CREATIVITY AT WORK - Beacon Solutions Awarded $1.2 Million in New Business

Expands Scope of Services With Two Existing Clients--

LOUISVILLE, Ky., June 23, 2011 / Beacon Enterprise Solutions Group, Inc. (OTC BB: BEAC) (http://www.askbeacon.com/), an emerging global leader in the design, implementation and management of high performance Information Technology Systems (ITS) infrastructure solutions, today announced two existing Fortune 100 clients have requested new ITS infrastructure engagements with combined revenue of approximately $1.2 million.

The first new engagement, expected to deliver $900,000 in revenue, is with one of Beacon's three current Fortune 500 pharmaceutical clients. Beacon continues to win incremental ITS infrastructure engagements with this pharmaceutical company resulting from Beacon's long history and knowledge of the client's existing facilities throughout the world. Beacon is the chosen provider to implement the ITS standards established to ensure consistency of services as the client opens additional facilities. For this next engagement, Beacon will install standards-compliant fiber and backbone cabling and build-out of a telecommunications room in one facility. Beacon has also been requested to assess and document more than 30 sites in the United States, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America, which typically will lead to implementation that multiplies the original spend by 5 to 6 times.

The second new engagement is with Beacon's national grocery store chain client and is expected to add approximately $300,000 in revenue for Beacon over the next 90 days. Phase 1 of this prototype project will involve Beacon providing multiple ITS design and construction-related professional services, as well as coordination of service delivery for Phase 2. Phase 2 of the project will initially roll out to slightly less than 100 retail stores. Beacon's ITS Construction Management team will coordinate the installation of ITS equipment and infrastructure, including managing the specifications and logistics for the distribution channel partners to deliver material to the stores prior to installation. Once installation is completed in the initial stores, Beacon will provide post-installation services that will include moves, adds, and changes to the cable infrastructure, drawing updates and removal of pre-existing non-compliant cabling and connectivity. Beacon expects to be awarded additional waves of this ITS solution to additional stores within this client's more than 2,000 store chain.

"These new engagements from two of our Fortune 100 clients is strong evidence of the strength of our technology-based solutions approach and reflect how corporations see the value of our national and global ITS services," stated Jerry Bowman, President and COO of Beacon (and the incoming President of BICSI www.bicsi.org). "Both of these clients have been with Beacon for multiple years, and we continue to help them take their businesses to the next level. While our institutional knowledge of their networks and ITS infrastructures is important, they continue to reengage our team for additional ITS projects because we are solving tomorrow's global business issues with timely, predictable and relevant professional services.

"On another note, we are still aggressively trying to finalize the contract relationships with several large clients we expect to announce over the next 90-days. We are still working with several Fortune 1000 multi-national clients, large education institutions and US government-backed stimulus program projects. While the award process is not as fast as we prefer, we are getting consistent feedback from the clients that Beacon is positioned to move forward with these contracts once all of the client's internal decision-making and financial processes are complete. In today's challenging economic times, we are seeing and hearing from many directions that capital dollars continue to be released more slowly, as IT and ITS spend is impacted by the slow global economic recovery. The fact that these two clients continue to move forward with new projects is a strong endorsement of their business outlook and faith in Beacon," he continued.

Bruce Widener, Chairman and CEO of Beacon concluded, "These two new engagements represent another example of long-term clients reaching back to Beacon to implement additional ITS infrastructure solutions. Many times, we are awarded the initial project as a proof of concept in a limited number of locations. Once the solution is operational, it often evolves into multiple engagements, and ultimately a national or global rollout. This is another validation of our refined sales strategy, to focus on large clients who have the capability and business needs to deliver recurring contract awards that contribute to our continued organic growth."

About Beacon Enterprise Solutions Group, Inc.

Beacon Enterprise Solutions Group is an emerging global leader in the design, implementation and management of high performance Information Technology Systems ("ITS") infrastructure solutions. Beacon offers fully integrated, turnkey IT infrastructure solutions capable of fully servicing the largest companies in the world as they increasingly outsource to reduce costs while optimizing critical IT design and infrastructure management. Beacon is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, with a regional headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, Prague, Czech Republic and personnel located throughout the United States and Europe.

Beacon Enterprise Solutions Group is an emerging growth, high-performance provider of advanced IT solutions with a commitment to the proactive optimization of client companies’ operations. (OTC: BEAC or BB) www.askbeacon.com  

Beacon Solutions was formed by the merger of four independently successful companies in the IT and Telecom service sectors. These organizations came together to create a unique, fully integrated, single source IT/Telecom company.

Today, Beacon Solutions is a leading provider of high performance Information Technology Systems (ITS) infrastructure solutions, with emphasis on ITS assessment, design, engineering, implementation and on-going management and maintenance of the clients ITS infrastructure.

For over 30 years, our team has enabled companies in a variety of industries to dramatically reduce costs, improve product quality, and enhance overall corporate performance. We offer complete, integrated solutions to our clients that leverage best-in-class products and services to inspire confidence in a connected world.

Today more than 4,000 companies, from small businesses to Fortune 500 firms, have chosen Beacon.  Beacon's end-to-end, industry-specific solutions drive increased efficiency, build competitive advantage, and help companies become more innovative.

Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Beacon maintains regional headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio, Dublin, Ireland, Prague, Czech Republic and personnel located throughout the United States and Europe with services to clients provided globally.

www.askbeacon.com  

Fiber Optic cabling connections - HLC Technology: Why is it so valuable?

Megladon Manufacturing's  HLC (Hardened Lens Contact) technology is what sets their products apart from others on the market today. The  patented technology (ScratchGuard™) produces the only durable, high performance patch cord in the communications and cabling industry. Today's high speed fiber optic networks demand the highest quality connections to ensure reliable performance. Contamination, scratches, and poor geometry degrade network performance and cause failures during peak traffic. The cabling industry needs a reference quality connection with durable mating surfaces to improve network performance and reduce system failures. The communications customers and subscribers demand it. Megladon's HLC SCRATCHGUARD Patch Cords prevent maintenance issues and traffic failures, improve customer satisfaction and reduce costs. This unique technology has set the standard for mission critical applications for virtually all carriers and their network controllers. Recent tests confirm the HLC still delivers the best performance available.

INTRODUCTION

The basic transmission premise is the ability to transmit a signal at point A and receive the same signal at point B. The transmission capability across a fiber far exceeds that of a copper line. The use of fiber optic technology, however, is far more technical. In today’s world, the fiber optic end-user is required to possess cleaning techniques, maintenance procedures, handling and trouble-shooting skills to address interconnect issues. It can seem, at times, the technology does not work. Achieving repeatability is a nightmare. Techniques and products need to be developed to alleviate the issues that prevent the end-user’s success.

The techniques used to terminate and polish fiber optic assemblies and interconnects have changed very little over the past ten years. Automated polishers and visual inspection equipment have been introduced to aid in the repeatability of the manufacturing process. Also, interferometers and end-face geometry criteria were introduced to develop interconnect standards in the industry. These enhancements, however, have not solved many of the obstacles that are inherent with the use of fiber optic technology.

These obstacles are encountered by the end-user on a daily basis. They include end-face scratching, dust and other airborne contaminants, films and residues, and alignment issues. All of the mentioned obstacles lead to increased loss, return loss and performance degradation. At the system level, repeatability is compromised. What works today may not work tomorrow. The industry needs a durable interconnect that eases the use of fiber optic transmission.

MEGLADON’S HARDENED-LENS CONTACT (HLC^®) TERMINATION PROCESS

The method of producing the HLC (lensed fiber ends via laser action) fiber optic assembly offers many advantages, the most prominent of which are durability (long-term, repeated ease of use in real-world environments with consistent performance) and manufacturing repeatability with reduced processing sensitivity. 

The HLC assemblies produced will typically provide a combined hardness (resistance to scratch and dig) and surface roughness (typical 3 or more times) that exceeds that which can be achieved with traditional polishing processes. In our HLC process, the end of the fiber as well as the immediately surrounding epoxy and ferrule surface, go through a rapid thermally driven and controlled recrystalization process that results in several well-known and well-established benefits.  The most important of these from the practical use and durability aspects include the generation of an integral lens structure, surface passivation, and the “healing” of micro-defects residing in the volume of the materials below the surface.

BENEFITS OF USING A LENS STRUCTURE

The benefits of using a lens structure on the end of an optical waveguide such as a fiber have been well known and publicized for more than 20 years [1, 2] as illustrated below in Figure 1 from the “Designers Guide To Fiber Optics” by AMP Incorporated (1981).  While most splices and connectors in use today use strictly mechanical measures to control and connect the propagation of light from one component or waveguide to another, the lens approach is an optical approach which greatly reduces many of the alignment and loss issues that are faced with the all mechanical approach to coupling and alignment.  However, until the development of the HLC structure which automatically and routinely generates an appropriate lens that is an integral part of the fiber termination itself, most uses of the pure optical coupling (lens) procedure were rarely utilized because of the costs and complexities of implementation involved in commercial applications.  

BENEFITS OF PASSIVATION, REFLOW AND DEFECT HEALING

The benefits of passivation, reflow, and subsurface micro-defect healing via the use of a rapid thermal process such as with a laser beam are also known and now established within the micro-electronics arena [3, 4].  Likewise, laser annealing is now having a tremendous impact in both the micro-machining and high energy/micro-optics arenas as well [5].

In the HLC process, the end-face goes through a rapid melt and reflow process at the surface, which acts to “harden”, smooth and passivate (reduce dangling bonds) the surface.  Recent tests conducted by Micro Photonics Inc. with a diamond micro-tip stylus [6] have demonstrated that not only is the fiber itself harder or less prone to scratching than a fiber end using standard polishing/finishing processes, but the surrounding epoxy and ferrule surfaces were hardened as well.  These tests alone, however, do not tell the whole impact of the HLC process.

The same structures used in the scratch tests also show a surface smoothness that is typically 3-6 or more times better than assemblies manufactured using a standard UPC polishing procedure. These observations are even more striking in the surrounding regions of the end surface including the epoxy and ferrule regions. Tests have also been performed using ion etching of the surface that show a reduction of dangling oxygen atoms by more than 10x over traditional preparation and polishing procedures. 

DURABILITY

Now to the issue of durability and the enhancements offered by the HLC process.  The overwhelming issues within today’s fiber optics arena are termination and connectivity or coupling from one component to another.  Further examination reveals that contamination and cleaning issues and implementation in other than clean room environments primarily cause these issues.  

The HLC process addresses all of these issues head-on and provides an INTEGRATED single step process that works reliably and repeatedly within real-world environments.  Contaminants of any type enjoy dangling bonds and particularly those relating to the gaseous elements.  Dangling bonds are a stellar feature of groove or rough surface features and micro-features such as dislocations, contaminants, cracks, etc. within the main body of a material and will tend to migrate towards the surface over a period of time due to thermal variances [3, 4].  Therefore, something other than a slow bake-out process or standard cleaning process is required in order to provide a long term, and repeatable solution to practical implementation and usage.

SUMMARY

Megladon’s Hardened-Lens Contact (HLC) termination process provides the durable interconnect that the fiber optic industry is seeking. The method of producing HLC (lensed fiber ends via laser action) fiber optic assemblies offers many advantages over a conventional polishing/finishing process.

The process subjects the end-face to a rapid melt and reflow. The fiber as well as the surrounding ceramic ferrule and epoxy regions becomes a hard, smooth surface that resists scratching, films and residues, and the accumulation of airborne particles. The process also prevents leaching of contaminants from below the surface. These benefits provide a durable fiber optic end-face that is easy to clean and produces repeatable results in a real world environment.

Another benefit is the integrated lens that is automatically formed during the termination process. The lens is an optical approach that is well known and greatly reduces many of the alignment and loss issues that are faced by the industry today.

Megladon’s HLC process provides an end-face that meets all UPC geometry criteria and is compatible with all PC and UPC interconnects.

While the industry has continued to provide cost reductions based on more efficient manufacturing methods, the real issues have not been addressed. Fiber optic assemblies manufactured in Asia have become so inexpensive that they are considered disposable. This is not what the majority of end-users require. They want something that will work. Megladon listened to these end-users and developed a better assembly and interconnect that provides real value to its customers. 

REFERENCES

[1] Designer’s Guide To Fiber Optics, AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa., 1981.

[2] Fiber Optics, CRC Press Inc., James C. Daly, Editor, 1984.

[3] D. Crosthwait, R. Shah, G. Brown and R. Mays, Texas Instruments Inc. (SRDL), “Effects Of Pulsed Laser Irradiation On Thermal Oxides Of Silicon”, (1980); and R. Shah, R. Mays and D. Croswait, Texas Instruments Inc. (SRDL), “Characterization Of Thermal Oxides Of Laser Annealed Silicon”, (1981). Papers presented to The Materials Research Society, Boston, Mass. In 1980 and 1981.

[4] Any session of The Materials Research Society Proceedings since 1984.

[5] LaserFocusWorld, May 2002.

[6] Analytical Reports NST-020715 and NST-020802 for Megladon, Micro Ohotonics Inc., Ethel Poire, July, 2002.

12317 Technology Blvd Suite 100 Austin, TX 78727

512-491-0006 Phone 512-583-0848 Fax 800-232-4810

www.megladonmfg.com

DuPont sued over herbicide said to kill trees

Fri, Jul 15 2011

NEW YORK - DuPont was sued on Friday by a Michigan golf club that alleges its widely used Imprelis herbicide kills trees, reflecting a growing nationwide problem being investigated by a top U.S. regulator.

Imprelis, conditionally approved for sale last October by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is lethal to mature landscape trees including Norway and Colorado spruce, white pines and other evergreens, according to the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Wilmington, Delaware.

The plaintiffs include operators of the Polo Fields Golf & Country Club in Southfield, Michigan.

In the complaint, they said Imprelis has caused "the loss of thousands, if not tens of thousands, of mature pine and spruce trees," and the nationwide damage "is mounting with no end in sight."

Kate Childress, a DuPont spokeswoman, in an emailed statement said the Wilmington-based company is evaluating the lawsuit, but is confident that the case is "unfounded" and will oppose it vigorously.

She also said DuPont is investigating whether Imprelis "contributed to the observed symptoms." DuPont said it has, as a precaution, advised customers not to use Imprelis near Norway spruce and white pines.

An EPA spokesman said that agency has received reports from "numerous states" about problems with Imprelis.

He said the EPA is in the early stages of an investigation, and expects this month to begin an expedited review to decide whether changes are needed in how Imprelis is used.

The Polo Fields lawsuit alleges negligence, consumer fraud and damage to land, among other claims, and seeks class-action status on behalf of Imprelis users in Michigan and nationwide. It seeks triple damages and other remedies.

"Had DuPont tested Imprelis appropriately before distributing it to the marketplace, it would have found that these widely used trees were susceptible to being killed," said Christopher Keller, a partner at Labaton Sucharow representing the plaintiffs. "There are certainly at least tens of millions of damages from the forestry that is being killed.

"My understanding is that this is the first lawsuit, and certainly the first seeking class-action status," he added.

400 TRIALS

On its website, DuPont calls Imprelis "the most scientifically advanced turf herbicide in over 40 years," targeting broadleaf weeds such as dandelion, clover, plantains, wild violet and ground ivy.

DuPont said the product went through more than 400 trials, is intended for use only by lawn care professionals, and is approved for use in all U.S. states other than California and New York. The active ingredient is aminocyclopyrachlor.

According to the EPA approval notice, Imprelis was intended to provide "selective broadleaf weed control in cool season and certain warm season turfgrasses" on lawns, golf courses, parks cemeteries, athletic fields and sod farms.

DuPont is one of the world's biggest chemical companies, with $31.51 billion of net sales in 2010. DuPont shares were down 10 cents at $53.92 late Friday afternoon.

The case is Washtenaw Acquisition LLC et al v. E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Co, U.S. District Court, District of Delaware, No. 11-00624.

For more information on similar legal problems faced by DuPont, Google search “DuPont Benlate”.

Chemical Giant - DuPont Declares Third Quarter Dividend

WILMINGTON, Del., July 15, 2011 / Chemical Giant -  DuPont (NYSE:DD - News) declared a third quarter common stock dividend of 41 cents per share payable Sept. 12 to stockholders of record Aug. 15. This dividend is the same as what was paid in the second quarter 2011. This is the 428th consecutive quarterly dividend since the company's first dividend in the fourth quarter of 1904.

Regular quarterly dividends of $1.12-1/2 per share on the $4.50 series preferred stock and 87-1/2 cents per share on the $3.50 series preferred stock also were declared, both payable Oct. 25, 2011, to stockholders of record Oct. 7, 2011.

DuPont is one of the world's biggest chemical companies, with $31.51 billion of net sales in 2010. DuPont (www.dupont.com). Founded in 1802, DuPont is operating in more than 90 countries.

FOSE is the largest and most comprehensive government information technology event in the country

FOSE is the largest and most comprehensive government information technology event in the country. Celebrating its 35th year, FOSE has evolved along with technology to feature the newest and most exciting integrated IT products and services, as well as executive-level education on the latest IT trends. No other event delivers more than 10,000 senior-level IT decision makers from federal, state, local, and international government converging to learn, network, share experiences, and evaluate solutions from over 400 industry partners.

FOSE is a forum for bridging ideas and innovations between the public and private sector. Gain insight into upcoming federal IT initiatives at the two-day conference dedicated to meeting your mission's unique challenges. Discover the latest products and services on the expo floor -- also featuring hands-on solutions through expo theater demonstrations.

This year, the FOSE conference tracks are aligned directly with the technology marketplaces found on the show floor, delivering fast, simple access to the education, tools, technologies and strategies you need in each of the following areas:

Data Center & Network Technology

Mobile & Wireless Technology

Cybersecurity Technology

Defense Innovations

Small Business

FOSE is technology for the missions of government.

The Light Brigade to Launch Training Classes for UTC Fiber Optic Professional Certification Program during UTC TELECOM 2011

February 8, 2011 – Tukwila, WA

Professionals in the growing utility fiber optic network industry will have the opportunity to become officially certified in fiber optic network technologies through a certification offered by the Utility Telecom Council (UTC). The first UTC Fiber Optics Professional (FOP) Level 1, 2, and 3 Certification examinations will take place May 9 – 10 in Long Beach, CA prior to UTC TELECOM 2011, an annual conference managed by the Utilities Telecom Council (UTC), a global trade association representing utilities and their vendor partners on critical communication issues.

Prior to the UTC Certification exam, a preparation course will be conducted by The Light Brigade to prepare utility professionals to take the UTC certification exams. Further information on the curriculum, study materials and fees, as well as a link to register for the course, can be found on both The Light Brigade’s and the Utilities Telecom Council’s website. An option to combine registration for the Fiber Optic course and certification with attendance at UTC TELECOM 2011 is also being offered.

Following each preparatory course level, the certification examination will be made available.  To achieve the three-year UTC FOP designation, exam takers will have to demonstrate knowledge of fiber optics as indicated by a correct score of 80 percent or greater on the exam.  Names of those who pass the exam will be entered into the UTC FOP database maintained by the UTC for confirmation by prospective employers and others.

Certification is not directed at specific vendor equipment, but rather at establishing a professional competence regarding a broad base of utility fiber optic based technology.

“The Light Brigade, working in conjunction with UTC, will develop the training classes to prepare utility professionals to take and pass the new UTC Fiber Optic Professional Certification Exams,” stated Larry Johnson, Director and Founder of The Light Brigade. “Having a specific utility-based certification program will further support the communications industry by addressing the design, installation and maintenance of fiber optic networks that are unique to the utility right-of-way environment.”

The course and the certification examination will address topics such as critical building, aerial and underground fiber optic networks on distribution and transmission, as well as rights-of-ways issues. Key parameters such as network design, installation, testing, troubleshooting and operations of fiber optics networks utilizing OPGW, ADSS and Loose Tube fiber optic cables will be covered in detail.

"The rapid growth in fiber optic networks by utilities is creating a demand for professional staff that is trained in the design, installation and operations of fiber optic technology." said William R. Moroney, President and CEO of Utilities Telecom Council. "The purpose of the UTC FOP certification is to define recognized competency levels in the knowledge and skills required to design, build and operated fiber optic networks in the unique utility environment.”

“The UTC FOP certification is the first of several critical utility communications certifications that UTC will be launching,” noted Moroney.  “These certifications will be valuable professional development tools for utility telecom and IT professionals as well as essential management tools for their supervisors.”

The program is aimed at utility installers, technicians and supervisors for the UTC FOP Level 1 and for utility engineers, designers, supervisors, and management staff for the UTC FOP Level 2 and Level 3. Anyone interested in receiving an email notification on future course dates and examination procedures should visit the Utilities Telecom Council online at www.utc.org or The Light Brigade online at www.lightbrigade.com.

 The Light Brigade
The Light Brigade, a division of AFL, is the world’s leading fiber optic training company having trained over 40,000 students in its public and customized classes. The curriculum covers the entire spectrum of fiber optics from basic theory and design to maintenance and testing, through advanced topics such as FTTx, DWDM, SONET, PMD/CD, and fiber-optic video transmission. The Light Brigade also produces professional-quality educational DVDs and CDs, a self-paced computerized training module, and self-study courses. For more information on The Light Brigade’s educational programs, visit www.lightbrigade.com.

Utilities Telecom Council
The Utilities Telecom Council (UTC) is a global, full-service trade association dedicated to creating a favorable business, regulatory, and technological environment for members. Founded in 1948, UTC has evolved into a dynamic organization that represents the broad communications interests of electric, gas, and water utilities; natural gas pipelines; other critical infrastructure entities and other industry stakeholders.  Visit www.utc.org for more information on UTC and its services.

OAISYS to Exhibit as a Platinum Sponsor at ShoreTel's 2011 Annual Champion Partner Conference

TEMPE, AZ--(Marketwire - 07/14/11) - OAISYS, a leader in business call recording and contact center management solutions, announced today it will exhibit as a Platinum Sponsor at ShoreTel's Annual Champion Partner Conference in Chicago, July 19-21. OAISYS will appear in booth #2.

As an active member of the ShoreTel Innovation Network, OAISYS' Talkument® and Tracer solutions have been validated for interoperability on ShoreTel's latest unified communications (UC) system, ensuring end users' ability to benefit fully from the combined array of ShoreTel's IP communications and OAISYS' call recording, interaction management and reporting capabilities.

Working through its network of channel partners in the Americas and its subsidiary OAISYS, Ltd., in the European/Middle Eastern/African (EMEA) region, OAISYS has significantly enhanced and expanded its support of ShoreTel's dedication to "brilliantly simple" communications for businesses of all sizes and in all verticals.

During the conference, OAISYS will showcase version 7.0 of its award-winning Talkument and Tracer call recording and professional interaction management solutions.

Version 7.0 delivers key functionality for the enterprise market and feature enhancements for state and local government. Specific features incorporated into version 7.0 of the OAISYS software solutions include:

• Active Directory Integration: This feature reduces the complexity of system management, enabling OAISYS recording solutions to retrieve user account credentials and groups from Active Directory.
• Enhanced Screen Recording Flexibility: Tracer Screen Recording functionality can now be enabled using an expanded variety of triggers, such as through voice activation, integration with a predictive dialer or other third-party application.
• Quality Monitoring Enhancements: OAISYS evaluations have been enhanced to allow categorical grouping of evaluation criteria, customized effectiveness codes for total business process alignment and a more flexible user interface.

Among enhancements of specific focus to users in state and local government are:

• Automatic Location Identification (ALI): ALI is a physical address service that corresponds with a phone number. It is commonly used in public safety contact centers to identify the location from which a call originates.
• Spoken-Time Overlay: This feature reflects the real time in which a call took place and can be heard during playback of the recording. The functionality is used to synchronize other data review and for verisimilitude when calls are played back for juries and other third parties.

"We are proud and honored to count ShoreTel as one of our major global partners," said Brian Spencer, president of OAISYS. "Their dedication to innovative solutions and comprehensive communications at a reasonable total cost of ownership, coupled with their exclusive focus on the channel, matches perfectly with our own vision, and we are pleased to exhibit at this year's Conference as a Platinum Sponsor."

"OAISYS has been a member of ShoreTel's partner programs since 2007 and we've enjoyed great joint successes with customers who understand the value of a complete, best-of-breed, UC solution," said Kevin Gavin, chief marketing officer at ShoreTel. "We are looking forward to seeing the latest and greatest of their call-recording solutions demoed for ShoreTel's vast worldwide reseller and distributor network -- priming the pump for even greater successes in the future."

About Tracer:

Tracer is the industry's leading call recording solution for contact centers. Tracer also leverages OAISYS PVD technology paired with advanced contact center management features, including customizable employee performance evaluations, live and auto call monitoring, quality and resource utilization reporting and synchronized desktop video recording capabilities.

About OAISYS:

OAISYS® (www.oaisys.com) is a leading developer of call recording and contact center management solutions for a wide range of organizations, from small- to medium-sized businesses to multi-site large enterprises. The OAISYS voice documentation and interaction management solutions help companies within a variety of industries -- including healthcare, automotive dealerships, financial services, and the public sector -- attract and retain customers by digitally capturing phone-based interactions for simple retrieval, playback and management. Compatible with leading business communications system providers, OAISYS Tracer and Talkument applications help companies improve risk management, quality assurance, customer retention, dispute resolution, regulatory compliance requirements and other critical business concerns. OAISYS is headquartered in Tempe, Ariz. OAISYS Limited is located in Cambridge, England.

About ShoreTel:

ShoreTel, Inc. (NASDAQ:SHOR - News) is the provider of brilliantly simple Unified Communication (UC) solutions based on its award-winning IP business phone system. We offer organizations of all sizes integrated, voice, video, data and mobile communications on an open, distributed IP architecture that helps significantly reduce the complexity and costs typically associated with other solutions. The feature-rich ShoreTel UC system offers the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) and the highest customer satisfaction in the industry, in part because it is easy to deploy, manage, scale and use. Increasingly, companies around the world are finding a competitive edge by replacing business-as-usual with new thinking, and choosing ShoreTel to handle their integrated business communication. ShoreTel is based in Sunnyvale, California, and has regional offices in Austin, Texas, United Kingdom and Sydney, Australia. For more information, visit www.shoretel.com.

RAB Telecommunications - downloading a FREE copy of Sharpmark’s Labeling Software, providing the complete labeling solution

RAB Telecommunications will better service the demands of the telecommunications sector, data and electrical installers within Canada. Canadian customers can expect improved lead times on orders and reduced carriage costs.

Through RAB Telecom customers can purchase the full Sharpmark Labeling range as well as downloading a FREE copy of Sharpmark’s Labeling Software, providing the complete labeling solution.

Sharpmark’s range of labels have been designed to cope with the increasingly harsh environments that network cabling has to tolerate. Cable labels in particular, spend their lives on twisted cables, exposed to high temperatures or harsh cooling, depending on their specific location within a site. Sharpmarks self-laminating cable labels have been designed to withstand these harsh conditions, providing a water resistant, durable cable label.

Sharpmarks range includes labels for Data Jacks, Patch Panels, Tie-On Cable Labels as well as Cabinet and Logo labels. Sharpmark labels are supplied on American Letter and A4 sheets and printed in seconds using a standard laser printer, so there is no need for additional spending on expensive printing equipment. Simply enter the required text into the Sharpmark Labeling Software and hit print. This system allows customers to print labels in the office ready to be installed on site, reducing the time spent on site producing labels.

The Sharpmark Cable labels, supplied on US Letter sheets, are currently available in Four sizes: (SLL4LU, SLL10LU, SLL12LU & SLL24LU) for cables up to 35mm in diameter.

Network Connections Group USA, is the main distributor for Sharpmark Labels, Y Raps, Magnamole and Cable Project CAD in the USA, Canada, Mexico and South America.

Graham Barker, Leader of Network Connections Group USA, and Sharpmark Solution’s main distributor in the America’s, explains “ As a result of increased customer demand within Canada, we’ve decided the best way to service our customer needs is to bring on a distribution partner within Canada. This will allow us to improve delivery times across the region.

DISTRACTED DRIVING = Don’t Do It. (2011)

Communications and Driving Do Not Mix

by Frank Bisbee
Originally Published: October 2007

An electrical contractor can be a mobile army of thousands of vehicles, and a threat to the safety of workers is growing. In an age defined by the convenience of cell phones and other technology, we’re beginning to see some communications and driving do not mix.

You've seen those drivers on the road, phone to the ear and driving brain almost in neutral. You've done it yourself, fumbling with phone dialing, reading or sending a text message. Then there is checking e-mail.

Operating cell phones or the growing realm of electronic devices makes the road riskier for everybody. Many advocates for improved road safety are screaming. Some states, and even Washington D.C., have even started to ban cell phone use while driving.

One of my friends in Washington D.C. suggested that identifiable photos of the vehicle, driver (on the phone) and location could be sent in for a $10 bounty. The offender would receive a citation for $75 and points on their license. That might make the enforcement effective.

"You are just an accident waiting for a place to happen when you text message and drive," said Michelle Shannahan, vice president of operations at Communication Planning Corp., Jacksonville, Fla. “Any competent driving instructor will tell you the same thing. Unfortunately, the highway casualty count continues to rise, while we fail to ban texting while driving. Just watching other drivers talking on their cell phones and not paying attention to the traffic makes me angry."

A Zigby Interactive poll this summer found 83 percent thought texting while driving should be illegal. But among respondents 18 to 24, the support for a ban dropped to 48 percent. That age group also was most likely to text while driving. Sixty-six percent of them had done so, compared to 16 percent of cell phone owners overall. The nationwide poll of 2,246 adults had a margin of error of 2.1 percent.

To many in Generation Y—currently aged 18 to 24—doing those things while driving is a way of life. These drivers routinely say they welcome technological advances such as voice-activated devices but not more government regulation.

Some typical reactions to laws and enforcement to improve safety on the highway are uninformed. For example: A ban on texting while driving is a "horrible idea." it takes only a few seconds to read a text message and then shoot back a five-word response. If you don’t text in heavy traffic or bad weather you will be okay. In contrast, cell phone calls can go on for several minutes, and people also spend more time eating in cars than it takes for a text message.

The potential crackdown also has stimulated research aimed at making technology more driver-friendly. In the car of the future, a driver could keep both hands on the wheel while giving verbal commands to operate communications devices, even dictating e-mails and text messages.

"Within the next decade, your vehicle is going to be as connected to such electronic services as your home or office." said James Carlini, a well known communications consultant and technology visionary “The big question is when will the technology-makers make it safe for the road."

Automakers also are rolling out voice-recognition devices and not just for hands-free phone calls. Mercedes-Benz offers voice-activated features in its C-Class cars to select a radio station or CD track. The system also "reads out loud" text messages and translates common text-message expressions, like "LOL," which translates to laughing out loud. Ford and Lincoln Mercury will sell a similar system on select 2008 models, including the ability to pick songs from iPod or MP3 players by speaking the choice. Those features appeal to car buyers who shop for the latest in technology.

All that technology tends to give drivers a false sense of security, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Dialing a cell phone is more dangerous than talking on one, but because people spend more time talking than dialing, those conversations cause just as many crashes, the administration found in a 2006 study.

No states have banned cell phone use by all drivers, but a handful have enacted laws that state drivers can use only hands-free cell phones, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. Sixteen states have laws restricting cell phones for teenage drivers. Florida has no regulations on cell phones. Georgia bans their use by school bus drivers.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the following are some common activities of drivers and how much they increase the risk of a crash or near-crash:

• Reaching for a moving object—9 times greater

• Looking for an object—3.7 times greater

• Reading—3 times greater

• Dialing a cell phone—almost 3 times greater

• Applying makeup—3 times greater

• Talking on a phone—1.3 times greater

• Driving while drowsy—4 times greater

The AAA recommends the following tips for using your cell phone in your car or truck:

• AAA's first tip: Don't use a cellular phone while driving. But if you must, continue with this list.

• Familiarize yourself with the features of your cell phone before you get behind the wheel.

• Use the cell phone only when absolutely necessary. Limit casual conversations to times when you're not trying to safely operate a motor vehicle.

• Plan your conversation in advance, and keep it short - especially in hazardous conditions such as bad weather or heavy traffic.

• Let the person you're speaking with know you are in a vehicle.

• Do not engage in emotional conversations while trying to drive. Pull off the road to a safe spot before continuing this type of conversation.

• Do not combine distracting activities such as talking on your cell phone while driving, eating and tending to a child.

• Use message-taking functions and return calls when you are stopped at a safe location.

• Ask a passenger in the car to place the call for you and, if possible, speak in your place.

• Secure your phone in the car so that it doesn't become a projectile in a crash.

BISBEE is with Communication Planning Corp., a telecomm and datacomm design-build firm. He provides a free monthly summary of industry news on www.wireville.com .

Reprinted with permission from Electrical Contractor Magazine www.ecmag.com

DAIKIN AMERICA INCREASING CAPACITY OF FEP AND ETFE with a $60 million capital investment IN Decatur, AL

Plenum cable manufacturers and their customers can breathe a little easier as Daikin America steps up investment and production in the USA.  Daikin America, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Daikin Industries Ltd. of Osaka, Japan has announced a $60 million capital investment to expand FEP and ETFE melt-processible fluoropolymer capacity in its Decatur, Alabama facility. The expansion will be completed in October 2012 and will increase both ETFE and FEP supply by over 50%.

Worldwide demand for fluoropolymers is increasing and as the global economies continue to recover, the need for specialty, melt processible grades such as FEP and ETFE is growing sharply. “Application areas such as wire and cable, photovoltaic (PV), aerospace, and automotive are just some of the major markets where FEP and ETFE are seeing increased use”, said Donald Shaw, Director of Sales for Daikin America. “With tight supply in both product lines, we are accelerating the installation of this capacity to meet our customer’s needs. The newly installed capacity will be evenly split between FEP and ETFE”, Shaw went on to say. According to Gary Stanitis, Director of Marketing at Daikin America, “The bulk of the immediate demand growth is for Neoflon™ FEP, driven by the strength of the plenum cable market. Daikin remains strongly committed to the plenum cable market, which continues to be the single largest application for fluoropolymers in North America. Also, we are projecting demand for ETFE to accelerate over the next two years, as photovoltaic and architectural film markets continue to grow and mature.”

Daikin America Inc., one of the largest fluoropolymer suppliers in the US, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Daikin Industries Ltd. of Osaka, Japan. Daikin Industries has been in the fluorine chemistry business since 1933 and is Japan’s leading manufacturer of air conditioning and refrigeration equipment, as well as Japan’s largest producer of fluorochemical products. www.daikin-america.com

NECAs NEWS May – June - July 2011

NECA Supports Legislation Backing Use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) on Transportation Projects

07/15/2011

NECA joined fellow members of the buildingSMART alliance in supporting H.R. 2089, “Technology Helps Revamp, Evaluation and Expedite Design Act of 2011" that encourages using BIM on federal transportation projects.

more

Yates Electric Earns Safety Award for Shipyard Work

07/15/2011

more

BASS Electric Lights Up Terminal 2 at SFO for Energy Savings

07/15/2011

San Francisco commercial electrical contractor BASS Electric recently completed electrical work on energy-saving lighting and an innovative new baggage conveyor system for the brand-new Terminal 2 of SFO. The upgrade is expected to reduce electrical energy consumption by 2.9 gigawatt hours per year and natural gas consumption by 116,000 therms per year, resulting in a reduction of 1,640 tons of CO 2 emissions per year.

more

Rosendin Goes Greener With Fleet Of All-Electric Forklifts

07/15/2011

As part of its commitment to promote ecological responsibility, Rosendin Electric recently deployed a fleet of energy-efficient all-electric forklifts in its Bay Area warehouses. This move is the latest in the contractor’s efforts to “green” its operating fleet.

more

NECA Accepting Applications for New & Improved EMI

07/08/2011

The Executive Management Institute has been thoroughly reviewed, revised and rewritten. Join us, September 21-25 in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada for the 2011 EMI. Enrollment is limited to 20 participants. Download the application form and register for the 2011 EMI today!

more

Online Grounding & Bonding Course Offers CEUs, Low Cost, and Easy Access

07/06/2011

Want to be awarded .8 CEU’s to assist in license renewal? Click here to learn more about the online NECA Grounding & Bonding course.

more

ANSI Electric Vehicles Standards Panel to Cooperate on Roadmap to Support Electric Vehicle Infrastructure

07/05/2011

NECA is working with the American National Standards Institute's (ANSI) newly-formed Electric Vehicles Standards Panel to provide a uniform system of standards for electric vehicle infrastructure.

more

Now Available to Schedule: Hard Hat Productivity Course

07/05/2011

more

Updated ConsensusDOCS Reflect Industry Changes

07/03/2011

Core construction contracts available through ConsensusDOCS (a comprehensive library of 90+ documents that cover all contract document needs, incorporate best practices and fairly allocate risk) have been updated to better reflect today’s industry. NECA members are eligible for a significant discount on these documents.

more

Good News On Pension Plan Disclosures From FASB Meeting

07/03/2011

On Wednesday, June 29, 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board reconfirmed it’s prior decision that it will NOT be requiring employers participating in multiemployer defined contribution pension plans to routinely disclose estimates of their potential withdrawal liabilities in their audited financial statements. This is a significant victory for NECA members!

more

Education, Enlightenment & Entertainment at 2011 Academy Meeting

06/24/2011

The 2011 annual meeting of the Academy of Electrical Contracting focused on bolstering NECA’s Mentoring Program, featured an extremely well-received keynote address by 94-year-old former Olympic runner and WWII POW survivor Louis Zamperini (subject of the bestseller Unbroken), and saw the selection of seven outstanding contractors for induction into the Academy during NECA's Convention this fall.

more

Electrical Contractors Can Explore Renewable, Energy-Efficient Projects at New Energy Forum, Oct. 22

06/24/2011

NECA will kick off its 2011 Convention and Trade Show in San Diego with an all-new, one-day Energy Forum for the electrical construction industry on Saturday, Oct. 22.

more

New Study Endorses Better Buildings Initiative for Energy Efficiency

06/19/2011

A study released June 13, 2011, by the Real Estate Roundtable, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the U.S. Green Building Council (in which NECA is an active participant) endorses the Obama administration’s Better Buildings Intitiative which could give rise to a new energy-retrofit industry.

more

New and Improved EMI To Debut this Fall

06/17/2011

NECA's Executive Management Institute has been thoroughly reviewed, revised and rewritten to reflect the changing needs of NECA’s membership in an ever-changing industry. The debut session of the new and improved EMI will be held Sept. 21-25 at the Pillar and Post Hotel in Niagra-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. 

more

NECA 2011 San Diego Registration Now Open!

06/13/2011

Online registration for NECA’s annual convention and trade show, Oct. 22-25, in San Diego, is now open! Early savings for NECA 2011 San Diego events, pre-convention workshops, and the all-new Energy Forum and weekend packages will be available until August 29. Attendees can also make hotel reservations when they register for the meeting.

more

NJATC And Thomas & Betts Collaborate On National Training

06/12/2011

The National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee for the Electrical Industry and Thomas & Betts Corporation have agreed to develop a joint national apprentice-training program which will include scholarships, equipment donations, and the establishment of a T&B-branded Grounding & Conductivity Academy to train all new IBEW electrical-industry entrants.

more

NECA Mentoring Program Won't Work ... Without You!

06/12/2011

We are currently inviting member contractors to join the NECA Corporate Program — as mentors OR proteges. A downloadable brochure provides details.

more

White House Roundtables Present Hosting Opportunity for NECA Contractors

06/12/2011

By the end of the year, Obama administration officials will have visited at least 100 communities in all 50 states to hear from businesses across America, and they’ll bring what they hear back to Washington. NECA contractors are urged to get involved in hosting these roundtable discussions in their communities.

more

NECA Members Selected for OSHA Advisory Committee

06/10/2011

Thomas Marrero, safety manager at NECA member company Zenith Systems LLC, Seven Hills, Ohio, was selected to serve on OSHA's Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH). NECA contractor William Hering, corporate safety & health director for S.M. Electric, who will serve as The Association of Union Constructors’ (TAUC’s) representative to ACCSH.

more

FASB Tentatively Agrees To Ease Up On Multiemployer Plans

06/03/2011

Coming disclosure requirements for multiemployer pension plans might not be as onerous as first feared. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has “tentatively” decided to drop its most threatening proposal — the requirement for disclosing potential withdrawal liabilities.

more

First Annual Safety Professionals Conference Earns High Marks

06/02/2011

The first annual NECA Safety Professionals Conference, held recently in Dallas, was a success, attracting more than 90 registrants. The main theme was the importance of striving for a zero energy work environment through a shared-responsibility approach to safety.

more

Special Programs For Electrical Contractors at NTI 2011

05/28/2011

The 2011 National Training Institute at the University of Michigan, July 30-August 5, offers special programs for electrical contractors and their key personnel from both the inside AND outside branches of our industry.

more

Prefabrication Report Finds Increased Productivity for Electrical Contractors

05/25/2011

NECA contractors were asked by McGraw-Hill to participate in a study about the use of prefabricated components. Those study results were released on May 11 in McGraw-Hill’s latest SmartMarket Report, Prefabrication and Modularization: Increasing Productivity in the Construction Industry.

more

2011 NECA Women's Peer Group Summit

05/23/2011

Taking time out of the office and away from family isn’t easy for any working women, but members of NECA Women’s Peer Group made the time to attend the group’s second annual Summit in Pittsburgh, May 12.

more

NECA Endorses Bill to Fast Track Deployment of Electric Vehicles

05/22/2011

NECA applauds the introduction of the Electric Vehicle Deployment Act (HR 1685) and is working hard to promote passage of this legislation.

more

NECA Support Electric Vehicle Deployment Legislation

05/20/2011

NECA has put its full support behind H.R. 1685, the Electric Vehicle Deployment Act that would implement several incentives and programs to foster adoption of electric vehicles (EV) and EV infrastructure.

more

Future Leaders Hold 2011 Annual Conference -- Best Attendance Ever!

05/19/2011

Pittsburgh hosted NECA’s 2011 Future Leaders of the electrical contracting industry annual meeting May 12-14, at the Renaissance Hotel. The meeting was the best-attended in recent memory, attracting young, emerging electrical contractors, and industry professionals from across the country who are taking on greater responsibilities within their companies and NECA.

more

NECA Contractors Speak Out for Small Business, Construction Issues

05/18/2011

NECA held its largest Legislative Conference ever last week, with nearly 150 contractors visiting close to 500 Members of Congress to discuss repeal of the 3% withholding tax, the misclassification of workers, and prevailing wage requirements.

more

D.C.'s Electrical Alliance Bringing EV Charger Training Home

05/15/2011

 NECA's Washington D.C. Chapter has announced plans to sponsor an electrical vehicle infrastructure training course early next month for employees or staff members of state licensed and bonded electrical contractors. Participants can receive Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP) certification after completing the course and passing a written exam if they are state licensed or certified commercial/industrial electricians,master electricians, or electrical administrators.

more

JATC Recognized for Completing Maryland Energy Grant Electrical Training

05/15/2011

 The Electrical Alliance’s Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) was recently honored for completing energy and electrical training funded by the Maryland Energy Sector Partnership. The Electrical Alliance is a cooperative effort of the Washington DC Chapter, NECA  and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 26. 

more

3% Withholding Tax on Contractors Postponed For One More Year

05/14/2011

The IRS has postponed the starting date for a rule to require the government to withhold 3 percent of nearly all payments made to contractors. NECA will use the delay to continue working for the real solution — full repeal of this burdensome and unnecessary regulation.

more

Clarification: Substance Abuse Testing Is a Mandatory Subject of Bargaining

05/13/2011

A reminder to NECA members and chapter offices: You must coordinate substance-abuse testing for bargaining unit (i.e., IBEW) employees with the programs negotiated between the NECA chapter and its corresponding IBEW local unions through collective bargaining.

more

Dozens of NECA Members Attain Safety Honors

05/09/2011

This article presents the impressive list of all the winners of NECA’s Safety Excellence Awards and Zero Injury Awards based on 2010 performance. Congratulations!

more

NECA and Friends Focus on EVSE at UL Electrical Council Meeting

05/08/2011

A recent meeting of UL’s Electrical Council centered on creating a safe and accessible charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, a commitment shared by the organizations represented there. It also spurred a lot of interest in the new NECA EVSE Workshop!

more

"Beyond the Light Switch" Documentary Premiers on PBS

05/04/2011

A new PBS documentary sponsored in part by the Southeastern Michigan Chapter, NECA and IBEW Local 58, BEYOND THE LIGHT SWITCH adds a much-needed and balanced perspective to a national energy debate.  

more

Data Center Cabling for 10GBASE-T & an important message from Siemon

Siemon’s Valerie Maguire Issues Cautions on Using Category 6 or Non-

Compliant 26 AWG Cabling for Support of 10GBASE-T in the Data Center

A recent report by the industry market research firm IDC provided the record-breaking news: more than one million 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports were shipped during the 2nd quarter of 2010. A likely bet is that the majority of these switches are being deployed in the data center. As 10GBASE-T network equipment becomes increasing available, data center decision makers will want to take advantage of the cost savings, convenience, and flexibility provided by deploying 10 Gb/s technology over balanced twisted-pair copper cabling. But to actually enjoy these benefits, care must be taken in the selection of twisted-pair cabling media.

Some vendors are positioning category 6 for support of 10GBASE-T in new data centers. While it is true that category 6 cabling may provide limited support of 10GBASE-T in some environments, its usage is limited to reduced-length channels in legacy installations and is subject to additional alien crosstalk mitigation and testing requirements that may prove challenging and time-consuming.

To ensure 10GBASE-T capability, Siemon recommends Standards compliant category 6A or higher for data center environments.

This stance is supported by TIA and ISO/IEC data center Standards, which explicitly specify that the minimum grade of cabling to be deployed in the data center is category 6A. The working draft of ANSI/TIA-942-A states that category 6A is the recommended grade of horizontal and backbone cabling to install in new data centers. ISO/IEC 24764 states that main distribution cabling systems supporting

data centers shall be designed to provide a minimum of class EA (equivalent to TIA category 6A) channel performance.

The Standards message is clear: category 6 is not recommended for new 10 Gb/s data center deployments.

According to Standards, previously installed legacy category 6 channels of less than 37 meters (121 feet) in length should support the 10GBASE-T application and channels between 37 meters and 55 meters (180 feet) may or may not support the application, depending upon the alien crosstalk environment and degree of alien crosstalk mitigation. Supporting 10GBASE-T over installed legacy category 6 requires alien crosstalk field tests on every channel, which can be time-consuming and not fully conclusive.

More troubling still is the recent trend towards using non-compliant cables constructed from 26 AWG (0.4 mm) conductors over a restricted length channel topology. Cables with 26 AWG conductors do not comply with any TIA or ISO/IEC Standard for horizontal cable requirements, which mandate the use of 24 AWG (0.5 mm) or larger conductors. Any claim that these cables are category 6A, 6, or 5e compliant is a violation of the Uniform Commercial Code.

www.siemon.com

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About Siemon

Established in 1903, Siemon is an industry leader specializing in the manufacture and innovation of high quality, high-performance network cabling solutions. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, with global offices, manufacturing and service partners throughout the world, Siemon offers the most comprehensive suite of copper (unshielded and shielded twisted-pair) category 5e, category 6 (Class E), category 6A (Class EA) and category 7/7A (Class F/FA), and multimode and singlemode optical fiber cabling systems available. With over 400 patents specific to structured cabling, from patch cords to patch panels, Siemon Labs invests heavily in R&D and development of industry standards, underlining the company's long-term commitment to its customers and the industry.

JULY 2011 - The Final Launch Of NASA's Space Shuttle Program

7/8/2011 11:47 AM Space shuttle Atlantis blasted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, marking the final launch of NASA's space shuttle program.  

NASA is retiring its flagship fleet after 30 years of service. Atlantis, along with Endeavour, Discovery, Columbia and Challenger, have collectively carried humans more than a half a billion miles in orbit around the Earth, spanning 130 flights.

"Final liftoff of Atlantis. Shoulders of the space shuttle. America will continue the dream," an official from NASA's launch control announced.

The NEW POWERHOUSE - The Electrical Contractor Continues To Evolve

During the past year, Renaissance Research & Consulting (New York) concluded several in-depth market research projects (commissioned by NECA – National Electrical Contractors Association and the ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR magazine). The research was focused on the types of work and impact on design and specification by the “electrical contractor” in 2009. The findings show that the EC is far more involved with low-voltage systems than previously understood.

Virtually all ECs surveyed (over 96%) have installed and maintained low-voltage systems. The majority have handled low-voltage lighting (controls/ballasts) and automation work for commercial and residential. As of the study,62% of the ECs have designed & installed communications low-voltage cabling/connectivity. In the last 18 months, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of electrical contractors involved in low-voltage work, especially communications.

The ECs move into low-voltage market began about 40 years ago. Back then, low-voltage communications cabling was often referred to as “sissy wiring” by the titans of electrical contracting industry, but no more.

Today, the ECs are reaping billions from the previously ignored telecom/datacom market. Their market share is growing much faster than the economy. The integration of systems in the buildings is driving automation and the “smart building”. Intelligent buildings maximize productivity of the utilities and substantial savings over previous designs. The ECs, employing design/build offerings on technology across the scope of traditional power and low-voltage, are taking a bigger bite of the market than many experts predicted.

The title of “electrical contractor” has different meanings.

Depending on whom you ask, the title of “electrical contractor” has different meanings. Generally, most people say an electrical contractor installs power distribution systems and lighting fixtures in a building. If we lived in the 1930s, you would be close to accurate.

Technological advances have changed the role of the electrical contractor. Like the extended hand, the electrical contractor now installs systems for power, control, communications, security and safety. Plus, the electrical contractor is tasked with the challenge of integrating these systems to automate the structure and maximize the functionality of the combined systems.

These notes are a quick view of the migration toward the information technology methodology that has greatly expanded the role of the electrical contractor in today’s building requirements.

The EC as a communications contractor for voice, data and video

Wired for communications & wireless (low voltage)
The communications industry has challenged the electrical contractor to tackle the information technology (IT) requirements for networks supported by low voltage and fiber optic cabling. Many local area networks (LANs) have been upgraded to handle the increased transmission speeds and the exploding demand for additional bandwidth. Many experts forecast a need to upgrade the LANs to fiber optic backbones in order to meet future speeds and volume of traffic. While the high voltage distribution systems remain relatively stable, the low voltage picture is showing strong signs that we may see a rewiring America in the next decade. Moore’s Law supports this projection.

Moore’s Law is a computing term that originated around 1970; the simplified version of this law states that processor speeds or overall processing power for computers will double every two years. A quick check among technicians among several computer companies shows that the term is not very popular, but the rule is still accepted. To break down the law even further, it specifically states that the number of transistors on an affordable central processing unit (CPU) would double every two years.

If you were to look at processor speeds from the 1970s to 2009 and then again in 2010, you may think the law has reached its limit or is nearing the limit. In the 1970s processor speeds ranged from 740 kilohertz (kHz) to 8 megahertz (MHz). From 2000–2009, there has not really been much of a speed difference as the speeds range from 1.3 gigahertz (GHz) to 2.8 GHz, which suggests the speeds have doubled within a 10-year span, not the 2-year span Moore’s Law suggests. However, we are looking at the speeds and not the number of transistors.

In 2000, the number of transistors in the CPU numbered 37.5 million, while in 2009 the number went up to an outstanding 904 million. This is why it is more accurate to apply the law to transistors than to speed.

With all this talk of transistors, the average technician or computer user may not understand what the figures mean. A simpler way to explain is that the earlier CPUs on the market had a single speed or frequency rating while the newer models have a rating that refers to more than one CPU.

If you’ve purchased a computer recently, you might have an idea of what this means as salespersons may have sold you on the wonders of multicore CPUs. In the above example, the speeds over a large number of years went between 1.3 and 2.8, which is barely double, but it’s relevant to note that the 2.8 GHz processor is a quad core, while the 1.3 GHz processor is a single core. This means the actual power of the 2.8 GHz processor would be found if you multiply by four, which gives you a whopping 11.2 GHz.

Due to the rapid growth rate of technology in the past few years, most computer technicians you speak with—whether they have heard of Moore’s Law or no—will tell you that CPU speeds double each year. Though Moore’s Law had said every two years, this rapid increase in technological production has lessened the period in the minds of technicians and users alike.

The electrical contractor makes it smarter

Smart building systems
There are so many names for the science of automating buildings. "Environmental control" may best describe what the electrical contractor is doing. When electrical contractors are installing systems for controlling building temperature; heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment; lighting; life safety/fire; security; etc., they are controlling their customers’ environment. Now, electrical contractors are in the environmental control industry. Since, historically, the industry has segmented itself, we will keep the individual headings for now, but one of the goals of electrical contractors is to have all players at least acknowledge that they are in the same industry.
• Environmental control—includes all traditional building controls
• Lighting control—the integration of automatic lighting control for buildings
• Sensors, actuators and end devices—including adjustable speed drives, chillers, complete packaged air conditioning
• Fire and life safety—integration with the integrated building systems (IBS) or smart buildings.
• Security—integration for the tenants of the IBS
• Elevators—integration for the tenants of the IBS

The electrical contractors (a.k.a., control contractors) of the world bring life to all automation designs and new control concepts. The automation industry is only as good as our electrical contractors. Never before has the need to be informed and to have quick access to organized industry information been so critical. The electrical contractor to the rescue again.

The electrical contractor as security contractor for access control and video surveillance

With the growing need for improved security and the simultaneous shrinking of budgets, many building owners are turning to the electrical contractor for upgrades to their security systems. While video surveillance does not replace a live security force, it permits around-the-clock coverage over a much larger area. Many businesses report that the video surveillance system is a strong deterrent to crime and employee theft in their facilities. Specialty security contractors once dominated this area of services. However, as systems began to integrate, the electrical contractor became the preferred contractor. Security and safety are too important to ignore.

The electrical contractor as disaster recovery contractor for power, control, communications, security and safety

The national weather service just released its forecast for the 2011 hurricane season. The concept of dealing with a disaster and recovery is at the top of the list for the astute planner. The earthquake and tsunami in Japan as well as the recent outbreak of deadly tornados are fresh in our minds as we think what we would do. Many planners have already contacted their preferred electrical contractor with a request to survey their facilities and develop an emergency plan. A business without power or communications is not an option.

Clearly, the growing role of the electrical contractor remains strong in a weak economy. The electrical contractor wears many hats as it serves our needs for today and into the future. If you are trying to guide your children to a strong and successful future, you can’t go wrong with the new world of electrical contracting.

Many of the major manufacturers of low-voltage technology and products (including security) continue to lack marketing support for and focus on the electrical contractor. It is like they haven’t figured out what, where, and how electrical contractors buy their products. Check the advertising in electrical trade publications, and you will see that many manufacturers still don’t get it.

But that’s just my opinion,

Frank Bisbee - Editor

"HOTS - Heard On The Street" Monthly Column

www.wireville.com

First phase of Prysmian/Draka integration completed

July 13, 2011

Prysmian, a provider of energy and telecom cables, is unveiling a new mission, strategy, and organizational structure, following its acquisition and integration of Draka.

The Group intends to promote both the Prysmian and the Draka commercial brands under the new Prysmian Group corporate umbrella. 

“We have put together the best of the two companies, with the goal of designing an organization that is lean, efficient, and fast in managing change and promoting innovation while being able to stay close to customers and markets,” says CEO Valerio Battista.“Now we have the right people in place and the ideal conditions for achieving the annual earnings target of between €530 and €580 million in ADJ Ebitda. This will also allow us to start reducing the level of debt, which has risen due to the acquisition.”
 
The new Group's matrix structure organization revolves around two business units: energy cables and systems and telecom cables and systems. Most of the product lines will be managed by both geography and business, from building wires and underground power transmission and distribution, to fiber-optic and copper telecom cables and special cables for industrial applications in the renewable energy and oil & gas industries. The globalized product lines (submarine cables, optical fiber and telecom components, cables for the automotive, transport, and aerospace industries, flexible pipes and umbilicals for the oil & gas industry, and special cables for elevators) will be managed cross-nationally by business.
 
The launch of the new structure ratifies the birth of the new Prysmian Group, with €7 billion in turnover (pro-forma 2010) and a presence in 50 countries with 98 plants and 22,000 employees, says a spokesperson.
 
The company’s mission is to support the sustainable supply of energy and information as drivers in the development of communities, providing customers with superior cable systems based on state-of-the-art technology.

The Group will retain and promote both the Prysmian and Draka commercial brands, as well as create the new Prysmian Group corporate brand.

Effective Fiber Troubleshooting Methods

By Seymour Goldstein, David Schell

OVERVIEW 

As more OM3 and OM4 multimode fiber is installed in enterprise networks to support 10, 40, and 100 gigabit traffic, fiber infrastructure reliability has never been more critical.  Preventing network downtime, or facilitating its recovery, is essential for all enterprise technicians.  It is no longer acceptable for the technician to spend costly time troubleshooting using a trial and error process before elevating the issue to another technician with OTDR experience.  Every technician needs to have tools “on their belt” capable of pinpointing the problem within seconds.

Likewise, the installation technician is deploying more factory terminated pigtails and trunks.  These installations commonly involve plug-and-play products with 12-fiber Multifiber Push-on (MPO) or Multifiber Termination Push-on (MTP) connectors.  FTM Consulting projects that the market for these types of installations will grow at nearly 17% annually through the year 2015 [i].  These plug-and-play installations future-proof the infrastructure but can complicate the troubleshooting process if it fails the certification tests.  Once again, costly time spent guessing at the problem must be eliminated and replaced with the ability to identify the problem with certainty and efficiency.

TROUBLESHOOTING NEEDS

The most common problem occurring with a multimode fiber link is high loss.  This may manifest itself in many ways including dropped link connection, high retransmission rate, slow network performance, failed loss certification test, etc.  A power meter and light source, commonly used for certification testing, may help confirm high loss on a link but it cannot identify the location of the high loss.  A “dumb” test tool, such as the Visual Fault Locator (VFL), requires continuous visual contact with the cable to identify the location of a fiber break, but cannot identify loss locations. 

The only product on the market today that can efficiently identify the location of breaks and high loss incidents (i.e., connector) in both uncovered and covered cabling is an Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR).  But given their complicated settings and advanced analytical capabilities, OTDRs are frequently the tool of choice for the certification and documentation of “as-built” installations and not for front line or initial troubleshooting.  Unfortunately, the expense of OTDRs usually means that only one is available and very few technicians actually know how to use it.  The set up time and re-learning curve of the OTDR usually drives the technician to try other methods before pulling out the OTDR or elevating the problem to another technician with OTDR experience.  Additionally, it is typically unavailable when needed.  Its size and cost usually relegates it to an out-of-the-way shelf or storage at a central office. 

TRIAL AND ERROR TROUBLESHOOTING:  POWER METER

Typical troubleshooting methods tend to fall into the trial and error category.  The steps a technician may take to find and fix a high loss problem tend to be the following:

1.       Identify the link that is down and go to one end of that link.

2.       Disconnect the active equipment’s patch cord at the patch panel.

3.       Attach a light source to the port at the patch panel.

4.       Go to the next connector in the link and disconnect it.

5.       Measure the optical power at this point.

6.       If the loss is high, then the segment under test is at fault.  If the loss is not high, reconnect the connector.

7.       Go to the next connector in the link and disconnect it.

8.       Measure the optical power at this point,repeating with subsequent connections and tests until the high loss link segment is found

9.       Clean and inspect the near-end connector’s end-face for contaminants.

10.   Reconnect the near-end connector and go the far-end connector.

11.   Clean and inspect the end-face for contaminants.

12.   Reconnect the connector and re-measure the optical power

13.   If high loss is still a problem, use an OTDR to identify the exact location of the problem.

a.       Re-termination is sometimes used as a troubleshooting method.  However, the fault location is not known so this is just a guess – one that gets expensive quickly – about which connector to re-terminate.

Note that once the high loss segment is found, the exact fault location is still unknown.  The technician must guess if the fault is at the near or far-end connector, at a tight bend in the fiber, or some other fault.  The above troubleshooting process merely reduces the amount of guesses required to identify the fault.  Ultimately, the number of connections, lengths of the links, and overall distance between the two end points of the channel are all variables that often result in hours of troubleshooting.

In those instances where a technician is performing certification testing on a single segment at a time, very little time is necessary to isolate a problematic segment.  But even in these cases, the technician must still guess at which end the fault is located.  The guesswork is compounded when installing plug-and-play products because the problem could be at the front or rear connector of each fiber cassette module.

TRIAL AND ERROR TROUBLESHOOTING:  VFL

Another common failure in multimode fiber links is a break.  Within an enterprise environment the break could occur anywhere within the floors, walls, ceilings, etc.  In a multimode campus environment the break could occur anywhere within many thousands of feet of cable.  It is common to search for breaks using a VFL.  While these instruments can pinpoint the exact location of a break, they are not very useful in determining where to start looking, as the following typical VFL troubleshooting process illustrates.

1.       Identify the link that is down and go to one end of that link.

2.       Disconnect the active equipment’s patch cord at the patch panel.

3.       Attach a VFL to the port at the patch panel to shine visible light down the fiber.

4.       Turn off the room lights if feasible.

5.       Open the near-end patch panel and look for the VFL light escaping from the break.  If the break is not found, then go to next step.

6.       Walk along the fiber path looking for the VFL light.

7.       Periodically pinch the fiber along the path to see if the VFL light is getting that far.  If the light is not getting that far, then the break has been passed.

8.       Open the patch panel at the far-end and look for the VFL light escaping from the break.

9.       Repeat the process again or use an OTDR to identify the location of the break.

Another reliability issue that Fluke Networks frequently receives questions about is the impact of connector reflectance, often caused by improperly (factory or installer) terminated connectors or contamination.  High connector reflectance can translate into high bit error rates.  The laser used in the active network equipment (switches/routers) may become noisy if its light is reflected back into it, ultimately resulting in errors or lost packets.  Measuring reflectance cannot be done with VFLs or power meters; until recently, the only way to locate a connector with a high reflectance has been with an OTDR.

THE SOLUTION:  FIBER TROUBLESHOOTER

The previous discussion of troubleshooting techniques illustrates the wasted time and effort associated with troubleshooting without an OTDR.  However, making an OTDR available to every technician at all times is simply not feasible due to its learning curve and primary function and value as an extended certification instrument.  Therefore, another solution is required.  The solution must be a tester that is as effective as it is easy to use, small enough to keep on hand at all times, fast, accurate, and only requires one technician to handle.

OPTICAL FAULT FINDERS VS. FIBER TROUBLESHOOTERS

One class of tools that meets some of these requirements is an instrument known as the optical fault finder oroptical fault locator. While simple to use, these tools have not seen widespread acceptance as troubleshooters because their capabilities were usually limited to finding a single break in the fiber.  They could not find high loss incidents, connectors with high reflectance, or multiple faults, all of which are also common causes of fiber failures; in short, they were not capable of what technicians needed to troubleshoot effectively.

In an effort to satisfy the needs of technicians tasked with troubleshooting fiber networks, Fluke Networks started research into technologies that retained the troubleshooting effectiveness and capabilities of certification OTDRs yet could be understood and operated as easily as optical fault finders.  The result is a new class of tester that is low cost, easy to use, small, rugged, fast (6-seconds) and accurate.  Fluke Networks’ Fiber QuickMap™ is an example of a new generation of Fiber Troubleshooters that leapfrogs the limited capabilities of optical fault locators, and is a tool that every technician should have on their tool belt.  Instead of displaying confusing data and traces to decipher, new troubleshooters such as the Fiber QuickMapsimply show the distances to any potential sources of fiber failure or distances to any potential sources of high error rates.

New Fiber Troubleshooters such as the Fiber QuickMap not only find breaks in the fiber but also locate high loss incidents.  Since high loss is the most common failure mode of multimode fiber, a “troubleshooting tool” without this feature is ineffective.  Fiber QuickMap does not provide loss measurements but does have an adjustable threshold for loss so that any incident with a loss higher than the threshold will trigger a warning on the display for that incident.

As previously mentioned, connector reflectance are becoming more important in today’s high speed networks.  Early fault finders did not bother with identifying and measuring reflectance. As a result, the reflectance, which cause echoes, only confused early fault finders and made them unreliable.  Effective Fiber Troubleshooters such as the FiberQuickMap™ are designed specifically for multimode installations to identify and measure all reflectance within the link under test.  A numeric readout of the reflectance value is provided and an adjustable threshold is available to produce a warning on the display, for that incident, if it exceeds the threshold.

Multimode infrastructures often have many connectors within a single channel.  Therefore, an effective troubleshooting tool must be able to measure many incidents.  Unlike early fault finders, new Fiber Troubleshooters such as the Fiber QuickMap can measure up to 9 “incidents”.  These incidents may be loss incidents, reflective incidents, or both. 

EFFECTIVE TROUBLESHOOTING

If we now revisit the typical troubleshooting procedures discussed earlier, it becomes very easy to see how the features of this new category of Fiber Troubleshooters make any and every technician more efficient.  With Fiber Troubleshooters such as the Fiber QuickMap, the technician only needs to follow the steps below by plugging the tester into one end of the channel and testing – no need to learn different trial and error methods based on whether you are troubleshooting with a power meter or VFL.

1.       Identify the link that is down and go to one end of that link.

2.       Disconnect the active equipment’s patch cord at the patch panel.

3.       Attach FiberQuickMap™ to the port at the patch panel (figure 2 and 3).

4.       Press “TEST”

5.       Go to the fault and fix.

6.       If high loss is still a problem, use an OTDR to dig deeper.

Fiber Troubleshooters replace the common practice of blind trial-and-error troubleshooting by instantly identifying which connector is faulty so that it can be fixed.

The ability to find multiple loss and reflectance incidents also enable the “mapping” of the channel.  Mapping the channel allows the technician to quickly confirmconnectivity or installation quality by verifying all the links and connections in the channel.

Unlike OTDRs, Fiber Troubleshooters specialize in troubleshooting, not certification.  As a result, it is not necessary for them to test a broad spectrum of wavelengths.  Because all high speed applications in the enterprise are specified at 850 nm on multimode fiber, it is not uncommon for Fiber Troubleshooters such as the Fiber QuickMap to only test at 850nm.

ADDED BENEFIT OF ISO 11801 COMPLIANCE

Due to the increasing speeds at which fiber networks now run, reflectance measurements have become more important than ever before. The irony of this trend is that fiber connector end-face integrity is perhaps one of the biggest problems facing installers and test equipment suppliers. High reflections at connectors can cause bit errors.  This is another area where a Fiber Troubleshooter is more effective than a fault finder.

In recent years, the fiber optic experts attending Standards meetings have included reflectance measurement requirements in multimode cable plant installation documents, most notably ISO/IEC 11801. In the past, only singlemode reflectance was a concern. With the emergence of high-speed multi-gigabit networks, the problem facing singlemode networks is now an issue with multimode fiber networks. Within the cabling installation and testing Standards, return loss is defined for a single event which by definition is called reflectance. While traditional, continuous wave, optical return loss meters can measure the reflectance of a connector at the end of a very short test cord, they do not have the resolution to measure connectors along a network.

As a Fiber Troubleshooter, the FiberQuickMap™ Multimode Troubleshooter has the ability to not only identifying connector locations but also measure their reflectance.  As a result this tester can be used to check compliance with ISO/IEC 11801 as a compliment to certification testing with an optical loss test set.

CONCLUSION

Fiber Troubleshooters are a new class of fiber tools that retain the troubleshooting effectiveness of OTDRs but are as easy to use as basic instruments such as VFLs and optical fault finders.  While a troubleshooter such as the FiberQuickMap™ shares some of the diagnostics capabilities of an OTDR, it is far from a substitute.  Rather, it compliments an OTDR by enabling field technicians the capability to quickly and effectively troubleshoot multimode fiber infrastructures, freeing up the OTDR to be employed in its primary function as a certification and documentation instrument. 

Reprinted with permission from PennWell Publications – Cabling Installation & Maintenance Magazine

[i]http://www.cablinginstall.com/index/display/article-display/3236737558/articles/cabling-installation-maintenance/news/connectivity-technologies/fiber-optic-connectors/2010/november/Plug-and-play-fiber-optic-connector-market-growing-rapidly.html

New Fiber Optic System Design Training DVD

TUKWILA, WASHINGTON — The Light Brigade is pleased to announce its newest menu-based DVD, titled Fiber Optic System Design. This DVD demonstrates how to design a fiber optic transmission system that will suit your requirements now and for years to come. The content focuses on issues that are critical when designing local, metropolitan, and wide area networks, including physical layout, component integration, and calculating loss budgets.

The DVD’s individual chapters discuss a myriad of design processes from simple point-to-point networks to the more advanced DWDM, ROADM, and FTTH/FTTB systems. Special focus is given to the factors that can degrade signal quality, including attenuation, dispersion (for single-mode fibers), and bandwidth (for multimode fibers). New technologies for 100 Gb/s systems are discussed, and challenges and examples are provided for various applications. The chapters include:

·         The design process.

·        Transmission systems.

·        Multimode bandwidth.

·        Multimode loss budgets.

·        Single-mode dispersion.

·        Single-mode loss budgets.

·        WDM systems.

·        ROADMs.

·        FTTH.

·        System integration.

Bonus materials provided on the DVD include a student quiz, with matching instructor version, written in Microsoft Word format to allow for customization for your specific needs.

About The Light Brigade
The Light Brigade, Inc. is the world’s leading fiber optic training company and has trained over 41,000 students in its public and customized classes. The company provides fiber optic training courses, DVDs, a computer-based training module, and fiber-optic certifications.  www.lightbrigade.com

AFL Launches Rugged, Easy-to-Use Variable Optical Attenuator

SPARTANBURG, SC – June 21, 2011
AFL is launching the new NOYES® VOA6-SM Variable Optical Attenuator. Designed for telecom and broadband link activation tasks, the VOA6-SM allows the user to "dial in" attenuation values for the purpose of confirming optical link budgets and operating margins or for determining the optical padding value required to match power levels.

Unlike other VOAs in its price range, the 45 dB Optical Return Loss of the VOA6‑SM makes it the best choice for use with DFB-based transmitters and other devices that can be damaged or degraded by higher levels of reflected power. The VOA6‑SM is calibrated at 1310, 1490, 1550 and 1625 nm, making it ideal for FTTx and other single-mode fiber applications.

"The VOA6-SM was developed to give our customers an alternative to complex and costly laboratory-grade Variable Optical Attenuators," said George Rose, general manager of AFL's Test and Inspection Division. "Its simplicity minimizes training and speeds deployment while its thumbwheel attenuation control allows precise, one-hand operation. We are delighted with the response we have received thus far from our customers."

Ideal for field tasks, the handheld VOA6-SM operates on an internal Li-ion battery and includes a 10-minute auto shutdown, a 60-second backlight power down feature and retains its attenuation setting even while turned off. This permits it to be temporarily installed in a network node should a fixed attenuator be unavailable. The VOA6‑SM comes with FC connectors, an AC adapter, a battery charger and carry case.

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

Founded in 1984, AFL is proud to offer engineering expertise, exceptional products and reliable service that help our customers improve their critical and electrical infrastructure. AFL has operations in the U.S., Mexico, Europe and Asia. 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