HOTS : May 2010

Bits N' Pieces

Bisbee’s Buzz

WARNING = Dangerous Chemicals are likely to release toxic plumes from the products and their manufacturers plants

Chemical plant security and safety regulations

Chemical plant security and safety regulations are the topic of discussion again in the Beltway. There's a new round of discussions on Capital Hill about the concept of "inherently safer" chemical technologies -- a business practice of swapping out plants' most dangerous chemicals for ones that are more stable. Last fall, legislation passed the House that would require manufacturers to convert to safer chemicals (away from chemicals like fluorine & chlorine). The problem is that, while such moves would make plants less likely to release toxic plumes in the case of a terrorist attack or a plant accident, the switch is opposed by chemical manufacturers, who say that such process changes could seriously impact their profitability and overall operations. The American Chemistry Council (ACC) has advocated for voluntary efforts in this area rather than legislated requirements to do the same, and the council noted that the 140 ACC member companies have already spent over $8 billion since 2001 making security enhancements at their facilities. In addition to the "inherently safer" movement from environmental organizations and from Congress, the chemical industry has been subjected to CFATS (chemical facility anti-terrorism standards) efforts to perform risk assessments and security enhancements in recent years.

TOXIC PRODUCTS

Unfortunately none of the cables that are “approved” for installation in the air systems of commercial buildings in the USA are ever tested for toxicity. This glaring loophole in the National Electrical Code (NEC 2008) developed by the NFPA National Fire Protection Association still allows the use of cables made of chemicals that can even outgas chemical warfare materials when exposed to heat. http://tuberose.com/Teflon.html

NEW SAFE CABLES ON THE MARKET

Cover story "A new breed of Halogen-Free cables" from CI&M Cabling Installation & Maintenance Magazine February 2010 issue

General Cable introduces halogen-free riser-rated cable

For several years the structured cabling industry as a whole has been on the outside looking in on the activities of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC; www.usgbc.org). To wit, many in the industry have sought an answer to the question, what characteristics of a structured cabling system’s design, installation, or maintenance can affect a facility’s ability to earn points toward the USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) designation? Industry educational association BICSI (www.bicsi.org) invited a high-ranking USGBC official to speak at its conference, and behind the scenes developed a working relationship with the USGBC, in efforts to gain the organization’s recognition of cabling systems as important elements of a facility’s sustainability.

In November 2009, the USGBC issued what it calls LEED Pilot Credit 2. Organizations that want to earn the LEED designation must accumulate enough credits to qualify. The USGBC uses pilot credits to test and refine its credits. The pilot credit issued in November is the first from the USGBC to mention a building’s wiring and cable jacketing; it specifically mentions electrical cable and wire jacketing. Its official name is Pilot Credit 2: PBT Source Reduction: Dioxins and Halogenated Organic Compounds. “PBT” stands for persistent bioaccumulative toxic chemicals. The credit’s stated intent is to reduce the release of PBTs associated with the life cycle of building materials.

In order to gain the credit, a facility must use materials without added halogenated organic compounds for at least 75 percent, by cost, of the materials total in a minimum of three out of four groups. In addition to building-installed electrical cable and wire jacketing, the other groups are: exterior components, interior finishes; and piping, conduit, and electrical boxes.

Materials at issue

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) are two of the halogenated organic compounds covered in the credit. Both are used in high quantities to manufacture communications cables; in the case of plenum cable FEP is used and PVC is used in cables of all ratings (e.g. plenum, riser, general). As such, the communications cables typically used in buildings today will not help a building owner gain this new pilot credit.

Shortly after this pilot credit was issued, General Cable introduced a set of halogen-free riser-rated cables. The company is calling its new Category 5e and Category 6 riser cables 17 Free, a trademarked term referring to the fact that halogens fall into Group 17 of the Periodic Table of Elements. The cables do not contain any chlorine, fluorine, bromine, or iodine.

“General Cable is committed to achieving industry-leading standards and responding proactively to environmental issues,” said Bob Kenny, vice president and general manager for communications cables with General Cable. “As part of this commitment, we continue to find innovative ways to exceed the requirements of our customers. Our 17 Free product line is a great example of turning end-user feedback into reality.”

Years of development

The close timing of this announcement with the LEED pilot credit is not coincidental because, as Kenny explained in an interview with Cabling Installation & Maintenance, General had been working on a halogen-free cable “for several years. I believed the first company to get halogens out of cable would win in terms of USGBC and LEED credit.

“Our first inclination was to apply with USGBC for an innovation credit,” he explained. USGBC describes an innovation credit as follows. “Innovation in Design credits for innovative performance are awarded for comprehensive strategies which demonstrate quantifiable environmental benefits not specifically addressed by current LEED Rating Systems.” With building cabling going unmentioned in any LEED credit system before Pilot Credit 2 was issued, Kenny saw the innovation credit as an opportunity to capitalize on the 17 Free cables’ halogen-free construction. “They came out with the pilot credit before we approached them for the innovation credit,” he stated.

In addition to specifically mentioning PVC and FEP, the LEED pilot credit states that it covers all plastics containing chlorine or fluorine; as well as all brominated or halogenated flame retardants containing bromine, chlorine, or fluorine.

“The vast majority of cables have PVC in them,” Kenny said. “A large amount have FEP in them, and a large amount have bromine,” he added, underscoring the idea that most cables installed in the United States today are covered by the pilot credit—meaning they are materials whose use the credit aims to reduce.

Kenny explained that the years in which General’s new cables were under development allowed opportunities for he and other members of the company to conduct field research that could maximize how worthwhile their efforts would be. He recalled, “For the past year I have been asking consultants what they would consider to be ‘green.’ The resounding feedback was twofold: one, there must be a LEED credit associated with it; and two, it has to be economically viable. ‘Don’t come to me with a green cable that costs three times as much,’ they said.”

Physical and electrical characteristics

In addition to economic feasibility, another key objective was to create a cable with physical and handling characteristics users will accept. “Our goal was not to make a European-style low-smoke, zero-halogen cable with a stiff jacket,” said Kenny. “Developing a cable that looks and installs like PVC was probably the most difficult thing to overcome.”

He said that General’s in-house compound-manufacturing capability helped the development process. “We were not at the mercy of suppliers to innovate new compounds. Our in-house-developed compounds were specially designed for this task. The compounds we’re using have been in use for many years. We’ve altered some of their characteristics, but the materials science has existed for years.”

He added that gaining the riser rating with a halogen-free cable construction proved to be a challenging but not unachievable task. Achieving Category 5e and 6 performance was a different story. “Because it’s polyolefin-based, the electricals are excellent,” Kenny said. “The electrical performance was the easiest part of the project.”

As riser-rated cables, the 17 Free products can be used in portions of buildings that are not air-handling (plenum) spaces, although Kenny pointed out, “In some jurisdictions, like Chicago, conduit must be used in plenum spaces. Riser cable can go in those conduits. Data centers also use riser-rated cable.”

A data center may be a particularly appropriate environment for halogen-free cables if the facility has ambitions to gain LEED certification from the USGBC. Kenny was careful not to be misleading about the benefits of using 17 Free cables. “We’re not saying that if you buy this cable you’re going to get a LEED credit,” he said. “We have a material that fits one of the LEED credit categories. We’re providing a product that fits the bill.”

Plenum considerations

Given that General Cable put substantial effort into achieving a riser rating for these halogen-free cables, the idea of a plenum-rated halogen-free cable is a challenging one. The prospect of such an undertaking “is going to be controversial,” Kenny predicted. “Can it be pulled off for plenum cable? That’s going to be the big question mark—is it practical or realistic? We took a step that I think is going to create a tremendous amount of discussion.”

While the cabling industry might just be getting started with the idea of halogen-free riser- or plenum-rated cables, General Cable states it is not finished developing new cable technologies. When announcing the 17 Free products, the company’s director of technical services Scott Brown said, “I believe this proactive initiative reflects our stewardship to produce more environmentally sustainable products without compromising our high standards of safety and performance. And we are working to develop other sustainable 17 Free cable options, including riser-rated premise fiber cables.”

Reprinted with permission from PennWell’s Cabling Installation & Maintenance magazine cover story "A new breed of Halogen-Free cables" from CI&M Cabling Installation & Maintenance Magazine February 2010 issue

Additional impact areas:

TURNING GREEN INTO GOLD…

First - LEEDS credits in the private sector
Second – Federal GSA approved EPP (Environmentally Preferred Purchasing)

Note: communication cable in the federal budget is estimated at approximately $14 billion per annum

EPP – Environmentally Preferable Purchasing* - “Green Procurement”

Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) is a federal-wide program that encourages and assists Executive agencies in the purchasing of environmentally preferable products and services. These products have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products that serve the same purpose. These LISTED products minimize environmental and safety risks and liabilities. [*1998 Presidential Executive Order 13101]

The EPP program affects all purchasing resulting from direct federal funds. EPP will have an impact on more than $440 billion of federal spending per year. GSA (General Services Administration) spends more than $200 billion annually on goods and services plus an additional $240 billion a year, indirectly, through grant disbursements. The portion of that budget which has an impact on wire & cable infrastructure is estimated at approximately $14 billion per annum.

The U.S. federal government is the single largest consumer of goods and services in the U.S., and probably, in the world. The nation's 87,000 federal, state, and local government offices spend more than $385 billion per year in purchases. This represents approximately one in every five dollars spent in the economy.

Furthermore, the nation's 37,000 colleges and universities spend about $300 billion yearly on purchases (more than the budgets of all but 20 countries in the world).

EPP - A Priority Task

EPP will have an impact on all GEMS [Government * Education * Medical sectors]. However, there is a major glitch in the current situation. No one has submitted and received approval of datacom cable connectors as an EPP listing for wire & cable infrastructure products. This must be a priority in order for the financial rewards of the EPP directive to be captured in the cabling market sector.

Communication Planning Corp. – CPC (www.communicationplanning.com ) can assist the manufacturer in the submittal and approval process to obtain GSA "EPP Listing" and recognition of its cabling products. This qualification process is required in order to make claims that the FEP-Free, LEAD-Free products are EPP compliant. National guidelines issued by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), with the cooperation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), are available to help companies make sure their green claims don’t run afoul of the law. The FTC Act prohibits deceptive acts or practices, including deceptive representations in advertising, labeling, product inserts, catalogs, and sales presentations.

When you combine private sector pressures from the buyers’ side and " the NEW decision makers" in the Building Owners & Managers group (BOMA, NAIOP, etc.) with the public sector and the unfolding EPA program for a federal wide EPP mandate, the market pressure demanding a safer cabling infrastructure will increase to a level that we have not seen in several years.

REMEMBER: SAFETY IS TOO IMPORTANT TO IGNORE

But that’s just my opinion,

Frank Bisbee
"Heard On The Street" Monthly Column
www.wireville.com
4949 Sunbeam Rd, Suite 16
Jacksonville, FL 32257
(904) 645-9077 office
(904) 645-9058 fax
904-237-0365 cell
frank@wireville.com

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FOA - The Fiber Optic Association Using Social Networking Sites To Promote Fiber Optics

The Fiber Optic Association, Inc. is an nonprofit educational organization. As the FOA grows, it becomes more important to expand the links to it's members and the world of fiber optics. The FOA is now adding Facebook and LinkedIn to its ways of communicating what’s going on in fiber optics. By now, everyone is familiar with Facebook which has 400 million users worldwide. LinkedIn is a similar service but aimed at working professionals that has 65 million members in 200 countries. Both Facebook and LinkedIn offer unique opportunites for The FOA and its members to communicate more effectively.

The FOA has created an official Facebook group for anyone interested in fiber optics. Here we will post news about the industry, links to useful online resources, special training opportunities, and allow discussions of fiber optic and cabling topics online. Anyone interested in fiber optics is welcome to join the FOA on Facebook. (http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Fiber-Optic-Association-Inc/110217452343711?ref=mf)

The FOA LinkedIn group is limited to FOA CFOTs (Certified Fiber Optic Technicians) and will be primarily oriented to connecting CFOTs with job opportunites and high-level technical discussions. If you are a FOA CFOT, join us on LinkedIn. (http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=2925670&trk=anet_ug_grppro)

About the FOA

The Fiber Optic Association, Inc. is an nonprofit educational organization chartered to promote fiber optics and premises cabling through education, certification and standards. Over 250 FOA-Approved schools around the world have certified more than 29,000 fiber optic technicians. The FOA offers free online introductory fiber optic programs at Fiber U (www.fiberu.org.)

For more information on the FOA, see the organization's website http://www.thefoa.org/, email info@thefoa.org or call 1-760-451-3655.

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SMILE! You’ve been TERMINATED - Prefabricated Cabling Systems

by Jim Hayes
Published: April 2010

Alternatives to fiber optic termination in the field

Most contractors assume it is necessary to field-terminate fiber optic cabling systems as part of every installation, but they are all looking for alternatives. The first alternative most people consider is to use prepolished/splice connectors, which use a mechanical splice to terminate the fiber. Another option, considered the best solution for single-mode fiber, is to fusion splice a factory-made pigtail onto the end of each fiber. Some manufacturers now offer something in between these two methods: prepolished/splice connectors that attach by fusion splicing, which provides significantly better performance without the need for the splice closures required for pigtails.

Another alternative, if you have a good cable system design so you can accurately determine cable placement between termination points, is to have a complete cabling system factory-made and delivered to the work site ready to install and plug together.

Prefabricated cable assemblies have been around for decades. In the early days of fiber optics for premises links, making a good field termination was difficult. Some cable and patchcord manufacturers offered a cable-termination service. You specified what kind and number of fibers you needed, the cable and connector type, and the length, and the manufacturer would supply a complete assembly.

The cables were shipped with the terminated ends protected by boots, which had pulling loops attached to protect the connectors during the installation process. This worked fairly well, especially for small fiber count cables. But the total fiber count was limited because the fiber optic connector size—such as the ST and SC common to the era—made bundles of them inside a pulling boot bulky and hard to pull. The advent of the LC connector reduced connector bulk considerably, so cables with larger fiber counts could be accommodated.

The next development in prefab cabling systems came with the introduction of the multifiber MTP connector. This single connector—not much bigger than a SC connector—terminated 12 fibers in a row using one connector, greatly reducing the bulk at the end of the cable. The MTP made pulling the cable from location to location much easier, even through conduit. The MTP connected on either end to breakout cables (MTP to 12 single fiber connectors, such as a LC, SC or ST) or to rack-mounted modules at a patch panel that has 12 LC, SC or ST connections.

Another development, ribbon cable, has become a standard item in fiber optics, widely used in many large fiber count cables. When combined with ribbon connectors, this product creates a compact cable assembly, which is easily pulled and installed in any premises cabling application.

What has influenced these developments? Verizon’s desire to reduce installation time and cost in the company’s fiber-to-the-home programs (FiOS) has spurred the development of outside plant prefab fiber optic cabling systems. Verizon’s need was a result of volume of usage. When you need to install connections to several million homes per year, small savings in time and labor cost become very important. In addition, finding experienced installation techs and training them is not easy.

Manufacturers, such as Corning Cable Systems, came up with a simple, elegant solution: Create a rugged, weather-sealed plastic shell around the small MTP connector that provides protection before, during and after installation.

Regular cables can be installed by fiber installation techs from the central offices to near the homes, connecting to mating drop boxes with 4, 6, 8 or 12 terminations. The fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) tech plugs a cable into the drop box on one end and a network interface box on the home, completing the fiber installation.

Designing a prefab cabling system

Obviously, installing a prefab cabling system is a different process than not using prefab, but how about designing the system? A regular system requires only figuring out how many meters or feet of cable, how many connectors should be needed, and what quantities of related supplies and hardware are necessary. You order enough cable length to ensure you have more than what you need and extra connectors to cover yield in termination. Often, cables even are ordered with extra fibers to have spares.

But a prefab system is more complex. You still need to know how many fibers you need for every cable link, but you will be rounding off the numbers, since you must order cables in multiples of six or 12 fibers. You need good drawings of the routings for the cables and locations of the modules at each end. Obstacles that require moving the cable route will require additional length, as it may need to go up and down to ceilings and under floors. Obviously, ordering a cable too short is a big problem, but ordering too long means you have to find places for storage loops. Therefore, it’s very important to have good drawings and make several site visits to know what the cable route really looks like. You also need to specify the types of termination modules that will be used at various locations, as they will be ordered with the cable as an integral part of the system.

Fortunately, manufacturers that offer prefab systems, such as Corning, have experienced design engineers that work with you to specify your system. Their experience will be important in ensuring you don’t make expensive mistakes. If you work with the manufacturer, by the time you order the system, it will be properly specified.

Installation and test

Here you will find a big difference in a prefab cabling system. You will have to carefully un-spool and pull or place cables. The ends of the cables will be bulkier than non-terminated cables and several people may be needed to place the cable. Pulling in conduit requires connecting to the pulling loops provided on the assembly and exercising care to keep pulling tension within limits. If pulling lubricant is needed, it should be a type approved by the cable manufacturer and properly cleaned up. Connectors should always be kept covered with dust caps and appropriate cleaners should be used before making final connections.

Testing can be simpler, since the system has been tested at the factory. After the cables have been connected to the end modules, they can be tested end-to end using standard insertion loss tests per OFSTP-14. Just remember when testing that the link contains two MTP connections in addition to the fiber and connectors on each end. If your test equipment is in good calibration, your results should be close to the manufacturer’s test results.

What about the economics?

Can a prefab cabling system be profitable for a contractor as well as cost effective for the customer? A factory-made cabling system will probably be higher in component cost and lower in installation labor cost. The advantage to the contractor is the cable can be installed by less experienced personnel, even those not trained in fiber optic termination. And the contractor will probably spend more time carefully going over the cable plant with the customer and the manufacturer, which is billable time.

Prefabricated systems are faster to install, so if the cabling is going into a building currently occupied, say an airport or large office building, it may cause less work disruption or take less overtime for after-hours installation.

More fiber users are considering pre-terminated fiber optic cabling systems, so it is to your advantage to learn more about them. Companies such as Corning Cable Systems have information on their Web sites that can provide detailed information on their prefabricated cable system products and even offer planning guides to designers.

HAYES is a VDV writer and educator and the president of The Fiber Optic Association. http://www.thefoa.org/, or find him at www.JimHayes.com.

Reprinted with permission from the Electrical Contractor Magazine www.ecmag.com also see: www.necanet.org for more information about the NECA - National Electrical Contractors Association – “connecting and powering the world”

An idea whose time has arrived.

We checked with Jim Hayes to gauge the rate of growth of prefab F.O. cable assemblies in the market. The pace seems to be almost twice the growth over field assemblies. John Culbert, Megladon Mfg. confirmed the growth of this product demand. He said the network carriers are demanding far more ruggedized single-mode patch cords than ever before. Research shows that the Megladon ScratchGuard™ HLCs have the best performance and durability available in the market. The Megladon Mfg. patented process has not been matched in performance by any other connector that we tested. More test data on these products are due by July 2010. (Wireville.com) www.megladonmfg.com

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ShoreTel is stronger than new rope. ShoreTel Inc Achieves Record Revenue and Gross Margins

ShoreTel’s feature-rich system is storming the communications market. We could call it the latest telephone system, but it’s much more, and it’s blowing the socks off CISCO and AVAYA. This provider of brilliantly simple Unified Communication (UC) solutions based on its award-winning IP business phone system has the numbers to prove the old rule about building a better mousetrap.

ShoreTel Reports Financial Results for Third Quarter Fiscal Year 2010

Company Achieves Record Revenue and Gross Margins

SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 29, 2010 – ShoreTel® (Nasdaq:SHOR) announced financial results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2010, which ended March 31, 2010.

For the third quarter of fiscal year 2010, revenue was $37.0 million, up 4 percent sequentially from the second quarter of fiscal 2010 and 19 percent from the third quarter of fiscal year 2009. GAAP net loss was $(4.5) million, or $(0.10) per share, compared to a GAAP net loss of $(7.3) million, or $(0.17) per share, reported in the third quarter of fiscal 2009. Excluding stock-based compensation expenses of $2.8 million and related tax adjustments, the non-GAAP net loss for the third quarter of fiscal year 2010 was $(1.7) million, or $(0.04) per diluted share, compared to a non-GAAP net loss of $(0.8) million, or $(0.02) per diluted share, reported in the third quarter of fiscal year 2009.

GAAP gross margins for the third quarter of fiscal year 2010 increased for the third quarter in a row to a record 64.9 percent, compared with 63.7 percent during the same quarter last year. GAAP gross margins in the third quarter of fiscal year 2010 included $0.2 million in stock-based compensation charges. Non-GAAP gross margins, which exclude stock-based compensation charges, were also an all-time high of 65.6 percent in the third quarter of fiscal year 2010, up from 64.3 percent in the year-ago quarter.

As of March 31, 2010, the company had $114.6 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments. The company generated approximately $1.7 million in cash flow from operations during the quarter.

"In our third quarter, we achieved our highest revenue in company history and shipped our millionth phone. We also made solid progress with our national partners, in the healthcare vertical and in our international business. We have continued to invest in hiring additional resources in sales, support and research and development as well as increased our investment in our branding campaign. Our fourth quarter looks to be even more exciting with the recent introduction of our Lowest Total Cost of Ownership Guarantee program. With this program we stand behind our product in a bold way and highlight what many in the industry already know: that complexity costs money. ShoreTel offers a solution that was built from the beginning with simplicity in mind so not only is it the highest quality, easiest to use UC solution but it also has the lowest TCO in the industry," said John W. Combs, chairman and chief executive officer of ShoreTel.

Operational Highlights for the Third Quarter of Fiscal Year 2010

ShoreTel Reaches One Million Phone Shipment Milestone

ShoreTel reached an important milestone in the Company's history during the third quarter, shipping its one millionth phone to Clinica Romero in Los Angeles as part of an initial deployment that includes more than 180 phones in three locations. As a private, nonprofit, federally qualified community health center, Clinica Romero operates in East Los Angeles neighborhoods, serving disadvantaged patients, including the homeless.

Nation's Largest Not-for-profit Long-term Care Provider Selects ShoreTel UC System

In March, ShoreTel announced that the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society was in the process of deploying a ShoreTel UC system across 200 of its offices in the United States. The Society is the nation's largest not-for-profit long-term care provider, with an 88-year history of creating communities where people can find meaningful lives and fulfilling work. The Good Samaritan Society is deploying the ShoreTel UC system to support more than 17,000 end users in an installation that includes about 5,000 mobile devices. The deployment is being rolled out in several stages, and the phased implementation is an excellent example of the ShoreTel 360 Migration Program, which enables the Society to phase out its legacy equipment and integrate new ShoreTel products over time, seamlessly migrating to an all-ShoreTel solution with enhanced capabilities and dramatic cost savings. The Good Samaritan Society is just one example of a growing number of healthcare customers that have chosen ShoreTel as their mission-critical UC system provider.

ShoreTel Receives 2009 Market Tools CustomerSat Achievement in Customer Excellence (ACE) Award

In March, ShoreTel announced that it had won seven 2009 MarketTools CustomerSat Achievement in Customer Excellence (ACE) Awards. The company was awarded six individual awards, more than any other company, as well as the best overall award for the third year in a row. These accolades demonstrate ShoreTel's longstanding commitment to delivering unmatched customer service and satisfaction to its global customer base. ShoreTel earned the ACE Awards based on its customer feedback at world-class levels within seven areas: Overall Satisfaction of ShoreTel; Overall Satisfaction with the ShoreTel UC System; Overall Satisfaction with Training; Overall Satisfaction with Technical Ability from both a new customer and ongoing customer perspective; Overall Satisfaction with Technical Support; and Overall Satisfaction with Implementation.

ShoreTel Receives Favorable Ruling from the IRS

During the quarter ShoreTel received a private letter ruling from the IRS allowing it to utilize at least $20 million in net operating losses that were previously limited under change of ownership provisions in section 382 of the IRS code. This ruling will allow the company to obtain a refund from its 2008 tax return as well as offset future taxable earnings.

ShoreTel Launches First-Ever "Lowest Total Cost of Ownership Guarantee" for Unified Communications Customers

Shortly after the close of the quarter, the Company announced a first-of-its-kind program that guarantees the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) for new ShoreTel customers. For its Lowest TCO Guarantee program, ShoreTel uses independent third-party data to compare the total costs a business will incur for its UC system over time. If the analysis shows that ShoreTel's TCO is higher than a competitor's, ShoreTel guarantees it will lower its prices to beat the competition. ShoreTel can deliver this kind of guarantee because of its brilliantly simple architecture, which delivers an intrinsically lower TCO and dramatically greater value than the more complex and less reliable solutions offered by other vendors.

Business Outlook

The company is providing the following outlook for the quarter ending June 30, 2010:

Revenue is expected to be in the range of $35 to $38 million.

GAAP gross margins are expected to be in the range of 63 to 64 percent, including approximately $300,000 in stock-based compensation expenses. Non-GAAP gross margins are expected to be in the range of 64 to 65 percent.

GAAP operating expenses are expected to be in the range of $30 to $31 million, which includes approximately $2.5 million in stock-based compensation expenses. Non-GAAP operating expenses are expected to be in the range of $27.5 to $28.5 million.

About ShoreTel, Inc.

ShoreTel, Inc., (Nasdaq:SHOR) 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, Sydney, Australia and Munich, Germany. For more information, visit http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ctr?d=190159&l=27&a=www.shoretel.com&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shoretel.com%2F http://www.shoretel.com/.

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Anixter Launches Nationwide Seminar Series to Help Data Centers Improve Efficiency, Security & Sustainability

April 16, 2010, Anixter Launches Seminar Series to Help Data Centers Improve Efficiency, Security & Sustainability. They pulled together some of the leading resources from the data center & networking industries to help the data centers implement emerging technologies in three market segments.

Anixter's decade old Seminar Series is now focused the latest standards and technologies in the data center, security, telecommunications and sustainability fields. Anixter will make a video presentation (PG) on data center optimization in movie theaters in 11 cities in the U.S. and Canada.

Speakers from IBM, the TIA, the IEEE and Security Technology Executive magazine will participate in the live panel. Attendees will have the opportunity to earn a BICSI continuing education credit.

Dates include Dallas, TX (May 13); Indianapolis, IN (June 24); Toronto, ON (June 24); Des Moines, IA (July 22); Cheshire, CT (August 5); Philadelphia, PA (August 26); Detroit, MI (September 23); Cleveland, OH (October 14); Seattle, WA (October 28); and Charlotte, NC (November 4). www.anixter.com/events

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ANIXTER under investigation for materially false and/or misleading statements regarding the Anixter’s continuing business prospects

The Shuman Law Firm Investigates Anixter International Inc.

BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Shuman Law Firm today announced that it is investigating potential breaches of fiduciary duty by certain officers and directors at Anixter International Inc. (“Anixter” or the “Company”) (NYSE: AXE - News). www.anixter.com

The investigation concerns whether the Company's directors and officers caused the Company to issue materially false and/or misleading statements regarding the Company's continuing business prospects despite deteriorating market conditions.

A federal securities class action currently pending in the Northern District of Illinois has alleged that certain of Anixter's officers and directors continued to improperly reassure investors that the Company's gross margins and organic sales growth remained unaffected by the worsening market conditions. The alleged material misstatements and omissions may have caused the Company's stock to trade at artificially inflated prices. While the Company's stock value appeared to be artificially inflated, certain of Anixter's officers and directors sold their personally held shares, resulting in proceeds of at least $3.9 million dollars.

If you currently own shares of Anixter and are interested in discussing your rights as an Anixter shareholder, or have information relating to this investigation, please contact Kip B. Shuman or Rusty E. Glenn toll free at 866-974-8626 or email Mr. Shuman at kip@shumanlawfirm.com or Mr. Glenn at rusty@shumanlawfirm.com.

The Shuman Law Firm represents investors throughout the nation, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative actions.

NEWS Release Source: The Shuman Law Firm - Thursday April 15, 2010, 6:44 pm EDT

Contact:

The Shuman Law Firm
Kip B. Shuman, Esq., 866-974-8626
kip@shumanlawfirm.com
or
Rusty E. Glenn, Esq., 866-974-8626
rusty@shumanlawfirm.com

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Beacon Solutions appoints new senior VP

Apr 29, 2010

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Beacon Enterprise Solutions Group, Inc., a designer and implementer of Information Technology Systems (ITS) infrastructure solutions, announced that Homer Wicke, former CEO and co-founder of Cetcon, has been promoted to Senior VP, Global Accounts at Beacon Solutions.

Wicke, age 53, joined Beacon in 2007 as Director of Engineering Sales from Cetcon, Inc., a network design and engineering firm, where he served as CEO prior to Beacon’s acquisition of Cetcon on December 20, 2007.

Beacon Solutions targets Smart Buildings

“Homer has been a tremendous asset to Beacon since he joined the company at its inception in 2007, and has made significant contributions to our growth during the past several quarters,” said Bruce Widener, CEO of Beacon Solutions. “His industry contacts and extensive relationships have consistently led to sizable project and revenue opportunities for Beacon. Among his current responsibilities is supporting the management of Beacon’s relationships with two of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, one of the industry’s largest manufacturers of ITS related infrastructure products and one of the largest grocery chains in the United States, among others. While Homer’s focus will remain on global sales, business development and account management, we believe that increasing his visibility and authority within our organization will enable Homer to make more effective contributions to our continued growth and margin expansion efforts.”

Homer Wicke stated, “Along with other members of our regional, national and global sales teams, I spend much of my time on the road visiting current and potential customers and listening to facilities and IT management professionals. Today, more than ever, enterprise level managers are expressing the need for fully integrated ITS design, installation and management services. Ongoing adoption and convergence of new technologies combined with a need for greater efficiency and cost containment have led to an increased awareness of the relationship between ITS infrastructure and other mission critical objectives within the enterprise market. I look forward to continuing to participate in Beacon’s growth and the development of its expanding position in the market, while further contributing to its success.”

For additional information, please visit Beacon’s corporate website: www.askbeacon.com

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Belden Announces Strong First Quarter 2010 Results

First Quarter 2010 Highlights
- Grew adjusted income from continuing operations per diluted share 81% in the quarter to $0.29 from the prior year quarter.
- Increased revenue in the quarter 22% to $400.3 million from the prior year quarter.
- Expanded first quarter adjusted operating margin to 7.8 percent, a 250 basis point improvement over the prior year quarter.
- Improved working capital and inventory turns year-over-year by 3.1 and 1.6 turns to 9.0 and 7.0 turns, respectively.
- Raised full-year adjusted revenue and EPS guidance to between $1.58 billion and $1.63 billion and between $1.45 and $1.60, respectively.

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What’s next in the cabling news from CNS - Cabling Networking Systems magazine (Canada’s voice for the cabling and network industry)

Paul Barker – Editor of CNS magazine gave us the scoop on areas of interest coming up. Revenue opportunities are not easy to find at this time. Work is underway on a new cabling healthcare standard by a TIA subcommittee and with it will come a whole new set of advances in applications ranging from building automation systems to nurse call and patient tracking. Content will focus in on how technology is changing this critical component of society. Look for this and more in the May/June 2010 issue of CNS.

In April 2010 HOTS column we failed to credit the news item about the BICSI Skills Challenge to Paul Barker of CNS. We apologize for our oversight.

http://www.cnsmagazine.com/wireville/#link3

At BICSI, it’s never boring

The third annual BICSI Cabling Skills Challenge featured BICSI’s some of the best information transport systems (ITS) installers testing their skills and knowledge as they competed for the title of Installer of the Year. The event was held in conjunction with the exhibition sessions during the 2010 BICSI Winter Conference in Orlando, Florida. Competitors for the challenge were selected from the field of entrants based on qualifying criteria such as professionalism, quality of resume, and work experience. "

“The Cabling Skills Challenge offered a substantial opportunity for BICSI Registered Installers and Technicians to highlight the expertise they’ve gained through years of training and experience working in the ITS industry,” said Dan Morris, RCDD, chair, BICSI Installation Committee. “We are very excited to develop the event as part of our continuing effort to broaden our outreach to the heart of our industry; the installers and technicians.”"

The third annual Cabling Skills Challenge events included cooper cable terminations, fiber optic cable termination, cable assembly, and a writte4n competency exam (that’s where I lost it). Jessie Spearman, an ITS technician with Vision Technology Inc. (Glen Burnie, MD) won the stiff competition and was named BICSI Installer of the Year for the third straight time. In addition to a nice trophy, Jessie took home US$5,000 in prize money. You have to have the right tools and know how to use them. BICSI is vendor neutral and encourages the support of education for the technicians in the communications industry."

The 2010 BICSI Winter Conference, was held in January 2010, in Orlando, Florida. The conference hosted more than 4,666 plus 154 Exhibitor companies attendees."

Cabling Networking Systems magazine – Canada’s voice for the cabling and network industry

www.CNSmagazine.com

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Dumping IT Assets for Green Reasons

By Steve Suesens

May 03, 2010

IT asset management – which helps businesses prolong equipment longevity and increase ROI – is a key driver to developing a green IT policy that over time will yield positive returns for the environment and generate green for your bottom line. But, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 134.5 million IT assets currently sit idle in America alone – and a mere 18 percent are likely to be recycled. The problem is only magnified on the global scale.

By combining short-term actions with long-term planning, organizations can begin to develop a comprehensive green IT asset lifecycle management program that will help mitigate risks and deliver cost and productivity benefits. By strategically applying IT asset management best practices, you can get the most out of your IT assets to efficiently maintain business momentum and employee productivity.

As you get started, be sure to distinguish between the major stages of the IT asset lifecycle: assessment, procurement, service, management and retirement. How each stage is handled depends on the type of equipment being managed within your organization. For instance, there are specific lifecycle management considerations for data center equipment, printer fleets, and PCs and laptops.

Understanding what you have and how it is being used is a key first step in the assessment phase. Periodic audits will identify equipment that is not in use or underutilized and that should be consolidated, removed or recycled. Using this information, you can develop a complete inventory of your IT assets. As you look at how these assets impact your bottom line, you should also consider overhead costs, including floor space for equipment and storage and IT staff management and administration.

Procuring eco-friendly equipment is a simple way to implement green IT asset management. You should prepare guidelines for green procurement that include negotiation terms with hardware and software vendors and other IT service providers. These "green" procurement guidelines can be incorporated into your organization's general IT procurement policy.

If you need to purchase new equipment, here are a few tips for identifying what to replace and when:

Depending on usage, you should replace computers every three to five years. If you have come to that point, you may want to consider purchasing laptops instead of desktops because the typical laptop only uses around 15-25 watts per hour. Desktop PCs use around 150 watts.

CRT monitors should already be replaced with flat panel LCDs because they use half has much power. If you’ve been putting off replacing your old monitors because they still work, it may actually be costing you more to keep them running.

Servers that are more than four years old may also be using more electricity than needed. Chip manufactures like Intel have created new processors that reduce the amount of power consumption in servers.

Your computer will be outmoded someday, but you can prolong its useful life by taking care of your technology inventory. A maintenance program should be in place for all equipment – specifying, for example, to have all of your computers cleaned at least once a year, consider RAM upgrades vs. purchasing an entirely new system, and buy high-quality peripherals that will last. A high-quality monitor should last for at least six to seven years. When it comes time to upgrade your PC, the monitor can be used with a new computer. If you can extend the lifecycle of equipment, you can reduce waste.

Maintenance strategies must evolve to factor in environmental impacts, consequences, and costs for key technologies. Improved asset management and preventive maintenance programs can save energy consumption, which directly impacts both carbon emissions and profitability.

As new technology becomes old technology, some companies stockpile their old machines and are reluctant to part with them due to concerns about data ending up in the wrong hands or fears that old equipment will simply end up in a landfill. CIOs and IT managers often feel better knowing that old and unused equipment is tucked safely away. At corporate campuses and in the smallest offices, a veritable “technology graveyard” can often be found.

Of course, this is not the best approach. As technology becomes too old to upgrade, no longer functions properly, or will need extensive repairs to get back to workable condition, it's time to recycle the components. One of the fastest growing forms of waste in the U.S. is electronic equipment, called e-waste. Unfortunately only 15-20 percent of outdated electronic equipment is recycled properly, and the remaining equipment usually ends up at landfills, causing chemicals such as lead, mercury, and chromium to seep into the water supply. It should go without saying that responsible recycling of old electronic equipment needs be a part of IT asset management plan.

If the equipment is still working and less than five years old, you should consider donating it for refurbishing and reuse by schools or charities. If the equipment is older than five years or is broken, it should be sent to a reputable computer recycler who will salvage reusable parts and safely remove and dispose of hazardous chemicals. Regardless of age and method of disposal, you should make sure that all data has been removed from the device prior to re-deployment or recycle. You can find a list of refurbishers and recyclers, as well as other helpful information on disposing of e-waste, on the EPA Website.

It is important to have a comprehensive plan that looks at all aspects of IT asset management and identifies opportunities to go green. Green IT is, of course, not only good for business, but it’s also good for brand image, the Earth and the rest of us as well. It also happens to be an area where significant dollar savings can be achieved with the right level of commitment and attention to process.

About the Author

Steve Suesens is category manager for Staples Technology Solutions, a part of Staples, Inc., that provides business customers with access to a range of technology essentials – from data center solutions and printer fleet management services to network services and everyday desktop technology products.

Reprinted with permission from Staples, Inc

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Hitachi Cable Manchester Adds Federal Sales Manager

Manchester, NH, April 20 – Hitachi Cable Manchester (HCM) continues to be a leader in the manufacture of high-performance copper and fiber optic communication cables.

Ed Ratti has joined HCM in the newly formed position of Federal Sales Manager. Ed comes to HCM with over 30 years of experience in the Wire and Cable Industry. Ed has held such positions as Vice President of Sales for Teledyne/CommScope and regional positions with ADC Corporation. Most recently Ed was a partner for over six years for rep group ANPG covering the MD, VA and Wash D.C. territory. In his new role, Ed will be responsible for building HCM’s relationships with various government agencies and the military branches of the United States. Ed also served his country as a member of the Army and is a veteran of the Vietnam War.

About HCM

HCM, located in Manchester, NH manufacturers a complete line of copper and fiber optic cables for the communication industry. Over 3,300 different cable products are manufactured at this facility. In addition to Category 6A cables, products include Category 6 and 5e cables, outdoor Category 5e and 6 cables, indoor and outdoor fiber optic cables, armored fiber optic cables as well as plenum-rated indoor/outdoor fiber optic cables.

To learn more about HCM products and where you can purchase them, please contact HCM toll free at 800-772-0116 or visit the HCM website at www.hcm.hitachi.com.

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NECA IN THE NEWS

www.necanet.org for more information about the NECA - National Electrical Contractors Association – “connecting and powering the world”

NWPG Summit Update: Jilaine Bauer Will be NWPG Summit Keynote Speaker

We are thrilled to announce that Jilaine Hummer Bauer will be our special lunch speaker at the NWPG Summit, May 13. She will offer an insider’s perspective on the importance and progress of gender diversity in the corporate world, address the current economic situation, and present her vision of the future of women in business could look like.

Ms. Bauer is the founder of Bauer Consulting, which specializes in corporate governance, regulatory affairs and compliance, and organizational development She has significant knowledge of the governance, regulation and operations of financial services organizations and is active in promoting the benefits of board diversity to corporations and their shareholders, employees and communities.

Ms. Bauer has served on various committees of the Investment Company Institute and is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Investment Advisers Association and a former member of the National Society of Compliance Professionals. She currently is on the Board of Directors of the InterOrganization Network (ION) and the Steering Committee of Milwaukee Women inc (MWi). She holds an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) and a juris doctorate from Loyola University (Chicago).

You can learn more about Jilaine’s company and her work with organizations to promote women’s participation in the boardroom here. She welcomes your connections to her LinkedIn account, and she is excited to learn about NECA’s efforts to provide a forum for women working in electrical contracting.
This is a link to visit NECA's women peer group page on Facebook.

Grounding and Bonding Fundamentals De-Mystified in New Online Course from NECA

04/23/2010

Grounding and bonding are fundamental to electrical safety, but they require precision in various installations. These fundamentals and the different requirements necessary for their correct application are now fully discussed in a new online course offered by the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA).

Updated Power Distribution National Electrical Installation Standards Now Available

04/20/2010

NECA has published revisions to three of the 400-series National Electrical Installation Standards (NEIS) focused on power distribution.

NECA Opposes Restoring MSD Injury Reporting Column

04/07/2010

NECA submitted comments opposing OSHA’s proposal to add a column recording musculosketal disorders (MSD) on the OSHA Form 300 (Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses). Full text of NECA’s comments is available here.

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Hitachi Cable Manchester Adds Regional Sales Manager

Manchester, NH, April 20 – Hitachi Cable Manchester (HCM) continues to be a leader in the manufacture of high-performance copper and fiber optic communication cables.

John Joyce has joined HCM as the new Central Regional Manager. John comes to HCM with nearly 20 years of experience in sales, marketing and business development across a diverse range of technology and distribution companies. Most recently John has served as the Vice President of Sales for Convia Corporation and before that spent 14 years with Hubbell Premise Wiring covering a 17 state territory. In his new role John will be responsible for the management of 6 rep firms, which include 15 states along with Canada. John will also assume the responsibilities as the National Account Manager for strategic distributors within his territory.

About HCM

To learn more about HCM products and where you can purchase them, please contact HCM toll free at 800-772-0116 or visit the HCM website at www.hcm.hitachi.com.

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LEVITON NEWS

Leviton Network Solutions Launches End-To-End Cabling System in Canada

New system provides additional options for high-performance cabling systems.

April 21, 2010 – Pointe Claire, QC: Leviton Network Solutions today announced the launch of its end-to-end cabling system in Canada. Leviton’s single-vendor solutions consist of optical fibre and UTP, including Category 5e, Category 6, and Category 6A UTP available in FT4 and FT6 ratings complete with a Lifetime System Warranty.

Leviton has been offering leading-edge connectivity in North America and around the world for over 20 years. Users have expressed interest in a full Leviton solution including cable and Leviton is responding to that need. The Leviton copper cabling systems exceed Cat 5e, Cat 6, and Cat 6A specifications and are fully backed by Leviton.

“We’ve received very positive feedback,” reports Pete Newman, Canada National Director for Leviton Network Solutions. “Contractors and users are looking for options. All Leviton Category-rated connectivity and horizontal cables are manufactured in North America, and we can provide a very high quality option that is competitive in the market.”

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Industry-Leading Line of GreenMAX™ Relay Control Panels Sets New Benchmark for Smart Lighting Control Applications
Modular design, robust circuit rating, integrated daylighting and smart metering features combine to deliver a new standard for today’s high-performance buildings

Melville, New York, May 5, 2010 -- Leviton Manufacturing Company’s new line of GreenMAX™ Relay Control Panels establishes a new standard for energy efficient lighting management. The GreenMAX family of relay control panels affords an industry-leading short circuit current rating (SCCR) of 25,000 Amps (at 277 VAC) for maximum service life, robust latching modules for incandescent and fluorescent loads, integrated dimming and switching capabilities along with daylighting and “smart” metering features -- all in one energy-smart, cost-effective lighting management solution.

As a fully-integrated system, GreenMAX relay controls are ideal for installation in a wide range of commercial environments, including new construction and retrofit environments where centralized lighting control is needed. The system includes: relay cabinets and inserts, command modules, a handheld display unit (HDU), power supplies, relays and fully digital switches that can be programmed using the HDU.

“We designed GreenMAX to offer a single energy management platform to address all of today’s energy management requirements. We believe it is the most durable, capable and intuitive system on the market” said Richard Westfall, vice president and general manager, Leviton Lighting Management Systems.

GreenMAX’s robust latching relay modules are rated 30A general fluorescent ballast and 20A incandescent and are available in single-pole and double-pole configurations -- with or without Return to Closed (RTC) functionality. The system’s relay options include integrated dimming, daylight harvesting and smart metering to meet a wide range of lighting management technologies. A portable Handheld Display Unit (HDU) enables convenient programming and monitoring to be accomplished directly from the control space rather than from a distant electrical room.

GreenMAX supports a wide variety of native network protocols, including BACnet/IP, Ethernet and LumaCAN, streamlining set up and configuration. Network connections are made using RJ45 connectors to standard CAT6 cabling. Each relay panel can control up to 32,000 smart relays.Low-voltage inputs such as occupancy sensors, photocells, contact closures, and switches connect to the system using an onboard Low -Voltage Input Card or can connect remotely in the Remote Input Cabinet for versatility in set up.

The system can be installed with a matching line of digital switches and wall plates that can be custom engraved for easy identification of controlled loads. Additional product information can be found at www.leviton.com/GreenMAX. For more information, contact Leviton Manufacturing Co., 201 North Service Road, Melville, NY 11747, or visit our web site at www.leviton.com.

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Leicht Named Business Development Manager for International Retail Operations

Melville, New York, May 10, 2010 – Leviton is pleased to announce the appointment of Frank Leicht to the position of Business Development Manager for Leviton’s International Retail Operations. In his new position with the company, Leicht will focus on growing Leviton’s global retail operations, including expansion of business opportunities with Ace Hardware, True Value, Do it Best, Sodimac and other key retailers throughout Mexico and South America.

Over a career spanning 13 years with Leviton, Leicht has played an instrumental role in developing key domestic retail accounts through the delivery of new programs, expanded product offerings and enhanced in-store support. Starting out as a field service representative for multiple Leviton retailers, Leicht worked his way up to the position of Northeast District Manager, Account Manager and most recently, Eastern Regional Sales Manager for The Home Depot. Serving as the key contact for The Home Depot’s regional buying offices, Leicht also supported line reviews, managed the account team, spearheaded service operations and championed Leviton’s “Best in Class” program to the giant retailer’s Northeast stores.

Leicht began his career with KMART, where he started out as an in-store assistant manager and held positions as sales assistant, merchandise manager and store manager. Leicht holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Florida State University, and is a resident of Dix Hills, New York.

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Leviton Launches AE Live Webcam Technical Support Service

New service allows callers to receive live visual demonstrations

April 9, 2010 – Bothell, WA: Leviton Network Solutions today announced the launch of its AE Live technical support service. The service allows technical support staff to demonstrate product functionality, applications, and field techniques live from the company’s applications engineering lab.

Callers who require assistance beyond traditional phone-based support will be directed to a secure website, where a one-on-one demonstration is provided.

The AE Live website is optimized for standard computer displays, as well as the Apple® iPhone® and other mobile web-enabled devices, making it ideal for installation contractors in the field. Multiple parties can log into the support session and view the demonstration, where two cameras allow staff to show a variety of applications in the lab, including tabletop demonstrations, patching, and cable management. In addition, tech support staff can record sessions and provide them to the caller for later reference.

“We’ve received overwhelmingly positive feedback so far,” reports Scott Robinson, director of applications engineering, quality, and product development at Leviton Network Solutions. “Callers have been thrilled to be able to view live demonstrations that help them work through an issue or see how a product functions.”

About Leviton Network Solutions

Leviton Network Solutions was created more than 20 years ago to meet the growing need for telecommunications and high-speed data technologies. Today, the division is dedicated to producing complete network infrastructure systems for the enterprise, data center, government, health care, education, and residential markets. Copper, fiber, and power solutions include structured cabling systems, enclosures, PDUs, and much more. All Leviton products are engineered to exacting standards and offer guaranteed performance. For more information, visit Leviton.com.

New Renoir ® II Family of Architectural Wall Box Dimmers and Fan Speed Controls Combine Performance and Elegance
Stylish new offering saves energy and reduces maintenance costs

Melville, New York, May 5, 2010 -- Leviton Manufacturing Company has expanded its line of architectural wall box dimmers and fan speed controls with a family of 120-277 VAC, 60Hz rated- Renoir® II box-mounted lighting controls. The new line of dimming and fan speed controls combines robust performance features with elegant styling and is ideal for a wide range of commercial applications, including multi-location architectural dimming environments requiring up to 5-way control operation.

“Renoir II is an important step forward in dimmer design with models to control virtually all 120 through 277 lighting loads,” said Richard Westfall, vice president and general manager, Leviton Lighting Management Systems. “The new thin form factor and multi-location dimming capability make Renoir II the most versatile dimmer line on the market today.”

Available in a large selection of colors, Renoir II models include: 1) preset slide with thin heat sink; 2) preset slide with standard heat sink; and, 3) rotary control with standard heat sink. The thin heat version is ideal for applications requiring an aesthetically pleasing installation that doesn’t compromise efficient heat dissipation. All Renoir II dimmers afford reliable, solid-state control, saving energy, extending bulb life and reducing maintenance costs. Renoir II Fan Speed Controls integrate Super Silent Technology (SST) to consolidate fully variable and fully quiet fan speed controls into a single unit.

Renoir II wall plates are available in a wide range of colors, four metal finishes and field-paintable versions for precise color matches. For added design flexibility, users can create their own unique look by mixing and matching different device colors with different wallplate colors. Renoir II is suitable for a wide range of commercial applications, including use in conference rooms, ball rooms, restaurants and open areas of buildings where lighting energy management and carbon footprint reduction are critical initiatives.

Additional product information can be found at www.leviton.com/RenoirII. For more information, contact Leviton Manufacturing co., 201 North Service Road, Melville, NY 11747, or visit our web site at www.leviton.com.

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Leviton Launches SFP+ 10G Passive Copper Cable Assemblies

Affordable solution meets SFF-8431 standard for SFP+ interconnects

May 4, 2010 – Bothell, WA: Leviton today announced the launch of its new SFF-8431 (small form factor) compliant copper cable assemblies. The passive assemblies, which support 10G network performance, are compatible with SFP+ interconnects in leading manufacturers’ hubs, switches, routers, servers, and network interface cards (NICs).

The cable assemblies include a host of features to support high-density, high-bandwidth data
center applications:

Hot pluggable – cables can be installed or removed without turning off system power

Low power and low latency

Superior EMI performance

Low-profile pull latch enables belly-to-belly cable installation

Integrated strain relief ensures reliable performance

100% factory terminated and independently tested

Up to seven (7) meter lengths support ToR (top of rack) and EoR (end of row) configurations

“Data center managers must address numerous priorities, including virtualization, convergence, and server consolidation,” notes Keith Kosanovich, senior product manager for Leviton Network Solutions. “Leviton’s new SFP+ cable assemblies are a cost-effective, energy-efficient patching solution that will help meet these needs.”

Leviton SFP+ Copper Cable Assemblies, along with the rest of the company’s copper solutions, are available through the company’s extensive reseller network. For more information, visit Leviton.com/SFP.

About Leviton Network Solutions

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Please Join MRV at Packet Optical Transport Evolution 2010

The Marriott Marquis - New York

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

The global optical networking market continues to grow, driven by a strong demand for broadband data and video applications, both fixed and mobile. This insatiable appetite for bandwidth – from both consumers and businesses – is at the heart of the trend toward packet and optical convergence, or re-crafting the optical network to predominantly handle packet traffic and applications. While packet-optical transport first emerged in metro networks, we are now seeing the trend start to expand in both directions, upstream into the core and downstream into the access. The impact of packet-optical convergence on the optical industry – including equipment suppliers, network operators, and components suppliers – will be profound. And this new packet-optical transport network, when it becomes reality, will, in turn, open up a multitude of exciting new operator services.

Join us at this premier event and learn how MRV can help you meet this growing demand. MRV's connectivity solutions in Carrier Ethernet Access, Optical Transport, Out-of-Band Networking, and Test Lab Automation meet the demands of high bandwidth applications used by carriers/service providers, healthcare, government and the enterprise.

If we can help you with your current needs or provide you with additional information on MRV's packet-optical transport (POTS), Carrier Ethernet, Optical Transport, 40G Networking, Free Space Optic, Out-of-Band Networking Products or any of MRV's other products please call 800-338-5316, email info@mrv.com or visit us at http://www.mrv.com.

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Signamax Product News

Signamax Connectivity Systems introduces the 065-7841 24-Port 10/100/1000 Stackable Managed Switch with 4-SFP Dual Media Ports. It is the new flagship of the Signamax Ethernet switch product line. The 065-7841 provides non-blocking performance for 24 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet connections, modern QoS and Tagged VLAN capabilities, and full SNMP management at a surprisingly low cost. Four Dual Media Gigabit Ethernet ports use auto-detected SFP modules for fiber optic switch interconnection at extended distances. Both ring and star Gigabit backbone network architectures are possible with full automatic failover. The included SNMP management package is complete and comprehensive, with web browser, local console, and Telnet remote terminal connections and real time updating. The 065-7841 also communicates with network management systems such as HP OpenView™ via SNMP for enterprise-wide status display, statistical monitoring, and switch control. Enhanced Layer 3 look-ahead routing features and IEEE 802.1p Quality of Service / 802.1Q Tagged VLAN / IP Type of Service support make the Signamax 065-7841 an excellent foundation for establishing or adding to an Enterprise network.

KEY FEATURES

• 4 Dual Media Ports for Flexible Fiber Connection.

• Q-in-Q VLAN for Performance & Security.

• QoS Supports Layer 4 Classification.

• 802.1x Access Control Improves Network Security.

• Port Mirroring for Enhanced Network Monitoring.

• 802.3ad Port Trunking for Bandwidth Aggregation.

• 802.1D Compatible & 802.1w Rapid Spanning Tree.

• 802.1s Multiple Spanning Tree.

• 802.1AD Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP).

• Broadcast/Multicast Storm Control.

• Supports IGMP Snooping and IGMP Proxy.

• Supports Network Time Protocol (NTP).

• Supports Multicast VLAN Registration (MVR).

• Supports IP-MAC-Port Binding.

• Supports Access Control Lists (ACL) for policy-based management and traffic control.

• Supports DHCP Broadcasting Suppression to avoid network suspension or crashes.

Signamax Connectivity Systems’ new 8-Port 10/100BaseT/TX Power over Ethernet (PoE) Full-Power switch provides the capability to remotely power up to eight wireless access points, VoIP telephones, Powered Device (PD) media converters, and other devices that meet the IEEE 802.1af PoE standard at full Power Class 1,2, 3 or 0 power levels, simultaneously. This switch provides non-blocking performance to all 8 unmanaged 10/100BaseT/TX ports, all of which are PoE-equipped. The 065-7308POE-FP switch allows cost-effective PoE extension to smaller offices and workgroups.

KEY FEATURES

• Supports IEEE 802.3af Power over Ethernet standard as PSE on all eight PoE-TP ports (End-Point).

• Full power (15.4w) support for all PoE-TP ports simultaneously; 124 Watts of PoE power available.

• Auto-detection of powered devices and power consumption levels.

• Non-blocking, wire-speed switching matrix.

• All ports are Auto-MDIX and Auto-Negotiating.

• LED indicators for data and POE activity.

www.signamax.com

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CommScope posts wider 1Q loss

HICKORY, N.C. (AP) -- Network infrastructure company CommScope Inc. posted a wider first-quarter loss on Thursday, hurt by restructuring charges and other costs, as well as lower revenue.

The company posted a loss of $22.1 million, or 23 cents per share, compared with a loss of $20.5 million, or 29 cents per share, in the same period a year earlier. Excluding restructuring charges, tax costs related to the health care overhaul law and other items, adjusted earnings totaled 26 cents per share in the latest quarter.

Revenue fell 3 percent to $721.6 million from $742.3 million due to lower capital spending by customers in the Asia Pacific driven by regulatory issues in India and weaker spending by wireless service providers in China. Sales of the company's antenna and cable products were also hurt by conservative spending by European wireless operators. http://www.commscope.com

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Tools Most Used by Electricians

by Jeff Griffin <http://www.ecmag.com/authors/?fa=view&id=13>

Electrical work can't be done without the right tools. As basic tools have been improved over the years and new specialized tools are developed, the list of tool choices for electricians becomes even longer.
Even so, there's a short list of “must have” tools that every electrician needs-indeed, cannot do without-regardless of the type of electrical work he or she does. What are those tools? And has the list changed significantly in recent years?

We asked Graybar, a North American provider of electrical tools, telecommunications tools and service solutions, to identify the tools electrical contractors buy more than any other for electrical work--power testers and VDV tools and testers are not included in this report.

“There's no question that today's electrical contractor must be more versatile than ever, and to tackle a variety of jobs with efficiency and ease, electricians need an arsenal of hand and power tools,” said Dennis Rees, Graybar tool product specialist.

However, to avoid being loaded down with too many tools, choices must be made wisely.

Rees explained: “It is easier to narrow down tool options by recognizing that the most essential hand and power tools fall into distinct categories. That's how we've organized our list of 'Tools Most Commonly Used by Today's Electricians.' Whether buying tools for the first time or replacing well-worn favorites, these tool selections can help electricians work smarter.”

Top Tools List includes the following:

• Pliers

• Screwdrivers and nut drivers

• Wire strippers

• Fishing tools

• Measuring devices

• Labeling machines

• Power drills and drivers, hammer/drills

• Power saws

HAND TOOLS

“Every electrician needs basic hand tools to perform everyday tasks,” said Rees. “Fortunately, today's basics are better than older models, providing more comfort and safety than their predecessors. Manufacturers have made tools more 'ergonomically correct,' and improved designs help cut down on hand and wrist injuries often caused by repetitive movement. Plus, they make it easier to perform the same motion over and over because the tools just feel more comfortable. While today's designs may provide more safety and comfort, they're still the basic hand tools electricians have been using for years.”

Pliers

Two of the most common tools an electrician can't work without are side-cutting pliers and long-nose or needle-nose pliers, Rees said.

According to Rees, Klein is the most recognized hand tool name in the electrical industry, and Graybar stocks several models of Klein pliers to suit individual preferences and tasks. Graybar's top sellers include classic models such as the high-leverage side-cutting pliers for heavy-duty cutting and connector crimping, and six-inch long-nose pliers. However, the company has seen increases in sales of the ergonomic Journeyman series introduced about three years ago. These tools have contoured and cushioned handles that feature a pliable outer surface and hard, black inner material providing a more comfortable grip without sacrificing tool strength and durability. They also have a contoured thumb area and a flared thumb rest that further improves their feel and gripping power.

Screwdrivers and nut drivers

Electricians need several screwdrivers and nut drivers to work with various types of fasteners and applications. For electricians who want one tool that adapts to many uses, Graybar sells Klein's 10-in-1 screwdriver/nut driver set with numbers 1 and 2 Phillips; 1/4-inch, 3/16-inch slotted, 5/16-inch and 1/4-inch nut drivers; numbers 10 and 15 TORX; and numbers 1 and 2 square-recess bits. Everything fits into the same chrome-plated, heat-treated shaft with a comfortable cushion-grip handle. Replacement bits are available.

Wire strippers

In this category, Ideal Industries' T-Stripper line of wire strippers is a top seller at Graybar.

“They have been an industry standard for almost 50 years,” said Rees. “Best sellers are the Reflex wire stripper and the T-Stripper. The Kinetic Reflex T-Stripper is a strong new addition to the line.”

Ergonomic designs are one reason for their popularity. Curved handles are designed to fit an electrician's natural grip and reduce repetitive motion fatigue. Non-slip Santoprene textured grips provide more control. A thumb guide promotes comfort while focusing kinetic energy for faster wire stripping.

Fish tapes and poles

Fish tapes: The Ideal Tuff-Grip line of fish tapes is a strong seller at Graybar.

Handles on impact-resistant cases are large and comfortable, so a secure grip can be maintained, even when wearing work gloves. Tape materials are suited to any type of job.

Graybar's best sellers are the versions with fiberglass tape for working around live circuits and the steel tape for everyday use in longer runs with few bends. The Zoom tape is suited for shorter runs of small-diameter conduits. Omni-directional round cable design makes easy work of multibend applications.

Fish poles: Fish pole wire-installation tools facilitate wire pulling in drop ceilings, down walls or under raised floors. Graybar offers several Greenlee models, including the 12- and 24-foot Fish Stix kits and the new 15-foot Glo Stix that glows for better visibility in dark environments. The lightweight design makes them easier to use than heavier models.

Measuring devices

Laser measuring tools are becoming more popular, but no electrician's tool belt is without a basic tape for simple measurements. Those with rare earth magnetic tips that stick to iron and steel surfaces permit fast, one-person measurements. Big sellers at Graybar are Klein's Power-Return Rule, available in 16-, 25-, and 30-foot versions. A 25-foot double-sided version (without magnetic tip) facilitates taking measurements from below. Power-Return Rules have two-step lock control: the first step slows blade retraction, and the second step holds the blade securely.

Labeling machines

Properly labeling work at installation saves time when making moves, adds and changes, and handheld labeling tools speed this important step. The capability of printing bar codes, graphics memory to sort and recall lists, and compatibility with PCs increases the versatility of today's labeling tools. A wide range of labeling materials includes wire and cable markers; panel, rack and frame ID; facilities labels; and specialty labels. Best sellers at Graybar are the Brady IDXPERT handheld labeling tool with electric keyboard style, which makes quality labels that stick on tough and curved surfaces, and the Panduit handheld thermal-transfer printer.

POWER TOOLS

Whether corded or cordless, today's power tools pack more power in smaller, lightweight models. Ergonomic consideration makes today's tools easier and safer to use.

“Cordless power tools,” Rees said, “are enjoying greater acceptance because tool designs and recent improvements in battery and charger technology make them more convenient and versatile, making workers more productive.”

The most-used power tools for electricians are saws and drills, including hammer/drills.

Power drills

Every electrician uses drills, but the type of tool needed varies with the application-what is essential for one worker isn't necessarily needed by another. The power required depends on the material being drilled. For fastening work, a lower-voltage cordless model might be used; for drilling into concrete, a hammer/drill provides more impact and can drill more holes faster.

Multipurpose tools reduce the number of tools needed on a job, and a Graybar top seller is the DeWalt heavy-duty XRP 18-volt cordless hammer drill/drill/driver kit. The kit comes with two batteries, a charger and carrying case. Popular features include long battery run time, maximum torque from the high-efficiency motor, superior ergonomics, and metal ratcheting chuck with carbide jaws to prevent bits from slipping or falling out.

Saws

As with drills, the type of power saw needed by electricians varies with the job at hand. Because of versatility and dependability, handheld reciprocating saws are one of the most popular classes of power-saw equipment. Spiral saws perform the same tasks as reciprocating saws, but instead of a blade, they cut with a bit with downward, parabolic fluting. Other types of saws used for electrical work include hole saws, cut-off saws and portable band saws.

Rees said the Milwaukee Deep Cut portable band saw is Graybar's bestselling saw. “You can't beat the performance of a corded band saw. To make a lot of clean cuts in metal, optimum speed and extended high performance are necessary, and that demands a steady power source that only an outlet can provide,” Rees said.

The tool has a six-amp motor and uses standard 44 7/8-by-1/2-inch-by-.02-inch band saw blades for cutting rectangular stock to sizes of 4 3/4-by-4 3/4 inches and 4 3/4-inch round stock.

“The types of tools that are today's top sellers are the same as they were five years ago, and will probably be the same five years from now, but with marked improvements,” said Rees. “That's because electrical contractors have developed proven installation methods, and they need a specific set of tools to perform them.”

Graybar, a Fortune 500 corporation, distributes electrical, telecommunications and networking products and provides related supply-chain management and logistics services. Graybar operates at more than 250 distribution facilities throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. EC GRIFFIN, a construction and tools writer from Oklahoma City, can be reached at 405.748.5256 or up-front@cox.net.

Many tools are the staple of our jobs. Getting stuck with a tool that doesn’t measure up can really tick you off. The other day one of our cabling techs started ranting about how much he spent to buy a new wire stripper tool and how long it lasted. He was not happy. Several of the more experienced techs gave him the straight scoop on the best choice.

”Now, you tell me!” Well there is a forum out there for those tough questions. The forum is hosted by the oldest Internet-based distributor in our industry.

www.lanshack.com

We technicians use tools from many different disciplines. As most of us know, personal tools are special and a matter of pride for the tech.

There is a real Cool Tool Forum where you can make your voice heard and express your love for tools: http://www.quicktechtrix.com/QuickTechTrix/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=3

The first post is "Confessions of a Tool Junkie" by Tony Casazza. Tony, the head of a growing manufacturing and distribution business, is one of the most energized and entrepreneurial fellows we know in the communications and datacom business. He is in the process of developing this site, but the Forum is operational, so you have a unique opportunity to contribute your thoughts and ideas while it is still a Beta site. Who knows where your ideas could lead?!

We also suggest that you go on-line and take the TOOL SURVEY. Another way to get your voice heard! BTW: they are giving some prizes! Pass it on. http://www.lanshack.com/toolsurveyad.aspx

LANshack.com, Division of Atcom Services, Inc.

Toll Free: 888-568-1230

Phone: 732-396-3600

Fax: 732-396-8528

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NAED Announces EPECSM Gold Now Available Online

Career Accelerating Course Features Interactive Elements, Animation and Audio

ST. LOUIS... The National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) announces the Electrical Products Education CourseSM (EPEC) Gold Level is now available online through the NAED Learning Center. Known throughout the electrical industry as a symbol of quality and a gauge of professional competency, EPEC integrates the full range of products a distributor sells with a unique systems approach. The course not only provides information about individual products and their applications, but also shows how each is interrelated with other products in electrical systems. This knowledge moves individuals from selling products to selling solutions.

Although EPEC is a self-study course, it provides the added benefit of ongoing personal feedback from industry experts as students proceed through the modules. The online edition of EPEC Gold caters to those who learn more effectively with interactive elements, animation, and audio. The traditional printed workbook version is also still available.

In 2009, the entire EPEC program received major upgrades, including: a capstone project added for each level; streamlined modules for faster completion; and increased emphasis on add-on sales in each chapter.

EPEC Bronze and Silver were made available earlier this year.

In conjunction with the NAED Education & Research Foundation's 40th anniversary, the first 40 students who complete EPEC online will be entered in to the "EPEC First 40" drawing for a chance to win an iPOD touch.

EPEC online can be ordered through NAED's e-store or by contacting Customer Service at 888-791-2512 or customerservice@naed.org.

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

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FCC study estimates $23.5 billion needed to bring broadband to unserved areas

Approximately 90% of the 7 million U.S. homes that are not able to get broadband connectivity could be most economically served by a fixed wireless solution, according to the results of a study presented by Federal Communications Commission officials.

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CET Networking Education's Preparatory course for the BICSI Registered Communication Distribution Designer (RCDD) class and exam

CET Networking Education's Preparatory course for the Registered Communication Distribution Designer (RCDD) class and exam. This class is also worth 21 CEC's toward the BICSI requirements!

As you may be aware, after January 1st 2010, you no longer must have the RCDD certification in order to sit for any of the specialist’s exams. With this in mind, BICSI has begun their new NxtGEN program with the 12th edition. Under the NxtGEN program you must first take and pass the ITS Fundamentals exam from the BICSI Connect website. The cost for this exam is $100 (payable to BICSI). BICSI also offers the Fundamentals courses for a bundled cost of $595.

We offer a Fundamental workbook that can prepare you for this exam for one low cost of $450, and you can study at your leisure then still take the ITS Fundamentals exam online with BICSI Connect. We can even save you $50, if you purchase the Fundamentals workbook in conjunction with any of our tuition packages! Or if you take the ITS Fumdamentals exam and do not pass, we can save you $100. Give us a call and find out how to save.

CET offers a clearly defined and outlined study that is a self-paced 8-week home program. The workbooks focus your study on the most relevant information by chapter and sequence. The intensive 3-day in-class program deisgned in a "Definition, Purpose and Application" format, where you will learn by real life examples and practices of the TDM in the class room. There is a day between the class and exam to apply all that is learned in the class prior to taking the exam the following day. Our classes also allow much more one-on-one interaction with the instructor, and after class assistance if needed! I have also attached a registration form for the above course.

We are also in the process of arranging NTS, OSP, WD, and ESS classes for 2010. We need to know whether you are interested in attending any or all classes.The cost for the NTS, OSP, WD, and ESS class is $825, which includes two full days of Instructor led, interactive classroom review, the workbooks (with answers), plus coaching, demonstration, tips and techniques for memory retention and recall and daily question and answer sessions! Plus we offer after class assistance and problem solving techniques if needed.

Visit us online at www.cetweb.com, or feel free to contact our office should you have any questions! From application to certification we are here to help you.

Thank you for your time.

Samantha Shumate, Account Representative

CET Networking Education

255 Indian Ridge Rd, POB 142

Blaine, TN 37709

PH: (865)932-9881 EXT 103

FX: (865) 932-9894

WB: www.cetweb.com

Donna Heatherly, Account Supervisor

dheatherly3179@bellsouth.net

PH: (865) 932-9881 EXT 106

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Newton's Telecom Dictionary - never be without it

ABOUT HARRY NEWTON of the Newton's Telecom Dictionary 25th Edition:

Amazon.com

Harry Newton has nearly 40 years studying and writing about telecommunications. He founded seven monthly magazines -- Call Center, Computer Telephony, Imaging, LAN (Local Area Network), Teleconnect, Telecom Gear and Technology Investor. He also founded the immensely successful trade shows -- Call Center Demo and Computer Telephony Conference and Exposition, which, in its last year under his control, attracted 26,000 people. Newton's firm, Telecom Library, also published over 40 books on networking, imaging, telecom and computer telephony. Newton has been a speaker at every telecom trade show and an advisor to, and investor in several key telecom startups. Newton has been an expert witness and a consultant to telecom companies. Newton has written over 30,000 articles on telecommunications and related technology and financial subjects.

This dictionary covers far more than traditional telecommunications, which in its early days was simply voice telephony. This dictionary focuses on how telecom combined with dozens of other technologies, especially computing, GPS and imaging, makes for today's incredibly useful solutions, and opportunities.

Harry Newton

50 Central Park West

New York, NY 10023

New York Office 212-712-2833

Cell 917-297-1818

Weekends 518-392-3300

InSearchOfThePerfectInvestment

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Activant's Vista Information Systems Forms Alliance with NAED

LIVERMORE, Calif. and ST. LOUIS, April 12, 2010 — Activant Solutions Inc. and the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) today announced a new marketing partnership whereby NAED will recommend Activant's Vista® Information Services to its members. This new alliance is aimed at promoting channel efficiencies and improving the flow of information throughout the electrical supply chain.

NAED is dedicated to serving and protecting the electrical distribution channel. As part of that mission, NAED offers its members a wide array of educational tools, research materials, and networking opportunities. Activant's Vista Information Services is the trusted source of accurate, unbiased sales tracking information for a variety of industries, including independent hardware, lumber, home centers, mass merchandisers, specialty retailers, and more recently full-line electrical distributors. The goal of this new marketing partnership is to expand the network of participating electrical distributors, thereby enhancing the breadth and scope of Vista reports for the electrical industry, providing more valuable market information for participating manufacturers and distributors.

The Activant Vista service produces fact-based category sales reports derived from out-the-door sales data from a representative sample of electrical distributors throughout the United States. The result is a highly reliable and statistically accurate estimate of product and category sales performance for the electrical distribution channel. Vista Information Services provides reports containing sales trends and market shares.

"NAED is pleased to offer Activant's Vista Information Services as a new resource to our members," said Thomas Naber, NAED president and CEO. "These reports will improve forecasting accuracy and will help our members make informed business decisions. I strongly encourage our distributor members to participate in the Vista data collection program. With their participation, we can better manage category sales performance in the electrical channel and improve profitability throughout the supply chain."

"Activant has a long history of supporting the electrical distribution industry," said Kevin Roach, executive vice president and general manager of Activant''s wholesale distribution group. "With nearly 600 electrical distributors -- many NAED members -- using an Activant solution to run their business, the addition of the Activant Vista service further extends the value Activant brings to the industry as a whole."

"It is natural for NAED and Activant's Vista Information Services to come together because both organizations are focused on collecting and disseminating the information that is at the heart of the electrical distribution industry," said Steve Bieszczat, senior vice president of Marketing for Activant. "By coming together, we hope to improve the quality of the information our customers use to make critical business decisions."

Basic distributor reports would be provided to participating distributors free of charge. More advanced Vista services are available for purchase by distributors and manufacturers. For more information contact Vista Information Services at 847-768-3122 or via e-mail at vistaIMI@activant.com.

About Activant Solutions
Activant Solutions Inc. is a leading technology provider of business management solutions serving distributors and SMB retailers. Activant provides customers with industry-specific software, professional services, content, supply chain connectivity, and analytics.

Over 30,000 customer locations use Activant products to manage their day-to-day operations. Activant's systems are designed to help customers increase sales, boost productivity, operate more cost-efficiently, improve inventory turns and enhance trading partner relationships. Headquartered in Livermore, California, Activant has operations in Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom. For more information, please visit www.activant.com.

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

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ACUTA Installs New Board of Directors for 2010-2011

LEXINGTON, Kentucky – At the close of the Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Antonio on April 21, ACUTA, the Association for Information Communications Technology Professionals in Higher Education, installed the new Board of Directors for 2010-2011. All of these individuals are volunteers who hold a variety of positions of responsibility on their campuses. They were nominated and elected by members of the organization.

Matthew K. Arthur, Director, Incident Communications Solutions in Information Services and Technology at Washington University in St. Louis, has assumed the position of President of ACUTA. An active participant of ACUTA since 1999, Arthur has served on a number of committees and task forces for the organization, and is a frequent speaker at ACUTA events. He has been with Washington University in St. Louis since August 1988, including three years in his present position.

Other officers include Joseph Harrington, Boston College, who will serve this year as President-Elect and step up to the position of President on April 6, 2011. Harvey Buchanan, Florida State University, is now Immediate Past President. George Denbow, University of Texas, Austin, continues as Secretary/Treasurer; and Directors-at-Large include Matthew Fuoco, University of Kansas Medical Center; Riny Ledgerwood, San Diego State University; Ron Kovac, Ball State University; Walt Magnussen, Texas A&M University at College Station; and Michael Palladino, University of Pennsylvania.

“Paralleling the rapid pace of change in technology that has resulted in the convergence of voice and data, ACUTA is evolving to meet the needs of the men and women who provide voice, data and video services on campus,” says Matt Arthur. “With new officers assuming leadership roles each year, we regularly examine all the critical issues our members face and try to determine the most effective ways to provide essential communications services on campus. As we put in place several new committees, expand the use of our online presence, and conduct a landmark Educational Strategic Planning session in July, we want to move ACUTA to the next generation for in-person and online educational programming.”

About ACUTA
ACUTA is an international non-profit educational association serving colleges and universities. Its core purpose is to support higher-education communications technology professionals in contributing to the achievement of the strategic mission of their institutions. ACUTA represents close to 2000 individuals at some 770 institutions of higher education across North America, with members ranging from small schools and community colleges to the 50 largest U.S. institutions. ACUTA’s Corporate Affiliate members represent all categories of communications technology vendors serving the college/university market. ACUTA offers three dual-track seminars for 2010-2011 plus the Annual Conference and Exhibition as well as numerous audio seminars. For more information, visit www.acuta.org or call 859-278-3338.

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BICSI Promotions

Tampa, Fla., May 11, 2010—BICSI, the association supporting the information technology systems (ITS) industry with information, education and knowledge assessment, is pleased to announce a staffing structure change within the headquarters office.

Betty Eckebrecht, CPA, CAE, has been promoted to Vice President of Administration and Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Since joining BICSI more than six years ago, Eckebrecht has experience as Director of Administration & Finance, Acting Director of International Operations, and Acting Executive Director. Eckebrecht is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Association Executive (CAE). Additionally, Eckebrecht serves as the Staff Liaison to the Finance and Audit Committee, International Council and Committee Chairs.

Ronda V. Thomas, SPHR, has been promoted to Director of Human Resources. Since joining BICSI four years ago Ronda has served as Human Resource Manager. Thomas is credentialed as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and has been an active contributing member of both the BICSI Staff Management Committee and the BICSI Staff Vital Factor Team since their inceptions. Thomas is currently serving as the Staff Liaison to the Ethics Committee.

Maarja Kolberg, CAE, has been promoted to Director of Membership & Marketing. Since joining BICSI over four years ago, Kolberg has served as both Communications Manager and Communications Coordinator. Kolberg is credentialed as a CAE and is the Staff Liaison for the Membership & Marketing Committee.

Rick Westcott has been promoted to the position of Sales Manager. Westcott joined BICSI six years ago and has served as both Sales Executive and Service Consultant.

###

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

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

Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, USA, BICSI membership spans nearly 90 countries. For more information, visit www.bicsi.org.

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ACUTA Summer Seminar Focuses on Wireless and Green IT

LEXINGTON, Kentucky, May 6, 2010 – The dual-track Summer Seminar of ACUTA, the Association for Information Communications Technology Professionals in Higher Education, will address two topics of significance to higher education information communications technology professionals: Wireless and Green IT.

The seminar is July 18 to 21 at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Its two concurrent tracks will feature presentations by representatives of large and small colleges and universities from all over the country. Representing schools such as Stanford, Texas A&M, LSU, University of California at Irvine, University of New Mexico, Indiana University, Michigan Tech, UCSD, University of Michigan, Carnegie Mellon, Cal State Sacramento, USC and others, presenters will share their insight, experiences, and successes with their peers.

Educational sessions in track one will address topics such as wireless trends, regulatory and legislative issues regarding wireless and mobility, next-generation wireless, the current state of wireless data networking, and more.

In the Green IT-Green Fields track, sessions will highlight topics such as creating a culture of sustainability in IT, green implications of unified communications migrations, the role of green IT in climate-neutrality, campuses as living laboratories for a greener future, microgrids, and more..

ACUTA is the only national association dedicated to serving the needs of higher education information communications technology professionals, representing some 2,000 individuals at 770 institutions.

“We are excited to offer this program on two topics that have such significance for the future of campus technology,” said Jeri Semer, Executive Director of ACUTA. “Both of these educational tracks are timely and important, and our campus speakers as well as corporate presenters will be sharing the latest information that will help attendees prepare for a future that is sure to be not just mobile but more aware of our responsibility to protect our environment.”

Beyond the educational sessions, ACUTA events are well known for the extensive networking opportunities they present for campus technology professionals and for the variety of companies that participate in the exhibit hall.

For more information or to register for the Summer Seminar, visit the ACUTA website at www.acuta.org or call 859-278-3338.

About ACUTA
ACUTA, the Association for Information Communications Technology Professionals in Higher Education, is an international non-profit educational association serving colleges and universities. Its core purpose is to support higher education information communications technology professionals in contributing to the achievement of the strategic mission of their institutions. ACUTA represents nearly 2000 individuals at some 770 institutions of higher education, with members ranging from small schools and community colleges to the 50 largest U.S. institutions. ACUTA’s Corporate Affiliate members represent all categories of communications technology vendors serving the college/university market. For more information, visit www.acuta.org or call 859-278-3338.

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U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL Message from the President - May 2010

Dear USGBC Community,

Membership in USGBC is seen by most of our members as a privilege, a way to engage in some of the most important work going on in our industry. But there’s a responsibility that goes with that privilege – the responsibility to help shape the LEED green building certification system.

The most current issue with which we are engaged regards certified wood. Over the course of the past 18 months, we have been using USGBC’s clearly defined process to define “environmentally responsible forest management” in the context of our LEED green building rating systems. That is the intent of the USGBC Forest Certification Benchmark currently being proposed.

As we fully expected, we’ve successfully made some on both sides of this issue unhappy. This is evidenced by the tone of the countless letters we’ve received along with the 4,000 public comments made during three public comment periods. But what surprised me was how many of those individuals and organizations participating in this heated dialog are not members of USGBC. We have been blessed by thousands of organizational members and individual volunteers who passionately believe that we can transform our buildings and communities and that we can demand ever higher levels of performance and environmental responsibility from every sector of the building industry.

This is why our members develop and implement the broad scope of work that we undertake, including the ongoing evolution of LEED. And ultimately it is USGBC’s membership that will decide the outcome of this certified wood issue just like they approve the launch of any new rating system and every substantive change to the rating system.

If you want to effect REAL change to our built environment, you must be involved in our work from the inside. When the time comes it is your responsibility to vote. This is the only way we can develop and implement the innovative strategies and make the triple-bottom-line decisions that will move us forward in our effort to transform our built environment – from the aggregation of the raw materials through the full life cycle of our buildings.

As the conversation about certified wood continues, I encourage you to participate on this issue as well as all future discussions on other issues that, in their own way, will be every bit as important to the advancement of LEED. Getting every human on the planet into a green building within this generation is a big goal; we need to be sure those buildings are held to a responsibly high green bar and that we all take seriously our own responsibility to keep the bar high by being active voting members of USGBC.

Sincerely,
Rick Fedrizzi
President, CEO and Founding Chair
U.S. Green Building Council

www.usgbc.org

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Green Solutions at BOMA 2010: Efficiency - Profitability - Sustainability. June 27-29, 2010 - Long Beach, CA

Annual Conference and The Every Building Show

June 27 - 29, 2010 - Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center - Los Angeles County, CA

Education to Answer Today's Issues
Whatever your role in commercial real estate, you'll find education sessions at BOMA 2010 to help you make an immediate improvement in the way you do business. More than 40 sessions led by the industry's top performers are featured on this year's program. The sessions are organized in five timely education tracks on the industry's foremost issues. You can even earn education credits for your continuing professional development. Learn more.

Exhibit and Sponsor at The Every Building Show
Commercial real estate professionals consider The Every Building Show their primary resource for finding the right solutions to manage their properties more efficiently, reduce operating expenses, save energy and more. Capture the power of the BOMA network by becoming an exhibitor and sponsor. Learn more.

Green Solutions at BOMA 2010: Efficiency. Profitability. Sustainability.

Today you are challenged with driving value for your properties through all means possible. The innovative green products and services showcased at the 2010 BOMA International Conference & The Every Building Show® can help you find the sustainable solutions that drive value and reduce costs.

The power of green under one roof.
The Green Pavilion and ENERGY STAR® Showcase features exhibitors who have products and services that can help educate you about ways to save money while successfully integrating green initiatives into your operations. In a time when energy represents 30 percent of an office building’s operating costs and is the single largest operating expense, taking advantage of what our exhibitors have to offer is absolutely crucial. You will get a quick return on your investment with many of the new solutions you’ll find at the Green Pavilion.

Click here for a full list of the Green Pavilion exhibitors and their websites.

Assessing Operational Efficiencies & Savings
The Assessing Operational Efficiencies & Savings educational track covers the latest tools for evaluating the performance of sustainable buildings and strategies to ensure they deliver the operational savings. One session, "Retrofitting the Empire State Building: Lessons Learned for Multi-Tenant Commercial Buildings," is a case study on the recently completed modeling and analysis project on the famed building and explores key lessons for the retrofit of large multi-tenant commercial office buildings. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to learn the initial steps necessary to become "greener" at these sessions "Do Green Buildings Perform?", "Helping Tenants Go Green," and "Green Buildings and Worker Productivity." Learn more about the green sessions within this track.

BOMA International is an active participant in USGBC's Education Provider Program (EPP). Obtain continuing education credits towards your LEED Professional Credentialing Maintenance by attending 75-minute sessions in the Assessing Operational Efficiencies & Savings track.

For more information, visit www.bomaconvention.org.

This is the one show you can’t afford to miss, the event that’s already marked on the 2010 calendars of industry leaders across the country. That’s why it’s never too early to make plans to attend commercial real estate’s premier gathering.

And remember, you don’t need to be a member of BOMA to attend this conference. But you do have to register. For more information log on to www.bomaconvention.org.

Satisfaction Guarantee

If you are not 100% satisfied with your investment at the BOMA International Conference, write to us within two weeks after the conference and we will refund your registration fee.

Connect with us online

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GREEN BUILDING ALERT for Facility Executives

From the Editor - Building Operating Management magazine

To certify or not to certify, that seems to be the question for facility managers with respect to LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (LEED-EBOM). Skeptics of certification often wonder, "Why spend the extra money for, ostensibly, nothing more than a plaque in the lobby?"

There are many reasons to certify, not the least of which is garnering respect for and justifying the mission of not just the facilities management department, but the entire organization. Rick Perkinson, divisional director of facilities management at The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, says one of the reasons his organization decided to pursue certification was because the board wanted concrete evidence they could show the public regarding the many energy efficiency and sustainable initiatives the hospital had completed in the past five to 10 years. The fact that the hospital is the first health care facility to earn LEED-EBOM certification has also boosted the organization's credibility.

For owners of multitenant office facilities, one vertical market segment in which certification has become popular, the certification argument is a bit more cut-and-dried. As Al Skodowski, senior vice president and director for LEED and sustainability at Transwestern, puts it: "LEED-EBOM is a third-party, independent verification that you're doing things correctly. If you're looking for a lease and you see a plaque vs. someone who just says he's doing the right things, you'll pick the one with the plaque."

For facility managers who oversee multiple buildings, achieving LEED-EBOM certification on one building can be the show of success that gets the rest of the staff and the organization behind the idea of certification for other buildings. Once an organization achieves one certification, subsequent certifications become easier because the first project provided the framework for standardizing FM practices. "If you don't have things down in writing, and you're a large organization, people do things differently," says Peter Strazdas, associate vice president for facilities management at Western Michigan University. "So codifying brings a level of consistency."

LEED-EBOM certifications are on quite the uptick - there were 275 projects certified in 2009, compared to only 17 in 2006 - so clearly facility managers are finding the justifications they need to get the plaque on the wall.

Do you think going through the formal certification is worthwhile? What arguments have you used to justify the "cost of the plaque"?

Cheers,

Greg Zimmerman, editor

Green Strategies
Efficient With the Green

Sustainable strategies need not be costly to be effective. Here's how some prominent organizations went green on a budget.

In the News
USGBC and AIA Team Up
U.S. Green Building Council and the American Institute of Architects have agreed on a three-year action plan that will have the two organizations working together on several sustainable initiatives, including rebuilding Haiti and coordinating outreach, advocacy, and educational opportunities.

Green Toolkit
Building Operator Certification
This website provides information on the Building Operator Certification, a credential that could be a first step toward educating facility managers on achieving LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance certification.

GreenTech Conference & Expositionhttp://www.nfmt.com/handouts/2009/W221.pdf

An Introduction to LEED-EB

This presentation by Jim Newman of the Newman Consulting Group at the 2010 GreenTech Conference & Exposition delves into the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance rating system and provides facility managers tips and tricks on how to achieve many of the individual credits.

Also, there will be a feature-length article on that same topic appearing in the June issue of Building Operating Management magazine. Go to www.facilitiesnet.com/bom in early June to check it out.

Greg Zimmerman

Executive Editor

Building Operating Management magazine

3116 N. Leavitt St.

Chicago, IL 60618

414-228-7701, ext. 531

(fax) 414-228-1134

www.facilitiesnet.com

greg.zimmerman@tradepress.com

Reprinted with permission from Building Operating Management magazine

www.facilitiesnet.com/bom

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Advancements in Video Surveillance: Megapixel Analytics and More

Please join: VideoIQ and Security Products

Topic: Advancements in Video Surveillance: Megapixel Analytics, IQTrack Viewings, Intelligent Streaming Cameras and Encoders

Date: Thursday - May 13, 2010

Time: 2 PM (EST) 11 AM (PST)

http://www.1105info.com/t.do?id=4874312:2907688

Overview:

All surveillance cameras look, but how many actually see what's going on? But new advancements in intelligent video surveillance from VideoIQ are changing that by allowing for the distinguishing of people and vehicles from other objects, animals and scene movement and issuing alarms only when there is a viable threat. By pioneering edge based storage, VideoIQ iCVR camera and encoders have simplified installation and delivered greater deployment flexibility, allowing easier use of wireless networks, cellular connections and shared infrastructure.

Register for this free, live webinar to hear about VideoIQ's latest innovations, the iCVR family of IP66 rated outdoor and indoor dome cameras, the iCVR-MP line of megapixel cameras, and the iCST and the iCST line of streaming cameras and encoders that are pre-integrated with leading VMS platforms including Genetec, Milestone and OnSSI. Hear, how for little more than the cost of a conventional IP or HD camera, VideoIQ customers are now able to deploy a proactive surveillance system that allows them to rapidly assess and mitigate security threats before incidents occur, delivering the highest degree of real-time threat detection accuracy while simplifying installation.

During this free live webinar in which VideoIQ will discuss:

- Zero bandwidth recording at up to 1080p/30fps resolution

- Megapixel analytics

- IQTrack -- automatic digital PTZ zoom and track

- The iCST line of streaming cameras and encoders pre-integrated with 3rd party VMS platforms including Genetec, Milestone and OnSSI

- Real-world implementations across various organizations that have maximized surveillance investments

PRESENTERS:

Scott Schnell, President and CEO of VideoIQ

An IT security industry veteran, Scott Schnell brings over 20 years of experience to his role as president and CEO of VideoIQ. With deep expertise across sales, marketing, business development, professional services and engineering, Schnell has a proven track record of guiding innovative companies to market leadership.

Most recently, Schnell was an entrepreneur-in-residence at Atlas Venture where he identified potential investment opportunities and consulted with the firm's portfolio companies on go-to-market strategy and execution. Before Atlas, Schnell served as senior vice president of sales, marketing and professional services at RSA Security, where he was responsible for nearly doubling the company's customer base and driving record revenue results. At RSA, he also managed the acquisition and integration of four companies and achieved record levels of partner integration with industry leaders including Microsoft, Cisco and Accenture.

Schnell earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Utah.

A Q&A session will be held during the last 15 minutes of the Webinar.

Date: Thursday - May 13, 2010

Time: 2 PM (EST) 11 AM (PST)

http://www.1105info.com/t.do?id=4874313:2907688

Ralph C. Jensen, Editor-in-Chief, Security Products [mailto:SP@1105info.com]

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AFL Releases New Noyes OFL280 FlexTester

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – April 21, 2010

AFL Telecommunications announces the introduction of the Noyes OFL280 FlexTester, a hand-held, multifunction OTDR and loss test set offering incomparable flexibility and exceptional value. With unmatched combinations of fiber optic test functions, ease-of-use and portability, all OFL280 FlexTester models include an integrated single-mode 1310/1550 nm OTDR with PON-optimized and standard test modes, optical power meter, 1310/1550 nm laser source and visual fault locator.

The OFL280 FlexTester will replace or upgrade four existing OFL250/OFL280 models:

FlexTester Model	Wavelengths, Range and Special Features	Will Replace or Upgrade
OFL280-100	1310/1550 nm, 34/32 dB	OFL250 dual-wavelength
OFL280-101	1310/1550/1625 nm, 34/32/30 dB	OFL250 triple-wavelength
OFL280-102	1310/1490/1550 nm, 34/32/32 dB	Existing OFL280-102
OFL280-103	1310/1550/1625 nm, 34/32/30 dB with live fiber filter and FTTx PON meter	Existing OFL280-103

Operating at 1310/1550 nm, the OFL280-100 is suitable for certifying point-to-point or FTTx PON fibers, allowing the detection of macro bends. The OFL280-101 adds 1625 nm, allowing certification of the L-band for transport use. Testing at 1490 nm is required by some network operators to certify FTTx PONs, making the OFL280-102 the best choice. The filtered, three wavelength OFL280-103 certifies dark fibers at 1310/1550 nm, fault-locates live FTTx fibers at 1625 nm, and measures FTTx power levels at 1490 and 1550 nm, all from a single test port. All OFL280 FlexTester models can test through FTTx PON splitters!

As with all Noyes OTDR's, test results may be saved as industry standard .SOR files, which can be transferred to a PC for viewing, printing and analysis using supplied Windows® compatible software.

The enhanced-capability OFL280 FlexTester will replace comparable OFL250 and OFL280 models with no price increases. For additional information, visit www.AFLtele.com.

About AFL Telecommunications
AFL Telecommunications is an industry leader in providing fiber optic products, engineering expertise and integrated services to the Electric Utility, Broadband, Telco, OEM, Private Network and Wireless markets. It has operations in the U.S., Mexico and the U.K. AFL Telecommunications is a division of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan.

Contact

Chris Blair
AFL Telecommunications
603.528.7780
chris.blair@afltele.com

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Storm of Social Sites - Social networking is becoming a necessity to stay competitive

By Darlene Bremer

Reprinted with permission from the Electrical Contractor Magazine

www.ecmag.com

In the beginning, there was the bulletin board system, an online meeting place (accessed over telephone lines using a modem, if you recall) that allowed users to communicate with a central system where they could download files or games and post messages to other users. Although restricted by slow data transfer speeds and limited to text only, bulletin board systems gained in popularity well into the 1990s, along with the use of services such as CompuServe and America Online (AOL), the latter of which is considered by many to be the true precursor to today’s social networking sites with its instant messaging application.

“Social networking has been around almost since the advent of the Internet,” said Paul Chaney, Internet marketing director for Bizzuka, Lafayette, La., and the author of “The Digital Handshake.” It can take the form of the more passive e-mail or of forums and blogs, which qualify more accurately as forms of social networking since they allow for user interaction. “However, the heyday of social networking didn’t really start until the early to mid part of the first decade of this century, with the advent of social networking sites, like Friendster and Ryze, a predecessor to LinkedIn,” Chaney said.

Today, social networking sites are defined as Web-based services that allow individuals to construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, assemble a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system, according to Danah Boyd from the School of Information at the University of California, Berkeley, and Nicole B. Ellison from the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies and Media at Michigan State University. Currently, there are no reliable data to indicate how many people use social networking sites, but it’s obvious they are growing in popularity.

Today, the most commonly used social networking sites are Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Viewed by sheer numbers, MySpace is still considered popular, but it has a high abandonment rate, Chaney said.

At its launch in 2004, Facebook was restricted to users with a Harvard University e-mail address. Even as it grew to support other universities, it remained an intimate, private community that was restricted to users with university e-mail addresses. Beginning in 2005, Facebook expanded to include high school students, then professionals inside corporate networks, and, eventually, everyone everywhere.

Then came Twitter. With a constant river of conversation about any and all topics, Twitter is really a social instant messaging application limited to 140 characters per post, which differs in application from the other sites.

“I refer to LinkedIn as your business suit, in that it is designed strictly as a tool for business interactions. Facebook is business casual, and Twitter is a virtual social networking party you attend after hours,” Chaney said.

Social network marketing

As the demographics of both workers and customers change, so do the dynamics of marketing. Marketers are using more online promotional tools, including search engines, blogs, podcasts, really simple syndication (RSS) and social networks.

According to Barb Mosher, a Web solution architect for Suite 101, social network marketing is fast on the rise and is currently the second most popular online marketing tactic. Companies can create a group or network that people join, and companies demonstrate and share their knowledge and expertise to this focused group of individuals. According to Mosher, some companies go so far as to create a profile on sites, such as Facebook or MySpace. These profiles are similar to blogs in that they allow a business to share their knowledge and give the company a more personal appeal. (For more on this, see Editor’s Eye, page 6.)

“There is ample evidence to suggest that people do appreciate businesses [that] have a presence inside these social networks, so long as they play by the rules and don’t abuse the privilege,” Chaney said.

Social networks provide a place to turn a stranger into a friend and a friend into a customer. They build on the advantages of word-of-mouth marketing that are inherent within many networks.

“The biggest benefit of using social networking sites for marketing is that it demonstrates the company’s capabilities, culture and philosophy,” said Steve Witz, vice president at Continental Electrical Construction Co., Skokie, Ill.

Continental has already begun using sites such as YouTube to broadcast video messages to employees and has used e-blasts for major announcements. During the first half of 2010, Continental will join Facebook as a company entity.

“It’s a necessity to be part of the trend to demonstrate that the company is on the cutting-edge of technology. Facebook is really another communication tool to showcase our abilities,” Witz said.

Currently, Valley Electrical Consolidated Inc., Girard, Ohio, promotes the company on social networking sites only through employees’ own pages.

“Company promotion occurs as they discuss their lives and careers online with friends and industry colleagues,” said Rex Ferry, president and CEO, and president of the National Electrical Contractors Association.

For an initial marketing contact, Dave Washebek, president of Lemberg Electric Co. Inc., Brookfield, Wis., believes social networks are just fine.

“But in my opinion, after the initial communication is established online, you need to fall back on traditional marketing and communication to maintain and improve the relationship,” Washebek said.

Strategies

Because electrical contractors (ECs) operate in a business-to-business (B2B) environment, Chaney sees sites, such as LinkedIn and Twitter, as playing vital roles.

“LinkedIn is important from the standpoint of connecting contractors with potential business partners, vendors and other stakeholders,” he said.

Plus, putting themselves “out there” on LinkedIn provides another brand-building opportunity and a place where contractors can differentiate themselves from the competition. Twitter also works well, Chaney said, as a notification and messaging system and is a great way to meet new people as well.

Contractors that are considering the use of social media as a marketing tool need to understand that the value of the network created lies in the quality of the contacts included, not the quantity, and once you’ve established a list, it’s important to be judicious in its use. It’s great to send notes and information to your contacts and customers, but if you send too many, those notes are less likely to get read or you might even be dropped as a contact.

“It’s all about trust. People want to do business with people they trust,” Chaney said.

Training and skills

“Often, companies make social networking a function just of the marketing or public relationship departments, but it should cut across divisions and departments,” Chaney said, adding that reaching such a level demands that companies embrace the concepts and philosophy of social networking, which requires training.

“It’s important to train everyone in your social media strategy,” Ferry said. “You never know who will take the most advantage of the opportunity and develop it further for the company.”

Washebek also believes that everyone at the company needs to be informed of its media strategies so that they can participate effectively. “However, it’s most important to train project managers and sale personnel because they are the people with the closest client contact,” he said.

Because social network marketing is different than traditional marketing, additional skills are required. Traditional marketing broadcasts a message in a single direction, while social media engages consumers in conversations inside communities where there is shared interest and relevance.

“Social media still rely on targeting the appropriate audience, but it engages that audience in conversation, builds trust and gains permission to engage further,” Chaney said.

That means a long-term vision and patience is essential in using social networking sites as marketing tools. In addition, its people-centric nature means the company’s marketing personnel need to be able to educate, inform and interact without pushing.

“Think of marketing via social networks the same way you would use a face-to-face social networking event and don’t use it as just another selling channel,” Chaney said.

According to Ferry, to remain successful, a business has to keep structurally changing and social networking sites are going to change the way people and businesses communicate.

“The successful contractor will not fight that change,” Ferry said.

Since young people use social networking sites to communicate, Witz said a company’s marketing skill set must include the willingness to embrace new technologies and ways of communicating.

Washebek cautions that presentation on social networking sites better be near perfect.

“You can’t allow any misunderstandings to occur, particularly since what you are saying online represents the company,” Washebek said.

For any marketing tactic to be considered successful, there must be a way to measure its effectiveness. Web solution architect Mosher suggested thinking about which social networks to advertise or join and to learn to track the appropriate conversion rates. Without tracking, you are not marketing, and successful marketing in today’s climate requires an online social networking component.

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

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Best-in-Class Buildings Earn BOMA 360 Designation for Exceptional Operations and Management

(WASHINGTON—April 12, 2010) The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International today announced the latest class of buildings to earn the BOMA 360 Performance Program designation. The BOMA 360 Performance Program is a groundbreaking new program designed to recognize commercial properties that demonstrate best practices in building operations and management. The new designees join the growing number of best-in-class buildings to receive the BOMA 360 designation since its inception last spring.

“These building should be very proud of their achievement in earning the BOMA 360 designation,” commented BOMA International Chair James A. Peck, RPA, FMA, senior director of asset services, CB Richard Ellis. “The BOMA 360 designation tells investors, peers, tenants and the industry at large that a building is performing at the highest standards of excellence.”

The BOMA 360 Performance Program is an online self-assessment that evaluates properties on six major areas of building management: building operations and management; life safety/security/risk management; training and education; energy; environment/sustainability; and tenant relations/community involvement. The holistic nature of the BOMA 360 Performance Program means that every aspect of building performance is assessed and scores are based on how buildings meet an extensive checklist of best practices. The program comes at a critical time, as building owners and managers are looking to differentiate themselves from competition in a distressed market.

The new class of BOMA 360 buildings includes:

35 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, Ill.

Owner: Piedmont Office Realty Trust

Management Company: Piedmont Office Management

201 17th St. Atlantic Station

Atlanta, Ga.

Owner: One Market Street Office, LLC

Management Company: Carter & Associates

271 17th Street in Atlantic Station

Atlanta, Ga.

Owner: 271 Office Associates, LLC

Management Company: Carter & Associates

2925 Briarpark

Houston, Texas

Owner: Houston GPI, LTD.

Management Company: Granite Properties

America Tower

Houston, Texas

Owner: American General Life Insurance Company

Management Company: Cushman & Wakefield of Texas, Inc.

FBI Chicago Regional Office

Chicago, Ill.

Owner: FBI Chicago Partners LLC

Management Company: USAA Real Estate Company

Granite Westchase II

Houston, Texas

Owner: Granite 190 Center, LTD dba Granite Westchase Partners, Ltd

Management Company: Granite Properties

Hammond U.S. Courthouse

Hammond, Ind.

Owner: U.S. General Services Administration

Management Company: U.S. General Services Administration

Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Plaza 3

The Woodlands, Texas

Owner: The Woodlands POB III, L.P.

Management Company: CB Richard Ellis

The Madison

Addison, Texas

Owner: GPI Tollway-Madison, LLC

Management Company: Granite Properties

Tucson Federal Building

Tucson, Ariz.

Owner: U.S. General Services Administration

Management Company: U.S. General Services Administration

Weslayan Tower

Houston, Texas

Owner: Granite Weslayan Partners, Ltd.

Management Company: Granite Properties

To view all the buildings that have received the BOMA 360 designation, visit http://www.boma.org/getinvolved/boma360/Pages/360Buildings.aspx.

For more information on the BOMA 360 Performance Program, visit www.boma.org/GetInvolved/BOMA360.

***

About BOMA International

The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International is an international federation of more than 100 local associations and affiliated organizations. Founded in 1907, its 17,000-plus members own or manage more than 9 billion square feet of commercial properties. BOMA International’s mission is to enhance the human, intellectual and physical assets of the commercial real estate industry through advocacy, education, research, standards and information. On the Web at www.boma.org.

More BOMA Conference programs – PLAN TO ATTEND

Real Estate's New Normal: A Time of Incredible Challenges and Rich Possibilities

Tuesday General Session | June 29, 2010

Sponsored by Johnson Controls, Inc.

In times of economic uncertainty, you have to create an advantage. Join top market leaders in the commercial real estate industry for a lively hour-long discussion at the Tuesday General Session moderated by Kurt Padavano, COO of Advance Realty Group. Hear from expert panelists who will take an in-depth look at what has become the “new normal” in today’s volatile real estate market. How are they positioning their companies to weather this cycle? When will capital markets and the commercial real estate industry start turning the corner? Are there signs of life in the CMBS market? How are they increasing operational efficiencies and turning around under-performing assets? These topics and much more will be addressed in what promises to be an enlightening and insightful discussion at the BOMA 2010 Conference.

Moderator:
Kurt Padavano, RPA, CPM, FMA, SMA
Chief Operating Officer
Advance Realty Group
Bedminster, NJ

With more than 25 years of commercial real estate experience and well-known nationally in the industry as a forward-thinking leader, Kurt Padavano is Chief Operating Officer of Advance Realty and Former Chair of BOMA International. As COO, Kurt provides executive oversight to the various divisions that support Advance’s 4.5 million-sq.-ft. portfolio in N.J. and the Washington D.C. region and its development pipeline of several million sq. ft.

Panelist:
James W. Arce
Executive Managing Director, Client Solutions
Cushman & Wakefield of California, Inc.
San Francisco, CA

James Arce is the national head of investor services, responsible for property management and agency leasing. Previously he oversaw more than 29 million sq. ft. of investor and corporate user accounts in the San Francisco Bay Area, Nevada and Utah regions.

Panelist:
Mike Kent
President
Real Estate Management Services
USA FirstService Real Estate Advisors
Los Angeles, CA

FirstService Real Estate Advisors is the fourth largest commercial real estate firm in the world. With full operational responsibility for real estate management services, Mike Kent is dedicated to helping clients drive value within their portfolios and is known widely for his unparalleled expertise and creativity in property and asset management.

Panelist:
Sandra L. Boyle, CPM, LEED AP
Executive Vice President
Development and Project Management Glenborough LLC
San Mateo, CA

Sandra Boyle is responsible for development and project management, which includes “ground up” property development as well as major renovation, rehabilitation and repositioning of designated properties in the company’s managed portfolio. She also leads Glenborough’s sustainability efforts.

State of the Industry 2010
Kicking off the Tuesday General Session are BOMA International President and COO Henry Chamberlain and BOMA Former Chair Kurt Padavano, discussing the state of commercial real estate in 2010.

Henry Chamberlain, CAE, APR
President & COO
BOMA International
Washington, DC

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Join the BICSI Board of Directors

BICSI is seeking nominations for the upcoming Board of Directors election. Volunteering with BICSI brings many new and exciting professional opportunities. The next several years promise to be exciting ones for BICSI. The organization will continue to have a positive impact on the ITS industry and the Board of Directors will play a central role in this important work.

We urge you to nominate yourself or others whom you feel would be qualified for the following positions:
Secretary
Canadian Region Director
U.S. Southeast Region Director
U.S. South-Central Region Director
U.S. Western Region Director
Since its founding in 1974, BICSI has become recognized as an effective provider of support to the ITS industry, having a real impact on the world. We invite you to become a part of this growing tradition. The BICSI Board of Directors proactively influences the future of BICSI and our industry. Volunteer and become an advocate!
Apply today-the deadline is May 31, 2010.
Forms:

Nomination Form - pdf

Background Authorization/Release - pdf

Sample Letter of Corporate Support - doc

BICSI-Advancing Information Technology Systems
Toll-free: 800.242.7405
Tel: +1 813.979.1991
www.bicsi.org

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BICSI’s first Technical Education Summit, May 21-22, in Denver. Will you be attending?

This two-day event is packed with technical seminars providing BICSI credential holders an opportunity to gain up to 10 CECs toward renewal. Additionally, exhibitors will be on site showcasing their products and services.

Vendors include:

•	ADC	•	Middle Atlantic Products, Inc.
•	AFL Telecommunications	•	Minute Man Power Technologies
•	ComCables	•	Panasonic System Networks Co.
•	Corning, Inc.	•	Porta Systems Corp.
•	Corning Cable Systems	•	Quabbin Wire & Cable Co., Inc.
•	ERICO/CADDY Fasteners	•	Quiktron
•	Fluke Networks	•	Raritan, Inc.
•	Graybar	•	Rocky Mountain Networks
•	Ideal Industries	•	ScanSource Security
•	Jameson, LLC	•	Videolarm
•	MaxCell	•	Wiremaid Cable Mgr.

Don’t miss out on this low-cost event. The Summit is similar to a BICSI conference, with the exception that its condensed format allows you to spend less time away from the office!

Click here for more information and to register.

Traveling with your family? Denver is home to world-class museums, a downtown amusement park and one of the nation’s most popular zoos. Denver’s attractions are sure to fill your trip with a wide range of sights and sounds. Visit www.denver.org for more local information.

Mark your calendar to join us in Denver for the BICSI Technical Education Summit!

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BOMA International’s Industrial Measurement Standard Receives ANSI Accreditation

(WASHINGTON—May 5, 2010) The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International has announced that its area measurement standard, Industrial Buildings: Standard Methods of Measurement (ANSI/BOMA Z.65.2–2009) has been accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The standard, developed by BOMA International and the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors® provides guidance on how to measure the floor area of industrial buildings. Depending on a building’s configuration, users can choose one of the two dominant market practices observed in North America, the exterior wall methodology or the drip line methodology.

“We are proud to have our industrial floor measurement standard recognized by ANSI. The standard is a critical source of clear, concise information on how to measure industrial buildings,” remarked BOMA International Chair James A. Peck, RPA, FMA, senior director of asset services, CB Richard Ellis. “For nearly a century, BOMA has been the leader in building measurement. In the coming months we will be releasing a comprehensive suite of standards that reflect the needs of today’s property professionals.”

BOMA has also begun the process of putting its entire suite of building measurement standards through the ANSI consensus process, including the recently published Office Buildings: Standard Methods of Measurement (2010) and Gross Areas of a Building: Standard Methods of Measurement (2009). BOMA is also developing two new measurement standards set to debut in 2010, one for multi-unit residential buildings and one for retail buildings.

Learn more about BOMA’s measurement standards.

***

About BOMA International
The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International is an international federation of more than 100 local associations and affiliated organizations. Founded in 1907, its 17,000-plus members own or manage more than nine billion square feet of commercial properties. BOMA International’s mission is to enhance the human, intellectual and physical assets of the commercial real estate industry through advocacy, education, research, standards and information. On the Web at www.boma.org.

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CABA NewsBrief

HOME SYSTEMS

Study: Penetration levels are increasing on key CE devices
The penetration level for consumer-electronics devices such as flat-panel TVs, Blu-ray players, netbooks and e-readers are pacing ahead of last year, according to a new report by NPD Group. The penetration level of flat-panel TVs, for instance, has increased from 61% in 2009 to 64% this year, and netbooks doubled, from 4% to 8%. Home Media Magazine (5/3)

Microsoft looks to make Media Center more living room-friendly
Hoping to make its Media Center more welcome in users' living rooms, Microsoft recently released Windows Embedded Standard 7 to OEM TV-app developers. The new offering is designed to make Media Center more compatible with set-top boxes and HDTVs, and, according to Microsoft's Irena Andonova, the initiative "brings the same functionality and features from Windows PCs to the world of specialized devices." CEPro.com (5/3)

Energy Star 4.0 system debuted May 1
New, stricter Energy Star 4.0 guidelines went into effect May 1. As a result, a 50-inch HDTV must burn 153 watts or less to attain the rating, as opposed to the Energy Star 3.0 system, in which a 50-inch set could burn 318 watts and still get the coveted logo. PC World (5/1)

HP tablet plans draw interest after Palm deal
HP wants to leverage its planned purchase of Palm to develop other wireless or connected products around its webOS software, including tablet computers, according to a company executive. The company, which has been developing a Windows-based slate, will abandon the Microsoft platform in favor of webOS, according to Internet reports. Reuters (4/30)

Google working on Android-based TV software
Reports indicate that Google is expected to introduce Android-based TV software next month that already has the support of companies such as Sony, Intel and Logitech International. A discussion of the initiative, which, according to this report, would enable greater cross-pollination of content from the Internet to TVs, set-top boxes and other devices, is believed to be on the agenda at the Google I/O conference for developers on May 19 and 20 in San Francisco. The Wall Street Journal (4/30)

Home automation lowers energy consumption
Smart homes give homeowners the ability to control and automate their thermostats. Homeowners can setup a system where the control unit opens or closes the window blinds based on the time of day and position of the sun. Uses like these could reduce that amount of time the air conditioning or heat needs to run, cutting down on electricity use. Technically Philly (5/4)

Cost of flat-screen TVs expected to increase in the third quarter
The cost of liquid-crystal display panels will continue to fall during the second quarter of this year, but prices will head back up again in the third quarter, according to a report from DisplaySearch. Analysts believe that the varying cost of manufacturing LCD panels will have a corresponding effect on the prices consumers pay for the TV sets at retail. The Wall Street Journal/Digits blog (4/29)

Consumer confidence healthy; tech confidence not so much
The Conference Board reports consumer confidence hit 57.9, up from 52.3 in March, marking its highest level since September 2008, when the index was at 61.4. Yet confidence in the tech sector isn't recovering as fast. The CEA-CNET Index of Consumer Technology Expectations dropped to 72.3 in April, a dip of more than 11 points from March and down more than five points from a year ago. Dealerscope (4/27)

Study: Children love HDTVs, laptops
A new study from The NPD Group reports that 74% of children, 4 to 14, are watching their favorite shows and movies on HDTVs and 70% use either a desktop or laptop. TWICE (4/28)

Ontario hydro utility transforms city into WiFi hotspot
Festival Hydro in Stratford, Ontario is using its new smart meter program to transform the city into one large 802.11n WiFi hotspot. Network World (4/29)

Estonia posses perfect climate for smart dwellings development
Ron Zimmer, CABA President & CEO, said that the environment for developing smart houses in Estonia is favourable since a large number of local people live in apartment buildings and not in private residences. The Baltic Course (4/27)

HomePlug powers onward as connected home play
In the home networking standards game, the HomePlug Powerline Alliance is sometimes overshadowed by Home Phoneline Networking Alliance and the Multimedia over Coax Alliance, but a closer relationship with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is raising its profile. Connected Planet (4/23)

Large Building Automation

U.S. offices lag in efficiency, conservation
U.S. office buildings are not keeping pace with building automation, leading to lost productivity and added costs, according to a survey of U.S. office workers by IBM. Only 33 percent of respondents rated their office buildings “high” in terms of environmental responsibility. Environmental Leader (4/30)

Investors willing to pay premium for green buildings
Almost two-thirds of professional Canadian real estate investors are planning to add to their portfolios over the next 12 months and are willing to pay a premium for green buildings, a global survey of the commercial property market found. Toronto Sun (5/4)

HVAC growth observed in March shipments
March was a good month for water heaters in the U.S., with factory shipments of gas units up 21% and shipments of electric units up 16%, according to figures just released by the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). ApplianceMagazine.com (5/4)

EnOcean Alliance to exhibit wireless lighting control products
The EnOcean Alliance will highlight the salient aspects of the future lighting system controls for the intelligent building during Lightfair International 2010 in Las Vegas from May 12-14, 2010. AZosensors (5/4)

Honeywell to service 10 new LEED schools in Alberta
Honeywell announced a $78-million contract with B2L Partnership, which is contracted to the province of Alberta, Canada, to deliver a total asset management program for 10 new kindergarten through 9th-grade schools in Calgary and Edmonton. CNW (4/30)

ZigBee Smart Energy profile released
The ZigBee Alliance has released the .7 version of the ZigBee Smart Energy Public Application Profile. It is now available for public download. As previously announced, this follows the public release of the Technical Requirements Document (TRD) and will be followed by the .9 version and the final specification. ZigBee Alliance (4/28)

LEED important benchmark for smarter, greener construction
There was a time when the term 'LEED' - short for 'Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design' - was reserved almost solely for construction-related manuals and trade publications. Not so anymore. Take the example of a February 2009 Toronto Star headline, LEED-ing the way, for a story about Canada's first residential development built entirely to LEED Platinum specifications. AZoBuilding (4/30)

KNX scores with energy efficiency in Europe, Asia and the U.S.
In recent years, KNX has developed particularly strongly in terms of system properties, international standardisation, international prevalence, and product variety. In the context of integrated room automation incorporating lighting, shading, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, KNX ensures a high level of comfort and low energy costs (savings of up to 50%). KNX (4/11)

ConnectivityWeek to provide critical perspectives on smart grid innovation
Nearly 250 speakers at ConnectivityWeek 2010 will address the ways smart technologies and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) will converge to maximize energy efficiency. Held at the Santa Clara Convention Center, May 24-27, ConnectivityWeek will bring together technology leaders, government, utilities, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists to discuss key issues impacting residential, commercial and industrial energy consumers. Market Watch (5/5)

Schneider sees growth as economy in Southeast Asia improves
Energy management solution provider Schneider Electric expects to record a single digit growth in 2010 in line with improving market conditions in new economies. Demand for energy management was increasing as most of companies and industry players now more aware about the importance of energy efficiency and green technology which would enable them to save cost of operations. Business Times (5/5)

Member Press Releases

MatrikonOPC now offers industrial strength data connectivity for FINS Protocol
MatrikonOPC™ is pleased to announce the support for FINS communication protocol in the OPC Server for OMRON. This OPC Server enables automation professionals to integrate their engineering systems with HMI, Historians, ERP and MES securely and reliably via the power of OPC.

Other Items

GreenPeak Technologies helps to roll out the new green wireless network for home and office
Never change remote control batteries ever again: Visit GreenPeak at NAB
MatrikonOPC offers OPC connectivity for IEC 61850 Protocol
MatrikonOPC Joins Honeywell PKS Advantage Program

CABA Research Spotlight

Building Information Modeling
This report from McGraw Hill Construction is a market survey of the acceptance and use of Building Information Modeling (BIM). The survey was conducted among 23 construction industry organizations including the U.S. Army Core of Engineers. BIM is being adopted from the bottom-up in the construction industry. 62% said they will be using BIM in 30% of projects in 2009. The benefits of BIM include coordination of software and project personnel and improved productivity, communication, and quality control. More training, management acceptance, and lower costs are needed. BIM is defined as “The process of creating and using digital models for design, construction and/or operations of projects.” BIM can impact green buildings. Numerous case studies are included.

Education & Training

Webcast: Energy Monitoring and Reporting Solutions
Darlene Pope of CoR Advisors and panel of experts will discuss how to obtain real-time energy consumption data from building systems during a free webcast, scheduled for May 7 at 12:30 pm ET. The webcast will examine options for analyzing historical trends, benchmarking current consumption, monitoring real-time energy usage, collecting data, and creating custom dashboards for energy reporting and analytics.

Webinar: 2010 ENERGY STAR Partners of the Year for Energy Management
What does it take to be recognized as having one of the best energy management programs in the country? If you want to know, then join ENERGY STAR on May 19, at 1:00 pm for a web conference featuring presentations from two of this year’s ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award winners.

Seminars: Lutron: How to Remodel Your Business
In light of Lutron’s new wireless solutions, which are ideal for the retrofit and remodeling markets, Group Gerhardt announces a new training series, “How to Remodel Your Business.”. “How to Remodel Your Business” covers the steps necessary to transform your business into a new model that will focus on the existing home market and the wireless offerings that allow the development of that market. This course is packed with new material, including an in-depth overview of Lutron’s wireless products as well as specific courses of action. Learn more here about seminar times and locations.

Workshop: U.K. Network Service Demonstrators
The UK Technology Strategy Board has announced a new competition for funding, Digital Testbed: Network Services Demonstrators [formerly referred to as ‘Generation II Digital Testbeds’], opening on May 10th. We expect the demonstrators that emerge from this competition's projects to become national hotspots for trials and innovation in business models, applications and services that centre on advanced network infrastructure and service enablers. The competition is open to business-led consortia, and we encourage collaboration among the various communities in the digital ecosystem. In order to facilitate the formation of such consortia, the Technology Strategy Board, with support from the Digital Communications Knowledge Network, will be running an open consortium building workshop in London on May 12.

Invitation for Energy and Power Trade Mission to India: July 2010
The Alliance For US India Business is organizing its third Energy and Power Trade and Political mission to India visiting Bangalore in July 2010. The goal is to offer U.S. energy firms a cost effective opportunity to meet and interact with potential business partners and government decision makers shaping India's energy sector. The mission offers direct interaction with top Indian energy and power houses, customized meetings upon request, networking sessions, and presentation opportunities.

CABA News

CABA to attend 2010 EE Global Forum and LIGHTFAIR International
Ron Zimmer, CABA President & CEO, will present at the 2010 Energy Efficiency Global Forum & Exposition in Washington, DC on May 11 at 4:50 pm. Ron will speak about policy and Google's effort to provide consumers with real-time access to energy consumption data. CABA will also be attending LIGHTFAIR International 2010 from May 12 to 14, to be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center. CABA will be located at booth #2429 during the show.

CABA held session on Market Sizing Survey at BICSI event
Ken Gallinger, CABA's Marketing Director, led a session at the BICSI 2010 Canada Conference & Exhibition on May 5 at 9:15 am ET in Montreal, Quebec describing CABA's latest large building research project: Intelligent and Integrated Buildings Technologies: Market Size in North America 2010. The session provided an overview of the project, which culiminated into a report that provides an in depth analysis of the growing North American markets for integrated and converged intelligent building control systems ranging from environmental control technologies, to fire detection, to security to lighting systems to IT convergence. The presentation is available for download on CABA's Web site.

CABA adds Cadillac Fairview, Verizon to Board of Directors
Cadillac Fairview and Verizon today have been appointed to the CABA Board of Directors. The decision was ratified during a Board meeting held at Alcatel-Lucent's Bell Laboratories facility in New Jersey. Scot Adams of Cadillac Fairview and Michael Clay of Verizon will represent their respective companies on the CABA Board forthwith. There is still one vacancy on the CABA Board of Directors and interested organizations should contact Ron Zimmer, CABA President & CEO, at zimmer@caba.org.

CABA welcomes new Research Director
Lise Robitaille has been hired as the new CABA Research Director. Lise has over 10 years experience in research and holds a M.Sc. in Project Management, a B.Soc.Sc. in Sociology, and a B.Ed. She will be officially starting on April 29, 2010 at the CABA office and will be attending the upcoming Connected Home Research Council meeting and Digital Home Ecosystem Forum. She can be contacted at robitaille@caba.org or 613.686.1814 x228.

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Coleman Cable Keeps You Plugged Into Power

WAUKEGAN, Ill. (April 27, 2010) – Coleman Cable, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCIX) introduces an updated line of Locking Extension Cords that keep tools plugged in, eliminating the frustration and hassle of power loss. When connected to a tool or other electrical devices, these cords provide a positive lock and can be disengaged only by choice. The Locking Extension Cords are ideal for jobsites, workshops and outdoor everyday usage.

These UL listed extension cords have a SJTW jacket that provides rugged durability and resists moisture, abrasion and prolonged exposure to sunlight and the elements. They are available in 14 and 12 gauge, and in 50 ft. and 100 ft. lengths.

About Coleman Cable Inc.

CCI is a leading manufacturer and innovator of electrical and electronic wire and cable products for the security, sound, telecommunications, electrical, commercial, industrial, and automotive industries. With extensive design and production capabilities and a long-standing dedication to customer service, Coleman Cable, Inc. is the preferred choice of cable and wire users throughout the North America. The company is located at 1530 Shields Drive, Waukegan, IL 60085. For more information, visit: www.colemancable.com

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Industry First Demarc Extension White Paper for Telecom Agents and Carriers Published

White Paper Exposes the Critical Role of the Demarc Extension in all Enterprise Network Telecommunications Infrastructure

DULLES, VA, MAY 11, 2010 – Demarc Extension Nationwide today announced the publication of the industry’s first white paper to support telecom agents and carriers in ensuring complete operability of the circuit at the time of delivery. Titled, “The Demarc Extension and its Critical Role in Enterprise Network Telecommunications Infrastructure,” this white paper will expose the lack of standardization of the demarc extension as well as emphasize the impact this important piece of cabling has on businesses and buildings across the US and internationally.

“This white paper sets industry standards and guidance for the most important transmission path in commercial buildings. Without standards and guidelines, the potential to install the demarc extension incorrectly increases and can threaten business and effect productivity,” advises developer of Demarc Extension Nationwide and President of Concert Technologies, Dennis Mazaris. “This issue is important for the telecom agent and the carrier to address in order to increase customer satisfaction and ensure future business.”

Information highlighted in this white paper includes:

The importance of the demarc extension to essential circuit delivery and customer satisfaction

Isolating circuit versus inside wiring problems quickly

The correlation between the loss of standardization and poor installation practices

Clarification regarding who is responsible for the installation

Installer survey data for demarc extensions

Demarc extension standards and resources

About Demarc Extension Nationwide

Demarc Extension Nationwide is a brand of Concert Technologies and was developed as the telecommunications industry leader of nationwide installation services and education of the demarc extension. In addition to providing these nationwide installation and maintenance services, the brand sets the standards and supplies the necessary information to facilitate the understanding of specifications and installation practices for demarc extensions. Demarc Extension Nationwide supports the telecom agent and carrier in ensuring complete operability of the circuit at the customer’s site. Visit Demarc Extension Nationwide online at www.demarcextension.com

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Draka Americas: Draka Communications Americas Announces a New Series of Fiber Cables Designed for Data Centers

Claremont, North Carolina, April 26, 2010 (NYSE EURONEXT: DRAK) – Draka Communications Americas, one of the world's leading optical fiber manufacturers, announces the release of a new series of fiber optic cables designed to support efficient operation of high speed data centers. Draka's new Micro Fiber Cable (MFC) product is a non-preferential bend, plenum rated cable fully compatible with MPO-style multifiber connectors. The MFC incorporates color-coded 250 micron fibers that support efficient ribbonization/connectorization practices without the challenges posed by tight buffered cables. The MFC series of cables covers a broad range of fiber counts from 12 to 72 fibers to meet the growing demand for fiber in today's data centers and beyond.

Draka's Communications Americas MFC series may utilize Draka's 850nm laser optimized 50µm bend insensitive multimode fiber for 10 Gb/s applications, MaxCap-BB with Bendbright® technology. Recently, Draka Communications Americas announced that these advanced technology multimode fibers will be the default standard offering for all 50µm products and a true value add benefit for its customers. This major step forward includes using Draka's world class bend insensitive MaxCap-BB fiber as the default fiber standard in OM3 and OM4 multimode cables. Furthermore, OM2 multimode cable orders will be filled by using Draka 150 meter, 10 gigabit laser optimized fiber for all standard applications.

"The MFC cable design along with Draka's bend insensitive multimode fiber is a significant value proposition for the data center manager and operator. We listen to our customers and return value and innovative solutions to them" states Jack Rosko, Market Manager for Private Networks.

Draka's MaxCap-BB multimode fiber meets and exceeds the OM2, OM3 and OM4 industry standards for high-bandwidth, laser-optimized multimode fiber. Draka's new plenum rated data center cables are designed and tested to Telcordia Technologies GR-409 CORE and ANSI/ICEA S-83-596-2001.

About Draka
Draka (Euronext Amsterdam: DRAK), headquartered in Amsterdam, has 9600 employees in countries worldwide and 2009 revenues of over € 2 billion. Draka has a presence in 31 countries in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia.

Draka's activities are divided into three groups: Energy & Infrastructure, Industry & Speciality and Communications. Draka Communications with its four business units, Telecom Solutions, Multimedia Specials, Optical Fiber and Cable Solutions is a global market leader in the development, production and sales of fibers, cables and advanced network solutions. For more information visit us online at www.draka.com/communications.

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Draka Americas: Draka Communications Americas Announces MaxCap Bendbright as the Standard Fiber in All 50-Micron OM3 and OM4 Multimode Fiber Cable

Claremont, North Carolina, April 19, 2010 (NYSE EURONEXT: DRAK) - Draka Communications Americas, the world's number one multimode fiber manufacturer, announces that it will exclusively begin to offer its bend insensitive MaxCap Bendbright fiber as the default fiber standard in OM3 and OM4 multimode cables. Furthermore, Draka also announces it will begin to supply its 150 meter, 10 gigabit laser optimized fiber as the default fiber standard in all OM2 multimode cables.

As a leader in bend insensitive fiber technology, Draka Communications Americas is demonstrating the increasing value and benefits of bend insensitive fiber, both single mode and multimode, to its customers. Draka cables incorporating bend insensitive fiber demonstrate improved performance, are more forgiving during installation, and provide savings opportunities to the customer. Bend insensitive fiber cables bring immediate benefits to the user through:

simplified cable routing

reduced attenuation when exposed to tight bends and pressure points

increased cable density in trays and conduit as a result of a smaller diameter cable

reduced cable rework due to tight bends or pressure points on the cable

improved optical performance

Data center, campus, LAN, and enterprise projects often encounter tight bends and restricted space requirements. Draka's MaxCap Bendbright products can tolerate tight bend conditions while delivering excellent optical performance.

In addition to the OM3 and OM4 announcement, Draka also announces that its OM2 multimode fiber will perform to a 150 meter 10 gigabit laser optimized performance standard as part of its default product offering.

"Today's announcements are a major step forward for both our customers and Draka. Draka continues to demonstrate its technical leadership by offering laser optimized, bend insensitive 50 micron fiber cables as the standard product offering. Draka's MaxCap Bendbright OM3 and OM4 fibers are world class in their performance and allow our customers to utilize the latest technology in designing their systems to maximize space and optical budgets," said Jack Rosko, Market Manager for Private Networks.

Draka's Maxcap Bendbright multimode fiber meets or exceeds the OM2, OM3 and OM4 industry standards for high-bandwidth, laser-optimized multimode fiber.

About Draka
Draka Communications, with over 100 years of experience, is one of the world’s largest fiber producers and the number one multimode fiber producer. We are a leader in innovative optical fiber and cable solutions with a portfolio of over 15,000 cables for indoor, indoor-outdoor, and outdoor applications. Draka’s regional headquarters is located in Claremont, North Carolina in the only co-located fiber and cable manufacturing facility in North America. Our 128 acre campus is home to a world class 1.2 million square foot manufacturing facility dedicated to the development, delivery and deployment of optical fiber and fiber cable networks. For more information, call us at 1-800-879-9862 or visit us online at www.draka.com/communications.

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Environmental Working Group - EWG = HELP PASS THE SAFE CHEMICALS ACT

Friday, April 16, 2010

Dear Concerned Citizen,

Safety is too important to ignore. The race is on to protect our kids from toxic chemicals.

After 85,000 EWG Action Fund activists spoke out, the Safe Chemicals Act was introduced in Congress this week. We've been working for this moment for 10 years.

Now, we have to pull out all the stops to pass strong legislation -- and I need your help.

Organizing the grassroots is a huge part of our aggressive campaign to pass this bill. The best way you can join this fight right away is to make an immediate contribution.

We need to raise $12,000 in the next 72 hours to have the resources to maintain the first rate team of scientists and organizers we'll need to pass this legislation. Even as little as $5 from you, combined with thousands of other contributions, will help us win that many more votes in Congress. Get involved right away.

Click here to rush $5 or more to EWG Action Fund in the next 72 hours. We need your help to protect the Safe Chemicals Act from being watered down by the special interest lobbyists.

The Safe Chemicals Act is the new name for what we've previously called the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act. This new legislation aims to reform our toxics law and force companies to show that their chemicals are kid-safe before they are put on the market.

Remember, when EWG tested the umbilical cord blood of 10 Americans, we found nearly 300 chemicals, including BPA, perchlorate, fire retardants, lead, mercury, and PCBs. That's unacceptable.

This new law would empower the EPA to regulate these chemicals, and it also establishes new research programs to help us better understand the risk toxic industrial chemicals pose to children. It's the kind of smart regulation we need to keep our kids safe.

You and I both know that the legislative process can be brutal for a law like this. EWG Action Fund needs your help right from the beginning to make sure the Safe Chemicals Act is as strong and protective of children -- and all of us -- as possible.

Click here to rush $5 or more to EWG Action Fund in the next 72 hours. We need your help to protect the Safe Chemicals Act from being watered down by the special interest lobbyists.

I know you want to keep your kids safe from toxic chemicals. I know this bill is the best way to do that.

Please make a contribution today to help us pass this critical legislation ASAP.

Sincerely,

Ken Cook
President, EWG Action Fund

The Environmental Working Group is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization dedicated to using the power of information to protect human health and the environment. The EWG Action Fund is a legislative advocacy organization that uses EWG research to promote healthy and sustainable policies.

HEADQUARTERS 1436 U St. NW, Suite 101 | Washington, DC 20009 | (202) 667-6982

www.ewg.org

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Essential Education for a Bright Future. BICSI has many options available

Whether the education you seek is in design or installation, BICSI has the right tools you need to advance your professional career. The following classes and exams will be held at BICSI World Headquarters in Tampa, Fla.
Enhance Your Career with BICSI Training.

Click to jump to:
Design Courses and Exams
RITP Courses
ITS Installation Courses and Exams
Project Management Courses

Design Courses and Exams

•	ESS110: Designing Electronic Safety and Security Systems	May 3-7
•	DD200: Telecommunications Distribution Design Review	May 17-20
•	Design Examinations (RCDD, ESS, NTS, OSP, WD)	May 22
•	DD102: Designing Telecommunications Distribution Systems	May 23-28
•	ESS200: ESS Design Specialist Review	June 2-4
•	Design Examinations (RCDD, ESS, NTS, OSP, WD)	June 5
•	DC110: Data Center Design Best Practices	June 7-9
•	DD102: Designing Telecommunications Distribution Systems	June 13-18
•	OSP110: Cable Plant Design	June 14-18
•	DA110: Designing Networks	June 21-25
•	OSP100: Introduction to Outside Plant	June 21-22
•	WD100: Introduction to Wireless	June 23-24
•	DA100: Introduction to Networks	June 25-26
•	ESS100: Introduction to Electronic Safety and Security	June 28-29
•	DD100: Introduction to Voice/Data Cabling Systems	June 30-July 1
•	DD102: Designing Telecommunications Distribution Systems	July 11-16
•	DD200: Telecommunications Distribution Design Review	July 12-15
•	WD200: Wireless Design Specialist Review	July 12-14
•	DD100: Introduction to Voice/Data Cabling Systems	July 19-20
•	WD110: Designing Wireless Networks	July 19-23
•	ESS100: Introduction to Electronic Safety and Security	July 22-23
•	DC110: Data Center Design Best Practices	July 26-28

NEW! RITP Training

•

ITP110: Analyzing Telecommunications Distribution Systems

June 28-July 2

Installation Courses and Exams

•	IN225: BICSI ITS Installer 2, Copper Training	May 3-7
•	Installer 2, Copper Examinations	May 7-8
•	IN250: BICSI ITS Installer 2, Optical Fiber Training	May 10-14
•	Installer 2, Optical Fiber Examinations	May 14-15
•	TE350: BICSI ITS Technician Training	May 17-21
•	ITS Technician Examinations	May 21-22
•	IN101: BICSI ITS Installer 1 Training	June 7-11
•	ITS Installer 1 Examinations	June 11-12
•	IN225: BICSI ITS Installer 2, Copper Training	June 14-18
•	Installer 2, Copper Examinations	June 18-19
•	IN250: BICSI ITS Installer 2, Optical Fiber Training	June 21-25
•	Installer 2, Optical Fiber Examinations	June 25-26
•	IN101: BICSI ITS Installer 1 Training	July 19-23
•	Installer 1 Examinations	July 23-24
•	IN225: BICSI ITS Installer 2, Copper Training	July 26-30
•	Installer 2, Copper Examinations	July 30-31
•	TE350: BICSI ITS Technician Training	July 26-30
•	ITS Technician Examinations	July 30-31

Project Management Courses

•	PM125: Telecommunications Project Management Program	May 10-14
•	PM125: Telecommunications Project Management Program	June 7-11

Save Now!

Don’t forget—register for three or more courses at the same time and save 10 percent! Offer also valid if three or more students from the same company preregister for the same class at the same time.

NEW! Preregister for a course at least 45 days in advance and save five percent. (BICSI CONNECT courses and training provided by companies outside of BICSI are not eligible for this discount.)

Register today! For more information or to reserve your seat, follow the above links, or contact BICSI toll-free at 800.242.7405.

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Expert Panel to Discuss the Future of Commercial Real Estate at the 2010 BOMA Conference

(WASHINGTON—April 13, 2010) The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International announces that a panel of top market leaders in commercial real estate will take an in-depth look at what has become the “new normal” in today’s volatile real estate market during the Tuesday General Session at the 2010 BOMA International Conference and The Every Building Show™, June 27-29 in Los Angeles County, Calif. During the session, “Real Estate's New Normal: A Time of Incredible Challenges and Rich Possibilities,” experts will discuss how they are positioning their companies to weather the storm, when the capital markets will turn the corner, and how they are increasing operational efficiencies and turning around underperforming assets.

The panel is comprised of executives from some of the most successful companies in commercial real estate, including:

James W. Arce, executive managing director, client solutions, Cushman & Wakefield of California, Inc., San Francisco, Calif.

Sandra L. Boyle, CPM, LEED AP, executive vice president, development and project management, Glenborough LLC, San Mateo, Calif.

Mike Kent, president, real estate management services USA, FirstService Real Estate Advisors, Los Angeles, Calif.

Advance Realty Group Chief Operating Officer Kurt Padavano, RPA, CPM, FMA, SMA, will moderate the discussion.

“The commercial real estate industry is facing an onslaught of challenges right now and we’re all looking for ways to capitalize on opportunities in the marketplace,” commented BOMA International Chair James A. Peck, RPA, FMA, senior director of asset services, CB Richard Ellis. “The industry experts on this panel have the experience and knowledge necessary to succeed in even the most difficult market cycles. Conference attendees will walk away with fresh insight and proven strategies they can implement right away.”

The BOMA International Conference and The Every Building Show is the premier meeting for commercial real estate professionals to learn strategies and build relationships that are vital for achieving operational excellence and sustaining their business through this difficult market cycle. Key topics covered in this year’s program include solutions for prospering in a down economy, attracting and retaining tenants, reducing operating expenses, negotiating more profitable leases, achieving sustainability, keeping buildings and tenants safe, and making sound financial decisions that create value.

For more information on the 2010 BOMA International Conference, visit www.bomaconvention.org.

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About BOMA International

Founded in 1907, the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International is an international federation of more than 100 local associations and affiliated organizations. The 17,000-plus members of BOMA International own or manage more than 9 billion square feet of commercial properties in North America and abroad. BOMA’s mission is to enhance the human, intellectual and physical assets of the commercial real estate industry through advocacy, education, research, standards and information. On the Web at www.boma.org .

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FLUKE NETWORKS = IT NETWORKING

New AirCheck Wi-Fi Tester - Now Available
We are excited to announce that AirCheck™ Wi-Fi Tester is now available to order. AirCheck will allow you to quickly and easily troubleshoot 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi networks – all with a dedicated handheld tester.

Ready to buy? Find your local AirCheck distributor now. Want to see it in action first? View the interactive demo and see for yourself how AirCheck can make wireless troubleshooting simple.
View the AirCheck Virtual Demo

Free software download: Switch Port Monitor
Get visibility into network switches to help you solve common LAN problems. The Switch Port Monitor utility provides visibility into network switches to help you solve common LAN problems. Monitoring switch statistics can reveal duplex mismatches, cabling problems, defective NICs and ports, device connectivity issues, and highly utilized ports (which could indicate bandwidth-hungry users or applications).
Download complimentary Switch Port Monitor software

Live Webcast: Validate LANs to minimize downtime and cut costs
Date: May 13, 2010; Time: 10:00 am PT, 1:00 pm ET
Learn about LAN validation – what it is, who benefits from this practice and why it should be part of a network installer’s and network owner’s best practices. You’ll learn how to perform validation testing to prove the network was installed correctly and will operate trouble-free.
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Register for "Validate LANs to minimize downtime and cut costs" webcast

Live Webcast: Distributed Packet Analysis - Application Troubleshooting in a Distributed Environment
Date: May 20, 2010, Time: 10:00 am PT, 1:00 pm ET
Learn how to capture packets at multiple locations and merge these traces into an easy-to-read graphical chart that reduces the time needed to gain a common understanding to resolve the problem.
Register for Distributed Packet Analysis webcast

White Paper: Choosing a Network Management System - Six key considerations
Learn key capabilities to evaluate when choosing network management tools and processes. Following these considerations can enable your organization to help avoid potential shortcomings and risks and make investments that increase the dependability and performance of your networks and applications, while decreasing the risk of downtime and inefficiency.
Download "Choosing a NMS - Six key considerations" white paper

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Indianapolis FTTH Workshop to Explore Next-Generation, All-Fiber Broadband Technologies

WASHINGTON -- The Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Council, a national organization dedicated to expanding the deployment of high speed all-fiber networks, will convene a workshop in Indianapolis on June 2 to discuss next-generation fiber technologies and best practices for deploying and delivering all-fiber broadband services.

The latest in the FTTH Council's series of "hot topic" workshops, to take place at the Sheraton Indianapolis Hotel & Suites, will include a full day of presentations, panel discussions and audience participation focusing on "Next Generation FTTH Standards and Technologies: 10Gbps and Beyond."

The event is open to anyone with an interest in next-generation broadband. An agenda and registration information can be found on the FTTH Council's website, www.ftthcouncil.org.

Workshop speakers and panelists will include representatives from FTTH equipment manufacturers and participants in standard-setting organizations, who will provide updates and perspectives regarding the development of 10 Gigabit access technologies. Former Ft. Wayne mayor Graham Richard, a pioneer in leveraging FTTH services to improve local economic development, will also be on hand to discuss the benefits of community broadband, while a number of telecommunications companies from the region will present case studies on how they are bringing high-speed, all-fiber services to the communities they serve.

"With nearly six million American households already connected into all-fiber networks, the FTTH industry is now working on the even faster technologies to meet the expected higher bandwidth demands associated with the services and applications of the future," said Joe Savage, President of the FTTH Council.

"That's the beauty of running fiber all the way to the subscriber - you can constantly upgrade the bandwidth without having to swap out the installed fiber," he added. "This workshop will help participants understand what the FTTH industry has in store for the not-so-distant future."

Now available to more than 16 percent of households in the U.S., fiber to the home is fast becoming the technology of choice for next-generation, high-speed access to Internet, video and emerging applications. A recent survey of small telephone companies commissioned by the FTTH Council found that three-quarters of them say they are likely to expand or upgrade their networks with end-to-end fiber in the near future.

Six percent of all households in Indiana are already receiving broadband services over fiber to the home networks from one of 13 service providers that operate in 50 communities across the state.

""With 10 Gigabit standards coming to the market in the next two years, both FTTH service providers and equipment manufacturers need to become familiar with these next generation technologies as they do their long range planning," said Savage. "This workshop is going to be a great learning opportunity."

About the Fiber-to-the-Home Council

Now in its ninth year, the Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Council is a non-profit association consisting of companies and organizations that deliver video, Internet and/or voice services over high-bandwidth, next-generation, direct fiber optic connections - as well as those involved in planning and building FTTH networks. The Council works to create a cohesive group to share knowledge and build industry consensus on key issues surrounding fiber to the home. Its mission is to educate the public and government officials about FTTH solutions and to promote and accelerate deployment of fiber to the home and the resulting quality of life enhancements such networks make possible. The Council organizes North America's largest annual FTTH event, the FTTH Conference & Expo, to be held September 12 - 16, 2010 in Las Vegas. More information about the Council can be found at www.ftthcouncil.org.

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GENERAL CABLE in the news

GENERAL CABLE’S CAROL® BRAND PORTABLE CORD AND ALARM & SECURITY PRODUCTS NOW FEATURE TRU-MARK®

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KENTUCKY, May 4, 2010 – General Cable (NYSE: BGC) is pleased to now offer the TRU-Mark® Sequential Footage Marking System on its Carol® Brand lines of Portable Power Cords and Alarm & Security Cables.

General Cable’s TRU-Mark System, which was selected in March 2010 as the Wire & Cable Category Winner in the 2010 EC&M Product of the Year competition, sequentially marks every two feet of Carol Brand Cord in Descending Order from the start of the reel to the core. The Carol products will be TRU-Marked to match its corresponding reel lengths, which may be 250, 500 or 1,000 feet, with large, visible printing for accuracy with 1% tolerance.

“TRU-Marked product can cut down on shortages and scrap both in the field and at distribution” said Todd Sweeney, Product Manager of Carol Brand Cord Products, General Cable. “By always knowing how much is left on the reel, this system will improve the efficiency of our distribution customers, giving them the ability to more effectively manage their partial reel inventories, improving customer service, and saving on scrap cost.”

“The TRU-Mark system allows you to cut and install Carol products with confidence, improving your on-the-job efficiency” said Elaine Thomas, Product Manager of Carol Brand Electronic Cables, General Cable.

Preferred by contractors, Carol Brand is the product to depend on, time after time. All cables are UL Listed, CSA Certified and RoHS Compliant, and our Cord products are MSHA and approved for indoor and outdoor use.

Always Demand Better and Expect More™ with General Cable Carol® Brand Cord and Electronics.
We manufacture a complete line of Electronic Cables and Portable Cord products, including premium-grade Super Vu-Tron, most of which ship direct from stock, and we have the technical staff and design expertise to meet any custom cable requirement.

About General Cable

General Cable (NYSE:BGC), a Fortune 500 Company, is a global leader in the development, design, manufacture, marketing and distribution of copper, aluminum and fiber optic wire and cable products for the energy, industrial, specialty and communications markets. For more information about General Cable, visit our website at www.generalcable.com.

Going Green with General Cable

General Cable has accelerated its environmental commitment, addressing its Green Alternative Approach by identifying greener opportunities and promoting green cabling solutions wherever feasible. This includes promoting our existing green products; partnering with key customers in their green endeavors; identifying and providing resources for green product gaps; and participating as members in collaborative ventures such as the Green Suppliers Network (GSN).

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GENERAL CABLE’S ALTOONA PLANT AND AUTOMOTIVE TEAM
PRESENTED WITH DELPHI’S PRESTIGIOUS PINNACLE AWARD

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KENTUCKY, April 27, 2010 – General Cable (NYSE: BGC) is pleased to announce that its Altoona, Pennsylvania, manufacturing facility and the entire Automotive Team were presented with Delphi’s Pinnacle for Supplier Excellence Award, which honors those suppliers for their commitment to and achievement of quality, value and cost performance.

General Cable Altoona, which produces ignition wire sets, was represented at the awards celebration on April 14th, 2010 by Ken Glaser, Director of Automotive Sales, and Tim Wampler, Vice President, Manufacturing & Team Leader, Communications and Assemblies. Rodney O’Neal, President and CEO of Delphi, and Sidney Johnson, Vice President of Procurement, Delphi, presented the Pinnacle Award.

“We congratulate General Cable Altoona on the Delphi Pinnacle Award,” said Rand Fusselman, Ignition Business Line Manager, Delphi Packard. “The team’s commitment to exceeding your customer's expectations has not gone unnoticed. We recognize that a lot of dedicated, hard work with every lead and harness produced for Delphi went into earning this award.”

General Cable, who has been a Delphi supplier since 2006, met or exceeded Delphi’s qualifying requirements for this award recognition, including: serving as a Delphi supplier for at least three years; providing exceptional quality; having large Delphi annual purchase value; supporting Delphi’s position on social responsibility; embracing Delphi’s cost-reduction efforts; and meeting all delivery expectations.

“General Cable Altoona works hard to achieve a level of excellence in all that we do, and we do not expect recognition, as we understand that being the best at what you do is necessary to succeed in today's business environment,” said Ken Glaser, Director of Automotive Sales, General Cable. “However, we do appreciate it when we are considered worthy of an award of this nature.”

In January 2010, General Cable’s Altoona Plant was also awarded Penton Media’s IndustryWeek’s Top 10 Best Plants. This annual award recognized General Cable Altoona as one of the Best Manufacturing Plants in North America for 2009—their first was in 2003.

About General Cable

About Delphi Packard

Delphi is a leading global supplier of electronics and technologies for automotive, commercial vehicle and other market segments. Operating major technical centers, manufacturing sites and customer support facilities in 30 countries, Delphi delivers real-world innovations that make products smarter and safer as well as more powerful and efficient. Connect to innovation at www.delphi.com.

GENERAL CABLE’S MIKE MURPHY TO RECEIVE
2010 DISTINGUISHED CAREER AWARD
FROM WCMA

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KENTUCKY, April 21, 2010 – General Cable is pleased to announce that the Wire & Cable Manufacturers’ Alliance (WCMA) has named Mike Murphy, Vice President, Sales, Gepco® Brand Products, as a recipient of one of its 2010 Distinguished Career Awards. The 26th Annual Awards Dinner and Investiture Ceremony honoring Mike will take place on April 24, 2010, in Hartford, Connecticut.

“Mike is a legend in the industry and has been a tremendous positive influence on General Cable in his eight years with the company,” said Greg Lampert, President and Chief Executive Officer, General Cable North America. “Mike was instrumental in leading our Data communications sales force transformation six years ago and has been a key catalyst in our resurgence of Carol Electronics over the last eight years.”

“With all that he has done for General Cable, perhaps Mike’s greatest legacy will be the people that he has attracted to the company that are current and future leaders in our sales and marketing organizations,” continued Lampert.

After being nominated, Murphy’s name was submitted to a Selection Committee of over 100 prior Award recipients. After reviewing the ballot results, the former recipients on the WCMA Board of Directors selected the new yearly recipients based on strong character and credibility as well as their significant commercial or technical contributions over a minimum 25-year industry career.

Over the years, Murphy has held senior-level management positions in wire and cable marketing, sales, engineering and manufacturing. His most recent accomplishment is the successful integration of Gepco® International, an industry-leading manufacturer and provider of high-end cabling solutions for the professional broadcast and entertainment markets, into General Cable. He has been Vice President of Sales, Gepco International Products for General Cable Corporation since August 2009. Prior to that, he was Vice President of Sales, Electrical and Electronic Distribution since 2006.

Murphy joined General Cable in June of 2002 as Vice President of National Accounts and in July, 2002, he became Vice President of Data Communications Sales.

Before joining General Cable, he spent five years with American Standard's Building Specialty group and five years with Baxter/Travenol Medical products, both in manufacturing management positions. In 1978, Murphy joined Belden and held positions in manufacturing, engineering and served 10 years as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Murphy joined CommScope in 1998 as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for LAN and Fiber products. In 2000, he worked as a consultant for ADC for one year.

Murphy attended Indiana University and the Columbia Management Institute MBA program, where he specialized in sales and marketing management. He also attended the Earlham Institute for Executive Growth and is a veteran of the United States Air Force.

His association activities include: member, National Electronic Distribution Association (NEDA); board member, NEDA Education Committee, 1992 – 1994; and Wayne County, Indiana’s Chairman, American Cancer Association Fundraiser, 1987.

The Wire & Cable Manufacturers’ Alliance continues the tradition of recognizing industry professionals, which was started in 1985 by the late Dick and Harriet Callahan, founders of the Wire & Cable Clubs of America.

About General Cable

General Cable (NYSE: BGC), a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Highland Heights, Kentucky, is a leader in the development, design, manufacture, marketing and distribution of copper, aluminum and fiber optic wire and cable products for the energy, industrial, specialty and communications markets. With annual revenues approaching $5 billion, General Cable is one of the largest wire and cable manufacturing companies in the world. It operates 44 manufacturing facilities in 22 countries and employs 12,000 associates. Visit our website at www.GeneralCable.com.

About The Wire & Cable Manufacturers’ Alliance

The Wire & Cable Manufacturers' Alliance (WCMA) was established in June 2004 as the successor organization to the Wire & Cable Clubs of America. WCMA is a corporate membership organization for manufacturers of conductor, insulated wire, cables, fiber optic cables, and connectivity products with an established manufacturing base in North America, as well as industry suppliers and service providers. WCMA works to facilitate the exchange of mutually beneficial market and technical information and to provide support to relevant industry organizations that serve the industry and its membership.

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IDEAL IENet Pro™ is First Hand-Held Tester Specifically Designed to Troubleshoot Industrial Ethernet Cabling

Purpose-built tester integrates M12 and RJ45 ports, Shows results in Profinet® format

SYCAMORE, IL, April 23, 2010 -- IDEAL Industries, Inc., a global leader in data communications solutions, today unveiled the IENet™ PRO Industrial Ethernet Cable Tester. Optimized for LAN testing efficiency, the IENet PRO empowers network professionals to instantly verify the integrity of two-pair and four-pair Industrial Ethernet cables, and to assure proper terminations by detecting opens, shorts, miswires, reversals and split pairs in fractions of a second. With its integrated RJ-45 (UTP/STP) and shielded M12 coax interfaces and Profinet® formatted results, the IENet PRO is the only hand-held tester specifically designed for this cable type.

"As Industrial Ethernet spreads across the network infrastructures of today's manufacturing and processing plants, the risk of costly downtime due to cabling faults increases," explained Dan Payerle, Business Unit Manager for IDEAL. "The need to troubleshoot hardened Industrial Ethernet cable is best meet by a tester specifically designed for the industrial environment that is easy to use, reliable and offers the ability to indicate a variety of wiring faults. The IENet PRO uniquely meets those requirements."

The IENet PRO's ergonomic design puts full-featured Industrial Ethernet cable testing in the palm of the operator's hand. A single button push selects between voice, 2 and 4 pair data, or video, keeping user interactions at a minimum to help prevent mistakes and unnecessary repetitions. In addition to detecting wiring faults, the IENet PRO will measure cable length and indicate correct wiremap to T568A/B standards for shielded and unshielded cabling. It will also warn the user of voltages on cables, blink network hubs for visual cable tracing, and generate four unique tones to make fault isolation easier. Straightforward "Pass" or "Miswire" results are displayed in the Profinet® Industrial Ethernet format on the unit's LCD screen. This bright backlit full dot matrix screen is easy to read even in dark wiring closets, and viewable in extreme low-light environments.

The unit's detachable remote enables one-person operation, eliminating the need for technicians to be at both ends of the cable under test. The standard IENet PRO package (part #33-772) comes with one remote with an RJ-45 and M12 interface. It is also available with eight remotes (Part #33-773). Remote ID numbers are indicated on the LCD display.

Industrial Ethernet cables differ from standard network cables found in commercial or residential applications. Industrial Ethernet cables are more ruggedly constructed to ensure optimum network performance and uptime, even when subjected to damaging EMI, extreme temperatures, crushing, vibration, corrosive chemicals, and UV exposure.

For more information, contact Ideal Industries, Inc., Becker Place, Sycamore, Illinois 60178. Phone 1-800-947-3614. Fax: 1-800-533-4483. On the web, www.idealindustries.com. Follow us on Twitteror Facebook.

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Lawmakers Tackle Endocrine Disruptors in New Bill

May 07, 2010

U.S. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee, along with Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior and the Environment, on May 5 introduced the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Enhancement Act (H.R. 5210), legislation to update the original Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program established in 1996.

“From chemicals used in everyday consumer products to rocket fuel, there are many potentially dangerous substances that find their way into our drinking water supply,” said Markey. “But with this bill, we will drastically beef up our capacity to quickly screen chemicals to determine their effects on human health. This bill will mandate the screening of chemicals found in our drinking water, and update the testing requirements to create a more transparent program that relies on the most up-to-date science. We must do absolutely everything we can to keep our drinking water safe.”

When it was first established, the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program was required to test all pesticides that may come into contact with food for their ability to interfere with the body’s hormonal system. However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has never exercised its discretionary authority to test non-pesticide chemicals that may be found in sources of drinking water.

The new bill directs EPA to establish a program that tests chemicals found in drinking water to determine whether they are endocrine disruptors and if so, to determine the extent of their ability to interfere with the body’s hormonal system.

EPA also must develop a plan and schedule for identifying and testing substances found in drinking water, ensuring that at least 100 chemicals found in drinking water are tested within four years. This plan, as well as data and other information related to the testing program must be made publicly available on a searchable database.

The addition the agency must:

engage in a public process to specify the manner in which it will develop, require and evaluate tests;

review the current state of science every three years to determine if significant technological advancements warrant revision of testing procedures;

accelerate testing of suspected endocrine disruptors.

determine whether regulation of a substance that has been found to be an endocrine disruptor is warranted. Any action that EPA takes should be shared with other federal agencies with regulatory jurisdiction over products that contain the substance.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION www.eponline.com

About the Site

Environmental Protection (EPonline) is the comprehensive online, information resource for environmental professionals seeking solutions for air quality, water treatment, hazmat and waste management, research, remediation, and training. Our team also covers clean technology, sustainability, stimulus tracking, green initiatives and other industry trends through news updates, case studies, expert-written features, product videos, blogs, and free Webinars. EPonline is designed to keep environmental professionals up to date so that they can make informed decisions in the rapidly changing environmental industry.

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Leading Telecom Trade Groups Sign Strategic Cooperative Agreement

Washington, D.C. - The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and the Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies (OPASTCO) announced that the two organizations have signed a friendship agreement that is designed to enhance the benefits each trade group offers to its members.

The agreement sets forth an arrangement for the organizations to work together to support networking events, promote technology solutions and consider regulatory issues of common importance.

"Through this joint effort with TIA, OPASTCO plans to make our meetings even more vibrant and compelling," said OPASTCO President John N. Rose. "This is a unique opportunity to further enhance the value of our events, including our convention and trade show, for our carrier members. This in turn augments the experience for our exhibitors and sponsors. It's a classic ‘win-win' that will make our meetings even more productive for all participants."

TIA President Grant Seiffert stated, "Working with OPASTCO brings TIA members an opportunity to engage with 530 rural carriers through an organization that is dedicated to advancing telecommunications services and addressing operator needs. At this critical juncture when the federal government is focused on expanding the buildout of rural broadband networks, the TIA/OPASTCO cooperative agreement allows members of both associations to take advantage of opportunities to engage with one another and generate business opportunities to support the deployment of new and evolving telecom technologies in America's heartland."

OPASTCO and TIA will share specific member benefits of interest to its respective memberships.

About TIA
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) represents the global information and communications technology (ICT) industry through standards development, advocacy, tradeshows, business opportunities, market intelligence and world-wide environmental regulatory analysis. Since 1924, TIA has been enhancing the business environment for broadband, mobile wireless, information technology, networks, cable, satellite and unified communications. Members' products and services empower communications in every industry and market, including healthcare, education, security, public safety, transportation, government, the military, the environment and entertainment. Visit the TIA Website at www.tiaonline.org.

About OPASTCO
The Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies (OPASTCO) represents more than 530 small, independently owned, local telecommunications companies serving primarily rural areas of the United States and Canada. OPASTCO membership includes both commercial companies and cooperatives, which range in size from fewer than 100 to 100,000 access lines, and collectively serve more than 3.5 million customers. OPASTCO represents rural telecommunications interests before federal regulatory bodies and Congress, provides publications, and holds two conventions annually in January and July of each year, addressing the needs of the small telecommunications industry. The association has an affiliate 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the Foundation for Rural Education and Development (FRED). Visit the OPASTCO Website at www.opastco.org.

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LEED for Neighborhood Development Rating System Launches as Benchmark for Green Neighborhood Design

Environmental Leaders Partner to Advance Walkable, Sustainable and Economically Thriving Communities

Washington, D.C. – (April 29, 2010) – Today, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) announced the launch of the LEED for Neighborhood Development green neighborhoods rating system. LEED for Neighborhood Development integrates the principles of smart growth, new urbanism and green building and benefits communities by reducing urban sprawl, increasing transportation choice and decreasing automobile dependence, encouraging healthy living, and protecting threatened species.

The rating system encourages development within or near existing communities and/or public infrastructure in order to reduce the environmental impacts of sprawl. By promoting communities that are physically connected, LEED for Neighborhood Development conserves land and promotes transportation efficiency and walkability. A 2008 study entitled “The Economic Value of Walkability” found that households in automobile-dependent communities devote 50% more money – more than $8,500 annually – to transportation.

The correlation between transit-oriented development and proximity to services, amenities and jobs to human health benefits and economic capital has been found by numerous studies and is advocated by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services. Furthermore, the connectivity to neighboring communities with existing transportation and thoroughfares or local retail and services, greatly benefits the citizens, businesses and local economy of the surrounding regions.

“Sustainable communities are prosperous communities for the occupants and businesses which inhabit them,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “LEED for Neighborhood Development projects are strategically located in or surrounding metropolitan areas – often times revitalizing brownfields, infills or other underutilized spaces, opening new revenue streams, creating jobs opportunities and helping to drive the local, state and national economies.”

LEED for Neighborhood Development strives to create healthy, safe neighborhoods in which people from a wide range of economic levels and age groups can live and work together. Green neighborhoods foster social inclusivity as they provide accessibility to transportation, jobs, resources, education and promote healthier lifestyles. LEED for Neighborhood Development projects include or are sited to have good access to schools, businesses, residences, shopping, dining and entertainment.

"Half of the buildings we will have in 25 years are not yet on the ground,” said Kaid Benfield, Director of the Smart Growth Program, Natural Resources Defense Council. “Where we put them is even more important to the environment than how we build them, and NRDC is proud to stand alongside our partners with a system that helps guide them to the right places while avoiding the wrong ones."

NRDC helped to establish LEED for Neighborhood Development by soliciting the help of Smart Growth America, a national coalition of organizations working for better communities and recruiting smart growth experts to participate on the committee of volunteers that authored the rating system. The principles of smart growth focus on the importance of considering location, transportation alternatives, equity, and community form when developing land use plans.

“LEED for Neighborhood Development contains the components for compact and complete neighborhoods. With walkable streets, appropriately-scaled schools, and a mix of amenities close by, residents can lower their environmental impact while improving their quality of life,” said John Norquist, President and CEO, Congress for the New Urbanism.

CNU brought a number of leading planners and architects from the New Urbanist movement to help shape the new rating system. New Urbanism promotes compact neighborhood form, a wide range of urban housing types from multi-unit buildings to single-family homes, a vibrant mix of uses within close proximity of each other, humane public spaces and well-connected streets and blocks serving users ranging from pedestrians and cyclists to transit riders and drivers.

“LEED for Neighborhood Development projects are designed to highlight the best in a community,” Fedrizzi continued. “By bridging together adjoining districts, neighborhood developments take advantage of the greatest things a community has to offer – the people and amenities which enrich our lives on a daily basis.”

The consensus-based process that drives the development of the LEED rating systems ensures and encourages the very best in building, design and development practices.

The scope of LEED for Neighborhood Development projects can range from small projects to whole communities and encompasses a broader set of stakeholders in the process. Because of the scale of neighborhood development, projects are measured on acreage – the first LEED rating system to use a measurement other than square footage.

This is the seventh LEED rating system released by USGBC and is the first comprehensive benchmark for green neighborhood design. Projects certifying under LEED for Neighborhood Development must achieve points in three major environmental categories: Smart Location & Linkage, Neighborhood Pattern & Design, and Green Infrastructure & Buildings across a 110-point scale.

Also launching this spring is the LEED Accredited Professional (AP) Neighborhood Development (ND) credential for professionals participating in the design and development of neighborhoods. To read more about the LEED AP ND credential, go to www.usgbc.org/credentials or to learn about the neighborhood development educational offerings, visit www.usgbc.org/leedcirriculum.

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U.S. Green Building Council
The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings.

With a community comprising 78 local affiliates, more than 18,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 140,000 LEED Professional Credential holders, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students.

Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy consumption, 13% water consumption and 15% of GDP per year, making green building a source of significant economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs.

LEED
The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. Over 35,000 projects are currently participating in the LEED system, comprising over 6.9 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 114 countries.

By using less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.

USGBC was co-founded by current President and CEO Rick Fedrizzi, who spent 25 years as a Fortune 500 executive. Under his 15-year leadership, the organization has become the preeminent green building, membership, policy, standards, influential, education and research organization in the nation.

Natural Resources Defense Council

The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has 1.3 million members and online activists, served from offices in New York, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Beijing.

Congress for the New Urbanism

The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) is the leading organization promoting walkable, neighborhood-based development as an alternative to sprawl. CNU takes a proactive, multi-disciplinary approach to restoring our communities. Members are the life of the organization – they are the planners, developers, architects, engineers, public officials, investors, and community activists who create and influence our built environment, transforming growth patterns from the inside out. Whether it's bringing restorative plans to hurricane-battered communities in the Gulf Coast, turning dying malls into vibrant mixed-use neighborhoods, or reconnecting isolated public housing projects to the surrounding fabric, new urbanists are providing leadership in community building.

For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.

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NEMA NEWS

NEMA Announces Sponsorship of High-Performance Building Week

ROSSLYN, Va., April 22, 2010—The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has announced its sponsorship of the High Performance Building Congressional Caucus Coalition (HPBCCC) High Performance Building Week, June 13-19, 2010.

The week is an opportunity to highlight the importance of high performance buildings to federal, state, and local policymakers, as well as the general public. Representatives Judy Biggert (R-IL) and Russ Carnahan (D-MO), who serve as co-chairs of the High-Performance Building Caucus (HPBC), will be introducing a resolution in the House of Representatives supporting the goals and ideals of the week.

Additional activities include site visits to laboratories at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, congressional briefings, and a reception honoring advancements toward widespread achievement of high performance building goals.

At the state and local level, members of the building community are encouraged to celebrate the week through public outreach and contact with public officials.

According to NEMA President and CEO Evan R. Gaddis, members of the HPBCCC participating organizations are asked to contact their congressional representatives to encourage them to join the HPBCC or thank them for their support of it.

“NEMA is a proud member of this coalition. All policymakers should hear the voice of the building community and be encouraged to focus on high-performance building issues—this is critically important as energy and climate legislation is being considered,” Gaddis said.

Members of the caucus can be found at www.hpbccc.org/camembers.php.

Information on High-Performance Building Week is available at www.hpbccc.org/hpbweek.

HPBCCC is a private sector coalition providing guidance and support to the HPBC of the U.S. Congress. It works with the congressional caucus to promote and showcase best practices in building design and focus on issues reflecting all aspects of high-performance buildings, including accessibility, aesthetics, cost-effectiveness, functionality, historic preservation, productivity, safety and security, and sustainability.

NEMA is the association of electrical and medical imaging equipment manufacturers. Founded in 1926 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., its approximately 450 member companies manufacture products used in the generation, transmission and distribution, control, and end use of electricity. These products are used in utility, industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential applications. The association’s Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) Division represents manufacturers of cutting-edge medical diagnostic imaging equipment including MRI, CT, x-ray, and ultrasound products. Worldwide sales of NEMA-scope products exceed $120 billion. In addition to its headquarters in Rosslyn, Virginia, NEMA also has offices in Beijing and Mexico City.

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NEMA Endorses DOE Collaboration with IDB

ROSSLYN, Va., April 19, 2010—In a significant move to facilitate implementation of projects, policy reform, and knowledge dissemination across the Americas, U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) President Luis Alberto Moreno to help launch the Energy Innovation Center (EIC). The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) endorses this collaboration.

EIC will promote innovation and cutting edge technology for the energy sector, serve as regional hub for energy knowledge exchange, and translate energy sector ideas into projects. It will provide technical assistance and serve as a regional incubator for implementation and financing.

According to NEMA President and CEO Evan R. Gaddis, this will help secure funding to support infrastructure projects in Latin American countries.

"This represents a significant opportunity to provide much-needed economic and technical assistance throughout the Americas," Gaddis said. "NEMA has offered its support to the center through both our regional office in Mexico City as well as our headquarters here in Washington."

The announcement was made as part of a meeting for DOE's Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas hosted by the IDB in Washington, D.C. on April 15. Participation by NEMA staff included Gene Eckhart, NEMA's director of international markets, and Paul Molitor, industry director for Smart Grid and strategic initiatives.

Sessions during the two-day event included keynotes by Secretary Chu and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as well as workshops on renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy poverty, and electric power and gas infrastructure aimed at identifying pressing regional issues and potential solutions.

NEMA President & CEO to Address International Energy Efficiency Forum

ROSSLYN, Va., May 6, 2010—National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) President and CEO Evan R. Gaddis will address policy and regulation at the third Energy Efficiency Global Forum & Exposition (EE Global) in Washington, D.C., May 10-12, during the session, “What is the Key to Driving Behavior Change in the Business and Consumer Sectors: Incentives, Regulations or Both?”

Hosted by the Alliance to Save Energy, EE Global convenes world-class business, technology, government, and policy leaders to address the latest technological breakthroughs, policy advances, and research related to energy efficiency.

“We are delighted to welcome Mr. Gaddis to the world’s premier dialogue on energy efficiency and clean energy,” said Kateri Callahan, president of the alliance. “As a prominent voice in the industry, he is an invaluable contributor, and will showcase the innovative thinking characteristic of NEMA.”

Gaddis will join more than 50 energy experts from around the world who will present four plenary sessions and four concurrent tracks of executive dialogue sessions. Each track concentrates on one of four key energy end-use sectors: buildings, consumers, industry and utilities, and transportation and urban planning.

High-level public speakers include Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Cathy Zoi; Federal Energy Regulatory Commissioner Jon Wellinghoff; and European Parliament Member Lena Ek, of Sweden. For a list of all confirmed speakers, go to http://eeglobalforum.org/symposium-confirmed-speakers.php.

The three-day event is expected to draw more than 1,000 attendees, exhibitors, speakers, and media.

For additional information, please visit www.eeglobalforum.org.

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NEMA Publishes SSL 3-2010 High-Power White LED Binning for General Illumination

ROSSLYN, Va., April 13, 2010—The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has published SSL 3-2010 High-Power White LED Binning for General Illumination. This marks NEMA’s first solid state lighting (SSL) standard.

Produced by NEMA’s Solid State Lighting Section, SSL 3 provides standardized categorization areas (bins) for the colors of “white” light-emitting diodes (LEDs) used for general lighting. LED manufacturers use binning to manage variations in LED performance during mass production. When manufacturers use different binning structures and labeling, LED system integrators and assemblers face unnecessary testing, verification, qualification, and validation processes.

The bin structures established by SSL 3 promote continuity among suppliers. The standard also sets a level of expectation for color characterization that results in a reasonable number of bins for stocking purposes. The bin structures are based on ANSI color standards for fluorescent lamps as specific in ANSI_NEMA_ANSLG C78.377-2008.

“As the first solid state lighting application standard for color in general lighting, SSL 3 will streamline the binning process, alleviating stock and consistency issues for LED integrators,” said Robert Hick of Leviton, and chair of the section. “Upcoming revisions of the standard will address additional characteristics for binning. SSL 3 demonstrates lighting manufacturers’ commitment to work together to make energy-efficient SSL technology easier for integrators to adopt on a large scale.”

The contents and scope of SSL 3 may be viewed, or a hardcopy or electronic copy purchased for $37, by visiting www.nema.org/stds/ssl3.cfm, or by contacting IHS at 800-854-7179 (within the U.S.), 303-397-7956 (international), 303-397-2740 (fax), or global.ihs.com.

NEMA-Advocated Federal Buildings Training Act Introduced in Congress

ROSSLYN, Va., April 26, 2010—The Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010 (HR 5112) has been introduced in the House by Representatives Russ Carnahan (D-MO) and Judy Biggert (R-IL), incorporating work advocated by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) to support federal facility management training. Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Senators Tom Carper (D-DE) and Susan Collins (R-ME).

The bipartisan legislation will require the General Services Administration (GSA), which oversees more than 500,000 federal buildings and facilities, to identify core competencies necessary for federal personnel to maintain federal buildings in a manner consistent with industry best practices. Included in the core competencies are NEMA provisions related to energy management and electrical safety.

GSA will work with private industry trade associations, professional societies, and apprentice training providers to make sure that personnel meet those required competencies through the designation of courses, certifications, licensees, and registrations for the core competencies.

“I applaud the leadership of Representatives Carnahan and Biggert, who also serve as the co-chairs of the Congressional High Performance Building Congressional Caucus, in focusing on facility personnel training,” said NEMA President and CEO Evan R. Gaddis. “Not only is the federal government investing in energy-efficient technologies, it is also ensuring through this legislation that facility personnel can properly maintain and operate the buildings at the highest performance levels. NEMA looks forward to working with both House and Senate members to get this legislation passed.”

Representative Carnahan had addressed the NEMA High Performance Building Council during the development of the legislation, and NEMA was actively engaged in the crafting of the bill. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act included $5.5 billion allocated to GSA to upgrade and renovate facilities, with a focus on energy performance. The federal government consumes 1.6 percent of the nation’s total energy equaling about $17.5 billion in annual energy costs.

NEMA-Backed Carbon Monoxide Bill Signed into Law in California

ROSSLYN, Va., May 11, 2010—NEMA-championed legislation, the Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2010 (SB 183), was signed into law by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on May 7, 2010.

According to NEMA President and CEO Evan R. Gaddis, this is a significant win for the citizens of California and the life safety community and industry.

“The enactment of this bill—and the adoption of similar provisions in the 2010 state codes—will reduce the likelihood of carbon monoxide poisoning and protect the health and safety of California’s families and tourists,” Gaddis said.

SB 183 requires existing homes and dwelling units to be outfitted with carbon monoxide (CO) alarms, beginning in July 2011. The new law will complement provisions in the 2010 California Residential Code and 2010 California Building Code that require the installation of CO detection and notification devices in new dwellings in the state, beginning in January 2011. With passage of this law, California joins more than two dozen other states in requiring CO protection in homes and other residential and commercial occupancies.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is the leading cause of accidental poisoning death in the United States. High concentrations of CO—a colorless, odorless gas that is produced when fossil fuel is incompletely burned—can cause cognitive impairment, loss of consciousness, coma, and often death. Carbon monoxide detection and notification devices installed in residential and other dwellings provide an effective way to reduce the incidence of CO poisoning.

NEMA’s North American EBCIs Remain at High Levels in April

ROSSLYN, Va., April 28, 2010—The economic environment facing electrical equipment manufacturers continued to show strong improvement in April, according to respondents to NEMA’s latest business confidence survey. While the Electroindustry Business Confidence Index (EBCI) for current North American conditions was unchanged in April at 71.7, it matched its highest monthly level since May 2004. Readings above 50 are typically associated with an improvement in conditions, and vice-versa. Moreover, the EBCI for future North American conditions, which advanced 2.2 points to 73.9 in April, reflects widespread sentiment that the improvement seen over the last several months will persist through the summer.

Click here for the complete April 2010 report.

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Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) Says Network Management Is Essential for Continued Broadband Evolution

TIA Urges the FCC to Refrain from Adopting Rules that Would Create Uncertainty and Limit the Flexibility of Manufacturers to Develop and Deploy New and Innovative Network Management Technologies for the Benefit of Consumers

Arlington, Va. – The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) today submitted reply comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on its consideration of rules to "preserve" the open Internet.

"The record in this proceeding is clear that network management is essential, and, given the very technical nature of broadband network management, the Commission should decline to adopt rules that will limit the flexibility of broadband providers and manufacturers to manage their networks to the maximum benefit of consumers," said TIA President Grant Seiffert.

As the leading trade association for the information and communications technology (ICT) industry, TIA cited its concerns that any efforts by the Commission to develop rules intended to enhance the "open Internet" may call into question many future network innovations on the horizon and could, in fact, hinder innovation and investment in a way that could seriously undermine the continued evolution of the network to the detriment of consumers.

"The record demonstrates that a managed network coupled with transparency requirements is in fact the best way to promote an 'open Internet,' and an unqualified 'nondiscrimination' rule may undermine this foundation of broadband innovation," said Seiffert. "Appropriate capacity management tools, which are employed in a neutral manner, further pro-competitive, pro-consumer purposes, and should not be barred unless such conduct is used in an anticompetitive manner."

TIA noted in its comments that network management techniques have been, and continue to be, used by providers to keep the Internet neutral and to ensure that consumers have a fair, equitable and satisfying broadband experience.

TIA also cited the unique network management challenges facing broadband wireless providers and included a declaration that details the great strains on wireless resources that have resulted from exploding customer demand and the tools that providers are using to support this growth, which is currently outpacing demand.

"If, despite the overwhelming record to the contrary, the Commission adopts prophylactic rules, it must ensure that any associated enforcement process includes a presumption of reasonableness on behalf of the network operator," Seiffert added. "Such a presumption could only be overcome by a showing that a broadband provider has violated a rule and caused significant harm. Otherwise, broadband providers will be hamstrung in their ability and incentive to develop and deploy new and innovative network management technologies. Ultimately, with the explosion of demand for broadband capacity, Commission adoption of any rules will only serve to exacerbate the growing challenge of managing the broadband network to satisfy the increasingly sophisticated expectations of consumers," he concluded.

Read the comments on TIA's FCC filings page at tiaonline.org.

TIA is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Visit tiaonline.org.

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New Minuteman PRO-RT Series UPS Serves as ‘Electrical Firewall’

Complete, affordable power protection for telephone, security and network systems

Dallas, TX – April 14, 2010 – Para Systems, Inc., a leading provider of comprehensive power protection solutions, today announced the release of the Minuteman™ PRO-RT series, a new line of uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) designed to provide fail-safe protection from all power anomalies for small to medium-sized telephone, security and server systems.

The PRO-RT UPSs are the newest addition to the PRO-E Series, Minuteman’s most successful and widely used product line with more than 400,000 units sold to date. Aimed at the small to medium-sized business market, the PRO-RT product line currently includes the PRO1000RT (1000VA) and PRO1500RT (1500VA).

Power problems can wreak havoc for both business owners and consumers. Even minor power glitches that may go unnoticed can cause data corruption and severe damage to valuable electronic equipment. An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) serves as an “electrical firewall”, preventing catastrophic damage from blackouts, brownouts, surges and spikes. When damage to expensive equipment does occur from these types of anomalies, it is generally not covered under a manufacturer’s warranty. A UPS is an essential component for protecting any type of mission critical electronic equipment.

“When business owners and managers purchase expensive security, telephone or networking systems and do not protect them from potential damage or power outages, these devices are obviously at high risk,” stated Bill Allen, Director of Marketing. “When you compare the price tag associated with downtime, along with the expense of replacing equipment, the PRO-RT’s are an extremely cost-effective way to preserve and protect these investments.”

In addition to protecting attached equipment from catastrophic surges and spikes, the PRO-RT’s feature automatic voltage regulation to protect during brownouts. They are also equipped with more battery power during blackouts, providing longer run-times than competitive units.

This flexible product can be rack-mounted or floor-mounted, and an optional wall-mount bracket is available. An LCD display that shows power status, battery run-time (based on attached load), and operational mode is also a standard feature. As an additional bonus, Minuteman’s SentryPlus™ power monitoring and management software is included free with all models. Communication between the UPS and attached equipment is accomplished through the unit’s USB or RS-232 port. These new products also have an optional SNMP card slot. The PRO-RT’s efficiency rating of 90% is also the highest in this class of product.

Users can also benefit from the PRO-RT’s green features. The voltage regulation circuitry is automatically bypassed until needed, reducing vampire power consumption. Other power-saving features can be tapped into by using Minuteman’s SentryPlus software to schedule automatic shut down and re-start of equipment during nights and weekends when many devices sit idle yet continue to consume energy resources. The units are also RoHS compliant and Para Systems offers a free battery recycling service for all Minuteman UPSs.

“The Minuteman PRO-RT’s raise the bar by offering a feature-rich rack-mount product at an affordable price. When you combine the extensive features, longer battery run-time, 3-year warranty, and flexible mounting options, the PRO-RT’s do represent an excellent value,” added Mr. Allen.

Both models are currently available for purchase through Minuteman’s extensive distribution network, systems integrators and on-line resellers. For more information, visit www.minutemanups.com/prort.

About Para Systems, Inc.

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

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BICSI CANADIAN CONFERENCE CONCLUDES ON HIGH NOTE

Montréal, Québec, Canada, May 6, 2010—BICSI, the association supporting the information technology systems (ITS) industry with information, education and knowledge assessment, brought its 2010 BICSI Canadian Conference & Exhibition to a close yesterday morning. Celebrating an overall attendance of 1,242, including more than 60 exhibitors, BICSI was thrilled to receive such an enthusiastic crowd of industry professionals.

"This venue was as good, if not better, than any Canadian conference or U.S. conference that I've been to over the years," said Daniel Hudson, RCDD, NTS, of Dan O. Hudson Consulting in Kinburn, Ontario, Canada. "The educational content was exceptional, and I learned valuable ITS information here in Montréal."

Kruno Kranjcevic, RCDD, of Western Electrical Management in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is also pleased with his conference experience. "This Canadian Conference was very well organized. I was surprised by the large number of vendors at this conference. The health care seminar was very informative and I learned a lot about this emerging industry."

The general session opened with two technical presentations. Valerie Maguire of Siemon and Todd Harpel, RCDD, of Berk-Tek delivered the presentation titled, "40Gbps Over Twisted-Pair Cabling: Planning for a New Ethernet Application." They were followed by Ken Gallinger of the Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA), who spoke on integrated and converted intelligent building control systems in his presentation, "North American Market Sizing Survey—Intelligent and Integrated Technology."

Proceeding the morning's technical presentations, with the presentation of the Ross Cotton Canadian Region Award, named after a Canadian telecom pioneer leader of the ITS industry—who was also one of the first Canadian BICSI members. This award also spotlights BICSI's Board Strategic Plan commitment to expanding internationally. The 2010 Ross Cotton award, presented by Richard S. Smith, RCDD, NTS, OSP, BICSI's Canadian Region Director, was given to Peter LeVoy, VP of Marketing at Anixter Canada.

The Closing Keynote Speaker was Dr. Joe MacInnis, a veteran ocean explorer and author from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dr. MacInnis has led 30 undersea expeditions, including the original team of scientists to dive beneath the North Pole. Among the first to dive to the wreck of the Titanic, his expeditions served as the inspiration for James Cameron's Academy Award-winning epic film. Dr. MacInnis' presentation, "Deep Leadership: Insights from Outer Space and the Abyssal Ocean," describes mission-critical moments managing complex technologies in lethal environments and how they revealed essential traits of leadership.

Also during the morning's events, BICSI Cares presented a check to the Montréal Children's Hospital (MCH), to aid in their efforts to provide groundbreaking care and work to prevent illness and injuries before they happen. All funds donated to BICSI Cares during this conference were given to MCH.

BICSI by the Numbers:

Total attendees: 1,242
Total professional attendees: 420

Total exhibiting companies/exhibitors: 69 companies with 265 representatives

Total guests: 48

Total Exhibit Hall one-day passes: 485

Pre-conference seminars attendance: 156

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Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, USA, BICSI membership spans nearly 90 countries. For more information, visit www.bicsi.org.

BICSI CONFERENCE OPENS, CORPORATE EDITION PUBLICATIONS ANNOUNCED

Montréal, Québec, Canada, May 3, 2010—BICSI, the association supporting the information technology systems (ITS) industry with information, education and knowledge assessment, welcomed industry professionals from all over the world today to the Hilton Montréal Bonaventure hotel for the opening session of the 2010 BICSI Canadian Conference & Exhibition.

During his opening remarks, BICSI President, Brian Hansen, RCDD, NTS, CSI, announced the release of BICSI Corporate Edition Publications, a networkable edition of BICSI’s manuals that uses a concurrent user licensing model as an alternative to individual licensing. Corporate Editions allow sharing or floating of licenses between multiple users on a shared server. This can provide large companies with greater flexibility and cost efficiency.

The audience also heard from Opening Keynote Speaker Joe Madigin, RCDD, CD, of Bell Canada in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, who spoke about the planning and implementation of the massive cabling systems required to successfully provide communications and information systems for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Vancouver.

Alain Sweeney, RCDD, of Bell Canada in Lachenaie, Québec, Canada, is excited to be attending a BICSI Conference in Canada. "This Canadian Conference presents a great opportunity to meet people in the industry, as well as my colleagues all over Canada. This is also a great local opportunity to earn my conference [continuing education] credits."

The conference features close to 30 educational sessions, including a full track of presentations during Tuesday’s concurrent sessions given in French. Some topics of focus during the conference include data centers, AV system design, network video security and green building.

The Exhibit Hall opened Sunday night after the day's Pre-conference Seminars. More than 60 exhibitors are on the show floor, ready to share their latest products and solutions with conference attendees.

“This conference is at a good location and is well attended by a lot of key decision makers," said Troy Wallace, RCDD, of Middle Atlantic Canada in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. "We’ve been to several of BICSI’s conferences and we’ll keep coming back. We regard BICSI as the main telecommunications standards body in North America and is doing an excellent job getting standards out to the ITS industry.”

Gary Arcudi of SP Controls in San Francisco, Calif., USA, was also pleased with the turnout. “The attendees at this conference continue to be qualified and professional product purchasing decision makers of high value to vendors.”

The Exhibit Hall was open again this evening, as well as Tuesday evening, from 4:30-7:30 p.m.

The Canadian Conference continues with more educational sessions and networking opportunities through Wednesday afternoon.

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BICSI ESTABLISHES THREE AUTHORIZED TRAINING FACILITIES IN CANADA

Montréal, Québec, Canada, May 4, 2010—BICSI, the association supporting the information technology systems (ITS) industry with information, education and knowledge assessment, is pleased to announce its developing relationships with three new Authorized Training Facilities (ATF) in the BICSI Canada Region. The organizations working toward the prestigious ATF status in Canada are Léonard de Vinci Professional Training Center of the Marguerite-Bourgeoys School Board and the Pierson Electrotechnology Center in Montréal, Québec, and Pre-apprenticeship Training (PAT) Institute in Toronto, Ontario.

This effort is a milestone in BICSI global training endeavours and in line with the BICSI Board Strategic Plan, updated in November 2009.

“BICSI is very excited to expand our educational training offerings in Canada,” said BICSI President Brian Hansen, RCDD, NTS, CSI. “We believe all three of our new ATFs will offer a quality product with excellent teaching, which equals a great educational experience for our Installers and Technicians.”

A BICSI ATF is a BICSI-approved site using the same quality curriculum, classroom equipment and materials offered in a BICSI-conducted class. The ATF’s individual trainers must also be certified by BICSI. This replication of a BICSI classroom environment ensures the same quality training you'd expect at a course taught by BICSI, while extending access to a variety of convenient locations, and in many instances, saving the student costly travel fees and time away from the job site.

“The BICSI Canadian ATFs are now positioned to begin graduating the next generation of information technology infrastructure technicians,” stated Richard Smith, RCDD, NTS, OSP, BICSI Canadian Region Director. “The demand for this expertise is being driven by technological change and a retiring generation of expertise who maintained many forms of legacy technologies. The support of provincial governments is particularly significant, as it shows the leadership role they are taking in developing a new generation of highly skilled ITS Technicians to meet provincial, Canadian and global industry demands.”

The Léonard de Vinci Professional Training Center is one of two ATFs in Québec providing training by developing, providing and supporting infrastructure technology expertise in partnership with BICSI. The Center has offered structured cabling training for more than eight years. It is a part of the Department of the Business and Labour Force Services (Service aux Entreprises et à la Main-d’œuvre) of the Marguerite-Bourgeoys School Board in Montréal, which has its ISO 9001:2000 accreditation. Tailored training programs are offered in partnership with businesses and Emploi-Québec to ensure the development of the workforce in employment.

Pierson Electrotechnology Center is also leading the ITS training industry in Québec as an ATF with BICSI-based training using Certified Trainers. Pierson, supported by its local school board, is using facilities that are truly representative of the working environment. The professional staff of IT instructors is well-respected by industry peers for their expertise and knowledge, and actively cooperating with government, educational and industry leaders.

Pre-apprenticeship Training (PAT) Institute in Toronto is registered as a private career college under the Private Career College Act, 2005. They are also registered with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development. PAT Institute currently offers academic credits to prepare candidates for entry into an apprenticeship. PAT Institute is designed exclusively in preparing young adults to succeed in skilled trades through the development of strong technical and academic foundations.

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Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, USA, BICSI membership spans nearly 90 countries. For more information, visit www.bicsi.org.

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BICSI RITP CREDENTIAL DETAILS RELEASED

Tampa, Fla., April 27, 2010—BICSI, the association supporting the information technology systems (ITS) industry with information, education and knowledge assessment, released the Registered Information Technology Professional (RITPTM) credential exam application.

The RITP is similar to the Registered Communications Distribution Designer (RCDD®) credential with the exception that there is no requirement for actual design experience. The focus of the designation are those individuals who work in the ITS industry but do not design ITS systems or have limited design experience including instructors, educators, project managers and sales personnel.

The RITP requires a minimum of two years of ITS industry-related experience, including but not limited to ITS/IS military experience, site or project management or industry sales. Applicants also need either to have graduated with an Associate of Science, Bachelor of Science, or Master of Science degree in an approved technical field of study or have achieved two or more approved industry certifications. Applicants must also have successfully passed the BICSI ITS Design Fundamentals examination through BICSI CONNECT.

The primary difference between the RCDD and RITP written exams is the distribution of knowledge versus design application questions. The RITP exam is focused on the knowledge content of the technology involved in the ITS industry rather than the working application of the technology required to produce design documents for construction and implementation of ITS infrastructure.

The RITP exam consists of 150 questions drawn from the BICSI Telecommunications Distribution Methods Manual (TDMM). The format of the RITP exam is closed-book, multiple choice and true/false questions.

BICSI recommends 125+ hours of independent study. For those with the lowest levels of exposure to the ITS industry BICSI offers a host of courses, including online classes, to help prepare you for the exam.

“I’m excited about our newest credential, the RITP. It is going to be a great addition to the suite of excellent credentials/specialties that BICSI has to offer its members,” said Brian Hansen, RCDD, NTS, CSI, BICSI President. “The RITP recognizes and provides a certification for those members who are professionals in the ITS industry, but don’t have design experience.”

At the 2008 BICSI Fall Conference, credential holders suggested names for this credential. Six options were selected by industry experts. The balloting for the new name was held in February 2009 and more than 2,000 votes were captured and Registered Information Transport Professional was selected. With recent updates to the Board Strategic Plan, and BICSI’s updated tagline, the RITP name was updated from Registered Information Transport Professional to Registered Information Technology Professional.

Two RITP Beta Exams will be held, the first being at the 2010 BICSI Canadian Conference & Exhibition in Montreal, Quebec, and the second at the 2010 BICSI European Conference & Exhibition in Dublin, Ireland. The first official exam will be held at the 2010 BICSI Fall Conference & Exhibition on September 13 in Las Vegas, Nev. Additional information, including an application, can be found at www.bicsi.org/ritp.

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Alset Signs Stutler Technologies Corp.to Resell Lightning Protection Solution

SEATTLE, April 27, 2010 – Alset Corp., developer of the Lightning Shield technology, is teaming up with system integration company Stutler Technologies Corp. to resell and install the Alset products.

Stutler Technologies, one of the nation’s largest full service system integrators for major wireless equipment manufacturers and operators, is the first company to become part of Alset’s new reseller program. Alset created the program in a move to rapidly expand sales of its lightning protection products.

Alset’s Lightning Shield protects telecommunications and other electronic equipment installed at rural sites from the harmful ground currents caused by nearby lightning strikes. Stutler Technologies will install and service Lightning Shield, primarily focusing on companies seeking to protect their RF, telephony, and networking equipment and quality of service in rural areas.

Lightning Shield is also a critical protection solution for utilities, railroads, airports, and other industries that rely on remotely located equipment. Alset is actively recruiting resellers to target those customers as well.

“We know that partnering with resellers and system integrators is the best way to extend our sales reach, and a partner like Stutler Technologies is a great start,” said Gary Fox, president of Alset Corp. “That is why we launched our reseller program and are eagerly seeking additional partners.”

For the companies that rely on Kansas-based Stutler Technologies, Alset’s Lightning Shield helps ensure uninterrupted service and high reliability, particularly for commercial grade broadband and backhaul services. Lightning Shield is a new technology that – by protecting against harmful ground currents caused by nearby lightning strikes – provides security beyond what grounding and surge protection can offer.

“We’ve been very impressed with Lightning Shield and the way it keeps lightning in the ground and off electronic circuits,” said Dave Kirk, director of business development for Stutler Technologies Corp. “We can assure our customers that our installations will consistently deliver the highest reliability. Lightning Shield will protect their investment in broadband equipment and secure their networks, even in the toughest weather conditions.”

Lightning Shield protects against lightning damage that conventional surge protection and grounding do not address. The danger from a nearby lightning ground strike is that its high frequency energy travels through the earth to the remote equipment site, saturates its grounding system, and forces fault current through the electronics equipment on the bonded power circuits. Eliminating this fault path through the electronics, by temporarily isolating the equipment from the power connection, protects the equipment for the duration of the lightning threat.

Conventional surge protection is designed to protect equipment from lightning-induced current on telecom and power conductors. A grounding system is designed to dissipate low frequency energy to the earth. Neither will protect the equipment from lightning ground currents, especially in areas where soil conditions make it difficult to achieve a low-resistance ground.

Lightning Shield is available in 50-amp (LS-50) and 200-amp (LS-200) versions small and large remote sites. LS-ATS provides customized protection for larger facilities, such as remote switches or MTSOs. Remote Manager rounds out the product line, offering control and test capabilities that enhance site management.

About Alset Corp.

Seattle-based Alset Corp. develops and manufactures equipment designed to protect against damage from lightning ground currents, also known as lightning ground potential rise. Alset sells its equipment both directly and through a network of manufacturer’s representatives and resellers. For more information about Alset and its lightning protection technology, visit www.alsetcorp.com.

About Stutler Technologies

Stutler Technologies Corp. (STC) is one of the nation’s largest full service system integrators for major wireless equipment manufacturers and operators. STC specializes in complete RF, telephony, networking and tower services as well as continued education and support of its customers’ networks. STC is highly adaptive at providing cost-effective solutions for broadband delivery, licensed and unlicensed backhaul, and telephony integration. For more information, visit www.stutler.net.

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NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR 2010 WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY AWARD

APRIL 12, 2010 (Exton, PA)—Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT), the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE), and Communications Technology magazine are pleased to announce that nominations are now being accepted for the prestigious 2010 Women in Technology Award. The nominations deadline for the award is Thursday, May 27, 2010.

The award, sponsored by Bright House Networks, was created in 1995 to acknowledge the achievements of an outstanding woman in technology who has demonstrated significant personal and professional growth and has contributed to the advancement of the cable telecommunications industry. The award is designed to shine a spotlight on the achievements of women inside this traditionally male-dominated industry sector. To be eligible, a woman must be in a technical position in the cable or telecommunications industry and be a current member of WICT and SCTE, among other criteria detailed in the nomination application.

The 2009 honoree, Barbara Jaffe, HBO’s senior vice president of advanced technology and operations, is invited to present the award to the 2010 award recipient during SCTE’s Annual Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, Oct. 20 at SCTE Cable-Tec Expo® 2010 in New Orleans. The 2010 Women in Technology Award recipient will also be featured in an upcoming cover story in Communications Technology magazine.

Past recipients of the award include Cyndee Everman, Carolyn Terry, Vicki Marts, Charlotte Field, Nomi Bergman, Marcie Anderson, Christy Martin, Sabrina Calhoun, Margaret Gaillard, Sally Kinsman, Sheri Sharp, Yvette Gordon-Kanouff, Pam Nobles, and Pam Arment.

More information and the online nomination application are available at www.wict.org in the “Career Development” section of the website. Questions should be directed to Parthavi Das at 703-234-9803 or pdas@wict.org.

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About SCTE

The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) is a non-profit professional association that provides technical leadership for the telecommunications industry and serves its members through professional development, standards, certification and information. SCTE currently has approximately 13,000 members from the U.S. and 70 countries worldwide and offers a variety of programs and services for the industry’s educational benefit. A prime example is SCTE’s Smart Energy Management Initiative (SEMI), an unprecedented effort to help cable operators leverage financial and environmental advantages of implementing Green strategies. SCTE has 68 chapters and meeting groups and more than 3,000 employees of the cable telecommunications industry hold SCTE technical certifications. SCTE is an ANSI-accredited standards development organization. Visit SCTE online at www.scte.org. Follow SCTE on Facebook and Twitter.

About WICT

For over thirty years, Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) has partnered with cable and telecommunications leaders to provide professional development programs, research, and services that help advance women in cable media. With over 7,800 members, WICT is the oldest and largest professional association serving women in the cable and telecommunications industry. Comcast, Rainbow, Time Warner Cable and Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. are WICT’s Strategic Partners. Please visit www.wict.org for more information.

About Communications Technology

Communications Technology, part of Access Intelligence’s Cable Group, is the industry’s most trusted and reliable source of information on broadband technology trends, strategies, implementations and best practices. The Communications Technology team also produces CT Reports, CT’s Tech Guides, CT’s Communications Executive, CT’s IT Executive, CT Europe, NCTC Technology Edge, and other custom publications; maintains a vibrant web presence at www.cable360.net/ct <http://www.cable360.net/ct/>; and presents a full schedule of topical web events. Access Intelligence’s Cable Group also publishes CableFAX Daily and CableFAX Magazine. The group’s http://www.cable360.net .

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ShoreTel Launches “Lowest Total Cost of Ownership Guarantee” for Unified Communications Customers

Significant cost savings due to ShoreTel’s brilliantly simple design now backed with a guarantee of best TCO using third-party data for competitive comparisons

SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 13, 2010 –ShoreTel® (NASDAQ: SHOR), the leading provider of brilliantly simple IP phone systems with fully integrated unified communications (UC), today introduced a first-of-its-kind program that guarantees the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) for new ShoreTel customers.

The ShoreTel UC solution was built from the ground up for IP networks, helping to eliminate the complexity typically associated with other solutions, which results in high maintenance and management costs. By designing a powerful yet brilliantly simple solution from the start, ShoreTel drives down the TCO, helping organizations realize dramatic cost savings year after year.

For the ShoreTel Lowest TCO Guarantee Program, ShoreTel uses independent third-party data to compare the actual costs a business incurs for its UC system over time. If the TCO analysis shows that ShoreTel’s TCO is higher than a competitor’s, ShoreTel will lower its prices to beat the competition. See the full details of the ShoreTel Lowest TCO Guarantee program, including specific terms and conditions.

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

On average, upfront costs for a UC system typically represent only 25 percent of its TCO. Based on data complied from independent third parties as well as ShoreTel customers, operating costs such as hardware replacement, training, support, software upgrades, moves, adds and changes, system management, power consumption, and other ongoing charges comprise approximately 75 percent of a system’s five-year TCO.

ShoreTel’s brilliantly simple architecture delivers an intrinsically lower TCO and dramatically greater value than the more complex and less reliable solutions offered by other vendors.

The ShoreTel Lowest TCO Guarantee combines independent research firms’ data with a comprehensive and easy to use TCO tool to analyze TCO for each customer’s exact requirements.

To achieve a fair comparison, the ShoreTel reseller and customer are fully involved in the TCO analysis, and have the opportunity to use their own data.

TCO calculations are based on a like-for-like configuration and feature set, over a five year or more time period.

The Lowest TCO Guarantee program supports ShoreTel’s resellers’ efforts to provide solutions that deliver the full financial benefits of UC throughout an enterprise, rather than simply offering commodity hardware and support agreements.

ANALYST QUOTE

Irwin Lazar, vice president of communications and collaboration research, Nemertes Research

"According to Nemertes Research, 80 percent of organizations have flat or declining IT budgets, and 85 percent of IT expenditures require a pre-approved business case, therefore minimizing TCO is an essential requirement for a successful UC implementation. IT executives interviewed by Nemertes Research for Nemertes' annual PilotHouse Award program, rate ShoreTel tops in value, primarily due to ShoreTel's lowest annual total operating cost."

CUSTOMER QUOTES

idX, St. Louis, Missouri

idX Corporation is a worldwide leader in retail display fixture manufacturing, logistics and project management, with customers that include Starbucks, Old Navy and Charles Schwab. Delivering its signature custom service depends on effective communications throughout idX's global network of employees, including more than 1,000 employees across its eight offices and manufacturing plants in North America, London, and Shanghai. To help ensure effective communications across borders and disciplines, idX relies on a ShoreTel UC system.

Ryan Dibisch, director of information systems, idX

“With our initial deployment of 450 ShoreTel phones and software licenses, we observed an 80 percent reduction in management costs compared to alternative IP based solutions. We evaluated ShoreTel and other leading providers, and selected ShoreTel for its demonstrated lowest total cost of ownership over a 5+-year period. ShoreTel’s overall simplicity has enabled us to reduce costs, while empowering our internal staff with communication solutions that result in superior service to our clients.”

The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, South Dakota

The Society is a religious, charitable, nonprofit long-term care organization founded in 1922 and currently serving more than 19,372 patients and residents throughout the United States. When The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society prepared to upgrade its communications system, it carefully evaluated several IP system vendors to determine the one that would best serve its patients, residents, staff and other constituents. The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society is deploying the ShoreTel UC system to support more than 17,000 end users in an installation that includes about 5,000 mobile devices and reaches across 200 offices.

Rustan D. Williams, CIO, The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society

"We’re committed to provide the best possible care and services for our residents and patients. Managing our costs for communication services for our employees factors into the care and services we provide. It was very important to find a cost-effective solution that could meet our needs and enhance our ability to provide long-term medical care and services to our thousands of residents and patients. In our evaluation of UC solutions, we determined that two finalists would be able to provide a solution that would meet our communication requirements. Although the upfront costs were similar, an analysis of the costs associated with these solutions over several years identified ShoreTel as having a lower total cost of ownership. ShoreTel’s TCO advantages became obvious when considering their overall administrative simplicity and unique distributed architecture while maintaining the ability to administer the system from a central location.”

RehabCare, St. Louis, Missouri

RehabCare is a leading provider of physical rehabilitation program management services and facilities with 1,200 hospital programs, skilled nursing facilities and other long-term care facilities throughout the United States. The company is committed not only to using the latest treatment technologies, but going above and beyond to deliver personalized, reassuring care to help their patients regain their lives. The ShoreTel UC system helps them stay connected with patients, even after they have gone home, and puts the right data in the right hands at the right time.

Doug Schweiss, manager, telecommunication services, RehabCare

“Delivering world-class service to patients requires modern communications systems, which warranted an upgrade from our existing systems. We evaluated ShoreTel and other leading providers, and selected ShoreTel for its demonstrated lowest total cost of ownership over a 5-year period or longer. Our analysis of the alternatives determined that ShoreTel’s overall management costs were at least 25 percent lower than the next competitive system. Since our deployment, we have observed substantial reductions in costs, including an 80 percent reduction in manpower for moves, adds and changes over our legacy systems. ShoreTel’s overall simplicity has enabled us to reduce costs, while empowering our internal staff with communication solutions that result in superior patient care.”

SHORETEL RESELLER QUOTE

Julie Howe, account executive, Tricom Communication Services, North Carolina

“We’ve been able to focus customers on the importance of total cost of ownership with UC solutions, as they formulate their long term communication strategies. We’ve observed ShoreTel’s total cost of ownership tools effectively demonstrate ShoreTel’s lowest total cost of ownership advantages against Mitel and other leading vendors, and are pleased to have been selected by customers for our ShoreTel solutions.”

SHORETEL QUOTE

Mark Arman, vice president of business development, ShoreTel

“For years, customers of all sizes have demonstrated that ShoreTel has the lowest total cost of ownership. Based on independent third party data as well as feedback from ShoreTel customers, ShoreTel’s ongoing operating costs are typically 50 percent to 75 percent less than most alternative solutions. This fundamental advantage is driven by ShoreTel’s brilliantly simple design that results in significantly lower costs for implementation, training, maintenance, moves, adds and changes, system management, long distance charges and energy consumption.”

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Issue: May 2010 By: Frank Bisbee

Issue: May 2010
By: Frank Bisbee