company further expanded its LED lighting product offerings with introduction of the new 75W Replacement LED bulb, which looks and lights like a traditional incandescent bulb but uses 82% less energy and is designed to last 25 times longer. Since breaking the $10 price barrier for LED bulbs in March last year, the company has been busy expanding its product portfolio.

Although light bulbs are important to LED expansion, LED lighting for garages, driveways, school and colleges have become strong growth areas.

Hubbell Lighting for example, has just introduced an LED lighting system for sports arenas called Sportsliter Solutions ArenaLED.

Designed specifically for interior sports and civic arenas, the ArenaLED produces optimal television and live audience viewing, as well as low-glare light for player comfort. The individually engineered LED optics of the ArenaLED provide the highest level of uniformity and distribution to playing surfaces and minimizes wasted angles of light typically emitted by traditional sources.

Some industry observers are predicting that there could be a shakeout among LED manufacturers or possibly new partnerships.

As just one example, Bloomberg News (www.bloomberg.com) is reporting that Toshiba Corp. plans to sign at least three partnerships in the next 12 months to manufacture lighting fixtures in Europe as it seeks to become the region's third-biggest supplier of light-emitting diodes.

The fixtures are keys for expansion as clients increasingly demand complete systems to integrate LEDs into homes, offices and factories, according to Francis Seguineau, head of Toshiba's European lighting operations.

"It's not with LED lamps that we will continue to grow, it's by moving to the fixtures business," he said. "In 2013, 20 percent of our revenue came from the fixtures business and for 2014, we target 40 percent," he said, according to the Bloomberg report.

Meanwhile, 3M recently invested in MSi Lighting of Boca Raton, Florida, a company that 3M has been working with for the past year on a line of LED lights for multiple applications. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

"3M's Light Management platform enables the company to manipulate light in different ways, and we are committed to developing high-quality LED lights," said Gabi Sabongi, Vice President, 3M Corporate Ventures.

And in the past five months, Revolution Lighting Technologies has made three strategic acquisitions expanding its LED reach. A few weeks ago, Revolution purchased Value Lighting, which serves the multi-family marketplace, as well as hotels, assisted living facilities, student housing, military barracks and commercial facilities.

That acquisition complements its November purchase of Tri-State LED of Greenwich, Conn., a distributor of LED lighting solutions with a significant client base that includes municipalities, major school systems, hospitals, convention centers and real estate developers.

A month earlier, Revolution Lighting acquired a portfolio of general illumination LED lighting products, including several product lines from CMG Energy Solutions (CMG). The company says the acquisition will increase its market penetration as well as strengthen its distribution network.

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Jack Keough was the editor of Industrial Distribution magazine for more than 26 years. He often speaks at many industry events and seminars. He can be reached at john.keough@comcast.net or keoughbiz@gmail.com

SBA Improves Small Businesses Access to 7(a) and 504 Loan Programs; Enhances Job Creation

WASHINGTON— U.S. small businesses will gain improved access to two major government-guaranteed loan programs once a final rule to that effect issued by the U.S. Small Business Administration becomes effective April 21, 2014.

The SBA recently published a Final Rule on the Federal Register that eliminates or revises several requirements for its two main loan programs, 7(a) and 504. The rule expands eligibility, makes it easier for small businesses to secure SBA-backed financing, and encourages job creation.

“These 504 and 7(a) program enhancements will expand program eligibility and improve access to capital for small businesses. Improvements in CDC corporate governance oversight enhance program integrity and encourages more local involvement,” said Ann Marie Mehlum, SBA Associate Administrator for the Office of Capital Access.

The changes include, but are not limited to:

· Elimination of the personal resource test which benefits borrowers by adding flexibility in the management of their allocation of personal resources to the small business;

· Elimination of the nine-month rule for 504 eligible project expenses which allows businesses a longer timeframe in which to organize and initiate their small business project;

· Revised 504 loan program collateral requirements to allow Third Party Lender to take collateral in addition to Project collateral under certain conditions; and

· Enhanced CDC corporate governance requirements to ensure more board accountability and to reduce risks to the SBA portfolio.

“These rule changes are important to south Florida businesses and are intended to make capital more accessible to entrepreneurs and small business owners,” said SBA South Florida District Director Francisco “Pancho” Marrero. “As of March 21, SBA South Florida district ranked 3^rd out of 67 district offices in 504 loans approved (133) and 6^th in total SBA loans approved ($357,365,200).”

For the full text of the Final Rule as published on the Federal Register, visit http://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/Final%20Rule%20-%20Federal%20Register%202014-06237.pdf

CEP Certification, LLC Announces Recertified CEP List

Certification recognizes education, training, experience and professionalism

St. Louis…Today, CEP Certification, LLC (CEP Certification), a limited liability corporation established by the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) announces those who have again achieved their Certified Electrical Professional (CEP) certification. These individuals originally received their certification in March 2011.

CEP is a certification program for distributors, manufacturers and others in the electrical distribution channel. Certification gives the holder credibility in their industry and increases the professionalism of the industry as a whole. CEP certification identifies that the holder has demonstrated expertise in areas such as product knowledge, customer service, sales skills, and other skills giving them added credibility in the electrical industry.

The following have been recertified in CEP-Inside Sales^TM:

Mark M. Borreggine	City Electric Company, Inc.	Watertown, N.Y.
Jeremy R. Cornell	Mayer Electric Supply Co., Inc.	Tampa, Fla.
Stephen L. Fornoff	Springfield Electric Supply Company	East Peoria, Ill.
Michael P. George	Shealy Electrical Wholesalers, Inc.	West Columbia, S.C.
Eric E. Gunderson	Springfield Electric Supply Company	Peru, Ill.
Brad S. Jemison	Mayer Electric Supply Co., Inc.	Birmingham, Ala.
Mark A. Krumwiede	Springfield Electric Supply Company	East Peoria, Ill.
Shawn T. Miles	Schaedler Yesco Distribution, Inc.	New Oxford, Pa
Justin R. Monahan	Butler Supply, Inc.	Imperial, Mo.
Steven H. Pokoik	Active Electrical Supply Company	Chicago
Sally D. Young	Springfield Electric Supply Company	Peru, Ill.

The following have been recertified in CEP-Outside Sales^TM:

Joseph A. Dambro	Mayer Electric Supply Co., Inc.	Huntsville, Ala.
Paul S. Davis	Eck Supply Co.	Holly Springs, N.C.
Charles R. Dix	WESCO Distribution	Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Gerald C. Gunn	Electrical Engineering & Equipment Co.	Omaha, Neb.
Paul C. Morana	Electric Supply Inc.	Tampa, Fla.
John J. Proctor	The Hite Company	Erie, Pa.
Marie L. Przybyl	Madison Electric Company	Warren, Mich.
Nicholas J. Shirilla	The Winkle Electric Co., Inc.	Youngstown, Ohio
Nancy S. Wilkie	Needham Electric Supply	Canton, Mass.

The next set of test dates will be July 14-25, 2014. Interested candidates should begin preparing now. Suggested courses, candidate guides, sample exam questions, self-assessments, and other helpful materials can be found on the NAED website, www.naed.org/CEP. For additional information, contact the NAED Member Services at certification@naed.org or toll-free at (888) 791-2512.

CEP Certification, LLC (CEP Certification) is a limited liability corporation established by the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) to develop and administer certification and recertification processes for the purpose of designating those individuals who have met CEP Certification professional knowledge standards. The mission of CEP Certification is to enhance the performance of individuals working in the electrical distribution industry by setting standards for the performance of industry job roles and assessing individuals against these standards.

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. NAED’s membership operates in more than 5,100 locations internationally. www.naed.org

supplyFORCE welcomes John Burke as President and CEO

King of Prussia, PA -- "The supplyFORCE Board is pleased to have landed a person for this position who has significant experience as a supplyFORCE Owner-Member, a proven track record as a business leader, the trust of the supplier community and superb relationships with many Owner-Members, the supplyFORCE management team and staff." said Bill Weisberg, Chairman and CEO of Affiliated Distributors and a supplyFORCE Board member.

Burke has been serving the past 13 years as President and COO of Kirby Risk Electrical Supply, a Midwest distributor of electrical products. Prior to joining Kirby Risk, Burke held positions as Chief Operating Officer with SourceAlliance, Southeast Division President of Rexel, S.A. and Vice President, General Manager of the EESCO Division of WESCO International. Burke began his career with GE where he spent 15 years engaged in various management positions in the areas of Government Contracting, Sourcing and Materials Management in the Power Systems and Electrical Distribution businesses.

Burke has served on numerous electrical industry advisory boards for electrical manufacturers, the NAED Board of Directors, the IDEA Board of Directors, the NAED Education and Research Foundation Board of Directors, the EDGE Global Supply Board of Directors and an Advisory Board for the School of Industrial Distribution at Purdue University.

"We are confident that Mr. Burke will lead the company with great skill" said Mike Miller, President of North Coast Electric and a supplyFORCE Board member.

John Burke said he is "Excited with this new opportunity and looking forward to working with the great team at supplyFORCE to accelerate our growth in all markets."

supplyFORCE recently completed a merger with Vanguard National Alliance to become the largest distributor owned National Accounts organization in North America.

NAED - National Association of Electrical Distributors Announces Several Courses in Spanish

ST. LOUIS — The National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) today announced the launch of several online training courses for the Latin American market.

“The NAED Education & Research Foundation’s premiere distributor profitability course and several other training courses are now available in Spanish to meet growing demands from both Latin American and U.S. distributors.” said Michelle McNamara, NAED senior vice president and executive director of the NAED Foundation. “Providing these offerings in Spanish is the first step in helping our members educate and develop their Spanish speaking workforce.”

The NAED Learning Center now has a Spanish language option. The translated course offerings available include:

Bottom Line Basics – an industry-specific course that teaches the fundamentals of key financial indicators used to measure profitability.
VIP Spanish Training Bundle that includes 16 courses on topics such as interpersonal skills, cross-cultural communication, listening skills and customer service fundamentals.

Additionally, NAED is offering a Spanish version of the Business Reality 101 workshop with a Latin American facilitator. This guided, role-playing simulation allows staff to understand the various roles and responsibilities of the entire operation.

NAED is the trade association for the $70+ billion electrical distribution industry. Through networking, education, research, and benchmarking, NAED helps electrical distributors increase profitability and improve the channel. NAED’s membership operates in more than 5,100 locations internationally. www.naed.org

Getting Rid Of Old Tech Devices - Basic Rules To Maintain Security

Getting rid of your old electronics? Whether you’re donating, selling, or recycling your aging gear, you’ll want to take the following steps to make sure your data stays safe and your gear goes where it’s supposed to. And, no, these steps are not optional.

1. Back that thang up!
The first thing to do before you part with any piece of electronics is to make sure you have copies of the data that was on it — especially information that’s difficult or impossible to replace, like photos, videos, and contacts. If you don’t use an automated PC backup service like Backblaze or Carbonite, you’ll want to copy files manually (preferably to an external storage device like a thumb drive or a DVD). If you have an Android or iOS device, make sure you’ve activated Google Auto Backup or Apple’s iCloud service; you also want to go into your data vault and make sure that the files you need are really there.

2. Wipe it down.
Do not assume that whoever gets your old gear will remove your data from it; be safe and do the job yourself. Otherwise you could leave yourself wide open to identity theft. And don’t think for one minute that deleting your Documents folder or even reformatting your hard drive is enough. McAfee security expert Robert Siciliano recently bought 30 used computers via Craigslist and went through their hard drives with a forensics expert. Half of the machines that had been reformatted still contained personal data from their previous owners.

InterConnection.org uses Active KillDisk to wipe Windows PCs, which comes in a freeware version. Mac owners can use the OS X Disk Utility or White Canyon Software’s WipeDrive. A factory reset should be enough to secure most recent smartphones, provided that you remove any SIM cards that could contain personal info, Siciliano says. But to be ultra safe, use Blancco Mobile to wipe Android and iOS phones.

3. If you can’t wipe it, destroy it.
If you’re not planning to donate or resell your electronics, it’s better to simply destroy any part of them that contained your data, Siciliano says. For example, I recently recycled a laptop that was missing its power supply, so there was no way to turn it on and wipe the disc. Instead I removed the hard drive with a screwdriver, ran over the drive with my car, and then took a sledgehammer to it. (Aside from protecting my personal data, it was also a lot of fun.)

4. Recycle the right way.
Even if you donate or resell your old gear, some or all of it may end up being recycled — and not all recyclers are created equal. You want to make sure that your e-waste isn’t ending up in a landfill or dumped in some Third World country. The best way to do that is to ask who does the company’s downstream recycling, and make sure it’s part of either the e-Stewards or R2 (Responsible Recycling) certification programs, which ensure that all materials are handled in an environmentally responsible way.

5. Keep records.
If you donate equipment to a school or a nonprofit, you’ll want to let the IRS know so you can get a little something back on your taxes. Document your donation with a receipt, and make sure it falls within Uncle Sam’s guidelines for charitable giving.

Fiber Optic Association = The Latest Issue Of The FOA Newsletter Is Now Online

There are lots of articles in this month's newsletter - it's been a busy month in fiber optics!

FTTH Is Becoming A "Grass Roots" Movement
Colombia's Plan To Lift Millions Out Of Poverty - With Fiber
April Fool Jokes?
March Is Women's History Month
New OLAN Case Study: Marriott Hotel New York City
Expanding Internet Coverage - First Google And Now Facebook
4D - The Future Of Training and Tech Work?
FCC Head Wheeler Says No More Copper In Schools
Want To Buy A Contracting Company?
OTDR Problems Just Won't Go Away!
Datalink News - Competing Technologies
UL Warns of Potentially Hazardous Communications Cable
Real Feedback On A FOA Member's Work
How Do You Clean A Really Dirty Ruggedized Outdoor Fiber Optic Connector?
FOA Now Offers Fiber Optic Textbook and Web Pages In Spanish

All FOA Textbooks Have Been Updated

All the FOA textbooks (Guide to Fiber Optics, OSP Fiber Optics and Premises Cabling) have been updated for 2014, with the biggest change adding an Appendix for OLANs in the Premises Cabling book.

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Sneak preview: FOA is creating an online database of fiber optic companies
FOA has been working on an online database of our corporate members where you can search for companies by their business type (manufacturer, distributor, contractor, consultant, etc.) and location. You can get a preview of what we are doing here, in table form (http://foa-approved.org/corporate_members) and on a map (http://foa-approved.org/corporate_members/map)
If you are not familiar with FOA Corporate Membership, information is here: http://www.thefoa.org/corporate.html
Corporate members have access to special educational materials for their employees and customers as well as discounts on FOA membership and certifications.
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Jobs
Want to know how the FOA can help you find a job? We have added a new YouTube video "Where Are The Jobs In Fiber Optics?," that shows many applications that you might not know are using fiber optics. The FOA Jobs Web Page has been updated. A new page was added on Using your FOA Training/Certification to Find the Right Job in Fiber Optics

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New Optical LAN Certification
The big news is the first new FOA certifcation in years - a special certification for OLANs, the premises networks based on FTTH. With the assistance of some of the premier suppliers and designers of these networks, the FOA has a new curriculum leading to FOA certification. Read about it in the FOA newsletter. Watch the FOA YouTube video on OLANs.

Did you know your FOA certification requires you maintain your FOA membership? (Check your ID Card - it shows the expiration date.)

Renew Your FOA Membership (and Certifications!) Online

Here are the full directions on how to do it

Quick Links

FOA Website: www.thefoa.org

FOA Online Newsletter

FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide

www.thefoa.org

BICSI To Launch Expanded Authorized Design Training Program

Tampa, Fla., April 1, 2014—BICSI, the association advancing the information and communications technology (ICT) community, announced the expansion of its design training delivery through their upgraded Authorized Design Training Provider (ADTP) Program. The ADTP Program further expands upon BICSI’s commitment to broader local outreach, as the Program allows for BICSI design training to be taught by approved training organizations worldwide. This outreach will try to bring training closer to BICSI members and stakeholders, allowing them to stay up-to-date on the latest industry advancements.

ADTPs are BICSI-approved organizations that are licensed to offer BICSI design training. ADTPs utilize the same quality curriculum, classroom equipment and materials offered in a BICSI-conducted class. Organizations accepted into the ADTP program can offer BICSI ICT distribution design courses, providing designers worldwide with access to training in the proper methods of design, integration and implementation of telecommunications and data technology systems and their related infrastructure.

Quality design training made available through authorized providers is the next step in BICSI’s continual efforts to bring education, training and credentialing closer to the ICT professionals. Electronic testing through Pearson VUE has already helped hundreds of individuals obtain BICSI credentials without having to travel to a distant testing site. The goal of the ADTP Program is to create the same convenience with expanded access to BICSI design training.

“BICSI strives to provide as much relevant education as possible to ICT professionals so that they may excel in their careers,” said BICSI President. “The ADTP Program allows for training organizations to teach BICSI courses while adhering to BICSI’s stringent quality control guidelines. We are excited to offer this expanded avenue of training delivery to the ICT community.”

Applications to participate in the ADTP Program are currently being accepted for review. The Program will officially launch on July 1, 2014.

For more information about the expanded BICSI ADTP Program, email adtpservices@bicsi.org or call +1 813.979.1991 or 800.242.7405 (USA and Canada toll-free).

ERICO - CADDY Products Launches CADDY SPEED LINK KEYLESS Wire Rope Hanging System

ERICO is excited to announce the introduction of our latest innovation in wire rope hanging systems that requires NO TOOLS.

The new CADDY SPEED LINK SLK system provides a versatile overhead support solution that is easy to adjust and installs quickly to almost any structure. The system supports a wide range of applications, including cable tray, lighting, conduit, ductwork, pipe and tube, strut profiles and signage from overhead structural building members. It is available with a variety of specialty end fittings for the most common building structure types and a range of wire rope diameters and lengths, and a unique KEYLESS locking device.

Push/pull KEYLESS release allows easy adjustments

System supports both 1.5 mm and 2 mm cables

Low-profile locking device minimizes visual impact

Cable spread of 90 degrees allows positioning the device closer to the load

KEYLESS release tubes are easy to operate while wearing gloves

Double-sided locking mechanism enables simple height adjustment

Individual packaging holds wire rope neatly until objects are ready to install

The new CADDY SPEED LINK range can be found here on ERICO’s website. You can also check out the CADDY SPEED LINK Video on YouTube™. For more information on CADDY products, contact your local CADDY representative or visit www.erico.com.

U.S. Green Building Council Announces 2013 LEED for Homes Award Winners

Washington, D.C. — (April 10, 2014) — The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has named the recipients of the 2013 LEED for Homes Awards, recognizing projects, developers and homebuilders that have demonstrated outstanding leadership in residential green building. The award categories recognize innovative multi- and single-family projects, production builders, affordable housing projects and developers, an overall commitment to LEED for Homes and Project of the Year.

Winners for this year include:

Outstanding Single Family Home of the Year: Wallace Residence (Earthship Farmstead), Kaplan Thompson Architects

Located in Stuart, Va., Earthship Farmstead is an earth-sheltered, LEED Platinum, energy-positive certified Passive House that also operates as a working water buffalo farm. Designed by Kaplan Thompson Architects and built by Structures Design/Build, this project met the client's ambitious goal to build a farmstead in the Virginia mountains that would be as self-sufficient as possible. The house will use 90 percent less energy for heating than a typical house, and it can be heated on the coldest night of the winter with the energy of two hairdryers.

Outstanding Commitment to LEED: AMLI Residential

AMLI Residential, based in Kennesaw, Ga., is a preeminent company working to develop, acquire and manage green apartment communities. It shows a true commitment to sustainability by utilizing LEED certification as a tool for providing healthy apartment homes for residents, and its new developments in eight different markets are pursuing LEED certification. AMLI’s current portfolio includes seven certified projects, of which six were certified under the LEED for Homes rating system. AMLI anticipates the number of LEED developments in its portfolio to double this year and triple in 2015.

Outstanding Affordable Developer: Blue Sea Development Co. LLC

Since 2006, every new construction project undertaken by New York City affordable housing developer Blue Sea Development Co. has earned LEED for Homes certification, demonstrating a trajectory of continuous improvement, fearless innovation and large-scale development of certified green housing. Most recently, Blue Sea finished construction on its grandest green effort to date: Arbor House, featuring 124 affordable units, four micro combined heat and power turbines, indoor and outdoor fitness circuits for children and adults, and a 10,000-square-foot hydroponic greenhouse fueled by an elaborate rainwater harvesting system.

Outstanding Multifamily Project: Vulcan Real Estate, for Stack House

Situated on a full city block in the emerging South Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle, the Stack House project seeks to combine two new mixed-use residential projects with the restoration and adaptive reuse of the Supply Laundry Building, a historic landmark. The full block development is broken into a series of smaller, quarter-block masses more characteristic of the neighborhood. Pedestrian-oriented mews create north-south and east-west through-block connections that preserve view corridors to Seattle landmarks and guide residents and passersby into the public plaza and courtyard spaces.

Outstanding Multifamily Builder: AMLI Residential

AMLI Residential is responsible for AMLI at Escena, a wood-frame, garden-style, LEED Gold, 440-unit apartment community in Irving, Texas. The project’s efforts to reduce energy and water use and provide a healthy living space for residents has made it one of AMLI’s most successful apartment communities. The entire AMLI at Escena staff receives training so they can understand and explain the benefits of exciting features such as bioswales and fresh air ventilation to residents and neighbors.

Project of the Year: Union 4, Nakhshab Development & Design

Union 4 is a LEED Platinum multifamily development by Nakhshab Development and Design (NDD) in the Banker’s Hill neighborhood of San Diego. NDD originally intended to remove an existing dilapidated building from the site, but after researching the building’s historical significance, it decided to restore the building and make it the focal point of the project. Three additional units were added to the rear of the property, complementing the existing historic home and offering views of the San Diego harbor, open concept living space and NDD’s signature modern aesthetic. Union 4 offers four families the chance to live in a sustainably built home with a community gathering space, easy access to public transportation and local amenities as well as rooftop solar panels.

Outstanding Affordable Project: Kalos, Community HousingWorks

Kalos provides 83 vibrant new affordable workforce homes in a smart growth/sustainable setting. The LEED Platinum midrise development added density sensitively and locked in long-term affordability in a built-out, rapidly gentrifying neighborhood in San Diego. The LEED elements exceed local and national standards in energy efficiency and green construction values, with more than 50 percent reductions in water, gas and electrical use, along with car sharing and electric car charging stations. On-site tenant education spreads awareness of a healthy and sustainable lifestyle through smoke-free operations, recycling programs and promotion of alternative transportation.

The judges for the 2013 LEED for Homes Awards include:

Jeremy Hudson, CEO, Specialized Real Estate Group, a company focused on developing and managing walkable, healthy multifamily communities. He has developed more than 1.3 million square feet of apartment building space completed or under development that is registered for LEED certification, including the award-winning Eco Modern Flats.
Megan Folland, Director, Communication, Adobe Communities, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit sustainable affordable housing provider. A professional services marketer for nearly 15 years, her depth of experience is highlighted by strategic communications and branding in support of a sustainable built environment.
Ian Johnson, LEED AP BD+C/Homes, Project Director, Thornton Tomasetti Sustainability Practice Group. A LEED consultant, Ian has been part of a wide variety of sustainability projects and project types, including hotels, educational facilities, high-rise buildings, healthcare facilities, retail facilities, offices and residential buildings. He also coordinates many of Thornton Tomasetti’s internal office fit-out projects, which pursue LEED CI – Gold.
Isabelle Duvivier, FAIA, LEED AP, Duvivier Architects. As an advocate for the coordination of the built environment with watershed health, Duvivier’s architectural practice focuses on a holistic and rational approach to planning and design with water. Her accomplishments in sustainable building design, mapping, watershed and wetland conservation, and graphic representation advance the professional/public conversation and understanding of environmental and water resources.
Anne Regan, Editor in Chief, Porch.com. Anne oversees all editorial content at Porch.com, including consumer education, inspiration, lifestyle and design content. She brings more than 20 years of home editorial experience to Porch.com, the world's most trusted home network.

To learn more about LEED for Homes, visit usgbc.org/homes. For tips on greening your home, visit GreenHomeGuide.com.

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.

Schneider Electric Recalls Square D-Brand F and K Frame Circuit Breakers Due to Fire Hazard

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Product Safety Report

Recall date: March 18, 2013
Recall number: 14-134

Consumers should stop using this product unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of product:

Square D branded, molded case F and K frame circuit breakers

Hazard:

The circuit breaker can fail to trip when an overload occurs, posing the risk of fire, burn and electric shock.

Units

About 28,400

Description

This recall involves Square D brand models FA, FH, FI and FY one-, two- and three-pole circuit breakers rated 15 to 100 amps, and model KI two- and three-pole circuit breakers rated 110 to 250 amps. The F model breakers were manufactured May 8, 2013 through June 10, 2013 and have date codes 13193 through 13241. The K models were manufactured May 2, 2013 through June 21, 2013 and have date codes 13184 through 13255. The date codes are YYWWD format (example: 13184 = year 2013, week 18, day of the work week 4/ Thursday). The circuit breakers have a yellow label with the words “Square D” or the Square D logo. Model information can be found on the faceplate.

Incidents/Injuries

None reported.

Remedy

Consumers should immediately check to see if they have the recalled circuit breakers. Consumers with uninstalled products will receive a replacement. Installed products will be replaced at no charge to the customer with an allowance of up to $300 per site to cover labor costs.

Sold through

Authorized Schneider Electric distributors nationwide such as Border States Electric Supply, Crescent Electric Supply Co., Dealers Electric Supply Co., Graybar Electric Co., Rexel, W.W. Grainger from May 2013 to June 2013 for between $200 and $9,260.

Importer

Schneider Electric USA Inc., of Palatine, Ill.

Manufactured in

Mexico

Consumer Contact:

Schneider Electric USA at (800) 634-8730 anytime. Consumers can also visit the firm’s website at www.schneider-electric.us and click on “customer notification” under the popular links category for more information.

Report an Incident Involving this Product

View this Recall Online at CPSC

Resilient Design Institute Completes Six-Continent Outreach Tour - BuildingGreen and Environmental Building News founder Alex Wilson crisscrosses the globe to spread his climate-change preparedness gospel

By Adrenal Omen

April 1, 2014

Citing the urgency of climate change, Resilient Design Institute founder and president Alex Wilson traveled more than 28,000 miles in 88 days—by chartered plane, SUV, and Jet-Ski—educating audiences large and small about the importance of preparing for disruptions due to unforeseen weather events.

“Catastrophic storms like Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy have opened our eyes to the importance of preparing for disaster,” he said from atop a diesel mega-yacht to a beachfront crowd in Rio de Janeiro. “You should really consider retrofitting your building envelope with some rigid mineral wool,” he shouted to the crowd, emphasizing his major points with pyrotechnic displays.

Reaching a broader audience

Wilson’s worldwide tour represents a broad departure from his understated approach of the previous 30 years. He confessed he’d grown weary of “preaching to the choir” about passive solar heating, “tuning” glazing characteristics by building orientation, and the global warming potential of insulation blowing agents.

“You go to conference after conference and see the same two dozen people talking about ‘moving the needle.’ I needed to reach a new audience, so I had to go big,” he said, adding that the worldwide tour might also help him locate the needle.

Tour highlights include:

· Arriving in Tokyo by Concorde (borrowed from Russian oligarch/Foamglas magnate Dimitri Zhutov), and explaining to a 20,000-person stadium audience how heat pumps work.

· Skydiving into the courtyard of a Balinese elementary school and telling the kids all about the durability and fire-resistance of slate roofing.

· Appearing on live television in Ulan Bator and describing how traditional Mongolian yurts could be improved with smart vapor retarders.

Wilson spoke fondly of the stretch Hummer he used for portions of the tour. “It was great on roads that were washed out by storms, and it made a real impression whenever I drove into a new town—kids especially loved it! And it stayed very temperate inside, since I coated it with some of that insulating paint before the tour. Three coats and—bam!—R-57… I’m not sure why this stuff isn’t listed in GreenSpec” (BuildingGreen’s database of green building products).

Next stop: Antarctica

Wilson is already looking ahead to his 2015 outreach tour, which will cover all seven continents.

“I’m excited about next year’s trip to Antarctica—with a warming climate, I believe it has a lot of potential as a human habitat. The passive solar possibilities are terrific, of course, and I think we’ll discover some interesting locavore options once we acquire a taste for the local fauna. In fact, now that Jerelyn and I have completed and moved into our renovated farmhouse [in Vermont], I’ll have time to start planning our next home, and I think the poles have a lot to offer.”

Jerelyn Wilson was unavailable for comment.

BuildingGreen, Inc.

122 Birge St., Suite 30,

Brattleboro, VT 05301

802-257-7300

http://www.buildinggreen.com

KNOWLEDGE THAT INFORMS PRACTICE

Publishers of authoritative information on environmentally responsible building design and construction.

San Jose Earthquakes New Stadium Will Rock With Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi

SUNNYVALE and SAN JOSE, CA – March 24, 2014 – Ruckus Wireless, Inc. (NYSE: RKUS) announced today that it has agreed to a sponsorship with Major League Soccer’s (MLS) San Jose Earthquakes to provide Ruckus products and technology for a free, public Smart Wi-Fi network for fans attending games at the team’s new 18,000-seat stadium located on Coleman Avenue in San Jose, CA, which is currently under construction and scheduled to open in 2015. The network will include over 150 Ruckus ZoneFlex™ access points (APs) to provide fans with a high-quality Wi-Fi experience throughout the stadium grounds.

“This is an exciting project that our fans can look forward to utilizing at our new stadium,” said Earthquakes president Dave Kaval. “We want our stadium to reflect our community, and technological innovation is a key component of Silicon Valley. Ruckus Wireless is a great fit because of their local roots and experience working not just with Silicon Valley Wi-Fi network deployments, but with these types of deployments around the world.”

Ruckus Wireless has pioneered the development and delivery of Smart Wi-Fi technology. Using patented adaptive antenna technology (BeamFlex™), Ruckus access points are able to dynamically adapt to ever-changing RF environments, ensuring an optimal Wi-Fi signal to every connected device, such as smartphones and tablets.

Stadium deployments have historically proved a challenge for most Wi-Fi vendors, given the very high client density and the self-interference created by deploying so many access points in close proximity within the limited space of a sports arena. To overcome these obstacles, Ruckus has developed Smart Wi-Fi technology optimized to ensure reliable, consistent connectivity and high performance for very high-density environments.

“We love being able to ‘cause a Ruckus’ with San Jose Earthquakes fans, and hope they’re looking forward to this partnership as much as we are,” said Rob Mustarde, VP of Marketing at Ruckus Wireless. “Today we have a significant and growing number of stadium deployments both within the MLS and at other famous sports arenas all over the world, including two of Brazil’s largest soccer stadiums, which will be hosting FIFA World Cup matches in 2014. We look forward to completing this exciting project with the Earthquakes and having a state of the art Smart Wi-Fi network ready for action by the start of their new season.”

The Earthquakes’ new stadium adds to the long, growing and impressive list of other Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi high-density stadium and arena deployments around the world, including: Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, NC; Chennai Stadium, a 50,000-seat facility in India; Rio Tinto Stadium, a 28,000-seat venue in Salt Lake City, UT; Imtech Arena in Hamburg, Germany; the National Stadium of Lima, Peru, and two of Brazil’s largest soccer stadiums, both of which will be hosting FIFA World Cup matches in 2014—the Estádio Nacional de Brasília, a 68,009-seat stadium in Brasília, and Estádio Octávio Mangabeira (also known as Arena Fonte Nova), a 52,048-seat stadium in Salvador.

Ruckus Wireless has also recently helped deploy the “Wickedly Fast Wi-Fi” free, public outdoor network for the City of San Jose, CA, and a new, free public outdoor Wi-Fi service for the City and County of San Francisco up and down the world-famous Market Street corridor, ‘San_Francisco_Free_WiFi.’

# # #

ABOUT RUCKUS WIRELESS

Headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, Ruckus Wireless, Inc. (NYSE: RKUS) is a global supplier of advanced wireless systems for the rapidly expanding mobile Internet infrastructure market. The company offers a wide range of indoor and outdoor “Smart Wi-Fi” products to mobile carriers, broadband service providers, and corporate enterprises, and has over 33,000 end-customers worldwide. Ruckus technology addresses Wi-Fi capacity and coverage challenges caused by the ever-increasing amount of traffic on wireless networks due to accelerated adoption of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Ruckus invented and has patented state-of-the-art wireless voice, video, and data technology innovations, such as adaptive antenna arrays that extend signal range, increase client data rates, and avoid interference, providing consistent and reliable distribution of delay-sensitive multimedia content and services over standard 802.11 Wi-Fi. For more information, visit http://www.ruckuswireless.com.

Senator Frist and Governor Bredesen to Keynote BOMA International’s 2014 Medical Office Buildings Conference in Nashville, April 30 – May 2

Healthcare Real Estate Gathering on Track for Highest Attendance in the Conference’s History

(WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 16, 2014) The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International is pleased to announce that former U.S. Senate Majority Leader William H. “Bill” Frist, M.D., and former Governor of Tennessee Philip Bredesen will be keynote speakers at BOMA International’s 2014 Medical Office Buildings & Healthcare Facilities Conference in Nashville, Tenn., April 30 – May 2 at the Omni Nashville Hotel.

Both the Senator and Governor have impressive backgrounds in the political and medical/healthcare fields. Senator Frist represented Tennessee in the U.S. Senate from 1995 to 2007. He is also a heart-lung transplant surgeon, founder of the Vanderbilt Multi-Organ Transplant Center and co-chair of the Partnership for a Healthier America. Governor Bredesen was Governor of Tennessee from 2003 to 2011 and is author of Fresh Medicine: How to Fix Reform and Build a Sustainable Health Care Systems.

“We are privileged to have both Senator Frist and Governor Bredesen speaking at this year’s Medical Office Buildings Conference,” remarked Conference Co-Chair Laca Wong-Hammond, head of Healthcare Real Estate at Raymond James. “Their contributions to both public service and healthcare reinforce their dedication to working for the greater good of the American people. We look forward to hearing their insights on healthcare reform and health policy.”

The Medical Office Buildings & Healthcare Facilities Conference is the industry’s largest and most respected gathering of healthcare real estate experts; registered attendance for this year’s conference has already exceeded attendance totals for all past conferences. Senior real estate executives, hospital and health system executives and professionals from all facets of the healthcare real estate sector attend this premier education and networking event to gain insight and new knowledge on healthcare industry issues and trends and the numerous implications for healthcare real estate.

“BOMA’s MOB Conference provides unequalled opportunity to make professional connections and learn about the evolving healthcare environment and how the new paradigm of healthcare delivery is impacting real estate decisions,” said Conference Co-Chair Neil Carolan, senior vice president of Development for Rendina Companies.

The three-day conference program includes keynote presentations, topical general sessions and breakout sessions organized in four education tracks: Capital Markets; Compliance & Regulations; Leasing & Management; and Provider Strategies. The general sessions will examine how providers are altering their strategies to survive and thrive amidst the Affordable Care Act; the vast challenges in rural healthcare delivery; how investor-owned healthcare operators are navigating industry challenges to create shareholder value; and how innovation in healthcare facility design is improving health outcomes. Breakout session topics will include the investor marketplace, potential compliance pitfalls in healthcare real estate transactions and the new influx of non-traditional tenants in medical office buildings, to name just a few.

“Healthcare real estate continues to be one of the top performing asset classes,” commented BOMA International Chair Rich Greninger, CPM, managing director with Carr Properties. “The ongoing growth of the Medical Office Buildings and Healthcare Facilities Conference speaks to both the strength of the industry and the quality of the conference speakers and sessions. It is considered a must-attend by healthcare real estate professionals.” www.boma.org

Silver Fox expands testing knowledge-base with UV weathering tests

Silver Fox, a leading UK manufacturer of labelling solutions, has reported positive results from the most recent tests carried out on its labels – for exposure to ultra-violet (UV) weathering.

These tests – for 500 hours’ exposure to UV weathering – apply to Silver Fox’s:

Prolab® Select wrap-round labels

Original Prolab® wrap-round labels

Legend™ polyester thermal printable tie-on TSR3 ribbon

Legend™ polyester laser printable tie-on laser labels, in yellow, white, red, green, blue and orange

According to the test certificates, issued by Materials Technology Ltd, of Totton, Hampshire, after 500 hours’ exposure all the labels were perfectly legible. There was no apparent change in the Prolab® Select wrap-round labels (which are actually designed and made for internal use); no visible surface residue; no visible cracking or crazing, and no visible change in the surface gloss of the products.

The original style Prolab® wrap-round cable label remained clearly legible throughout the test but there was some discolouration. However, the label was tested to an outdoor weathering cycle, although it is intended for indoor use.

These Silver Fox labels are primarily designed for internal use; however questions are often posed about their use externally, so it was decided to have them tested by exposing them to ultra-violet weathering. Silver Fox are proud of having extensive product testing data available to their clients and are constantly adding to their testing knowledge base.

With the polyester laser printable Legend™ tie-on labels, in yellow, white, red, green, blue and orange, there was no visible change in the white tie-on labels but the non-white labels showed slight chalking, resulting in some lightening, but the print on the labels remained clearly legible.

The tests were run in accordance with ISO 4892-3 Method A cycle 1 (outdoor simulation) using UVA bulbs and approved continuous cycling parameters.

Nico Frame, Silver Fox’s Marketing Manager, explained: “Silver Fox only ever tests its finished final printed products in this way. This is in preference to, for example, separately testing each of the materials that comprise the label – because this could give an unrealistic assessment of a finished label’s ability to withstand the rigours of real world, active use.”

“Silver Fox labels are routinely used in the Energy, Power, Rail and Data & Telecoms industries worldwide,” said Silver Fox’s CEO, Nick Michaelson.

“These labels are often used in demanding conditions, so it’s important that our labels are tested thoroughly to ensure that they’ll perform well under ‘real world’ conditions. The tests also enable us to better advise customers as to which labels, even the ones for internal application, will perform well in different conditions.”

About Silver Fox Ltd

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’s 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 recognized 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 recognized in 2005 by the Queen’s Award for Enterprise – International Trade.

SECURITY - Smart Guns may be a safer solution?

By Jamie Friedlander
New technology is being seen in certain shops across the country in the form of "smart guns," or handguns that only deploy when the owner of the gun is in immediate proximity to the weapon, ensuring only the owner of the gun can use it. According to UPI, the guns only deploy when near a specially equipped watch, from a fingerprint or from another form of a biometric sensor. A good idea or not?

TIME FOR A NEW ARTICLE ON TEXTING WHILE DRIVING?

If you text and drive, you'll pay a fine. And that's if you're lucky.

DISTRACTED DRIVING using mobile communications has reached epidemic proportions.

The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a disturbing new 30-second video aimed to inspire drivers to keep their phones in their pockets while behind the wheel.

The clip features a group of young people driving, checking their cell phones and talking about a crossword puzzle. The driver's phone beeps, she looks down to check it as she drives through a stop sign. A truck plows into their car, rolling it end over end down a deserted street.

A police officer then steps into frame and says, "Nobody likes to be stopped by the police. But if I'd seen her texting while driving, it just might have saved her life."

Texting while driving is an ongoing, and deadly, problem, according to distraction.gov, a government site referenced in the video. Approximately 421,000 people were injured in automobile crashes that involved a distracted driver in 2012, a 9 percent increase over 2011.

Distractions come in many forms, the government site warns: conversing with passengers, adjusting the GPS, eating, grooming, etc.

However, because text messaging requires "visual, manual, and cognitive attention from the driver, it is by far the most alarming distraction," says distraction.gov.

A study from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute found that roughly 25 percent of teens respond to a text at least once every time they drive.

Another study referenced on distraction.gov found that the average time a driver has his or her eyes off the road while texting is five seconds. "When traveling at 55 mph, that's enough time to cover the length of a football field blindfolded."

Problems like distracted driving and speeding are being addressed in other countries as well. Earlier this year, New Zealand released a shocking PSA about when a crash ceases to be preventable. A recently released video from Japan illustrates the dangers of texting while walking.

DISTRACTED DRIVING using mobile communications has reached epidemic proportions. The scorecard of tragic results will include you, your company or someone you know before the end of the year. AWARENESS is the first step to safety.

BOMA International’s Top 7 Strategies for “Greening” Cities This Earth Day

BOMA International Releases Tips for Commercial Real Estate Professionals to Join the “Green Cities Campaign”

To view this press release online, visit the BOMA International Newsroom.

(WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 17, 2014) The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International has issued its “Top 7 Strategies” for commercial real estate professionals to help make cities green, complementing the 2014 Earth Day “Green Cities Campaign.” 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. A key part of the effort is working with local and city officials, tenants and other groups to help make entire communities more sustainable.

“Commercial real estate is an important player in sustainability efforts taking place in cities across the U.S.,” commented BOMA International Chair Rich Greninger, CPM, managing director with Carr Properties. “These tips offer property professionals effective operational strategies for reducing energy consumption in their own buildings, while also making ‘green’ a priority citywide.”

Here are the “Top 7 Strategies” to help make cities green this Earth Day, April 22, and every day:

1) Get Connected. Local utility companies often offer demand response and other energy efficiency incentive programs for both residential and commercial buildings. Reach out to local utility companies to find out what incentives and programs are offered in your city and how buildings in your city can benefit.

2) Make a Presentation. Does your building implement great energy management strategies? Contact your local chamber of commerce and offer to share your leadership insight with the business community in your city.

3) Benchmark Energy Performance. Measuring performance is the first step toward improving performance. Benchmark your building’s energy and water consumption through EPA’s ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager benchmarking tool and encourage the rest of the buildings in your company’s portfolio and throughout the city to do the same. Make it a team competition to be the city with the most benchmarked buildings.

4) Support Incentive-Based Energy Legislation. In cities and states across the country there’s terrific incentive-based energy legislation that make it more affordable for building owners and management firms to implement energy efficiency retrofits and upgrades. Find out if this type of legislation has passed in your city/state, and be sure to support it if it has. If it doesn’t exist, lobby your elected officials to create legislation to incentivize energy efficiency.

5) Host a Recycling Event. Host a community recycling day where tenants and community residents can drop off hard to recycle items such as batteries and LED light bulbs. Don’t stop at your building; make it a citywide campaign.

6) Teach Your Tenants Well. Your building management team is well versed in the latest energy management strategies. Terrific. But what about your tenants? Institute a Tenant Energy Awareness Program – use your company newsletter and/or building announcements to keep tenants informed about energy management goals and offer training, education and tips on low and no-cost energy efficiency strategies.

7) “Green” the Commute. Fewer cars equals greener cities. Get your city on the road to green by offering bicycle storage facilities in your building(s).

BOMA International is the recipient of the 2014 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award for Sustained Excellence. This is the seventh time BOMA has been recognized by the EPA with an ENERGY STAR award and it 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
The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International is a federation of 93 BOMA U.S. associations and 14 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 a vibrant commercial real estate industry through advocacy, influence and knowledge. Learn more at www.boma.org.

Transitioning to the "Hyper" Data Center of Tomorrow- Belden's Free Webinar

Join Michael Salvador, technical solutions manager, for the free webinar Transition to the Hyper Data Center: Information Anytime, Anyplace and on Any Device on April 16th at 11 a.m. EDT.

With virtually all business now accomplished via the data center, companies are forced to keep up with customer demand or risk falling behind. The desire for information any time, any place and on any device continues to drive up the demand for more bandwidth within data centers and over the Internet. At the same time, businesses are striving for lower-cost data center operations.

Michael will talk about these major trends and how data centers can effectively transition to the “hyper” data center of tomorrow while decreasing spending and maintaining flexibility.

Key webinar takeaways will include:

Understanding the need for a shift in the data center business model
Discovering how outsourced services can help meet business need
Learning how to manage operational cost via new technologies
Identifying the impact and drivers behind the latest industry trends

Effectively making the shift to the hyper data center of tomorrow

http://www.globalspec.com/events/siteRegistration?eventId=484

NOTE: Data Centers may represent 11-14% of the infrastructure market.

UK partnership targets 1G FTTH

Sky, TalkTalk, CityFibre partner for 1-Gbps FTTH in York

April 15, 2014

Lightwave Staff

UK service providers Sky and TalkTalk and fiber to the home (FTTH) infrastructure company CityFibre say they will create a new company that will deliver 1-Gbps broadband services in the City of York, as well as two other locations that they will reveal later.

The joint venture will leverage CityFibre’s existing metro fiber infrastructure in York and systems from Fujitsu (see “CityFibre, Fujitsu form UK FTTH engineering alliance”). Once FTTH extensions are in place, Sky and TalkTalk will retail competing broadband services over the fiber-optic network. The partners expect to begin connecting customers to the FTTH network in 2015.

The parties say the project will enable them to test what they describe as “a new cost-effective approach to building a viable pure fiber network, independent from BT Openreach’s infrastructure.” The companies did not provide details of the service mix or pricing.

“TalkTalk has a long history and proven track record of disrupting new markets, and this is the next step in that journey,” said Dido Harding, chief executive of TalkTalk Group. “We are excited to be working in partnership with Sky and CityFibre to build this new network that will offer significantly higher speeds at much better value than is currently available. This marks TalkTalk taking its first steps into investing in building infrastructure as part of our mission to make British homes and businesses better off.”

“Increased competition in the broadband market has brought benefits to millions of households who now enjoy better quality and value of service,” added Stephen van Rooyen, managing director of Sky’s Sales, Marketing and Brand Group. “Sky has led the growth of the sector since the launch of Sky Broadband, becoming the UK’s favorite provider of TV, broadband, and home phone, and we see plenty of opportunity to continue to develop our offering. This trial will help us understand the potential for cutting-edge technology to help us give customers an even better quality of service and we’re looking forward to working in partnership with TalkTalk and CityFibre.”

Concluded Greg Mesch, chief executive of CityFibre, "As a business that believes in the transformative potential of pure fiber infrastructure and gigabit speeds to stimulate growth and innovation, this partnership is great news for UK plc. Working with two of the largest and most forward-thinking service providers in the UK we will continue to extend our existing metro fiber infrastructure and introduce a new generation of gigabit speed services to homes and businesses.”

For more information on FTTx systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.

Want to learn more about FTTx? Attend the Lightwave Optical Innovation Summit The Lightwave Optical Innovation Summit will feature panels and presentations that will illuminate where optical innovation is required in carrier and enterprise/data center networks, what it should look like, and when it might appear. A wide range of experts from the user, technology development, academic, and analyst communities will offer their views on innovation in a variety of areas, including, FTTx. Find out more about the Summit, which will be held in Austin, TX, July 14-16, at the Lightwave Optical Innovation Summit website.

NFPA – National Fire Protection Association Press Releases

The mission of the international nonprofit NFPA, established in 1896, is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education.

The world's leading advocate of fire prevention and an authoritative source on public safety, NFPA develops, publishes, and disseminates more than 300 consensus codes and standards intended to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other risks.

NFPA membership totals more than 70,000 individuals around the world.

04/21/2014 Fire Protection Research Foundation announces new guidance document for NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code
04/11/2014 Georgia fire officers win national anthem contest for NFPA's 2014 Conference & Expo
04/07/2014 Nearly two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in properties without working smoke alarms
04/02/2014 NFPA announces 2015 Firewise calendar art/photo contest
04/02/2014 Fire Protection Research Foundation, NFPA, insurance industry, others launch campaign to curb dangerous IBC fire risk
04/01/2014 NFPA and State Farm announce winners of Wildfire Preparedness Day Project Contest
03/20/2014 NFPA's new children's videos connect fire safety with learning

http://www.nfpa.org/press-room/news-releases/2014

NECA NEWS – National Electrical Contractors Association – news releases

 National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) Statement on Decision Delaying Review of Keystone XL Pipeline

04/21/2014

NECA CEO John Grau Provides Statement on Delay of Keystone Pipeline Project Decision

Learn more

 Intel Partners with NECA and IBEW for $3B D1x Research Facility Expansion

04/21/2014

ElectricTV.net highlights NECA/IBEW Team Building "D1x" - Intel's Most Comprehensive Construction Project in the World

Learn more

 NECA/EGSA Publishes Revised NEIS 404-14 Standard for Installing Generator Sets

04/21/2014

The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) releases revised installation standard, NECA/EGSA 404-2014, Standard for Installing Generator Sets.

Learn more

 FREE Webinar Explains New OFCCP Regulations, Wednesday, April 23

04/18/2014

Learn more

 NEIS: Code Question for Thu, 17 Apr 2014

04/16/2014

Learn more

 ELECTRI International Concludes 2014 Cross Border Meeting - Havana, Cuba

04/15/2014

ELECTRI International’s 2014 Cross-Border Meeting welcomed ELECTRI Council and NECA members and their guests as they gathered in Havana. The group of 100 included contractors and guests from the US and Ecuador, plus several top officials and professionals from Havana.

Learn more

 Companies of All Sizes Benefit by Making Accident, Disability Plans Available to Employees

04/15/2014

Learn more

 NECA Introduces a Better Way to Stay Up-to-Date With Industry News and Information

04/15/2014

Developed to provide the industry with a convenient way of staying up-to-date, the NECA News App brings multiple channels of information together in one, neat - easy to consume - package.

Learn more

 NECA Shares Online Resources for 1910.269 & 1926 Subpart V Rule

04/15/2014

OSHA has revised 1910.269 and 1926 Subpart V, the 40-year-old construction standard for electric power line work, to make it more consistent with the corresponding general industry standard and is also making some revisions to the construction and general industry requirements. NECA has put together the following resource list to learn about the new rule.

Learn more

 NECA Launches 2014 Safety Professionals Conference (NSPC) Mobile Meeting App Sponsored by Graybar

04/14/2014

The 2014 NSPC app, sponsored by Graybar, is available for both mobile and tablet devices in the iTunes and Google Play stores.

Learn more

 ELECTRI Needs Your Help: Complete a Brief Industry Survey on Prefabrication

04/14/2014

ELECTRI International is looking for your participation in one of ELECTRI International’s Early Career Award research projects on current and future electrical contracting business industrialization effort (prefab, supply chain and logistics).

Learn more

 Crescent Electric Supply Sees A Good "Fit" With ELECTRI

04/14/2014

Learn more

 What’s in NFPA 70E For Me?

04/14/2014

What you don't know about NFPA 70E could have an impact on your company and people that work for you.

Learn more

 NECA Welcomes 19 New Members - Week of April 13, 2014

04/13/2014

Learn more

 New Business Development Opportunities with Salisbury for NECA Contractors

04/12/2014

On Monday, April 21, 2014, a FREE webinar will explore new business development opportunities for NECA contractors through Salisbury Assessment Solutions (SAS), a service subsidiary of Salisbury by Honeywell.

Learn more

 May is National Electrical Safety Month: NECA Helps You Celebrate

04/11/2014

NECA joins with the Electrical Safety International Foundation in promoting National Electrical Safety Month. We also encourage participation at the 6th Annual NECA Safety Professionals Conference presented by Westex (May 19-21 in Chicago).

Learn more

 Representative Ed Whitfield (R-KY) Will Talk Energy Policy at NECA 2014 National Legislative Conference

04/11/2014

NECA welcomes Representative Ed Whitfield (R-KY), Chairman of Energy and Commerce Committee, as a confirmed keynote speaker on Wednesday, May 7 at 8:45 am at the National Legislative Conference, Washington, D.C.

Learn more

 Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) On Tax Reform & Infrastructure Financing at NECA 2014 Legislative Conference

04/10/2014

NECA welcomes Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Member, Committee on Ways and Means U.S. House of Representatives, as a confirmed keynote speaker on Wednesday, May 7 at 8:15 am at the National Legislative Conference, Washington, D.C.

Learn more

 NECA's Safety Conference Brings Timely Training on Subpart V and NFPA 70E to Chicago

04/09/2014

NECA’s 2014 NECA Safety Professionals Conference presented by Westex, is a world-class health and safety training and networking event May 19-21, in Chicago, Illinois. This premier safety conference is a can't-miss event for safety and health professionals in the electrical industry.

Learn more

 Deadline Extended—Help Plan NECA 2014 Chicago Presentation Topics

04/09/2014

The deadline for submission has been extended to April 16, 2014. Be sure to get your proposals in before this exciting opportunity ends!

Learn more - See more at: http://www.necanet.org/news/news-release-archive#sthash.7uTV7gpj.dpuf

 NECA's Legislator of the Year Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) Joins NECA 2014 Legislative Conference Lineup

04/09/2014

NECA welcomes Member of Blue Dog Coalition and NECA’s Legislator of the Year, Representative Dan Lipinski (D-IL), as a confirmed keynote speaker on Thursday, May 8 at 8:30 am, at the National Legislative Conference, Washington, D.C.

Learn more

 OSHA Develops Online Tools to Assist with Subpart V Final Rule Requirements

04/09/2014

OSHA has developed a new Web page, Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution Standard regarding the new final rule. Download OSHA FAQ Sheet.

Learn more

 A/C Power Selected for MTA Intelligent Video Surveillance System Upgrades

04/08/2014

NECA member A/C Power from Baltimore, Maryland has been selected to install upgrades in a number of locations for the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA).

Learn more

 OSHA to Cover New and Revised Subpart V Rule Requirements at NECA Safety Professionals Conference

04/08/2014

NECA is pleased to announce that OSHA representatives are slated to cover latest regulatory agenda + new and revised requirements to 1910.269 Subpart V Rule at the NECA Safety Professionals Conference presented by Westex.

Learn more

 Former Congressman LaTourette (R-OH) Joins Lineup for NECA 2014 National Legislative Conference

04/07/2014

NECA welcomes former congressman Steven C. LaTourette (R-OH) as a guest speaker for the “Politics for Breakfast” session, Thursday May 8, 2014, at the National Legislative Conference, Washington D.C.

Learn more

 Former Congressman Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) Slated as Keynote on Pension Reform at NECA 2014 National Legislative Conference

04/07/2014

NECA welcomes former congressman Earl Pomeroy (D-ND), Senior Counsel, Alston & Bird LLP, as confirmed keynote speaker on Tuesday May 6 at 4:00 pm at the National Legislative Conference, Washington, D.C.

Learn more

 NECA Members + ET&D Partnership Benefit from Revised OSHA Powerline Work Standards

04/07/2014

As previously reported, OSHA is revising 1910.269 Subpart V, the 40-year-old construction standard for electric power line work, to make it more consistent with the corresponding general industry standard and is also making some revisions to the construction and general industry requirements.

Learn more

 Become an Issue Advocate at NECA's Legislative Conference

04/02/2014

Become an issue advocate and direct policy change on behalf of the electrical construction industry at the NECA 2014 Legislative Conference, May 6-8, 2014, Washington, D.C.

Learn more

 NECA Launches Online Tool for Financing Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Projects

04/02/2014

The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) launches NECA E-CAP™, Energy Conservation and Performance tool, to help member contractors capture more energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.

Learn more

 OSHA Announces Final Rule Revising Standards for Electric Power Generation + Transmission & Distribution

04/01/2014

OSHA Issuing Final Rule to Improve ET&D Workplace Safety & Health

Learn more

 ELECTRI Research Finds Engagement Critical to Student Chapter Success

04/01/2014

ELECTRI International releases Promoting Careers in the Electrical Contracting Business through Student Chapter Engagement and Research on Energy Efficient Projects (F3402) a new study commissioned to help define activities and resources critical to starting, operating, and assuring continuity of activities for NECA student chapters.

Learn more

 Latest ElectricTV Broadcast Features NECA Premier Partner Schneider Electric

03/28/2014

Schneider Electric's SquareD opens doors and gives viewers first hand look at manufacturing plant in Lexington, Kentucky.

Learn more

 NECA Launches Student Chapter of the Year Award

03/27/2014

The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) launches award program to recognize and reward outstanding NECA Student Chapters.

Learn more

 NECA Launches New Online Tool for Financing Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Projects

03/25/2014

Learn more

 NECA Launches New Online Tool for Financing Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Projects

03/25/2014

Learn more

 NECA Releases NFPA 70E Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Mobile Application

03/24/2014

The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) announces the launch of its latest mobile application, NFPA 70E® Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Selector, based on the 2012 edition of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace.

Learn more - See more at: http://www.necanet.org/news/news-release-archive/page/2#sthash.j9MFmDMj.dpuf

ALSO DON’T MISS THE NEWSLETTERS

NECA E-Newsletters NECA distributes several weekly and bi-weekly digital newsletters featuring industry news, advocacy, event and policy information updates specific to our membership. Member-company accredited representatives are automatically subscribed to these emails. To update subscription preferences, or to subscribe additional company employees, click here > Can’t handle more email?! NECA is active on major social networks, and distributes RSS feeds of association content, allowing members to use the format they prefer to receive information they need, when they want it. Visit NECA's Social Media page for complete list of social networks and links. - See more at: http://www.necanet.org/news/neca-e-newsletters#sthash.nECzKKjH.dpuf

NECA is a dynamic national organization serving the management interests of the entire electrical contracting industry.

More About NECA The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) is the voice of the $130 billion industry responsible for bringing electrical power, lighting, and communications to buildings and communities across the United States.

History NECA traces its origins to the birth of modern electricity. In 1901, a group of electrical contractors met at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, NY, where a major display of electric power had been installed. These contractors joined together to foster trade and reform abuses within their fledgling industry. Today, NECA continues their work, building on a legacy of protecting the public and making innovation possible. Members Electrical contractors perform specialized construction work related to the design, installation, and maintenance of electrical systems. Whether high-voltage power transmission or low-voltage lighting, electrical contractors ensure these systems work in a safe, effective, and environmentally-sound manner. NECA represents electrical contractors from firms of all sizes performing a range of services. While most NECA contractors qualify as small businesses, many large, multinational companies are also members of the association.

Organization NECA’s national office in Bethesda, Md., four regional offices, and 119 local chapters across the country support the electrical contracting industry through advocacy, education, research, and standards development. NECA chapters are independently chartered organizations who work with national field representatives to develop effective labor agreements and market initiatives. NECA Programs and Services NECA is dedicated to enhancing the industry through innovative research, performance standards, progressive labor relations, and workforce recruiting and training. NECA offers the most comprehensive educational opportunities of any electrical association, as well as the industry’s premiere trade show and management training.

NECA also publishes ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR magazine, the industry’s top source of information on electrical construction. Industry Expertise Benefits the Customer NECA contractors strive to be true construction partners with building owners, developers, and general contractors. A NECA contractor is the best resource for any and all electrical needs, including power supply, fiber optics, telecommunications, security systems, wireless networks, and lighting. NECA contractors set industry standards for traditional electrical systems, as well as newer integrated systems. They develop engineered solutions to meet existing and emerging customer needs. They also lead the industry in the practical application of new technologies.

NECA’s Labor Partnership Ensuring fair wages and benefits, as well as a unified skill set and training, for electrical workers serves the best interests of the industry and NECA customers. NECA’s national office, chapters, and member contractors have long practiced constructive and responsible labor relations in concert with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), the world’s oldest and largest union of electrical workers. Peaceful settlement of grievances and jurisdictional disputes are implemented at NECA’s national and local levels through cooperative forums.

Electrical Construction and the Environment NECA members have practiced environmental stewardship and conservation throughout the electrical industry’s evolution. They see the move towards sustainable construction, alternative energies, and building “green” as an important next step in the process. “Green” projects do a great job of giving back to the communities where they are located – the same communities where NECA contractors live and work. Buildings today are defined by their electrical and mechanical systems as much as by their design and materials. To the user, a building’s "environment" is shaped by lighting, climate control and communication networks. The heart and brain of a building are its internal systems. This is why NECA contractors have explored new ways to make these systems as sustainable as possible, and why NECA offers our contractors the tools and resources they need to integrate sustainable construction practices into their current operations. - See more at: http://www.necanet.org/about-us/overview/overview#sthash.uCoK9mJF.dpuf

WWW.NECANET.ORG where you can find an incredible wealth of information.

REMEMBER TO RECYCLE, REDUCE AND REUSE

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Issue: April 2014 By: Frank Bisbee

Consumer Contact:

 National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) Statement on Decision Delaying Review of Keystone XL Pipeline

 Intel Partners with NECA and IBEW for $3B D1x Research Facility Expansion

 NECA/EGSA Publishes Revised NEIS 404-14 Standard for Installing Generator Sets

 FREE Webinar Explains New OFCCP Regulations, Wednesday, April 23

 NEIS: Code Question for Thu, 17 Apr 2014

 ELECTRI International Concludes 2014 Cross Border Meeting - Havana, Cuba

 Companies of All Sizes Benefit by Making Accident, Disability Plans Available to Employees

 NECA Introduces a Better Way to Stay Up-to-Date With Industry News and Information

 NECA Shares Online Resources for 1910.269 & 1926 Subpart V Rule

 NECA Launches 2014 Safety Professionals Conference (NSPC) Mobile Meeting App Sponsored by Graybar

 ELECTRI Needs Your Help: Complete a Brief Industry Survey on Prefabrication

 Crescent Electric Supply Sees A Good "Fit" With ELECTRI

 What’s in NFPA 70E For Me?

 NECA Welcomes 19 New Members - Week of April 13, 2014

 New Business Development Opportunities with Salisbury for NECA Contractors

 May is National Electrical Safety Month: NECA Helps You Celebrate

 Representative Ed Whitfield (R-KY) Will Talk Energy Policy at NECA 2014 National Legislative Conference

 Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) On Tax Reform & Infrastructure Financing at NECA 2014 Legislative Conference

 NECA's Safety Conference Brings Timely Training on Subpart V and NFPA 70E to Chicago

 Deadline Extended—Help Plan NECA 2014 Chicago Presentation Topics

 NECA's Legislator of the Year Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) Joins NECA 2014 Legislative Conference Lineup

 OSHA Develops Online Tools to Assist with Subpart V Final Rule Requirements

 A/C Power Selected for MTA Intelligent Video Surveillance System Upgrades

 OSHA to Cover New and Revised Subpart V Rule Requirements at NECA Safety Professionals Conference

 Former Congressman LaTourette (R-OH) Joins Lineup for NECA 2014 National Legislative Conference

 Former Congressman Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) Slated as Keynote on Pension Reform at NECA 2014 National Legislative Conference

 NECA Members + ET&D Partnership Benefit from Revised OSHA Powerline Work Standards

 Become an Issue Advocate at NECA's Legislative Conference

 NECA Launches Online Tool for Financing Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Projects

 OSHA Announces Final Rule Revising Standards for Electric Power Generation + Transmission & Distribution

 ELECTRI Research Finds Engagement Critical to Student Chapter Success

 Latest ElectricTV Broadcast Features NECA Premier Partner Schneider Electric

 NECA Launches Student Chapter of the Year Award

 NECA Launches New Online Tool for Financing Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Projects

 NECA Launches New Online Tool for Financing Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Projects

 NECA Releases NFPA 70E Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Mobile Application

Issue: April 2014
By: Frank Bisbee