HOTS : May 2011

Bits N' Pieces

Bisbee’s Buzz

Warning! Warning! DISASTERS EVERYWHERE.

Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Fires, Tornados, Hurricanes, Floods, and Terrorism Acts – all add up to a powerful need to issue warnings in a flash to certain people or areas.

From the devastating earthquakes in Haiti and Japan to the tsunami that followed Japan’s quake, we are seeing a major need for technology to give us warnings in an instant. At this time there are companies and governments drawing up plans to build MASS NOTIFICATION systems that could employ the full array of communications networks to issue warnings and provide critical information before, during and after emergency events. We have the technology to converge many diversified networks to play important roles in the “public notification systems” of the future. News networks provide powerful and vital information to the public, but we need to take the notification to the next step. The next step might involve the wireless devices that already blanket our world.

Recently, tornados ravaged Tuscaloosa, AL and Joplin, MO setting records for lives lost and property destruction. We need a more effective warning system, and we have the tools to bring together… i.e. the National Weather Service, local and network news (Including the Weather Channel on cable) with cellular service providers and local authorities. Now we need “the will” to converge these technologies and agencies.

Imagine the thousands of lives that could have been saved just in the past decade.

Campus mass notification systems were a good start.

Campus mass notification - The goal should be building a flexible system using existing infrastructure that easily supports future expansion and implements mass notification systems (MNS) in a campus environment. The 2007 edition of NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm Code, includes provisions for fire alarm systems to accommodate MNS.

Note that a new NFPA Technical Committee on Emergency Communications Systems has been formed to further develop requirements for these systems. The next edition of NFPA 72 is expected to include significant revisions, including a new technical chapter providing mandatory requirements.

And this is ready to be put to use. Nearly every college in the United States has examined or is examining its ability to notify students and employees of danger. Some state legislatures have passed laws requiring their schools and universities to implement reliable and comprehensive mass notification systems. The Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 requires all post-secondary institutions to make timely warnings to the campus community about crimes that pose an ongoing threat to students and employees. Above and beyond legislation, those involved in public safety have a moral and ethical obligation to provide the safest possible environment for students and employees.

One valuable lesson gleaned from our experience is to keep all processes as simple as possible. Generally speaking, the more complex the process, the more things can go wrong. When many colleges were built, little thought was given to the need for timely mass notification and the need for lockdowns or evacuations. As a result, they have been playing catch-up.

Convergence in action

MNS implementation would not be possible without an active partnership between the safety staff members and college or university IT departments. The staff should also have strong relationships with hardware vendors and software firms to create a dynamic infrastructure.

Announcements heard in large campus common areas, outdoors and on athletic fields present a bit more of a challenge. Many colleges broadcast voice over Internet protocol announcements over loudspeakers placed in the library, cafeteria, student activities areas and gymnasiums. Outdoor speakers and notification beacons may be mounted in the center of campus and other locations, such as athletic fields. The notification beacons can interface with external audiovisual devices, such as sirens, strobes, televisions and scrolling marquees. These features aid in getting the message to disabled and handicapped people.

Training is critical for all parties to react appropriately once the MNS is activated. Authorities should also be actively engaged with students, faculty and staff members in training sessions that cover their reaction to campus emergencies.

Future enhancements to the existing emergency notification suite of applications could involve instant communication with students, faculty and staff, using mobile phones and personal digital assistants. Many universities are looking into building systems where students can receive emergency text announcements over their mobile phones.

We cannot delay the pursuit of integrated communications systems as regional and even national mass notification systems. Information is Power and Safety is too important to ignore.

But that’s just my opinion,

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

Copper used to be the least costly cabling media, but maybe not anymore

Copper is usually found in nature in association with sulfur. Pure copper metal is generally produced from a multistage process, beginning with the mining and concentrating of low-grade ores containing copper sulfide minerals, and followed by smelting and electrolytic refining to produce a pure copper cathode. An increasing share of copper is produced from acid leaching of oxidized ores. Copper is one of the oldest metals ever used and has been one of the important materials in the development of civilization. Because of its properties, singularly or in combination, of high ductility, malleability, and thermal and electrical conductivity, and its resistance to corrosion, copper has become a major industrial metal, ranking third after iron and aluminum in terms of quantities consumed. Electrical uses of copper, including power transmission and generation, building wiring, telecommunication, and electrical and electronic products, account for about three quarters of total copper use. Building construction is the single largest market, followed by electronics and electronic products, transportation, industrial machinery, and consumer and general products. Copper byproducts from manufacturing and obsolete copper products are readily recycled and contribute significantly to copper supply.

World Resources: A recent assessment of U.S. copper resources indicated 550 million tons of copper in identified (260 million tons) and undiscovered resources (290 million tons).8 A preliminary assessment indicates that global land-based resources exceed 3 billion tons. Deep-sea nodules were estimated to contain 700 million tons of copper.

Substitutes: Aluminum substitutes for copper in power cables, electrical equipment, automobile radiators, and cooling and refrigeration tube; titanium and steel are used in heat exchangers; optical fiber substitutes for copper in some telecommunications applications; and plastics substitute for copper in water pipe, drain pipe, and plumbing fixtures.

U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2009

Avg. 1993 copper was US$ .87 per pound

Avg. 1995 copper was US$ 1.33 per pound

March 1999 – copper fell to a ten year low of US$ 0.63 per pound

May 2011 – copper soared to US$4.63 per pound

Today several noted experts on the metals market are forecasting the price of copper to exceed US$ 5.00 per pound by January 2012.

The cost increases of the base materials in communications cabling are copper and plastics for insulation and jacketing. Shockingly, the price of plastics (mainly FEP – fluorinated ethylene propylene) has increased dramatically in the past six months. Worldwide at this time, there are only two suppliers of FEP (DuPont and Daikin), therefore virtually no competitive pressures to keep prices down. We expect the price of CAT 5e and CAT 6 UTP copper cable to exceed the equivalent fiber optical cable within 8-10 months. When all performance issues are considered, FO cable is in cost parity with UTP at this time.

As delivery intervals get longer and prices continue to climb on Copper UTP cabling in the USA, pressure will continue to drive increased installations of fiber optic cabling instead of traditional UTP.

Fiber optic cabling has had problems in the past.

The toughest field installation problems were bend radius restrictions and connectors. Bend radius problems have been virtually eliminated. That left the issue of FO connectivity and reliability.

Fiber Optic cable connections used to be the weakest link, but not anymore

With a breakthrough in the technology, this new patented process has catapulted the network to a new level of dependable connectivity. Richard Brammer, Special Projects Director – Communication Planning Corp. added, “We switched to the ScratchGuard™ because it was tougher and delivered better performance than ANY other F.O. connector available at any price. It’s UNIQUE.”

Megladon Announces New Product Release of TFOCAII Fiber Optic Assemblies with HLC® ScratchGuard™ Technology

Last year, Megladon Manufacturing Group has announced that HLC and SCRATCHGAURD™ fiber optic technology is now available for the TFOCA family of fiber optic assemblies. Designed for harsh environments and field deployments, the TFOCA type connector has the need to withstand the constant handling and matings required in tactical applications, and these aspects are further complimented by HLC technology.

Unlike normal fiber optic connectors, these are made for high strength, as they're meant to be used in harsh environments. TFOCA is used in aerospace, oil-drilling, military, and water purification applications. The connectors are generally hermaphroditic, so any two can be connected, regardless of gender. Several US Department of Defense specifications and military specifications apply to TFOCA, including DOD-1678, MIL-C-83526/12-01, and MIL-STD-810C. Normal (civilian) fiber optic connectors are much less expensive, but require a variety of specialized tools to assemble.

The Tactical Fiber Optic Cable Assembly (TFOCA) provides the physical connection between Fiber Optic Modems (FOMs), repeaters or other equipment

This ruggedized TFOCA connector will withstand the repeated connection/disconnections and the handling typically required for rapid fiber optic cable deployment and retrieval in a tactical or commercial harsh environment applications.

Jim Hayes, President of the FOA (the Fiber Optic Association) reminds the communication designers that the ultimate goal of the fiber optic connector is transparency. The Megladon Mfg. ScratchGuard™ HLC® TFOCA is unique in durability and superior performance.

TFOCA connectors are engineered and tested to satisfy the mechanical and environmental requirements of DOD-1678 and MIL-STD-810C. The TFOCA connectors meet the requirements of MIL-C-83526/12-01. Connector and housing assemblies are hermaphroditic which facilitates genderless coupling with similar TFOCA connectors. This ruggedized TFOCA connector will withstand the repeated connection/disconnections and the handling typically required for rapid fiber optic cable deployment and retrieval in a tactical or commercial harsh environment applications.

The TFOCA connector's unique design and environmentally protected design provides protection from high compressive tensile loads, dust and dirt. In addition, a waterproof seal at every interface insures outstanding resistance to moisture and water penetration. Each TFOCA connector is protected with its own captive hermaphroditic dust cover. The cable termination is designed to firmly anchor the cable to the connector body without special tooling. These connectors are field mountable.

HLC® with ScratchGuard™ technology has been shown to maintain consistent high level performance over the course of 1000 connector matings and ensures a scratch resistant mating surface that can withstand harsh environments and prevent performance degrading scratches. HLC technology also brings industry leading loss and performance characteristics to the tactical connector market.

“HLC and TFOCA products are a match made in heaven,” says Daniel Hogberg, Megladon Product Manager, “we are able to strengthen the TFOCA application and bring performance and reliability once thought impossible. When you take a tough product and make it tougher, you open up new possibilities in the realm of field deployable networks.”

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

Here we go kicking and screaming into a new dazzling information age…at the speed of light.

Written by Frank Bisbee – Editor "HOTS - Heard On The Street" Monthly Column

2011 NECA Show at San Diego Convention Center = THIS IS A MUST DO EVENT FOR 2011

http://www.necaconvention.org/

October 22 – 25, 2011

111 W. Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA

NEW!

The 2011 NECA Energy Forum features opportunities to discover new products and services, learn about best practices, network with your peers, boost your company’s productivity, explore new markets, and enjoy the best of San Diego.

View the 2011 San Diego Convention Trailer

Read the NECA Convention Blog

THIS IS A MUST DO EVENT FOR 2011

General Sessions

Opening General Session

San Diego Convention and Exposition Center

Sunday, October 23, 2011

10:15am–11:30am

General Stanley McChrystal

Praised for creating a revolution in warfare that fused intelligence and operations, four-star General Stanley McChrystal is the former commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan and led the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) that captured Saddam Hussein and killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq. Earlier, during the Persian Gulf War, he served in a Joint Special Operations Task Force and later commanded the 75th Ranger Regiment. In between, he completed year-long fellowships at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Council on Foreign Relations.

No wonder few people can speak about leadership, teamwork, and international affairs with as much insight as General McChrystal!

After 34 years of service, this West Point graduate and former Green Beret retired from the military in August 2010 and now serves on the board of directors for JetBlue Airways and the Yellow Ribbon Fund. He also travels around the country inspiring audiences with stories from his extraordinary career. He'll reveal a four-star management strategy – stressing openness, teamwork, and forward-thinking – when he addresses the Opening General Session at NECA 2011 San Diego.

Labor Relations Special General Session

San Diego Convention and Exposition Center

Monday, October 24, 2011

10:00am–11:30am

Along with innovation, workforce development continues to shape our evolving industry. NECA will take a hard look at the labor relations issues that matter to our members in a special session, bringing together the local and national leaders that make the decisions and tough choices that keep our industry moving forward.

Closing General Session

San Diego Convention and Exposition Center

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

09:00am–10:15am

SDCC

Steven Farber

An expert in business leadership and a frequent guest on talk shows around the country, Steve Farber is a senior-level leadership coach and consultant to a wide variety of public and private organizations in virtually every arena – from the tech sector to financial services, manufacturing, health care, hospitality, entertainment, retail, and even the U.S. government. He is also president and CEO of Extreme Leadership, Inc., and he'll inspire NECA conventioneers in the extreme at our Closing General Session in San Diego with a style that is part strategist, part social commentator, part comedian, and all energy.

Farber was director of service programs at TMI, an international training consultancy, and then worked for six years as The Tom Peters Company's Vice President and Official Mouthpiece (really) before founding Extreme Leadership and co-founding the Center for Social Profit Leadership. He is also a published author, and his latest work, Greater Than Yourself, has been called "a path-breaking book that brings to life the ultimate leadership lesson – that the highest purpose of our work is the development of other leaders." http://www.necaconvention.org/

NECA Showstoppers

This prominent industry program recognizes the latest and greatest in electrical product innovations. Attendees can see them on display in the Showstopper Showcase during the 2011 NECA Show. Now combined with the NECA New & Featured Products, make plans to stop in and see ground-breaking products and services designed to help electrical contractors on the job.

This showcase offers a select sampling of the latest and greatest in electrical product innovations which will be on display in the New and Featured Product Room at the 2011 NECA Show. Make plans to stop in and see what's new!

Schedule

Sunday, October 23 – 11:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Monday, October 24 – 11:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Tuesday, October 25 – 9:30a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Feature your latest product, service or solution

NECA Launches New Introductory Contractor Online Course

Contractor 101: Start With the Basics

A new online course from NECA’s Management Education Institute answers the fundamental questions about what it takes to make it in electrical contracting.

Starting with the basics about who does what on a construction project, and moving into the leadership and technical skills that can improve your chances for success, said program developer Karl Borgstrom. “Contractor 101 is NECA’s introduction to the industry of electrical construction. The program covers the fundamentals for people new to electrical contracting and how contractor business and management operations are organized.”

Contactor 101 is useful for electrical contractors training office staff; students investigating career options in the industry; and electrical workers considering a move into management. “Contractors new to the industry or those interested in better business practices can often avoid costly errors by reviewing an introductory program like Contractor 101,” Borgstrom said.

The course includes six modules: Overview of the Construction Industry; Leadership: Meeting the Challenges of Contracting Organization Management; Strategic Management and Planning; Financial Management and Analysis; Construction Law and Contracts; and Labor Relations. It also covers the roles of the various stakeholders involved in a project; the economic factors that drive the construction market; the opportunities and risks inherent in construction; and the organizational structure and processes within the contracting business.

ORDERING INFORMATION: Contractor 101 is available for $49 for NECA members, $65 for non-members. Individuals who complete this online course will be awarded 0.2 Continuing Education Units (CEUs.) There is no required textbook for Contractor 101. NECA members qualify for a discount for Contractor 101; contact Jackie Saldana to get a discount promo code.

Follow the steps below to register for NECA’s Contractor 101 Online Course:

1. Go to http://www.necanet.org/education/mei/

2. Click on the "Catalog of Courses"

3. Click on “Contractor 101" under the "Online Management" tab.

4. Click ton “CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THIS COURSE"

5. This will lead you to a sign on screen. If you have a username and password enter that information. Otherwise to get your username and password please contact Jackie Saldana at 301-215-4519 or via e-mail js@necanet.org

6. After you are signed into NECA University, click the View Button next to "Contractor 101" then click Enroll. If you are a NECA member please contact Jackie Saldana to get a discount promo code. Fill in all the information requested, click "Agree" to the refund policy, and then click "Enroll."

Once you are registered, you may take the class as many times as you wish. Simply follow the same steps to login.

If you have questions regarding specific course content, please contact Karl Borgstrom via e-mail at kborgstrom@aol.com.

ABOUT NECA: The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). has provided over a century of service to the $130 billion electrical construction industry that brings power, light, and communication technology to buildings and communities across the United States. NECA’s national office and local chapters advance the industry through advocacy, education, research, and standards development. For more information, visit www.necanet.org.

Disappointed with NFPA – Safety in the home with sprinklers? (OPINION)

It is mildly disheartening to see NFPA reacting to what appears, at least at first glance, to be a response to consultants and vendors. Point in question: there is a continuing push to mandate sprinkler protection in residences. True, there are some municipalities already doing so for new construction, and I think that’s fine, but what happened to smoke detection? Residents will be long dead from a slow smoldering fire before the sprinklers open up to save the building, yet I don’t recall ever seeing any push for system powered detection in residences. The CMS troops mandated battery detection in health care occupancies until the sprinkler mandate (08-13-13) comes to pass, yet time after time fire investigations reveal “detectors didn’t work” or “detectors missing batteries”. There is a common believe that QR sprinklers take the place of smoke detection, yet they work on temperature not obscuration.

I think I should retire before I get any more depressed. Anyway, I enjoy the news items, particularly on fire stopping and things like that. Hope SHOR does well; we old folks can’t stand too many losses.

A veteran NFPA volunteer - Name withheld by request

www.nfpa.org

OSHA cites DuPont & the contractor. in fatal N.Y. explosion

Thursday, May 5, 2011, An investigation by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has found multiple violations at the E. I. DuPont De Nemours Co. Yerkes Plant (Tonawanda, NY) following a fatal explosion at the plant in November 2010.

The company and the contractor, Mollenberg-Betz of Buffalo, were cited for a combined total of 17 serious violations of workplace safety standards. Penalties total $116,940 for the two companies, which have 15 days to respond.

Richard Folaron, an employee of Mollenberg-Betz Inc., was performing welding atop a 10,000-gallon tank when hot sparks ignited flammable vapors inside the tank, causing an explosion that killed him and injured another Mollenberg-Betz employee, William Freeburg. The slurry tank was supposed to be empty but was still connected to two operating slurry tanks, and flammable vapors seeped through the interconnected piping system into the tank on which the employee was working, OSHA said Thursday.

“This death and injury graphically underscore how vitally important it is that employers anticipate the hazards associated with welding in potentially explosive atmospheres, and institute all protective measures before allowing such work to begin,” said Arthur Dube, OSHA’s area director in Buffalo.

OSHA cited both companies for allowing welding to be conducted in an explosive atmosphere; performing welding without disconnecting or blanking the pipelines to the tank; not venting all containers to permit escape of gasses prior to welding; not ensuring that the tanks had been thoroughly cleaned to be absolutely certain that no flammable materials were present; failing to schedule the work so that it would not be conducted during plant operations that might expose combustibles to ignition; and not determining the hazardous areas present or likely to be present in the work location.

Mollenberg-Betz also was cited for not verifying that the slurry tank was empty before welding began and for a lack of specific hazardous energy control procedures. DuPont also was cited for incomplete hazardous energy control procedures; not inserting blanks or blinds in the interconnected slurry tank overflow line to prevent transmission of flammable vapor into the slurry tank; not informing Mollenberg-Betz of potential explosion hazards related to hot work on the slurry tank; not informing Mollenberg-Betz of the plant’s hazardous energy control program; and using unapproved electrical equipment in a hazardous location.

Broken down, OSHA cited DuPont’s Yerkes Plant for nine violations and $61,500 in proposed fines while Mollenberg-Betz was cited for eight violations with $55,440 in fines. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

2011 - 05/05/2011 - US Labor Department's OSHA cites DuPont's ...

May 5, 2011 ... OSHA cited both companies for allowing welding to be ...
www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table...p_id...

“Hands-on” Retail Communications Installation Seminar – Dallas, TX

Gain knowledge and skills to start a new career,

Add clients to your existing base,

Enlarge your electrical business

Or simply upgrade your information about one of the most overlooked fields in this industry.

Retail Communications , better known as Point of Sale (POS) is constantly evolving into new outlets for hardware and cabling due to industry demands for speedier handling of customers in the retail environment.

What type of Systems/Applications do stores use? The types of systems that are being installed or upgraded involve Structured Cabling, CCTV, Ethernet Local Area Networking, Point of Sale Systems (the check out point), Telephone Systems, Wireless, Paging, Intercommunications, Alarms-Egress, Digital Signage and Interface to Integration.

Who Uses a Point of Sale System? Think of all the retail opportunities you come into contact with every day are Supermarkets, Hardware Stores and Depots, Pharmacy Chains, Superstore/Warehouse clubs, Clothing/Apparel marts, Discount Centers, Restaurants/Bars, Fast Food Chains, Convenience Stores, Hotels, Motels, Hospitals, Airports, Stadiums and Casinos just to name a few.

Where Do I Start: The following is a sample of what will be covered:

EIA/TIA Standards 568-B.2-1, NEC Codes and Standards, Punch Down 4 connector systems, Work Area, Backbone, Riser, Build a SM Fiber Optic Connector, Horizontal Cabling-Pulling the Cables, Wire CAT5e/6 Patch Panels, Relay Rack Installation, Build Patch Cords, 568A/B and Cross over patch cord building, Make RJ45 Ethernet Cable, Plugs and jacks, U/UTP and F/UTP, installing wall jacks, installation of wall telephones, Star Wiring, Topology, Main Cross Connect, Placing a Wall IDF, Conduit distribution to sales counters, Networking Basic and Ethernet, 10BASE-T and 100BASE-T Fast Ethernet, Designing a Cable Route, Placing Speakers, Amplifier Distribution, from the Jack to the Router, Wiring the POS station (check out counter), Coax and UTP wiring the CCTV Cameras, and finishing with 4 testing methods.

COST: This 3 day course only cost $395.00 per person and includes a full descriptive manual and refreshments.

Class hours are from 9 am to 5 pm

Need Additional Information, call Steve at (214) 319-6632 or email at Steve@cstinstitute.com

Location: CSTInstitute

12035 Shiloh Road

Suite 350

Dallas, Texas 75228

ShoreTel Opens New Avenues for Innovation With Expansion of Technology Partner Program

“Members of Innovation Network leverage ShoreTel’s open platform to integrate their products and services and extending customer benefits.” commented Michael Shannahan, VP Operations at Communication Planning Corporation (North Florida’s ShoreTel Partner). He added “The ShoreTel system benefits have rejuvenated our market. Many companies have a high level of interest in upgrading their communications systems. The Nortel withdrawal from the market has been displaced by the ShoreTel’s rich feature/function system. It’s even better and less expensive than Cisco.” www.communicationplanning.com

SUNNYVALE, Calif. ShoreTel® (NASDAQ:SHOR - News), the leading provider of brilliantly simple IP phone systems with fully integrated unified communications (UC), today announced the evolution of the Technology Partner and Developer Network programs into the single ShoreTel Innovation Network. The creation of a single, holistic program simplifies participation for technology partners and developers to deliver advanced integrated solutions to customers.

ShoreTel’s IP phone system with integrated Unified Communications is based on an open architecture, enabling interoperability and integration with third-party solutions to deliver extended value to mutual customers. Open Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) offer customers flexibility to integrate leading business process applications with the ShoreTel individual business communications system, providing greater capabilities for system administrators and end users.

“Today's organizations increasingly rely on best-of-breed business process solutions to remain competitive and to ensure efficient operations,” said Brian Spencer, president of OAISYS, a leading provider of call recording and contact center management solutions and long-time participant in both the ShoreTel Technology Partner Program and Developer Network. “ShoreTel's support of open standards gives customers the ability to easily incorporate business critical applications within their communications systems.”

“People often undervalue open API capabilities. But for us, ShoreTel’s open API platform was a big deal because we have so many custom-built applications and need to ensure flawless integration,” said Dan Lyddy, Vice President of Information Systems for DART Transit Company, one of hundreds of ShoreTel customers leveraging the open platform. “Now we have 322 people using ShoreTel Communicator with Workgroup Agent access. My team built a widget on the back of ShoreTel Workgroups to eliminate the wait time for drivers to talk to staff, instead initiating a call-back request. That means the ShoreTel system will automatically send our agents a prompt to call the driver back once that agent completes the current phone call.”

Enhancements underlying the Innovation Network bring together developers and technology partners, reinforcing ShoreTel’s commitment to an open architecture, as well as capitalizing on ShoreTel’s Brilliantly Simple solution. Through this new, unified program, ShoreTel technical experts support customers, systems integrators, technology providers and software developers in building advanced integrated applications on ShoreTel's open platform using commonly known and widely accepted techniques. Application developers and member partners collaborate freely, then offer hardware, software and services that together greatly enhance and enrich communications across the enterprise and deliver on the promise of Voice over IP.

“As a Strategic ShoreTel Innovation Network partner, we are able to deliver complete business solutions to our end customers and provide maximum value to joint customers,” said Patric Chang, director of Strategic Alliances at Brocade. “In this growing community of innovators, network members benefit from co-marketing activities that drive exposure of value-added software, hardware and service solutions. Customers enjoy productivity-enhancing solutions developed by best-in-class technology providers who share ShoreTel's commitment to customer satisfaction.”

The ShoreTel Innovation Network is structured into three primary levels: Foundation, Alliance and Strategic. Prospective members will apply to be Foundation Members, where they will gain access to ShoreTel’s growing collection of software development kits (SDKs) and other tools to help integrate products. Once members have completed their development and self-tested their solutions with ShoreTel, they will be eligible to apply to the Alliance Membership level. Strategic members are identified via mutually defined relationships driven by successes and enhanced joint business cases.

Foundation Membership level:

Access to published ShoreTel software interfaces and SDKs.

Access to ShoreTel Innovation Network forums.

Opportunities for access to direct development consulting support.

Alliance Membership level:

Exposure within the ShoreTel Innovation Network Catalog.

Jointly-created technical and marketing materials.

Exposure to ShoreTel's varied network of reseller partners and distributors through press activity, case studies, webinars and promotional events.

Strategic Membership level:

Dedicated Business Development sponsor.

Formal go-to-market planning activities.

Initial and revalidation test events.

Visit to learn more about the ShoreTel Innovation Network and to download the Innovation Network Program Guide for detailed information on the requirements and benefits of membership.

About ShoreTel

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

WESCO boosts CEO John Engel's compensation 35 percent

Pittsburgh Business Times - by Malia Spencer - Wednesday, April 6, 2011

The president CEO of industrial distribution company WESCO International Inc., John Engel, received a 35 percent boost in total compensation in 2010, according to the company’s latest proxy filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

WESCO, based in Pittsburgh's South Side neighborhood, paid Engel a base salary last year of $725,000. That was an increase over the $591,828 he received in 2009, when the company instituted mandatory four-week unpaid leaves of absence as a cost saving measure. His total compensation in 2010 was $4.3 million, up from $3.2 million a year earlier.

For 2011, the board’s compensation committee approved a base salary of $800,000 for Engel.

According to the proxy, the company’s board believes the compensation package of executives is directly tied to WESCO’s strong performance through the economic recovery. The company offers a consistent base salary, plus annual cash bonuses and long-term equity incentives. Last year the company reported profit $115.5 million, or $2.50 per share, on sales of $5.1 billion.

In 2010, Engel earned a cash incentive bonus of $1.2 million and "other benefits" of $13,276. In addition, the company offers a $12,000 car allowance for all named executives.

Other named executives in the filing were:

Roy Haley, chairman, who received a base salary of $732,500 and total compensation of $3.4 million. As part of the company’s succession plan, Haley stepped down as CEO in 2009 when Engel was named to the post. Haley agreed to stay on in his role of chairman until the end of 2011 annual stockholder meeting.

Stephen Van Oss, senior vice president and chief operating officer, who received a base salary of $600,000 and total compensation of $2.9 million. Last year, Van Oss earned a cash incentive bonus of $800,000. For 2011, Van Oss is expected to receive a base salary of $625,000.

Richard Heyse, vice president and chief financial officer, who received a base salary of $355,000 and total compensation of $1.7 million. Last year, Heyse earned a cash incentive bonus of $290,000. For 2011, Heyse is expected to receive a base salary of $400,000.

Diane Lazzaris, vice president of legal affairs, who received a base salary of $251,201 and total compensation of $833,462. Lazzaris joined the company in February 2010, and in those 11 months she earned a cash incentive bonus of $225,000. For 2011, Lazzaris is expected to receive a base salary of $325,000.

WESCO (NYSE: WCC) will hold its annual meeting of shareholders May 25 at the Hyatt Regency Pittsburgh International Airport.

WESCO Distribution is a leader in industrial supply with an extensive offering of electrical, data communications, general maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) and electrical OEM products. WESCO is more than just an electrical distributor - they're a company of procurement specialists, helping customers lower supply chain costs and increase efficiency through LEAN Customer Value Creation (LCVC); and save energy with Green and Sustainability initiatives. Their network of 380 branches delivers industrial supply products fast, and our vast catalog of supplier partners enables WESCO to be your one-stop shop for electrical and MRO products. As a Fortune 500 company their industrial supply solutions leverage their incredible buying power and extensive procurement experience. WESCO brings together a broad range of industries to deliver value, service, and results.

On the Datacom scene: CSC is “on fire with new powerful marketing programs” that are effectively helping the market to upgrade and integrate a wide host of IT and other technologies like environmental services and security

Data Communications - Communications Supply Corporation

Founded in 1972, Communications Supply Corporation is a leading nationwide distributor of copper & fiber IP infrastructure and industrial wire and cable products. CSC distributes a full range of products to support advanced connectivity for voice and data communications, access control, security surveillance, building automation, video distribution, life safety broadcast systems, and electrical construction and manufacturing for commercial, residential, and government customers. Together, CSC and WESCO form the largest electrical and data communications network in North America, with 400 full service branches and a suite of global distribution capabilities to meet the needs of the international industrial wire and cable market.

www.gocsc.com is a powerful website designed and constantly updated to assist the designers and buyers in the world of DATACOM INFRASTRUCTURE.

www.wesco.com

How can the buyers be assured that the cable they are buying will live up to the promised performance and required safety?

Counterfeit electrical products are a $20 billion per year crime, and it’s growing every day. Protect the lives of your workers and customers, and avoid serious liability to your business. The low-voltage cable is part of that market threatened by counterfeits.

Counterfeit Products can kill. We are being warned that the counterfeit products can look exactly like the real stuff in almost every way, except maybe performance and safety. So how do we protect ourselves? First rule: Use a licensed cabling contractor. Your contractor most likely deals with a reputable distributor. Those two criteria make up a very strong barrier to being a victim of counterfeit and substandard non compliant cable products. NECA – National Electrical Contractors Association www.necanet.org and NAED – National Association of Electrical Distributors www.naed.org have been pursuing the goal of QUALITY and SAFETY FIRST & ALWAYS for decades. The pressure is mounting as the global market is constantly changing and new products are introduced at an alarming rate. Just staying current on new products is overwhelming. Add the pressure of watching out for substandard or counterfeit products, and it is like trying to drink from a fire hose.

Common Sense tells us that a gold Rolex® watch for sale at $39.95 might not be the real deal. The same holds true in the arcane world of communications cabling.

The smart buyer is dealing with a reputable distributor that insures the products are coming directly from the cable manufacturers. This is the most dependable rule in protecting the low-voltage cabling contractor and the consumer. We checked with Graybar, WESCO – CSC, and a host of other electrical distributors (all members of NAED – National Association of Electrical Distributors www.naed.org ) on the myriad steps they take to guarantee the genuine product is being sold. It would take a multi volume book to enumerate the quality assurance programs currently in use by these distributor organizations.

The performance testing to check and double check interoperability of components boggles the imagination. These testing processes are always ongoing and adding new products before they reach the main stream of distribution. Karl Griffith of Graybar related some of the scrutiny steps that they go through to fill their quiver with solutions and systems for communications, control, safety, and security applications. These steps differentiate the leading distributors and resultantly the smart contractors that buy from them. This level of quality control is unmatched in any global market. It is not required by law, but it sure is the best common sense step a consumer can look for to protect their company from getting scammed by counterfeit or substandard products.

Communications cable is tested and labeled for compliance with CODE (NEC - National Electrical Code developed by the NFPA - National Fire Protection Association) and Performance (EIA/TIA). The testing in the USA is primarily conducted by Intertek ETL and UL Underwriters Laboratories. After a production grade cable product has been submitted, tested and passed it gets a listing for compliance with the proper NEC type (such as CMR for riser or CMP for plenum) and it gets verification for the Standard (i.e. CAT 5E or CAT 6 etc...). The listings and verifications of performance are enhanced by Follow-Up program in which the Testing organization pulls random samples from the manufacturers production facilities (never from distribution) and retests to verify both the listing for code and the performance to standard. If a product fails in this step only the manufacturer is notified. If the problem is reviewed and it persists the listing or verification number is removed from the manufacturers approved list until it can be corrected and retested. WARNING – at this time, there is no notification to distribution or the public as these actions are taken. The system isn’t perfect, but we hope the manufacturers will be forthcoming with their distributors in the mean time.

Counterfeits Webinar Archive Available

Just what does "genuine" get you? How do you detect the real deal from the fake? Electrical Contractor and GE Energy, Industrial Solutions hosted a webinar on November 30, 2010, discussing the latest on counterfeit electrical products, including how to detect and ensure genuine products through UL testing, warranties and quality assurances; examples of material differences (side-by-side comparisons); specific cases of counterfeit installations; common sources of counterfeit/gray product and more, and now it's archived for your viewing. The webinar details the steps the industry is taking to combat electrical products including GE training, awareness efforts, serialization of products, recall and legal actions. Click here to view for free.

We strongly advise our readers to watch this video and catch the archived webinar by GE on COUNTERFIETS.

VIDEO: Products Discussion Panel

11/03/2009

The “Counterfeit Electrical Products: Are You Liable?” panel discussion took place Oct. 6, 2008, at the NECA Show in Chicago. If you think that you are immune, you are WRONG.

Continued education focused on the purchasing path is a great step toward delivering to quality you promised at the competitive prices for the market. An uninformed buyer frequently puts out a vague specification for product and then chooses the lowest price. In those bids job cases, there are almost always two losers: the buyer and the seller.

The complexity of designing and building a smart infrastructure for today’s needs and tomorrows applications is a real challenge and it brings out the best in results. That is why DESIGN/BUILD is sweeping our industry as all of these technologies merge into IBS – Integrated Building Systems (a.k.a. “The Smart Building”).

ECMAG article for APRIL 2011 WEB exclusive – How can the buyer be assured…

by Frank Bisbee

reprinted with permission from the Electrical Contractor Magazine www.ecmag.com

ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR is the leading information provider serving the $130 billion commercial, industrial, institutional, residential and nonbuilding electrical contracting community. Who they reach:

TITLE/POSITION
81.4% Work in management-level positions
68.6% Owners, Partners, Chairmen, Presidents, VPs, Treas's, Gen. Mgrs, NECA Reps
4% In-house design/purchasing/estimating
14.6% Electricians, Journeymen, Technicians
12.8% Project Mgrs, Supts., Supervisors, Foremen

Download 2010 BPA Circulation Statement

Electrical contractors represent a marketing opportunity for suppliers of an ever-broadening range of products and services. These include power wire and low-voltage cable of all sizes and capacities, generators, circuit breakers, boxes, conduit, fittings, switches and components for sophisticated low-voltage systems, including security, fire, life safety and data communication; building/lighting controls; lighting; and energy saving and monitoring. Also included are all of the tools, equipment, vehicles, etc., that are necessary to transport, install, test and maintain those systems.

The market consists of 53% commercial, industrial, institutional (CII) facilities; 42% residential (single- and multifamily); and 5% nonbuilding entities (power plants, transmission lines, highway, bridge, traffic and airport lighting), emerging alternative power generating systems (solar, wind, geothermal and much more).

More than 62,000 individual firms employ well over 700,000 workers. Firm size ranges from one- and two-person shops to mega contractors that employ hundreds to thousands of people. Firm revenues vary from less than $250,000 to hundreds of millions of dollars.

Increased emphasis on and demands for more energy-efficient, better designed, integrated and sustainable facilities have driven the electrical contractor market to dramatically change both the role of its people and the scope of their activities in the overall construction process.

Some of those paradigm-shifting changes include the following:

Design/build, building information modeling (BIM) and other collaborative design systems have become the preferred process for the majority of building projects. More than 75% of electrical contractors are directly involved as trusted and integral design/specification partners in these building team activities.

Product and system specifications are delivered far less specifically than ever before. More than 80% of all electrical specs are either multiple, equal or performance-based. Specs are substituted 70% of the time. This loosening of specs means that many final brand/product decisions are left to the electrical contractor.

Increasingly, electrical design schematics are delivered to the electrical contractor incomplete, i.e., electrical contractors are responsible for the completion and resultant specification.

Building owners increasingly demand closer to single-source responsibility for design, installation, integration and maintenance all of the building's systems, including both traditional power and low voltage.

Those suppliers who recognize and take advantage of these and other dramatic changes in how today's electrical contractor market works will experience significant growth in their bottom line.

ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR delivers your brand and message to 85,370 contractors responsible for over 90% of total market dollar volume. More than 70% of our audience make brand decisions for electrical products and systems. Electrical contractors have migrated from primarily being a product installer to an integral partner in product and system specification, selection and design. www.ecmag.com

ShoreTel Reports Financial Results for Third Quarter Fiscal Year 2011

Company Achieves Non-GAAP Profitability, Driven by 39 Percent Year-Over-Year Revenue Growth

SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 26, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ShoreTel^(R) (Nasdaq:SHOR - News), the leading provider of brilliantly simple IP phone systems with fully integrated unified communications (UC), today announced financial results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2011, which ended March 31, 2011.

For the third quarter of fiscal year 2011, revenue was $51.6 million, up 8 percent sequentially from the second quarter of fiscal year 2011 and a 39 percent increase from the third quarter of fiscal year 2010. GAAP net loss was $(2.4) million, or $(0.05) per share, compared with a GAAP net loss of $(4.5) million, or $(0.10) per share, for the third quarter of fiscal year 2010. Excluding stock-based compensation expenses of $2.8 million, amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets of $0.2 million and related tax adjustments, the non-GAAP net income for the third quarter of fiscal year 2011 was $0.6 million, or $.01 per share, compared with a non-GAAP net loss of $(1.7) million, or $(0.04) per share, for the third quarter of fiscal year 2010.

GAAP gross margin for the third quarter of fiscal year 2011 was 68.0 percent, compared with 64.9 percent during the same quarter last year. Non-GAAP gross margin, which excludes stock-based compensation expenses, amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets and related tax adjustment, was 68.6 percent in the third quarter of fiscal year 2011, up from 67.2 percent in the prior quarter and 65.6 percent during the same quarter last year.

As of March 31, 2011, the company had $102.6 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments with no debt.

"ShoreTel accelerated its strong growth during the third fiscal quarter, increasing revenue 39 percent year-over-year and achieving non-GAAP profitability one quarter earlier than expected," said Peter Blackmore, president and CEO of ShoreTel. "Results were driven by strength among our core customers and carrier partners and revenue from major accounts. Additionally, ShoreTel won a notable new partnership with Vodafone in Europe.

"To put our revenue growth into perspective, ShoreTel's quarterly revenue jumped from $40 million to $50 million in just three quarters, a fraction of the time it took the company to pass from $30 million to $40 million," Blackmore added.

Operational Highlights for the Third Quarter of Fiscal Year 2011

ShoreTel and Polycom Expand Technology Partnership

In February 2011, the company announced an expansion of its technology partnership with Polycom to further a shared mission of delivering advanced business communications systems based on open standards. The offering will provide customers the flexibility of an open and interoperable ShoreTel and Polycom solution that unifies and simplifies communication across voice and video and telepresence solutions. As a result, ShoreTel's IP telephony and UC solutions will combine with Polycom's telepresence systems to deliver a seamlessly integrated system with proven reliability, quality, simplicity and lower total cost of ownership, by using technologies like H.264 High Profile, which reduces bandwidth requirements for high definition video by up to 50 percent.

ShoreTel Partner Program Awarded CRN 2011 Five-Star Designation

For the second year in a row, ShoreTel was awarded the five-star designation in CRN's Partner Programs Guide. This ratings guide serves as the definitive list of vendors who have robust partner programs or products that service solution providers offer directly to the IT channel. CRN also highlighted ShoreTel as one of its "2011 Need To Know: UC & VoIP Vendors" and recognized the ShoreTel Voice Switch 50 as "VoIP Product of the Year" for 2010.

Donald Joos Appointed Vice President of Global Services

Donald Joos was recently appointed vice president of global services. Reporting directly to ShoreTel's president and CEO, Peter Blackmore, Joos will play a critical role in the continued expansion of ShoreTel's world-class service to customers and partners around the world. Joos comes to ShoreTel from Avaya, where he spent nine years as a company vice president. In that role, he led the teams for channel transformation, integrations and global customer satisfaction, North American services, global implementation, and global customer care centers.

Business Outlook

The company is providing the following outlook for the quarter-ending June 30, 2011:

Revenue is expected to be in the range of $53.0 million to $56.0 million.

GAAP gross margin is expected to be in the range of 66 to 67 percent, including approximately $0.4 million in stock-based compensation expenses and amortization of acquisition-related intangibles. Non-GAAP gross margin is expected to be in the range of 67 to 68 percent.

GAAP operating expenses are expected to be in the range of $38 million to $39 million, which includes approximately $2.5 million in stock-based compensation expenses and amortization of acquisition-related intangibles. Non-GAAP operating expenses are expected to be in the range of $35.5 million to $36.5 million.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

ShoreTel reports all financial information required in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), but it believes that evaluating its ongoing operating results may be difficult to understand if limited to reviewing only GAAP financial measures. Many investors have requested that ShoreTel disclose this non-GAAP information because it is useful in understanding the company's performance, as it excludes non-cash and other special charges that many investors feel may obscure the company's true operating performance. Likewise, management uses these non-GAAP financial measures to manage and assess the profitability of its business and does not consider stock-based compensation expenses, amortization of acquisition-related intangibles and other special charges and related tax adjustments in managing its core operations. ShoreTel has provided a reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures in the tables of this press release. Investors are encouraged to review the related GAAP financial measures and the reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures with their most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.

About ShoreTel, Inc.

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

FLOOR SEALS FOR SEALING CORE HOLES. Another safety product from the good people at Unique Fire Stop Products

SealCore Safety Plate, a revolutionary way to seal core holes during construction and post-construction that saves money and reduces installation time while meeting all building codes.

The SealCore Safety Plate is inserted into the hole, lifted, tightened with an Allen wrench, and filled with fire-rated foam.

The SealCore Safety Plate is made of high grade plate steel and comes with everything needed to install it.

SealCore Safety Plate can be used with slabs between 3" and 12" thick and is available in sizes that fit holes ranging from 3" to 5-3/4" in diameter. MADE IN THE USA They’re manufactured in the United States using local workers for Longhenry Industries of Aubrey, Texas.

FIRE STOPS SAVE LIVES and it’s the law. Safety is too important to ignore.

PRICED UNDER $100. Call: 251-960-5018

Another safety product from the good people from Unique Fire Stop Products www.uniquefirestop.com

Microsoft acquires Skype for $8.5 billion

May 10, 2011 10:09 EDT

Microsoft plans to buy internet telephone network Skype for $8.5 billion, the biggest purchase ever for the world’s largest software company as it seeks to regain ground on growing rivals. The money-losing Skype has 145 million users on average each month and has gained favor among small business users. The deal would also give Microsoft a foothold in the potentially lucrative video-conferencing market. Skype, which is minority owned by eBay, allows people to make calls at no charge but also offers some paid features.

ShoreTel Announces Contact Center 7

Latest release allows enterprises to dramatically reshape customer loyalty through their customer service organization

Press Release Source: ShoreTel On Wednesday May 11, 2011, 11:17 am EDT

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ShoreTel® (NASDAQ:SHOR - News), the leading provider of brilliantly simple IP phone systems with fully integrated unified communications (UC), today announced the availability of ShoreTel Contact Center 7. ShoreTel Contact Center 7 introduces Personal Agent Queues, a highly sophisticated yet simple way for customers to queue and route calls to specific agents based on completely customized criteria. Along with ShoreTel 11.1, ShoreTel Contact Center 7 now puts a high-availability contact center within reach of every customer, big or small.

ShoreTel Enterprise Contact Center 7 further strengthens the ease of use and powerful administration capabilities with redesigned Web-based management, enhanced reporting and new diagnostic tools. These features allow enterprises to dramatically improve customer service, while reducing the cost of deploying and maintaining a high-performance and highly available inbound or outbound multimedia call center.

“In this era of social media where news spreads fast, enterprises strive to enhance their company’s brand perception through stellar customer service,” said Kevin Gavin, chief marketing officer at ShoreTel. “The call center, with personal agent queues, is one of the first points of contact where enterprises can give their customers direct access to agents.”

“At QMACS we provide support services to hospitals and physicians to help them manage their practice better. One of the keys to our success is our call center and the ShoreTel multimedia Enterprise Contact Center has enabled us to provide excellent customer service to our clients,” said Todd P. Stone, chief technology officer at QMACS Health Care Solutions. “We decided to do a field trial on Shoretel Enterprise Contact Center 7 and have had a great experience with this latest release. The slick management interface and diagnostic tools make the contact center one of the easiest to manage. The personal agent queue, which is a really unique feature, will help us in routing calls within our call center allowing us to fully utilize our resources and give callers a dedicated experience.”

Personal Agent Queues

Every agent can now answer a call while pushing an existing call into their personal queue with a single click. This can be used for routing higher priority calls or previously answered calls. Call centers can apply advanced logic to route calls to the personal agent queue, which can be done through scripting. Supervisors can also monitor all agent queue activity and generate reports that display how often a call had be re-queued by an agent.

Web-Based ShoreTel Contact Center Director

Contact Center 7 can now be managed through an intuitive Web-based management interface that makes the administration and management brilliantly simple. Contact Center Director makes it easy for administrators to manage access, search for records and copy configurations quickly. Quick navigation links and bookmarking ability enable supervisors to manage their call center any time from any device.

Enhanced Reporting

Contact Center 7 now supports multiple years of retention of statistical and interaction reports. This allows managers to create year-over-year trend reports while also meeting the requirements for longer archival. Other enhancements such as new real time outbound campaign report are also now available.

New Diagnostic Tool

Contact Center 7 also introduces power diagnostic tools for contact center super administrators and support staff. The diagnostic tools provide snapshots of how resources are being used in the system and shows snapshot of all the current calls and scheduled callbacks, which allows administrators to delete unwanted callbacks from the system and provides detailed views of the external database connections or any other customer systems.

“Affiliated Communications is a partner for ShoreTel, and we are proud to be designated as a Contact Center Practice Partner,” said Jona Sanford, engineering manager at Affiliated Communications. “We are very excited about the release of Contact Center 7, and have been really impressed with the new functionality and tools provided in this release. We feel that these will enable partners to better support their contact center customers.”

The ShoreTel Enterprise Contact Center 7 meets enterprise needs from a basic informal call center to a sophisticated scalable, distributed contact center solution supporting thousands of simultaneous agents in multiple sites. Smaller call centers can use the built in Workgroup solution to back up their contact center through seamless agent controls. Large enterprises having a single virtual call center spread across multiple regions or even a diverse range of customers can now take advantage of the increased scalability in Contact Center 7, which now supports 100 concurrent supervisors. For more information, visit http://www.shoretel.com/solutions/contact_center.

About ShoreTel

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

U.S. Department of Education Announces Green Ribbon Program to Advance Sustainable Schools

Campaign for Environmental Literacy, Earth Day Network, National Wildlife Federation and the U.S. Green Building Council Laud Administration's Efforts to Green Our Nation's Schools

Washington, DC (April 26, 2011) – The U.S. Department of Education announced today the creation of the Green Ribbon Schools program, which will recognize schools that have taken great strides in greening their curricula, buildings, school grounds and overall building operations. The program, celebrated during a tree planting ceremony at the Department of Education headquarters, will help cash-strapped schools save money and prepare students for 21st Century jobs.

The Green Ribbon School awards will be given to schools that best exemplify America's transition to a sustainable economy, from graduating environmentally literate students to effectively managing their carbon footprint.

As budget crunches hit school systems across the nation, the Department of Education is providing an innovative solution through the Green Ribbon Schools program to encourage school systems to take a comprehensive approach to becoming a green school by cutting expenses through energy efficiency and green building measures, while at the same time using these sustainable school improvements as part of their efforts to educate students about science, technology and the environment.

"In a time when budgets are tight, the Department of Education is encouraging schools to engage in a creative win-win scenario – cutting expenses while using the school facilities as dynamic learning labs for students," said Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. "This federal initiative supports the work of the National Wildlife Federation, which has helped more than 4,000 schools go green over the last 15 years."

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that smarter energy management in schools, which spent between $6-8 billion in 2000 on energy, could reduce energy consumption by as much as 25 percent and cut school energy costs nationally by more than $1 billion annually.

Jim Elder, Director of the Campaign for Environmental Literacy, said "Today's event marks a significant milestone in the green school movement. Green Ribbon is more than just another award program. It puts the weight of the U.S. Department of Education behind a comprehensive vision for green schools, and with a strong push from everyone involved, will significantly accelerate the adoption rate of green school practices among schools across the country. It sets a very high bar for schools to aim for, while definitively answering the question: what exactly is a green school?"

"No other building type speaks more profoundly to the benefits of green building than the places where our children learn. Green schools reduce energy consumption, save money and foster healthier learning environments for our children," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, U. S. Green Building Council. "The Department of Education's Green Ribbon Schools program is a landmark in progress toward green schools for everyone within this generation, which is the vision for USGBC's Center for Green Schools."

"The Green Ribbon Schools program represents an incredible milestone for the health and sustainability of our nation's schools, and we applaud the Department of Education's visionary leadership in building one of the foundations of the green economy," said Sean S. Miller, Education Director at Earth Day Network. "We look forward to the announcement of the first winners of the Green Ribbon Schools program on Earth Day 2012."

According to 75 national and state organizations that supported the push for the initiative, many states have already established either green school programs or environmental literacy plans. The Green Ribbon program will unify and acknowledge such efforts under a voluntary national award intended to stress innovation and new strategies in environmental curriculum development, teacher training, facilities management, operations and community engagement, with criteria developed by the Department of Education.

"Environmental literacy is an important part of a well-rounded, world-class education," Education Secretary Arne Duncan said. "Through the Green Ribbon Schools program, we'll be holding up schools that are leading the way in teaching science and in ways that show students the importance of developing clean energy sources and sustainable solutions for the environment."

The effort to get the Green Ribbon program adopted by the Department was conceived and coordinated by the Campaign for Environmental Literacy (CEL), and the Green Ribbon campaign's steering committee – CEL, Earth Day Network, the National Wildlife Federation and the U.S. Green Building Council - worked for over a year to make this happen.

Launched at the behest of teachers, principals, students and others supporters across the country, the program is to be modeled on the nearly 30-year-old Blue Ribbon Schools program, which recognizes schools whose student bodies have displayed high academic achievement or improvement.

Contacts:
Mary Burnette, National Wildlife Federation, 703-438-6097
James Elder, Campaign for Environmental Literacy, 978-526-7768
Sean Miller, Earth Day Network, 202-425-2836
Marisa Long, U.S. Green Building Council, 202-552-1500

About Campaign for Environmental Literacy
The Campaign for Environmental Literacy (CEL) is a network of national education and environmental organizations that work to engage the federal government in helping to close the nation's growing environmental literacy gap. CEL has led successful efforts with its lead partners (National Wildlife Federation, Second Nature, Earth Day Network, and U.S. Green Building Council) to restore and grow environmental education funding; authorize the University Sustainability Program at the Department of Education; and introduce the Ocean, Coastal, and Watershed Education Act and the No Child Left Inside Act (www.fundee.org).

About Earth Day Network
Growing out of the first Earth Day in 1970, Earth Day Network mobilizes over one billion people worldwide year-round with over 25,000 partners in 192 countries to broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement, through advocacy, education, public policy and consumer campaigns. More than one billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world (www.earthday.org).

About National Wildlife Federation
The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) is America's largest conservation organization, inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future (www.nwf.org). Over the past 15 years, NWF education programs have helped over 4,000 schools to become greener through NWF's Certified Schoolyard Habitats program and Eco-Schools USA. NWF is the sole U.S. host for the international Eco-Schools program, the largest green school program globally, that is now in 51 nations, reaching 38,000 K-12 schools and over 11 million students. NWF's Eco-Schools USA program launched in November 2009 and is one of America's largest green school programs, currently reaching over 480 schools in 42 states, in an effort to green school buildings, grounds, curricula, and student experiences (www.ecoschoolsusa.org).

About the 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 comprised of 79 local affiliates, 16,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 155,000 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 (www.usgbc.org). The Center for Green Schools at USGBC was founded with the vision that every student will attend a green school within this generation. The Center provides the resources and support to elevate dialogue, accelerate policy and institute innovation toward green schools and campuses. Thanks in part to generous support from founding sponsor United Technologies Corporation (www.utc.com), the Center works directly with staff, teachers, faculty, students, administrators, elected officials and communities to drive the transformation of all schools into sustainable places to live and learn, work and play (www.centerforgreenschools.org).

CERRO WIRE ANNOUNCES UPDATES TO FOOTAGE GUARANTEE

Effective for all SLiPWire™ wire produced after January 1, 2011

Cerro Wire LLC, a leading manufacturer of copper electrical building wire and cable, has announced an update to its reel completeness guarantee. The improved guarantee is effective for all SLiPWire™ wire in sizes of one AWG and larger produced after January 1, 2011.

Footages on Cerro Wire’s standard reels of SLiPWire, which were previously guaranteed to be within +/- .75 percent, are now guaranteed to be within +/- .50 percent of the tagged footage. If the footage falls below that range, Cerro Wire will either give the customer credit for the omitted product or replace the missing wire. In addition, Cerro Wire will also reimburse the customer for reasonable, direct, out-of-pocket labor costs incurred as a result of the shortage.

The guarantee does not include responsibility for any consequential, incidental, or indirect damages, costs or expenses, including lost profits or revenue.

“The customer should not see more than one in twenty reels not actually marked zero-to-finish length,” said Rick Bennett, Director of Quality for Cerrowire Electrical Distribution. “The others will be within guaranteed tolerance. No other competitor offers this performance or cost savings.”

About Cerro Wire LLC

Cerro Wire LLC, a leading manufacturer of copper electrical building wire and cable, supplies its products to wholesale electrical distributors and retail home improvement centers across North America. Cerrowire’s Electrical Distribution Division offers building wire for residential, commercial and industrial use. Our operating philosophy focuses on customer service, low cost operations, simplification and innovation. Our employees operate manufacturing and distribution facilities around the United States. Cerrowire® is a Marmon Wire & Cable/Berkshire Hathaway company.

Please visit our website at www.cerrowire.com for a complete description of our products and services. For more information, please contact Dale Crawford at 256-773-2522, or via email at dcrawford@cerrowire.com.

LEED for Healthcare Debuts at CleanMed Conference

First-of-its-kind green healthcare rating system distinguishes construction of high-performance healthcare facilities

Phoenix, Ariz. – (April 8, 2011) – The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) today introduced its latest green building rating system, LEED for Healthcare, at the CleanMed conference. The rating system guides the design and construction of both new buildings and major renovations of existing buildings, and can be applied to inpatient, outpatient and licensed long-term care facilities, medical offices, assisted living facilities and medical education and research centers.

"Research has shown that when we are treated and heal in a green healthcare facility – one that has a healthy indoor environmental quality and connects us to the outdoors – we heal faster, have shorter hospital stays and fewer return visits," said Scot Horst, Senior Vice President of LEED, USGBC. "LEED for Healthcare is now six years in the making, addressing the healthcare industry's unique green building needs."

The LEED for Healthcare rating system represents a culmination of close collaboration between the Green Guide for Healthcare (GGHC), a project of the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems and Health Care Without Harm, and USGBC. The GGHC pilot launched in 2007, and feedback from the projects helped inform the creation of LEED for Healthcare.

"LEED for Healthcare represents a milestone for green building," said Gail Vittori, Co-Director of Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems and Founding Chair of the LEED for Healthcare Committee. "Building on the foundational work of the Green Guide for Healthcare, it provides an explicit recognition of health consequences associated with a spectrum of building-related decisions—from location, to water and energy sources and use patterns, and materials specification—and emphasizes integrative design as requisite for a successful design, construction and building performance outcomes."

LEED for Healthcare was developed to meet the unique needs of a 24-hour operational facility, including process water use related to medical equipment, rural facility locations, patient populations, often with compromised immune systems, sensitive to chemicals and pollutants, patient and staff health and many other issues that are unique to this building type.

The LEED for Healthcare rating system passed USGBC member ballot in November 2010. More than 225 healthcare projects have received LEED certification, with 1,176 in the pipeline as registered projects. Additional tools and resources, including educational workshops, webinars, podcasts, and Reference Guide, will be made available in the coming months when full certification functionality is available.

To learn more about LEED for Healthcare, pre-order a Reference Guide or participate in a rating system-specific workshop, visit www.usgbc.org/leed/healthcare.

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, nearly 16,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 162,000 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 40,000 projects are currently participating in the commercial and institutional LEED rating systems, comprising nearly 8 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 117 countries. In addition, nearly 10,000 homes have been certified under the LEED for Homes rating system, with nearly 38,000 more homes registered.

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.

For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.

BICSI World Headquarters Course Update

Don’t miss out on these opportunities to advance yourself and your career. Improve your skills and achieve your credential this May at BICSI World Headquarters in Tampa, Florida. Follow the links below for additional information and to register for a course or exam. Reserve your seat today!

Courses and Exams in Tampa, Florida

FREE! Data Center Beta Course

DC110: Data Center Design & Best Practices, June 6-9
Interested in learning more about one of the hottest ITS topics, data center design, for free? BICSI is looking for 10 members to attend and provide feedback for the beta course DC110. There is no charge to take this beta course. The course will review the best practices put forth in the standard BICSI 002-2011, Data Center Design and Implementation Best Practices.
Click here for more information and the application. Applicants must complete and return the application no later than May 12.

Registered Communications Distribution Designer (RCDD)

DD102: Designing Telecommunications Distribution Systems, July 24-29
DD102 is an intensive 6-day course that focuses on designing a structured cabling system.

DD120: Grounding and Protection Fundamentals for Telecommunications Systems, July 13-15
This 3-day course teaches you the latest knowledge on grounding, in addition to the protection of customers’ cable and equipment investments.

Registered Telecommunications Project Manager, interim (RTPM(i))

PM125: Telecommunications Project Management Program, July 11-15
This intensive 5-day course covers the entire cycle of a project, from bid to completion. The class will provide you with a basic understanding of project management concepts and tools and will focus on construction projects as they relate to ITS design and installation projects.

RTPM(i) examinations will be held on July 16.

ITS Installer/Technician

IN225: BICSI ITS Installer 2, Copper Training, July 25-29
Whether new installation or existing premise, BICSI’s ITS Installer 2, Copper Training Course gives you a competitive distinction by allowing you to showcase your skills as a copper system specialist. IN225 is a 5-day course that provides the foundations of a copper-based structured cabling system installation. ITS Installer 2, Copper examinations will be held on July 29-30.

TE350: BICSI ITS Technician Training, July 25-29
TE350 is an intensive 5-day course that provides the necessary skill set of a structured cabling systems technician. ITS Technician examinations will be held on July 29-30.

Save Now!
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.

Don't forget! 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.

New tool provides multi-attribute, in-depth analysis of building products

Brattleboro, Vermont - April 5, 2011 - A dynamic new tool to help commercial buyers evaluate product content, certifications and other relevant data about building materials is now available through BuildingGreen.

The tool, called Pharos, enables product specifiers, researchers and materials librarians to compare products within key builder categories against crucial health, environmental and energy benchmarks.

Rated products receive a numerical score on a ten-point scale within each rating category. For ease of comparing individual products at a glance, scores are also color-coded.

Pharos subscribers may use the system to examine the data directly in order to evaluate product attributes and chemical hazards. A Pharos user can also set filters based on scores or attributes, conduct searches and create product libraries that effectively let the user set their own priorities and preferences.

For products outside the Pharos database, subscribers can use the Pharos Chemical and Material Library as a stand-alone tool to look up a chemical, polymer, metal, wood species or other material from any product and learn about any listed hazards for that material.

The addition of Pharos strengthens BuildingGreen's position as the authoritative resource for the green building industry.

"BuildingGreen has been a trusted source, on the leading edge of green product innovation for 20 years. Pharos adds a new level of in-depth exploration of the healthfulness and other aspects of these products," said Nadav Malin, President of BuildingGreen.

Interested parties can learn more about Pharos here, or contact:

Jerelyn Wilson, Outreach Director
Jerelyn@BuildingGreen.com
122 Birge Street
Brattleboro, VT 05301
800-861-0954 x102

About BuildingGreen, Inc.

BuildingGreen has been creating knowledge to support practice since 1992. Building professionals gather around BuildingGreen’s rich array of media and information resources, including the award-winning Environmental Building News, BuildingGreen Suite of online tools, GreenSpecDirectory of products, and the LEEDuser web tool, so they can work smarter. Not harder. www.buildinggreen.com

Building Owners and Managers Discuss Critical Issues with Lawmakers

BOMA International’s National Issues Conference Spurs Advocacy across the U.S.

(WASHINGTON—April 11, 2011) Members of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International recently met with lawmakers around the country to gain support for issues important to the commercial real estate industry as part of BOMA’s annual National Issues Conference. By early estimates, BOMA members reached more than 200 congressional offices as they outlined BOMA´s 2011 legislative agenda, including commercial real estate’s stake in issues such as leasehold depreciation and energy efficiency incentives for commercial buildings. Because of the new Congressional work schedule, the conference, which usually takes place in Washington, D.C., was held locally around the U.S while lawmakers were in their home districts, allowing a record number of BOMA members to participate and maintain a very “local” focus to the event.

“The commercial real estate industry is a key driver of the economy. Office buildings alone support one million jobs in the Unites States and contribute $118 billion to the GDP. It is critical that lawmakers understand our issues and their impact on the nation’s economy,” remarked BOMA International Chair Ray H. Mackey, Jr., RPA, CPM, CCIM, partner and chief operating officer, Stream Realty Partners, L.P. “The National Issues Conference gives us the opportunity to advocate for policies that will allow our industry and the economy as a whole to thrive.”

Leasehold depreciation and energy efficiency initiatives were two of the critical issues BOMA members discussed with lawmakers.

Leasehold depreciation. BOMA urges Congress to make permanent the 15–year timeline for the depreciation of tenant improvements, which is set to revert back to 39 years at the end of the year. BOMA believes that a 15-year timeline more accurately reflects the reality of the marketplace as leasehold improvements typically don’t last longer than 15 years before they are replaced. Depreciating improvements over 39 years reduces investment in improvements that help foster productive economic growth. As a result of a meeting with BOMA Dallas members, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison agreed to sign on as an original cosponsor of legislation to extend permanently a 15-year depreciation schedule for restaurants, retail, and leasehold properties, which was introduced in the Senate and House last week.

Energy efficiency incentives. In February, the Obama Administration launched the Better Buildings Initiative, a new program that aims to make commercial buildings 20 percent more energy efficient over the next decade through a series of incentives that BOMA supports, such as tax credits and improved financing and loan guarantees. BOMA also calls on Congress to consider more robust conservation and demand side management tools, such as tax incentives, to address the growing energy challenge.

Members of Congress were receptive to BOMA’s message and several expressed support for legislation based on BOMA’s policy positions. In addition to discussing specific issues, BOMA members also had the opportunity to educate their legislators on the state of the commercial real estate industry, the industry’s contribution to the economy and its vital role in job creation. The relationships forged through these meetings will go a long way in helping members of Congress develop responsible public policy and understand its potential impact on the real estate industry.

For more information on BOMA International’s policy positions and the National Issues Conference, visit www.boma.org.

***

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 16,500-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.

CABA Undertakes "Smart Grids Impact on Intelligent Buildings 2011" Landmark Research

The Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA) is pleased to announce that it is undertaking a new intelligent buildings landmark research study which will examine the impact of smart grids and net zero energy on commercial buildings. In conjunction with research consultancy BSRIA, CABA presented the project webinar to a record audience of 104 participants, on April 19, 2011. The complete recorded webinar presentation, slides and detailed research prospectus can be viewed and downloaded at: http://www.caba.org/research/projects/smart-grid-2011. The research project has been reviewed, approved and has the consensus endorsement of CABA's IIBC Executive Committee and IIBC Research Task Force. Major organizations such as Cadillac Fairview Corporation, Diebold Incorporated, Philips Research North America, Siemens Industries Inc., Ingersoll Rand/Trane/Schlage, Southern California Edison, and Shell International have already committed to study participation, with Honeywell International, and several other major organizations expected to join the project Steering Committee shortly.

To learn how your organization can become involved in this research study through the CABA Research program, please contact George Grimes, CABA Business Development Manager at 613.686.1814 x226, grimes@caba.org or John Hall, CABA Research Director at 613.686.1814 x227, hall@caba.org.

Cerro Wire Announces Packaging, Shipping And Delivery Advantages

Improves safety and efficiency of inventory and stock keeping

Cerro Wire LLC, a leading manufacturer of copper electrical building wire and cable, announces its unique packaging, shipping, and delivery advantages, which make wire reels easier and safer to ship, and improve inventory and stock keeping.

Wire reels are labeled with large tape announcing the wire size, making it far easier to view wire size from a distance than standard labeling practices. Wire size is also printed directly on the wire in a large size (MaxPrint) to improve identification. Items placed on a pallet of mixed goods are carefully organized, with products grouped together and labeled with an itemized label which includes a piece count for that pallet, making verifying inventory with shipping manifests more efficient. Barcode scanners insure a very high rate of accuracy in the picking process. Cerro Wire also labels special cut reels, so the customer knows exactly where that reel needs to go on a job site.

For reels that must be shipped upright on their flanges, Cerro Wire uses an innovative vertical cradle pallet, which ensures that the reels do not roll in the truck and can be unloaded easily in an upright fashion. Most other wire manufacturers nail reels in place, so the customer has to remove nails and other packaging materials before unloading the reel. Manufacturers that ship large reels flat on their sides force distributors to use unsafe flipping techniques to unload the reel that risk breaking reel flanges and risk damaging wire. Cerro Wire ships it the way the customer wants it, whether vertical on a cradle pallet or flat on regular pallets.

“We have given a tremendous amount of thought to developing packaging and shipping techniques that help our customers tell how much of each type of stock keeping unit is on a pallet,” said Barry Medendorp, Director of Supply Chain. “Nothing is hidden, labels face out and we layer all goods; we also group items together so products are easy to locate.”

In addition to improved packaging and shipping practices, Cerro Wire offers industry leading fill rates, shipping the vast majority of its orders in 2 days or less and 100% complete. Delivery times are quick because the company emphasizes in stock availability and flexible multi-site manufacturing. www.cerrowire.com

Cerro Wire LLC is a leading manufacturer of copper electrical building wire and cable. The company supplies both residential wire for interior electrical wiring in homes, apartments, and manufactured housing, and building wire for commercial and industrial buildings. Our products are sold to wholesale electrical distributors and retail home improvement centers.

Cerrowire® was founded in 1920 as Circle Wire and joined The Marmon Group of companies in 1976. Our employees operate manufacturing and distribution facilities in Hartselle, Alabama; Ogden, Utah; Crothersville, Indiana, and Carrollton, Georgia, serving North America.

80/20 is the operating philosophy which guides our focus on customer service, low cost operations, simplification and innovation.

In 2008, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. acquired majority interest in The Marmon Group of companies, further solidifying Cerrowire’s future in the building wire industry for years to come. www.cerrowire.com

Connected Nation to Address Broadband Challenges at TIA 2011: Inside the Network

Connected Nation is working with communities across the country from Alaska to Puerto Rico to leverage the network to strengthen local economies

Arlington, Va. – Connected Nation is joining an exciting lineup of speakers at the Telecommunications Industry Association's premier annual summit and conference – TIA 2011: Inside the Network – May 17-20 at the Gaylord Texan Hotel in Dallas.

Brian Mefford, CEO of Connected Nation, will deliver a keynote speech addressing the critical issues surrounding the future of the network on May 18 at 3 p.m.: Connecting Communities: Public-Private Initiatives in Overcoming the Nation's Broadband Challenge. Mefford will also participate in a keynote panel Thursday morning, May 19 with National Telecommunications Cooperative Association President Sandy Vandevender.

"We deeply appreciate Brian sharing the hands-on experience that Connected Nation has in bringing broadband technologies to the nation's communities," said TIA President Grant Seiffert. "His awareness of the hurdles we face in bringing the benefits of broadband to unserved and underserved areas, and how we face and conquer those challenges, will provide participants at TIA 2011: Inside the Network with knowledge that can be put to immediate use."

Connected Nation has a program footprint that spans more than 30 states and territories from Alaska to Puerto Rico and is currently managing broadband expansion programs in 12 states and territories across the nation. It knows firsthand the local demands of effective broadband planning and the solutions that will inject energy and momentum towards sustainable solutions. Connected Nation provides underserved communities the knowledge, expertise, and energy to take control of their broadband future and bring the benefits of broadband to their communities.

In February, the NTIA and FCC released the nation's first ever broadband map. Connected Nation, through its state partner projects, is the single largest data contributor to the map. Connected Nation contributed nearly a quarter of the records in the national map. Connected Nation's contribution covers approximately 42 percent of the country's landmass, approximately 39.5 million households, and data of more than 1,200 broadband service providers.

"TIA has pulled together an impressive lineup of thought leaders who are impacting the future of the network and we look forward to the important discussions and decisions that will occur during the summit," said Connected Nation CEO Brian Mefford. "As Connected Nation works in communities across the country from Alaska to Puerto Rico to leverage the network to strengthen local economies, we have gained a keen appreciation for the need for collaboration between technology solutions providers and grassroots leaders. I'm looking forward to engaging with stakeholders from these and other key groups to determine practical ways we can work closer together to spur innovation and growth in our state and local economies."

Connected Nation's Texas program, Connected Texas, is working with the state's Dept. of Agriculture and Public Utility Commission on a comprehensive broadband initiative to expand broadband adoption and use across the state. Their latest study, "The Broadband Landscape in the State of Texas," finds that 96 percent of Texans have access to broadband, but only 62 percent are using it.

TIA 2011: Inside the Network is being held May 17-20 at the Gaylord Texan Hotel in Dallas, starting on annual World Telecommunication and Information Society Day. The event features educational sessions covering Converged Networks; Smart Grid; Machine to Machine; Cloud Computing; Mobile Backhaul, Video and Data; Sustainable Networks; Regulatory Issues; Security and more. Leading speakers include:

» Randall Stephenson, Chairman, CEO and President, AT&T
» Anthony J. Melone, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Verizon
» FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski
» Jeff Gardner, CEO and President, Windstream Corp.
» Robert Vrij, Executive Vice President, Alcatel-Lucent, President of Americas Region
» Charles Vogt, CEO and President, GENBAND
» Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas)
» Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.)
» FCC Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker
» FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell
» Tim Harden, President, Supply Chain & Fleet Operations, AT&T
» Kittur Nagesh, Senior Director, Mobility and Security Solutions Marketing, Juniper Networks
» Joseph Ambeault, Director, Product Development and Management, Video Services, Verizon FiOS
» Jeremy Legg, Senior Vice President of Business Development & Multi-Platform Distribution, Turner Broadcasting System
» Rose Schooler, GM, Communications Infrastructure Division, Embedded Computing Group, Intel Corp.
» Milo Mendin, Vice President, Fiber to the Communities, Google

TIA Digital Marketplace

In addition to the TIA 2011 on-site Conference and Summit, TIA has also launched a virtual platform for the event: TIA Digital Marketplace. Watch an on-demand Webinar that showcases the features and functions and previews the content of TIA 2011: Inside the Network.

Virtual Attendee Brochure.

Interested in learning more about the Keynotes & Programming at TIA 2011: Inside the Network? View the TIA 2011 Virtual Brochure.
(Download PDF version 6 MB).

Media registration is free and provides access to all keynotes, panels, conferences in this summit. For more information about media participation in TIA 2011: Inside the Network, please contact Mike Snyder at msnyder@tiaonline.org or at +1.703.907.7723. Register today.

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.

TIA's 2011 Market Review & Forecast, is available for purchase online at the TIA store. TIA members receive a discount of more than 60 percent off of the cover price. Review copies are available for qualified media.

View video news programming on TIA Now at http://www.tianow.org.

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

TIA's Board of Directors includes senior-level executives from ADTRAN, Alcatel-Lucent, ANDA Networks, AttivaCorp, Cisco Systems, Dow Chemical Company, Ericsson, Inc., GENBAND, Inc., Henkels & McCoy, Juniper Networks, ILS Technology, Intel Corporation, Intersect, Inc., LGE, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, OneChip Photonics, Panasonic Computer Solutions Co., Qualcomm, Research In Motion, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Corporation, Tellabs, TE Connectivity, Ulticom, Inc., Walker & Associates and WirefreeCom, Inc. Advisors to the Board include FAL Associates and Telcordia Technologies.

NAED Members NOTICE - information about the Women in Industry Forum

Dear NAED Member,

At Graybar Women Influencing Graybar’s Success (WINGS) was created, because we have many vibrant and talented women who are making an impact professionally in the communities where they live and work. In 2007 NAED held its first-ever Women In Industry Forum. Each year women from all facets of our businesses, including leadership, sales, marketing, engineering, IT, and human resources, attend to connect through networking, professional development, and mentoring. These forums bring women together and give them a unique way to share their experiences, discuss development strategies, and talk about workplace challenges.

If you haven’t already, I encourage you to invite one or more of the outstanding women in your company to attend this year’s event in Newport, Rhode Island, June 5-8, 2011. This year’s theme is "Connect. Learn. Grow." These are just a few of the benefits they will experience:

Connect with top industry leaders and share best practices.

Participate in an Innovation Tournament, a revolutionary way to generate innovative ideas for business initiatives.

Learn about key generational segments and the values of each to better understand customers and coworkers.

Learn from a panel of senior-level women from the industry and how they lead and influence effectively.

Understand how to connect with audiences, establish credibility, and motivate listeners with persuasive physical delivery skills.

Grow important industry relationships (people do business with the people they know and trust).

For more information about the Women in Industry Forum, visit the website: http://www.naed.org/womeninindustry.

Yours truly,

Robert A. Reynolds, Jr.
Chairman, President and CEO
Graybar Electric Company, Inc.

Guide to Troubleshooting Application Problems – free from Fluke Networks

This comprehensive, 94 page guide is a how-to resource handbook for network engineers. This guide covers the fundamentals of how applications work, how applications flow, where applications fail and best practices and methodologies for troubleshooting network and application problems.

When users get frustrated with the performance of an application, it’s often difficult to isolate whether the cause of performance degradation is coming from the client, the servers, the network, or the behavior of the application itself. Download the guide now to learn the 5 key steps to successful application troubleshooting. www.flukenetworks.com

Download your free Guide to Troubleshooting Application Problems

Call 800-283-5853 or email info@flukenetworks.com for more information about our solutions

Leviton Launches Two New Fiber Enclosure Lines

Opt-X® 1000i and 500i offer versatile solutions for enterprise networks

May 4, 2011 – Bothell, WA: Leviton today announced the release of its Opt-X 1000i and 500i, two new rack-mount fiber enclosures. The enclosures create an inter-connect or cross-connect between backbone cable and active equipment while using minimum rack space in a frame or cabinet setting, and offer a unique appearance that complements the look of Leviton’s popular Opt-X Ultra Fiber Enclosures.

“The Opt-X 1000i and 500i provide a significant upgrade to our line of rack-mount fiber enclosures,” said Tony Yuen, fiber product manager for Leviton Network Solutions. “The new enclosures give users more options than ever to fit their specific networking needs and budgets.”

The Opt-X 1000i Rack-Mount Enclosure was designed for medium-size applications. It replaces
the Leviton Opt-X 1000 and RDP enclosures and combines the best features of both:

Available in 1, 2, 3, and 4RU sizes

Sliding tray (in 1RU and 2RU) with front and rear stop glides forward and backward, providing accessibility to front and rear adapter bulkhead after installation

Sliding tray removes completely from enclosure for easier field terminations and splicing

15-inch depth allows for high-density fiber termination and/or splicing

Stackable and adjustable fiber rings simplify cable organization

Front saddles pivot for improved patch cord routing

Removable front and rear covers create better access to interior of enclosure

Removable rubber grommet allows for pre-terminated fiber trunk install, protects cable,
and minimizes dust build-up

Customizable through Leviton’s online make-to-order program: Leviton.com/configurator

The Opt-X 500i Rack-Mount Enclosure replaces the Opt-X 500 and 250 and offers an economical option for small enterprise networks:

Available in 1, 2, and 3RU sizes

Flush-mount adapter bulkhead allows for ease of moves, adds, and changes

Stackable fiber rings simplify cable routing and organization

One-piece removable cover allows for complete accessibility to the back of the enclosure
and protect fibers

An add-on patch cord cable management tray (sold separately) mounts to front of the enclosure

The new 500i enclosures is available now, and the 1000i will be available May 16th, both through Leviton’s extensive distribution network. For more information, go to Leviton.com/ns.

About Leviton Network Solutions

Leviton Network Solutions was created more than 25 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, education, health care, and residential markets. The division’s 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/ns.

ABOUT LEVITON

Leviton (www.leviton.com) is a global leader in electrical wiring devices, network connectivity solutions and lighting energy management systems. Leviton was founded in 1906 and has grown to become a preeminent leader in the industry. A progressive family owned and managed company, it is the largest such company in the Americas. Today, Leviton’s product portfolio consists of more than 25,000 devices and systems used in homes, businesses, and other organizations. Nine out of ten buildings throughout North America have Leviton products installed in them and builders, electrical contractors, and other industry professionals rank Leviton products #1 in brand preference. Leviton is the smart choice for professionals and homeowners seeking products and solutions that add value, efficiency, and energy savings to our world.

The Connected World Conference - June 14-16, 2011

Lincolnshire Marriott Resort, just north of Chicago, Ill.
June 14-16, 2011

Attend the Connected World Conference for a first-hand experience with some of the latest and greatest connected technology on the market today.

Whether you are a business professional looking for new simplified solutions, a seasoned “techie,” or a young professional interested in the latest tech “toys,” this is the must-attend event for you. Learn about the latest connected devices on the market today and how they can be used in our everyday lives. See what’s in store for the connected car, smart grid, connected home, home health, and so much more.

Reserve a Room and Save.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort, just north of Chicago, Ill. As host hotel for the Connected World Conference, you can secure a room for the reduced rate of only $129 per night. Secure your room early before the block sells out.

Rooms can also be reserved by calling +1 800.228.9290 and mentioning you are a part of the “Connected World Conference” group.

Agenda Now Available!
The 2011 Connected World Conference agenda is now available. See some of the new speakers added to this year’s event, including representatives from companies such as Alcatel-Lucent, Echelon, Ericsson, Healthy Heartland, Intel, and the top U.S. carriers—just to name a few.

Conference Registration
Registration for the event is open—there are multiple passes available to accommodate any schedule.

Almost Sold Out
There are still a few booth spaces available for this year’s event. Reserve your space today by emailing Lynne Flakus. She can also be reached by phone at +1 630.933.0844 ext. 222.

Master Distributors Now Offers Cable Management Components From Sealcon

Master Distributors, a leading distributor of electromechanical, interconnect and passive components, announces it has signed a distribution agreement with Sealcon, a provider of cable management solutions. The company’s products include strain relief fittings, circular connectors, industrial enclosures and conduit systems, as well as thread adapters, reducers and enlargers.

Sealcon offers a large product selection ideal for a variety of applications, including pumps, motors, lighting and sensors. Its components are used in diverse vertical markets, from automotive to medical.

“We are very excited about our new partnership with Master Distributors,” said Raphael Brunner, Sealcon National Sales Manager. “We’re working together to ensure the Master’s sales staff is fully briefed on our products and their applications in traditional and emerging markets. Our goal is provide customers with not only products, but solutions.”

“Master Distributors is glad to provide its customers with an expanded cable management product line,” said Vanessa Gonzales, Product Manager. “Sealcon’s components can be used across a wide variety of markets and are a great addition to our line card.”

About Master Distributors

Master Distributors is a leading electronic component distributor, dedicated to stocking breadth of part numbers offering customers over 350,000 part numbers for immediate delivery. Master Distributors has over 40 years of industry experience and has 12 stocking branches in North America. Master Distributors is franchised for over 230 suppliers, including Ebm-Papst, Honeywell, ITT Cannon, Omron Electronics, Panasonic, and TE Connectivity. For more information, visit www.masterdistributors.com.

About Sealcon LCC

Sealcon LLC was founded in the fall of 1989 in Englewood, Colorado. The company has become a leader in supplying customers with a variety of cable management & electrical solutions. Sealcon carries Circular Connectors (M16, M23, M27, M40, RJ45 and PoE Fast Ethernet, Industrial Enclosures - Metallic & Non-Metallic), Flexible Conduit, Liquid Tight Strain Relief Fittings, and other related products. They stand behind their quality products and exceptional technical services. Sealcon is proud to represent Hummel AG, a leading German manufacturer of these quality products here in the United States & Canada. Hummel is ISO 9001 quality certified and has continuously developed leading edge technology solutions. Sealcon carries a large inventory here in Colorado and also has a number of Stocking / Non-Stocking Distributors all over North America to help customers deal with local vendors. These products meet UL, UR, CSA, VDE, CE, TUV, German Lloyd, KEMA, EX-e, EX-d, IECEx, ATEX, ULf1, REACH standards. For more information please visit http://www.sealconusa.com.

More industry news from LANshack.com

Here’s two more easy ways to stay current.

LANshack.com posts several news articles per week on their website in the following categories:

Networking Infrastructure

Cabling Technology

Green IT

Networking Industry

Check it out at http://www.lanshack.com/INDUSTRY-NEWS-C543.aspx

LANshack.com also has a monthly e-newsletter where you can receive special offers, new product notices, tech tips, industry news and more. Sign up on any of the Industry News pages on the top right, or here: http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001Vjt3cCjZco8wY0AVyh8_chlhe0gaRmfX

Here are a few of the recent news articles.

WAN optimization can support online storage initiatives
11 May 2011

Turning to the cloud for storage can have a dramatic impact on a business' network. To support an online storage and backup initiative, companies can invest in WAN optimization solutions to reduce capital investments and maximize performance.

WAN optimization can improve network performance while also reducing bandwidth use by approximately 95 percent, CloudTweaks reports. This can support a cloud backup and storage program by freeing the network to transmit large quantities of information to the data center.

In a WAN optimization solution, bandwidth is saved by managing traffic to isolate large data packets or bandwidth-hungry data flows. By controlling these forms of network transmissions, secondary traffic can be temporarily paused while the large packets are sent. This lets the large packet be sent in a matter of seconds, freeing the network for other systems the rest of the time.

This is especially important in cloud backup and storage solutions, the report said, because companies often need to send large data packets to and from branch offices to a common destination.

WAN optimization can be an ideal way to support any cloud initiative. TechTarget reports many cloud vendors are emphasizing optimization as a way to improve SaaS performance and reliability.

Unified communications becoming prevalent in small business settings
11 May 2011

Small businesses are increasing their investments in unified communications and the various network equipment needed to support UC deployment.

Unified communications technology is a powerful tool for small businesses, industry expert Tom Craig recently said in an interview with eWeek, because it can empower small businesses to compete with major corporations.

However, small businesses still struggle to match what large companies can do in terms of providing customer service and support during all 24 hours of the day, Craig said.

Companies that deploy robust unified communications platforms can overcome this challenge, Craig told the news source. By unifying their on-premise, mobile and hosted telephony technologies to support unified communications, businesses can expand their reach outside of the office and give consumers constant access to customer service representatives.

Craig said connecting various unified communications is possible if small businesses focus on deploying advanced technologies, such as cloud computing, that will reduce capital investments and help companies leverage sophisticated network infrastructure.

In many data centers, virtualization is becoming a key architecture to support unified communications technology. According to a recent CRN report, many organizations are virtualizing unified communications to foster network efficiency within the platform.

IPv6 could cut companies off from consumers

4/14/2011

IPv4 addresses are running dry quickly, and businesses must respond by upgrading their network equipment to handle the IPv6 address protocol.

According to a recent Data Center Knowledge report, many experts are comparing the IPv6 transition to the Y2K issues that threatened to put computers out of commission at the turn of the century. However, Y2K was based primarily on theory, while the IPv6 protocol is definitely coming, and companies cannot simply hope it will not affect them, the report said.

Many businesses will not see a major need for upgrades this year, according to the report, because routing protocols will let them get by with IPv4 for a little while. However, the need to be IPv6-ready will become especially important once consumers switch to the protocol because IPv6 consumers will not be able to access company websites for businesses operating in IPv4.

The transition to IPv6 comes amid an exciting period in the data center networking industry, as a recent Synergy Research Group report found data center networking investments grew by 22 percent in 2010. WAN optimization and application delivery controllers were among the most important areas for new investment, the report found.

Using Green IT initiatives to generate ROI

04/06/2011

For many businesses, the idea of going green is one they want to support, but cannot afford. As a result, some companies slowly adopt energy efficient systems for green IT, but only to replace failed components over time.

According to a recent Forbes report, companies can adopt strategies to successfully integrate green IT ideals into their systems while generating a return on investment.

One of the most popular ways to improve environmental efficiency, the report said, is to engage in data center consolidation. By virtualizing servers and operating them at a higher utilization rate, data centers can operate with significantly less equipment. This results in dramatically lower power and cooling costs that can generate a substantial return on investment.

To successfully consolidate a data center, businesses need to consider investing in efficient network equipment to support the large quantities of data that will be traveling through fewer machines.

A recent TechTarget report explains companies using new technologies, such as virtualization and cloud computing, to support a data center consolidation project need to also upgrade their networks to handle new demands that correspond with growing data storage needs.

NAED Announces 2011-2012 Board of Directors

Reynolds to Lead as Chair in 2011-2012, Followed by Martin in 2012-2013

ST. LOUIS – The National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) is pleased to announce its new Board of Directors for 2011-2012. Led by the NAED chair, the Board of Directors is a dedicated group of industry leaders who volunteer their time and efforts to improve the association and the electrical distribution channel.

The 2011-2012 NAED Board Chair is Robert A. Reynolds Jr., chairman, president and chief executive officer of Graybar Electric Company, Inc., in St. Louis. His new role became official at the conclusion of the 2011 National Electrical Leadership Summit, held April 30 – May 3 in San Diego.

Reynolds has served in the industry for nearly 40 years and has a long tenure with NAED. He has served several terms as Member-At-Large on the NAED Board of Directors; as the NAED Education & Research Foundation Chair in 2005-2006; and currently resides on the NAED Government Affairs Policy Committee. Graybar is a member of the Channel Advantage Partnership.

Reynolds earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Stonehill College before joining Graybar in 1972. He advanced through several management roles at the branch and district levels, then moved to corporate headquarters as vice president of Graybar’s communications business in 1991. Reynolds was promoted to senior vice president communications/data in 1995 and senior vice president electrical business in 2000. He was elected president and chief executive officer later that year and was elected chairman in 2001. Reynolds is currently on the board of several charitable organizations and previously served as chairman of the National Association of Wholesalers (NAW) as well as the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association.

“The focus of my year as NAED Board Chair is all about people,” Reynolds said. “I strongly believe that people hold the key to long-term success at any company. By educating your people, they become more valuable to their co-workers, your customers and your company. NAED is dedicated to helping its members develop their people to their highest potential.”

Clarence Martin, chief executive officer and chief financial officer of State Electric Supply Company in Huntington, W. Va., is Chair-Elect. He will work closely with Reynolds to prepare for assuming NAED board leadership in 2012-2013.

In the industry for 38 years, Martin currently serves as Chair of the NAED Government Affairs Committee, and was previously on the NAED Legislative Committee in the 1990’s. He is involved with numerous other social, civic and trade organizations, such as NAW and Affiliated Distributors (A-D). State Electric Supply is a member of the Channel Advantage Partnership, and participates in NAED educational programs and conferences.

Martin earned his B.B.A. degree in accounting and M.B.A. from Marshall University in Huntington, W. Va., with Post Baccalaureate work at The Ohio State University and the University of Kentucky. His military background includes the West Virginia Air National Guard and three years of service in Europe with the United States Army.

Members of the 2011-2012 NAED Board of Directors are:

Robert A. Reynolds, Jr., NAED Board Chair, Graybar Electric Company, Inc., St. Louis

Clarence Martin, NAED Chair-Elect, State Electric Supply Co., Huntington, W. Va.

Jack Henderson, NAED Past Board Chair, Hunzicker Brothers, Inc., Oklahoma City

Dan Nitowsky, NAED Eastern Region Vice President, Mars Electric Co., Willoughby, Ohio

Maureen Barsema, NAED South Central Region Vice President, B J Electric Supply, Inc., Madison, Wisc.

Andrew Akers, NAED Western Region Vice President, D&S Electrical Supply Co., Pocatello, Idaho

August Sodora, Jr., Eastern Region Vice President-Elect, Swift Electric Supply Co., Inc., Teterboro, N.J.

Paul McCool, South Central Region Vice President-Elect, Revere Electric Supply Co., Chicago

Dave M. Crum, Western Region Vice President-Elect, Crum Electric Supply Co., Inc., Casper, Wyo.

Daniel Dungan, NAED Finance Committee Chair, Springfield Electric Supply Company, Springfield, Ill.

Peter Bellwoar, NAED Member-At-Large, Colonial Electric Supply Company, Inc., King of Prussia, Pa.

Steve Blazer, NAED Member-At-Large, Blazer Electric Supply Company, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Glenn Goedecke, NAED Member-At-Large, Mayer Electric Supply Co., Inc., Birmingham, Ala.

Peter Lemman, NAED Member-At-Large, North Coast Electric Company, Inc., Seattle

David Rosenstein, Member-At-Large, ConneXion, Buffalo Grove, Ill.

Ray Womack, Member-At-Large, Womack Electric Supply Co., Inc., Burlington, N.C.

Joe Huffman, NAED Foundation Chair, Consolidated Electrical Distributors, Inc., Westlake Village, Calif.

Christopher Hartmann, NAED Foundation Chair-Elect, Rexel Holdings USA/Gexpro, Dallas

Zia Eftekhar, NAED Manufacturer Representative, Philips Professional Luminaires North America, Burlington, Mass.

Lawrence Stern, IDEA Vice Chair, Standard Electric Supply Co., Milwaukee, Wisc.

Rob Eberhart, LEAD Committee Chair, The Hite Company, Altoona, Pa.

As the governing body of NAED, the Board of Directors is accountable for the effective performance and direction of the association, as well as communicating to the membership about NAED’s activities and policies. Within the framework of the association’s by-laws and policies, the Board of Directors determines measurements for success, establishes policy imperatives, defines the organization’s vision for the future, fulfills fiduciary obligations and serves as champions of the association. NAED officers attend two NAED Board meetings a year and are encouraged to attend all NAED Regional and National Electrical Leadership Summit Meetings.

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 represents approximately 4,400 locations internationally. www.naed.org

NEMA Endorses Biggert-Markey Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Bill

ROSSLYN, Va., May 4, 2011—The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), on behalf of its Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment/Systems (EVSES) product section, today lent its support to HR 1685, the Electric Drive Vehicle Deployment Act of 2011. Introduced by Representatives Judy Biggert (R-IL), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Jerry McNerney (D-CA), and Anna Eshoo (D-CA), HR 1685 implements various incentives and programs to foster adoption of electric vehicles (EV) and EV infrastructure.

“Electric vehicle supply equipment is a central component of the Smart Grid and the investments made through this legislation will pay dividends—job creation, enhanced energy security, and a cleaner environment,” said NEMA President and CEO Evan R. Gaddis.

HR 1685 extends through 2014 the tax credit for the residential and commercial purchase and installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The credit is currently set to expire at the end of this year. The bill expands the tax credit from 30 percent with a cap of $30,000 for businesses and $1,000 for individuals to Recovery Act levels of a 50 percent credit with a cap of $50,000 for businesses and $2,000 for individuals.

"The deployment of charging infrastructure is crucial to the mass adoption of electric vehicles," said Michael Mahan, GE Industrial Solutions Product General Manager for EV Infrastructure and Chairman of NEMA’s EVSES section. “This legislation makes it more affordable for consumers, businesses, and cities to adopt this exciting new technology and to realize all the benefits it enables."

In addition to the tax provision, this bill establishes:

a deployment communities grant program at the Department of Energy to identify and demonstrate best practices for incorporating EVs and EV infrastructure into the grid and select communities

bonding authority for EV infrastructure investments

a loan program for manufacturers to reequip their facilities to produce EVSE or EV components

a program to encourage adoption of EVs by federal fleets.

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. www.nema.org

Siemon Launches Online Data Center Learning Portal

Combining Siemon’s extensive data center cabling knowledge with expert input from representatives of the world’s leading network infrastructure companies, www.siemon.com/datacenters delivers educational resources and actionable guidance on a wide range of data center issues.

April 7, 2011, Watertown, CT, USA — Siemon, a globally recognized leader in network cabling solutions, has launched a new online resource dedicated to helping data center professionals get clear facts and access educational resources on critical data center infrastructure issues.

Focusing on key data center infrastructure issues such as energy consumption and cooling; high speed applications for networking and storage; cost-effective and future-proofing cabling strategies and more, www.siemon.com/datacenters provides an easily navigated portal to Siemon's library of in-depth data center resources. In addition to an expert panel discussion in which experts from Intel, Cisco, Aquantia and Siemon discuss 10GBASE-T advances and their impact on the data center environment, visitors can access Siemon’s comprehensive Data Center e-book, instructional videos, webinars, customer case studies and more.

Key topics included:

10GBASE-T Advancements in the Data Center

Reducing Data Center Power Consumption

Data Center Cabling Choices Beyond 10Gb/s

Strategies for Co-Location and Cloud for Operators and Tenants

Shielded Cabling Benefits

Data Center Cooling Best Practices

Point-to-Point vs. “Any-to-All” Cabling Topologies

Instructional data center product videos

www.siemon.com/datacenters also offers a new “Ask Carrie” feature, which allows users to have their data center questions directly answered by Siemon’s Carrie Higbie, a globally recognized data center infrastructure expert. Carrie has been in the industry for nearly 30 years, with extensive background in all aspects of networking and application development - as a consultant, project manager, Fortune 500 data center executive and college-level educator. Along with her involvement in IEEE, TIA, COMMON, ASHRAE, USGBC, WGBC, ISO, The Uptime Institute and various other standards consortiums, Carrie’s experience delivers a uniquely broad perspective to users’ data center challenges.

To access Siemon’s new Data Center Learning Portal, visit: http://www.siemon.com/datacenters

Learn more about Siemon’s high-speed interconnect products at: http://www.siemon.com/sis

Follow Siemon on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siemoncabling/

Join Siemon on Facebook: http://www.siemon.com/go/facebook

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About Siemon

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

The Latest Issue Of The FOA Newsletter Is Now Online

In This Month's Issue

FOA To Present Seminars in Africa in May

FOA Recognizes It's Master Instructors

Google Chooses KC For GB FTTH

How Fast Is Data Traffic Growing?

Facebook Opens New Energy Efficient Data Center

The World's Biggest Data Centers

Fiber + Power = Cell Phone Tower

FOA is coming to Africa! Africa is one of the most active areas for fiber optics today and the FOA is coming to Johannesburg (May 9), Nairobi (May 17, World Telecom Day) and Lusaka (May 20) to present our seminar series.

You can meet Jim and Karen Hayes of the FOA and learn more about the organization too.

If you want an invitation to the three seminars, contact the FOA-Approved schools that are sponsoring these seminars. Details in the FOA Online Newsletter.

Other Events of Interest

Fiber U is back - at the OSP Expo
AFL to Host "Traveling" Advanced Splicing Seminars
Free Corning "See the Light" Seminars

New at the FOA is Corporate Membership. Companies can now join the FOA and take advantage of some unique benefits.

Online: In the last month, we've added another new video to our YouTube channel, thefoainc, Lesson 4 - Fiber Optic Cables. There are also new OSP and OTDR self-study courses are now available on Fiber U.

Plus there are several job opportunities in this month's newsletter.

Go To The FOA Newsletter

Looking for a job in fiber optics? The FOA "Jobs" Website provides advice to help you find a job in fiber optics: http://www.thefoa.org/jobs/jobs.html)

BICSI Releases New Edition Of Installation Manual, Offers Combination Discount

Tampa, Fla., April 28, 2011—BICSI, the international association supporting the information technology systems (ITS) industry with information, education and knowledge assessment, announces its latest publication release: the Information Technology Systems Installation Methods Manual (ITSIMM), 6th edition.

The new 6th edition of BICSI’s ITSIMM has been greatly expanded to include three new chapters covering data centers, health care facilities and enhanced safety procedures. Content from the previous edition of the manual has been thoroughly updated to reflect new installation technologies in the constantly evolving ITS industry. The result is a high-quality document providing installation personnel and planners throughout the world with BICSI best practices for ITS infrastructure in customer premises.

Spanning 919 pages, the ITSIMM, 6th edition, 12 chapter manual includes:

Installation Foundations

Safety Procedures

Cabling, Pathways and Spaces

Bonding, Grounding (Earthing) and Electrical Protection

Copper Structured Cabling Systems

Optical Fiber Structured Cabling Systems

Firestopping Practices

Data Centers

Health Care

Planning and Project Management

Retrofits and Upgrades

Specific Applications

The manual is available in a print, CD-ROM or downloadable version. This manual replaces the 5th edition and will be used in conjunction with BICSI’s ITS Cabling Installation Program suite of courses in the coming months. Those wishing to may purchase a combination of the 5th and 6th editions at a significant discount. More information on the manual and the available discount can be found at www.bicsi.org/publications

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 100 countries. For more information, visit www.bicsi.org.

NFPA Journal ® covers proposed changes to 2012 editions of NFPA 1, Fire Code and NFPA 101 ®, Life Safety Code ®

Issue provides inside track to 2011 NFPA Conference & Expo

May 11, 2011 – The May/June 2011 issue of NFPA Journal®, the official magazine of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), is now available. This expanded issue provides a complete guide to the 2011 NFPA Conference & Expo as well as the inside track on hot topics to be discussed at the event, which is taking place in Boston, June 12-15. Information on education sessions, as well as vendors, will help readers learn about and prepare for the largest and most important event of the year for the fire protection, life safety, and electrical industries.

Journal Staff Writer Fred Durso, Jr. gives an overview of proposed changes to upcoming versions of NFPA 1, Fire Code, and NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code® in the cover story, New Edition. These proposals will be discussed during the Association Technical Meeting at the Conference & Expo.

Also in this issue:

CSB and OSHA join forces to further shape NFPA’s industrial dust hazard safety codes.

The bizarre tale of a deadly wave of molasses that decimated a Boston neighborhood and spurred nationwide construction safeguards.

A walking tour of notable Boston fires and disasters.

How can safety professionals best reach immigrant communities?

The ongoing research effort behind the codes and standards process.

About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
NFPA is a worldwide leader in fire, electrical, building, and life safety. The mission of the international nonprofit organization founded in 1896 is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education. www.nfpa.org

NJATC & Klein Tools Announce Historic Agreement

Upper Marlboro, MD ─ The National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee for the Electrical Industry (NJATC), Upper Marlboro, Md. announced today that they had signed an historic agreement with Klein Tools, Chicago, IL. The new program, entitled “The Klein Tools Million Dollar Pledge Program”, established a one million dollar commitment on the part of Klein to support training and education in the organized electrical construction industry.

This agreement is the latest addition and a sign of a strengthening alliance in a long-time partnership. The pledge is focused on the following initiatives:

Leveraging the unique capabilities and resources of both NJATC and Klein to train the next generation of electrical workers in the digital era.

Setting a new standard of excellence in Klein’s full commitment in support of the IBEW, NECA and NJATC respectively.

Adding a dynamic to the traditional mix of book, lab, and classroom training by establishing the Klein Tools Virtual Boot Camp. This provides all IBEW entrants with interactive simulations and virtual exercises to precisely simulate the real world experiences of today’s electrical industry.

Furthering the commitment to Made-in-America products in continued support of this country’s manufacturing industry, and the jobs it helps create.

“What a tremendous opportunity for us to take all facets of our training to the next level with this incredible pledge from Klein,” said Michael I. Callanan, Executive Director of NJATC. “We are especially excited about the Klein Tools Virtual Boot Camp and the elite role it will play in helping students learn at their own pace in an interactive environment.”

NJATC students will be the immediate beneficiaries as plans to renew and extend Klein Tool’s wildly successful Scholarship Program have been reached as another key component of the pledge. The scholarships will be awarded at the National Training Institute’s graduation ceremonies in August based on criteria set by local JATC leadership.

The Million Dollar Pledge also paves the way for Klein Tools and NJATC to ensure the Outstanding Graduate (Top Apprentice) Recognition Award program can serve a larger audience. This program recognizes apprentices who have attained valedictorian status, and will now have additional resources for expansion throughout the country.

“We’re excited for the chance to further our support and better prepare our nation’s electrical workers for the real world demands of this industry,” said Klein Tools Chairman Mat Klein III. “We are proud to back the NJATC in training tomorrow’s workforce on the latest technology.”

About the NJATC

The NJATC is a nonprofit organization founded in 1941 by the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). The organization is committed to developing and standardizing education in the electrical industry to properly and effectively train members of NECA and the IBEW; providing the electrical construction industry with the most highly trained and skilled workforce possible. Since its inception, more than 325,000 apprentices have completed NJATC training programs and become competent Journeymen, making the organization one of the largest training and apprenticeship programs of its kind. For more information, go to www.njatc.org.

About Klein Tools

Headquartered in Lincolnshire, IL, a northwestern suburb of Chicago, Klein Tools is a family-owned and operated company that has been in business since 1857, designing, developing and manufacturing premium-quality, professional-grade hand tools for the electrical and other trades. Even in today’s challenging economy, Klein Tools remains a true US manufacturer and employer. Klein Tools are proudly made in the USA. For more information, visit www.kleintools.com.

About National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA)

NECA is the voice of the $130 billion electrical construction industry that brings power, light, and communication technology to buildings and communities across the United States. NECA’s national office and 119 local chapters advance the industry through advocacy, education, research, and standards development. For more information, visit www.necanet.org.

About The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)

The IBEW is an international labor organization that has trained the most qualified electricians in the trade for more than 117 years. With approximately 725,000 members in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Republic of Panama, the IBEW has members in construction, utilities, manufacturing, telecommunications, broadcasting, railroads and government. For more information, visit www.ibew.org

Oberon, Inc. Products for Cisco Aironet 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point

As companies make greater use of remote offices, home teleworkers and mobile contractors, new products, and organizational tools are needed to ensure maximum productivity and connectivity. Recent announcements by Cisco® introducing the Aironet® 600 Series OfficeExtend Access Point will change the way people work from external offices. The new access points incorporate secure tunnels to the corporate network, allowing users to utilize the network's data, voice, video, cloud, and other corporate applications while maintaining mobile personal connections for the small/home/professional/remote office and home use.

For the teleworker, the challenge becomes maintaining organization and security within the home or small business space. Networking components need to be organized and stored in such a way that is aesthetic for the small/home/professional/remote office, and protects components from being displaced, disconnected, damaged, or stolen. The quest for component and cable management has fueled many an article on popular tech websites. Now, a series of simple network enclosures offer a more convenient, space-saving way to keep networking components secure within a cabinet which is transparent to wireless signals.

The Oberon Home and Office Network Cabinet provides the flexibility to organize virtually any small office’s networking components. At 22” x 22” x 4" deep with adjustable shelves, hook-and-loop strips, and tie-downs for wiring, this cabinet is ideal for stowing and organizing routers, broadband modems, wireless routers, cellular femto-cells, small network switches, power strips, network storage, external hard drives, and other components. The network cabinet surface mounts to the wall in minutes. The low profile allows the cabinet to be mounted virtually anywhere in the small/home/professional/ remote office. The network cabinet’s door is made of an impact resistant ABS material which is virtually transparent to the wireless signal of the wireless router or cellular femto-cell, making it uniquely ideal for stowing wireless products.

Oberon’s Wireless Router Box is ideal for organizing smaller wireless routers and broadband modems. This 14” x 9” x 4” deep box can be flush-mounted by cutting an opening in the wall or ceiling and attaching to studs, or it can be surface-mounted using appropriate wall anchors. The WR-BOX includes two universal electronics brackets with hook and loop straps for mounting a wireless router and a broadband modem or other components.

Both enclosures were designed to meet the needs of teleworkers, home users, small business and professional offices, and smaller office settings within larger buildings when combined with Oberon's corporate enclosure lines for full-building wiring. Secure, convenient, and aesthetic, Oberon's easy-to-install home and office enclosures provide proper storage and safety for a variety of networking components.

For more information on secure, convenient, and aesthetic wireless access point and telecommunications enclosures, please call 1-877-867-2312 or see the Enclosure Selection Guide at http://oberonwireless.com/selection-guide.php.

Oberon, Inc. Announces New GSA Pricing

State College, PA – April 6, 2011 –

Oberon, Inc., a leading provider of wireless access point and telecommunications enclosures, announced the publication of its new GSA schedule pricing on GSA Advantage!

Pricing adjustments include several reductions made possible through manufacturing process improvements. Oberon President Scott D. Thompson said, "We felt it was important to respect our customers' budgets at this time. Our growth of 22% overall in fiscal year 2010 led to new opportunities for economies of scale which we are pleased to pass along to our clients."

The GSA schedule provides access to the company’s full line of products, focusing primarily on its trademark wall- and ceiling-mounted wireless access point enclosures. By providing convenient keyed access to networking equipment without breaching air handling spaces, the enclosures offer an aesthetic way to improve network security with the additional benefit of helping to simplify compliance with federal and medical market requirements.

“By expanding product lines and increasing access to products via the new GSA schedule, Oberon has demonstrated a commitment to identifying and meeting customer needs in both the public and private sectors,” stated Thompson. “The Oberon GSA schedule and product catalog on GSA Advantage! will simplify selection and ordering of Oberon products for federal and other government customers and their contractors.”

Oberon, Inc. Announces BIM Models on ARCAT

3D Models Provide Convenient Import and Embedded Specs for Architects and Engineers

State College, PA – May 4, 2011 –

Oberon, Inc., a leading manufacturer of wireless and telecom enclosures, has announced publication of complete CSI 3-part architectural specs, CAD details, and BIM objects for the Oberon product line. These tools will assist architects and engineers in planning the placement of networking equipment within building designs.

ARCAT, a major publisher of building product information, has created and listed the AutoDesk® Revit® BIM objects on their site at http://www.arcat.com. BIM objects allow engineers and architects to import models into design programs. Embedded links to product specifications mean the amount of time spent in product research and data entry is significantly reduced and the process is made more convenient.

Scott D. Thompson, President and Co-Founder of Oberon, Inc. and Oberon's Engineering Director, stated that the decision to partner with ARCAT was the next step in the company's mission to make the network design process more convenient for Oberon customers.

"Providing CSI 3-part architectural specs, CAD details, and BIM objects is one of the best ways to save our customers research time and make it easy to spec in the right product with easy access to product data," Thompson explained. "The high-quality, information-rich packaging used by ARCAT makes it even easier for building and design professionals to visualize and improve designs, ensure the right products are selected, simplify project scheduling, and see how certain products such as our telecommunications enclosures can simplify future network growth within the same physical spaces."

Oberon manufactures enclosures and mounting solutions for wireless LAN access points. A wide variety of models are available for mounting equipment in both suspended and hard-lid ceilings, on walls, and in outdoor/NEMA environments. Telecommunications enclosures for networking components are also offered for both office and home environments. Enclosures provide security through locking doors, convenience of access to simplify maintenance, and a sleek, aesthetic appearance.

ABOUT OBERON, INC. - Since 1999, Oberon, Inc. has been providing products and services to integrators and end users of wireless LAN "Wi-Fi" network products. Oberon's wireless enclosures and antenna products are used where the RF coverage, infrastructure security, environmental robustness, and aesthetics are paramount in the network design and implementation. Oberon offers ceiling-mounted telecommunications enclosures for Ethernet switches, patch panels, wireless controllers, and other networking and A/V components - ideal for structured cabling and Fiber-to-the-Enclosure (FTTE) deployments.

Oberon's products and services have helped thousands of integrators and end-users in the global healthcare, government, transportation and logistics, education, retail, hospitality, and manufacturing achieve reliable indoor network connection mobility.

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For more information regarding this press release, please contact Sharon Sobieszczyk at 814-308-5017 x708 or sas@oberonwireless.com.

Mohawk Introduces ArmorLite AD All-Dielectric Fiber Plenum (OFNP) and Riser (OFNR)

Leominster, MA, April 2011: Mohawk, a progressive manufacturer of copper cable and fiber optic products, announces the release of ArmorLite AD All-Dielectric Fiber Cable to compliment the armored fiber line.

Mohawk’s ArmorLite AD non-metallic armored cable is a cost-effective and installer friendly cable that delivers the same exceptional performance of traditional armored cables for numerous environments. The plastic armor design eliminates installation costs associated with grounding of metallic armor and offers the ease of using standard cable cutters and Kevlar shears for termination. ArmorLite AD is ideal for Commercial Enterprise, Military, Health Care, Higher Education and Data Center applications.

ArmorLite AD cables are constructed with individually color coded tight buffered fibers with overall Aramid Yarn strength members inner jacket, an All-Dielectric Plastic Armor, and flame retardant outer jacket. Mohawk’s Open Architecture model allows the ability to work with numerous connectivity options. Mohawk’s ArmorLite AD is the cable solution to prevent reliance on costly and inflexible end-to-end solutions.

For more details about the new cable products, contact us at 800-422-9961 or visit our website at www.mohawk-cable.com

About Mohawk
Mohawk is headquartered in Leominster, Massachusetts, and has been providing copper and fiber cable innovations for over 50 years. Mohawk is an ISO 9001 certified company and develops products to meet and support TIA/EIA, ISO/IEC, ICEA and NEMA standards. As part of the global Belden operations, Mohawk is supported with worldwide management, financial resources, and distribution capabilities.

ACUTA announces the Passing of Executive Director Jeri Semer

LEXINGTON, Kentucky, April 22, 2011 – The Association for Information Communications Technology Professionals in Higher Education (ACUTA) announces the passing of Executive Director Jeri A. Semer, CAE, on Friday, April 8, 2011, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Semer had been Executive Director at ACUTA since July 1994 and was just the second person to fill that role since the association’s founding 40 years ago. Announcing her death to the membership, ACUTA President Joe Harrington of Boston College commented, “Jeri was a good friend and a mentor, but also the ultimate professional. She set very high standards for herself as well as for the ACUTA staff. She always put the interests of ACUTA members first, and she was always willing to listen. She believed in processes and procedures, but was also flexible and open to new ideas.”

Semer was highly respected among ACUTA’s membership and by the staff she led. In addition to providing stability and continuity to the organization as a member of the Board of Directors, she became a mainstay on ACUTA’s Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Committee. Through the years she encouraged the committee to take the lead representing the interests of higher education information communications technology in Washington and made multiple appearances herself before legislators, the FCC and other entities in the interest of ACUTA member colleges and universities.

A graduate of Pepperdine University and a Certified Association Executive, Semer had not only the skills and the intelligence required of an executive director, she also had the ability to relate to people. She was named a Fellow in the American Society of Association Executives, participated actively in CHEMA, and cultivated mutually beneficial relationships with many other associations and individuals that would help her serve ACUTA and its members more effectively.

“Jeri’s tenure sets a benchmark for ACUTA’s future Executive Directors,” said ACUTA Immediate Past President Matt Arthur of Washington University in St. Louis. “We are very challenged to find someone who can duplicate her gracious personality, high level of energy, and total commitment to the organization. She will be sorely missed.”

The Board of Directors has announced that Corinne Hoch, a Past President of ACUTA who recently retired from Columbia University, will serve as Interim Executive Director until a search can be completed for a new Executive Director.

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 2,000 individuals at more than 700 institutions of higher education, with members ranging from small schools and community colleges to the very largest U.S. institutions. ACUTA’s corporate affiliate members represent all categories of communications technology vendors serving the college/university market. For more information, visit www.acuta.org or call 859-278-3338.

Registration is Open for the 2011 NAED Congressional Fly-In

Members will make the voice of the electrical distribution industry heard in Washington, D.C.

ST. LOUIS… The National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) is pleased to announce that registration is open for the first-ever NAED Congressional Fly-In. The event will take place September 7-8, 2011 in Washington, D.C.

“From taxes to regulations, there are so many issues being discussed in Washington that impact the industry,” said Thomas Naber, president and CEO of NAED. “This fly-in is a great opportunity for our members to connect with their elected officials and make a difference for electrical distribution.”

The NAED Congressional Fly-In includes orientation and advocacy training, followed by a reception and dinner on September 7. A series of meetings with legislators will take place on September 8. Prior to the event, NAED will schedule the meetings, provide an advocacy training webinar, and furnish preparatory resources on key legislation. To learn more about NAED’s top issues, go to www.naed.org/tellcongress.

Online registration and details about the fly-in, as well as an overview of the schedule, are available by visiting www.naed.org/NAEDFlyIn/. Hotel accommodations are available at the Phoenix Park Hotel. For more information, contact NAED Government Affairs at governmentaffairs@naed.org or by calling 888-791-2512.

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.

Siemon’s QSFP+ High-Speed Moray Active Optical Interconnects Pass Key InfiniBand Testing

40Gb/s interconnect AOC cable assemblies tested and accepted by the InfiniBand Trade Association (IBTA) as compliant to the InfiniBand Architecture Specification

Watertown, Connecticut – April 13, 2011 – Siemon, a leading global manufacturer of IT network cabling and infrastructure systems, today announced that its QSFP+ (Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable Plus) high speed active optical interconnect cable assemblies have been tested and accepted by the InfiniBand Trade Association (IBTA) as compliant to the InfiniBand Architecture Specification.

Siemon Interconnect Solutions QSFP+ Active Optical Cable assemblies were developed for high-density applications, offering a cost-effective, low-power option for high-speed data center interconnects up to 4000 meters. Siemon utilizes Silicon CMOS Photonics technology and high performance, low cost single-mode fiber. The CMOS Photonics utilize an integrated opto-electronic chip with a directly attached fiber and a micro-packaged laser. This “Fiber-to-the-Chip” technology enables Siemon’s Moray active optical cabling to break the cost barriers and distance restrictions associated with multi-mode fiber solutions. Ideal for rack-to-rack and inter- and intra-building connections as well as high-speed networking and storage equipment applications, the QSFP+ form factor can replace up to four standard SFP+ connections, providing greater density and reduced system cost.

By passing the rigorous IBTA testing, Siemon’s QSFP+ assemblies are now included on IBTA's Integrators' List, which is designed to support data center managers, CIOs and other IT professionals with deployment of InfiniBand systems. End users and OEMs frequently check the IBTA Integrators' List prior to the deployment of InfiniBand solutions, including small and large clusters, to ensure product compliance with the InfiniBand architecture specification as well as interoperability with other InfiniBand products.

Two variants of Siemon's QSFP+ AOC interconnect assemblies, ranging from 1 to 300 meters, are certified on the IBTA's Integrators' List as being compliant to 10G per lane QDR data rates. The current IBTA Integrators' List is available at http://www.infinibandta.org/content/pages.php?pg=integrators_list_overview

Interoperable with compliant SFF-8436 interfaces, Siemon’s QSFP+ AOC interconnects are also compatible with a wide array of data protocols/interfaces, including Ethernet 10G, 40G (IEEE-802.3ba) and SONET. They also support Fibre Channel 10G, 40G SAN; FCoE, RapidIO and Myrinet 40G systems links.

This interconnect is part of the Siemon’s high speed connectivity products that include QSFP+ passive copper interconnects and MTP Plug and Play solutions as well as a variety of innovative category cabling products.

Learn more about Siemon’s high-speed interconnect products at: www.siemon.com/sis

Follow Siemon Interconnect Solutions on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siemonis/

Join Siemon on Facebook: http://www.siemon.com/go/facebook

About Siemon:

Established in 1903, Siemon (www.siemon.com) is a global industry leader in the development and manufacture of high quality, high-performance network cabling solutions. Siemon’s Interconnect Solutions business unit (SIS) specializes in the development of high-speed interconnects. Headquartered in Watertown, Connecticut, USA, Siemon operates directly in over 30 countries and, through its channels, services customers in over 100 countries. Siemon offers a comprehensive suite of copper and optical fiber cabling systems. With over 400 patents, Siemon Labs invests heavily in R&D and is actively involved with numerous industry standards organizations around the world.

www.siemon.com/sis

www.siemon.com

Siemon’s High Speed 40+Gb/s QSFP+ Passive Copper Cabling Selected for Extreme Networks 96 Port 40G Ethernet Switch Demo

Live Product Demo at Interop Las Vegas showcases Extreme Networks Open Fabric data center solutions including the BlackDiamond® X8 Chassis, using Siemon’s high-performance 40+Gb/s QSFP+ passive copper cable assemblies.

WATERTOWN, CT/LAS VEGAS- May 11, 2011 — Siemon, a leading global manufacturer of IT network cabling and infrastructure systems, today announced that its 40+Gb/s QSFP+ (Quad Small Form-Factor Pluggable Plus) passive copper cable assemblies will be featured in Extreme Networks’ demonstration of the BlackDiamond® X8 switch, expected to be available for customer trials in October 2011.

Being showcased all week at Interop Booth # 2051, this Live Demo combines Extreme Networks Open Fabric data center solutions including the 192-port 40GbE BlackDiamond® X8 switch with Siemon’s shielded 4-lane interconnects to highlight the latest high-performance 40Gb/s technology and transmission capabilities.

Developed as a cost-effective, low-power option for high-speed data transmission up to 10 meters, Siemon’s QSFP+ interface assemblies can replace up to four standard SFP+ connections, providing greater port density and reduced system cost. Siemon’s advanced design and automated manufacturing processes provide optimized cross talk and Return Loss performance and deliver consistent and industry leading signal integrity.

Interoperable with compliant SFF-8436 interfaces, Siemon's QSFP+ copper interconnects are fully compatible with a wide array of data protocols/interfaces, including InfiniBand 4X SDR, DDR, QDR and FDR as well as Ethernet 10G, 40G (IEEE-802.3ba) and SONET electrical failover 40G links.

Siemon also offers application specific assembly solutions such as varied EEPROM programming options, wire gauges and assembly lengths.

This interconnect is part of the Siemon's high speed connectivity products that include Moray QSFP+ AOC's, SFP+ & MiniSAS passive copper cable assemblies as well as Plug and Play fiber optic solutions.

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About Extreme Networks:
Extreme Networks delivers networks for the mobile world. The company's open network solutions enable a quality user experience, providing a platform for improved business agility. From the converged mobile edge of enterprises to virtualized clouds, and from data centers to global carrier networks that backhaul mobile traffic, Extreme Networks' extensible services architecture helps set a foundation for mobility, user awareness and faster performance to empower people and machines to connect and move seamlessly. Extreme Networks is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, with offices in more than 50 countries worldwide. For more information, visit: www.extremenetworks.com

About Siemon:
Established in 1903, Siemon (www.siemon.com) is a global industry leader in the development and manufacture of high quality, high-performance network cabling solutions. Siemon's Interconnect Solutions business unit (SIS) specializes in the development of high-speed interconnects. Headquartered in Watertown, Connecticut, USA, Siemon operates directly in over 30 countries and, through its channels, services customers in over 100 countries. Siemon offers a comprehensive suite of copper and optical fiber cabling systems. With over 400 patents, Siemon Labs invests heavily in R&D and is actively involved with numerous industry standards organizations around the world.

Snake Tray® Offers New Dual Panel Utility Grade Pole Mounted System for Solar Panels

Snake Tray® is pleased to announce the new utility grade dual panel pole rack mount system to accommodate municipal and private solar installations mounted on existing or dedicated utility poles. Developed in conjunction with state of the art micro-inverters, which allow 2.5 times more solar power captured from a single pole site, the Snake Tray Solar Utility Pole Rack installs quickly to save on the cost of installation.

Snake Tray® manufactures a series of innovative products for the solar industry all designed and proven to significantly save on labor, time and materials. Snake Trayâ products are made in USA utilizing solar power generated from our roof top solar array. www.snaketray.com

New IDEAL Coax Stripper Helps Prevent Poor Connections that Lead to Video Reception Problems

-- Company enlists Facebook fans to test new tool –

SYCAMORE, IL, April 21, 2011 -- More than 70 percent of video reception problems can be traced to a bad cable connection. Lots of times, the culprit is a badly stripped length of cable.

IDEAL is helping to assure better connections by introducing its new 45-321 coax stripper expressly designed to perform cleaner, faster 1/4" x 1/4" strips of RG-6/6 quad and RG-59 coax cables used in the transmission of cable television, satellite broadcasting, and analog CCTV signals.

The new stripper features a self-adjusting blade that instantly conforms to different diameter coax cables, resulting in higher accuracy at a lower overall cost of installation. The 45-321 has a Spinner Ring that orbits the full circumference of the cable to deliver faster stripping without compromising precision. Comfort is key to any successful hand tool. The 45-321 is ergonomically shaped, lightweight and easy to maneuver in tight spaces. It is also compact in size so it fits easily inside a pocket or tool tote.

The introduction of the 45-321 marks the first time IDEAL has tested a tool by offering 25 free samples to its Facebook fans. Once the fans have tried out their 45-321 they'll will post comments about their experience. The company plans to continue the Facebook fan sample program as part of future new product releases.

For information, please visit www.idealindustries.com or call 800.435.0705

Telecommunications Industry Association Applauds Introduction of 'The Freedom to Invest Act'

Washington, D.C. – The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the leader in advocacy, standards development, business development and intelligence for the information and communications technology (ICT) industry, applauds Rep. Kevin Brady and Rep. Jim Matheson and others for introducing, H.R. 1834, "The Freedom to Invest Act," which would provide U.S. companies with the option of repatriating income earned overseas by their foreign subsidiaries within the next two years.

"It's been estimated that over $1 trillion dollars in foreign earnings are sitting in the accounts of U.S. companies' foreign subsidiaries. With over 95% of the world's population outside of the United States it's no surprise that foreign subsidiaries of American companies are earning profits abroad," said TIA's President Grant Seiffert. "However, our tax code inhibits the repatriation of these earnings due to prohibitively high U.S. tax rates on this income. That's why TIA applauds Rep. Brady and Rep. Matheson for their leadership in this arena. Providing U.S. companies with the option to repatriate these earnings at a 5.25% tax rate is a terrific incentive to bring these dollars back for investment in the United States," continued Seiffert.

TIA strongly supports the adoption of a repatriation holiday to allow the repatriation of foreign earnings. In addition, TIA has argued for comprehensive tax reform which is likely to take a number of years. TIA's membership adopted both of these positions earlier this year as part of TIA's Innovation Package: Roadmap to Growing Jobs and the Economy.

"A short term repatriation holiday would allow these companies to use these earnings to invest in their domestic activities - providing a valuable boost to their companies and our economy. TIA hopes that Congress will move swiftly to enact this much needed legislation," said Seiffert.

TIA is a member of the Working to Invest Now in (WIN) America Campaign, which is a broad and growing non-partisan campaign working to bring up to $1 trillion home to invest in America. The members of WIN America represent and employ people all across the United States.

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 networking. 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.

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

'TIA 2011: Inside the Network' Opens in Dallas

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, Verizon CTO Anthony Melone, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison to Deliver Keynotes

Grapevine, Texas – Is your network innovating? Is your network secure? Is it reliable? Can it scale to meet the massive wave of broadband demand? Is it sustainable? The stellar lineup of keynote speakers will tackle these tough questions as the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) rallies the builders and manufacturers of the broadband network at TIA 2011: Inside the Network this week in Dallas.

TIA 2011: Inside the Network is the annual TIA membership meeting and industry summit being held at the Gaylord Texan Hotel in Dallas, May 17-20.

AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson will deliver the opening keynote on Wed., May 18.

Verizon Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Anthony J. Melone will deliver the opening keynote on Thurs., May 19.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is the keynote speaker at Thursday night's VIP Dinner and is also attending TIA's Spring Policy Summit, being held in conjunction with TIA 2011.

Keynote Speakers at the Spring Policy Summit include: U.S. Congressman Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.), FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell and Deputy Undersecretary for International Trade Michelle O'Neill on Thursday afternoon, and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (Texas) and AT&T President, Supply Chain & Fleet Operations, Tim Harden on Friday morning.

Other TIA 2011 keynote speakers include:

» Robert Vrij, Executive Vice President, Alcatel-Lucent, President of Americas Region
» Jeff Gardner, CEO and President, Windstream Corp.
» Charles Vogt, CEO and President, GENBAND
» Brian Mefford, CEO, Connected Nation
» Kittur Nagesh, Senior Director, Mobility and Security Solutions Marketing, Juniper Networks
» Joseph Ambeault, Director, Product Development and Management, Video Services, Verizon FiOS
» Jeremy Legg, Senior Vice President of Business Development & Multi-Platform Distribution, Turner Broadcasting System
» Rose Schooler, GM, Communications Infrastructure Division, Embedded Computing Group, Intel Corp.
» Milo Medin, Vice President, Fiber to the Communities, Google

"As you know, remarkable growth and technological progress represent challenges for our industry," said TIA President Grant Seiffert. "The millions of apps, mobile data and video, cloud services, even voice, are straining the network and its supply chain. Capacity is not keeping up with demand, which is particularly worrisome for mobile communications with spectrum so scarce. The broadband industry needs to innovate and invest to meet these challenges and monetize new growth opportunities. That's why we're here in Dallas, to hear from industry leaders and work on end-to-end solutions."

The TIA 2011: Inside the Network event features educational sessions covering Converged Networks; Smart Grid; Machine to Machine; Cloud Computing; Mobile Backhaul, Video and Data; Sustainable Networks; Regulatory Issues; Security and more.

In keeping with TIA's digital media strategy, all keynotes and breakout sessions are being captured on video to post on its digital platforms, TIA's Digital Marketplace, the virtual event platform for TIA 2011, and the TIA Now TV portal. Visit the TIA Now studio on the TIA 2011 exhibition floor throughout the week.

Learn more about TIA 2011: Inside the Network at http://www.tia2011.org.

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 networking. 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.

View video news programming on TIA Now at http://www.tianow.org.

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

TIA's Board of Directors includes senior-level executives from ADTRAN, Alcatel-Lucent, ANDA Networks, AttivaCorp, Cisco Systems, Dow Chemical Company, Ericsson, Inc., GENBAND, Inc., Henkels & McCoy, Juniper Networks, ILS Technology, Intel Corporation, Intersect, Inc., LGE, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, OneChip Photonics, Panasonic Computer Solutions Co., Qualcomm, Research In Motion, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Corporation, Tellabs, TE Connectivity, Ulticom, Inc., Walker and Associates and WirefreeCom, Inc. Advisors to the Board include FAL Associates and Telcordia Technologies.

Fluke Networks - View Short Video - "Deploying VoIP"

The rapid evolution of VoIP communications has allowed corporations to better serve customers and compete more effectively but VoIP implementation is a major challenge since even the most seemingly simple changes could adversely affect your network performance. For voice services, the impacts to call quality can be devastating, rendering conversations unintelligible and putting the investment in convergence at risk.

Take a quick look at this short, humorous clip…

View short view clip "Deploying VoIP "

Check out VoIP Resources:
ClearSight Analyzer – Download 14-Day Trial to troubleshoot top 5 VoIP problems
VoIP Resource Center – view webinars, application notes and more

Call 800-283-5853 or email info@flukenetworks.com for more information about our solutions.

Contractors are taking to network tools and testers

Electrical contractors are increasingly moving into network installation as a way of offsetting the lack of new construction projects.

by Dan Carazo

According to Mara White, marketing manager DCI, CSP, for Fluke Networks (flukenetworks.com), the construction slowdown has resulted in many electricians vacating the standard power wiring space and entering the low-voltage/datacom wiring market. In addition, manufacturers have seen a marked rise in the technical education level of the datacom installer and network technician as the industry segment has matured. White claims it is the VoIP, PoE, and security applications that have continued driving the requirement for new tools. “All of these require the installation, testing, and troubleshooting of physical LV cabling, primarily Ethernet twisted pair and fiber at the head ends,” said White. “This is an advantage to all tool manufacturers and their distributors as the move from simple single task tools to more advanced multiuse tools has become more prevalent.”

Jeremy Corn, datacom marketing support for IDEAL Industries (ideal industries.com), sees this expansion of Ethernet devices into applications like VoIP, IP network cameras, and industrial networks as an important shift that is driving greater demand for network verification products.

“What was once the domain of coax cable with type F and BNC connectors

is now UTP and RJ-45,” said Corn. “Installers of communications cabling in security, IPTV, and other growing niche markets may be new to UTP and Ethernet. What they welcome in a handheld tester is a user-friendly interface and test results that are presented in a clear, concise fashion for interpretation.

“For less than $200, contractors can purchase a full-featured Ethernet verifier with a large backlit LCD, length testing, and multiple remotes,” he added, explaining that testers that are simple enough to be used straight out of the box are extremely popular, especially for novice network installers.

“Most techs don’t need reams of test results; they just need to know if the cabling they’ve installed works or not,” Corn continued. “A basic troubleshooting tester will find opens, shorts, reversals, split pairs, and miswires.”

While Klein Tools (kleintools.com) is the new kid on the block when it comes to application-specific VDV testers and tools, the company is benefitting from the same trends that are reshaping network system design and performance.

Christopher Niklas, product manager, VDV products, for Klein Tools, confirmed how products in this category are changing. “For coax, it is the overall adoption of the compression connectors; in modular connectors, it is the proliferation of the data port on everything from security cameras to mainstream television sets,” he explained. “And in testers, it is the over all improved ease of use and advancements in materials.”

The use of fiber-optics is increasing as well with the build-out of the backbone from the service providers. This means that the inclusion of fiber testing into multitask tools for cabling verification will continue to expand.

“Fiber is a growth market,” confirmed White, noting that he sees more growth in fiber for the next five years. “Requirements for increased bandwidth and demand for the faster data rates that are needed for expanding technology like streaming video, VoIP, and PoE are extending the fiber-optic networks closer to the users,” White continued, adding that the security market is very active and likely to generate continued demand for affordable, intuitive, qualification testers that can document cabling installations.

“The need to qualify cables for voice, VoIP, and 10/100/1000 Ethernet will increase the importance of troubleshooting with a variety of innovative built-in technologies like TDR and multimap, which provide greater vision to locate faults and speed up problem resolution,” explained White.

“Reasonably priced multifunction tester/tracer units that contain the right mix of features are in demand because typical eight-pin testers and traditional tone and probe units fall short of current installer needs,” said Tony Casazza, president of QuickTreX (quick trex.com).

According to Corn, Ethernet use in industrial and plant floor environments has grown dramatically in the past five years, highlighting the importance of ruggedly designed testers. “Ethernet has moved onto the plant floor in industrial networks and outdoors into IP network security systems,” he said. “Testers get dropped and are subjected to terrible weather, plus industrial Ethernet requires an M-12 port on the tester.”

Casazza pointed out the growing popularity of toolkits containing a complete set of professional electro/tech tools that is ideal for companies that maintain their own facilities. “Organizations that typically hire full-time technicians for faster service and cost savings will continue this trend for the next few years,” said Casazza.

Carazo provides B2B marketing services for electrical industry organizations. He can be reached at dcaraz@optonline.net.

Reprinted with permission from tED The ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTOR Magazine www.tedmag.com

NECA NEWS

2011 NECA Women's Peer Group Summit

05/23/2011

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

NECA Endorses Bill to Fast Track Deployment of Electric Vehicles

05/22/2011

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

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

05/19/2011

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

NECA Contractors Speak Out for Small Business, Construction Issues

05/18/2011

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

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

05/15/2011

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

JATC Recognized for Completing Maryland Energy Grant Electrical Training

05/15/2011

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

3% Withholding Tax on Contractors Postponed For One More Year

05/14/2011

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

Clarification: Substance Abuse Testing Is a Mandatory Subject of Bargaining

05/13/2011

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

Dozens of NECA Members Attain Safety Honors

05/09/2011

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

NECA and Friends Focus on EVSE at UL Electrical Council Meeting

05/08/2011

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

"Beyond the Light Switch" Documentary Premiers on PBS

05/04/2011

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

Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP) Holds Master Train-the-Trainer Event

04/20/2011

Electrical industry instructors and EVITP Partner Advisors met April 14-16 for a Master Train the Trainer (MT3) program for the installation of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), the first event of its kind for the EV industry.

Klein Tools' Million Dollar Pledge Supports Industry Training

04/20/2011

Klein Tools and our industry’s National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee have enacted an historic agreement under which the tool manufacturer has committed $1,000,000 to support training and education in the organized electrical construction industry

Penn-Del-Jersey Chapter, NECA and IBEW Locals Shine at PV America

04/18/2011

The Penn-Del-Jersey Chapter, NECA co-sponsored a booth with IBEW Locals 98, 313, 380 and 654 at PV America in Philadelphia last week to showcase their combined expertise in solar panel installations and joint solar installation training program.

NWPG Summit Agenda Available -- See What's Planned for Pittsburgh!

04/12/2011

Thanks to your suggestions and recommendations, the 2011 NECA Women’s Peer Group has put together a great Summit agenda. See what’s planned, and get registration and housing information now!

NECA Urges Participation in DOL Prevailing-Wage Conferences

04/09/2011

The U. S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division is hosting a series of Prevailing Wage Conferences this year. Since managing the prevailing wage and Davis-Bacon rates in your area has never been more important, it would be beneficial to management and labor to attend one of these programs.

Registration Now Open for First-Ever NECA Safety Professionals Conference, May 22-24

04/08/2011

NEIS Website Launches With New Look, More Accessibility

04/06/2011

NECA's National Electrical Installations Standards have a revamped, centralized online presence to make NEIS more accessible and useful to the people who depended on them at www.neca-neis.org.

AFL Acquires TCC Group - Acquisition Expands AFL's Services Offering into European markets

AFL has signed an agreement to acquire TCC Group, a leading telecommunications network implementation and integration provider based in Bracknell, United Kingdom. TCC Group will join the AFL global portfolio to provide communications services to the European market.
"This is a key growth opportunity for AFL as this acquisition enhances our engineering, material logistics and installation capabilities, enabling us to expand and serve major telecommunications companies in Europe," said Jody Gallagher, President and CEO of AFL. "We are also pleased that Jas Gill, TCC Group's founder, will remain with the company to help us ensure that the transaction is beneficial to TCC's customers."

TCC Group has extensive experience in designing, building, installing and maintaining next generation networks for a number of large telecommunications customers. This acquisition expands AFL's capability to provide customers with copper and fiber technology services from the switch site to the customer premise. With AFL's global portfolio, this expertise is further enhanced into new and larger markets.

Jas Gill, TCC Group's founder commented, "I am very excited by the prospects and opportunities this transaction will bring to both companies and I am confident there will be real benefit to existing and future customers."

AFL manufactures fiber optic cables and components and provides design, project management and installation services from the USA, UK and Germany. TCC Group will continue to operate from existing facilities around the UK. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

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

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

About TCC
Over the last 18 years, TCC Group has become a leading provider of telecoms services, with in-depth experience, strength and core skills in the design, build, installation and maintenance of next generation networks working across the UK, Ireland and Europe. The company is committed to developing solid strategic partnerships with all our clients - service providers, private operators, OEMs, cable companies, utilities, central and local government - and creating value for their customers.

TCC Group's capabilities span across all key engineering competencies. From planning to civil engineering and all aspects of internal and external network engineering, TCC Group takes the end-to-end technological perspective from switches, headends and data centres to business and residential customers alike. The company has a highly skilled/experienced, motivated, engineering field force.

TCC Group is headquartered in Bracknell with operational facilities at key locations within the UK. For more information, visit www.tcc-plc.com.

Belden® PPO UL AWM Hook-up Wire Is Environmentally Friendly, Meeting ROHS and WEEE Requirements

Belden PPO-insulated Hook-up Wire also merits use of Belden's GreenChoice product rating. PPO Wire does not release the type of environmental pollutants that are characteristic of traditional PVC-insulated wire. This fully recyclable product also outperforms PVC- and XLPE-insulated hook-up wire.

ST. LOUIS, May 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Belden Inc. (NYSE:BDC - News), a global leader in signal transmission solutions for mission-critical applications, has introduced its PPO UL AWM Hook-up Wire as an environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional PVC-insulated and XLPE-insulated hook-up wire. PPO Wire also meets or exceeds the electrical and thermal characteristics of traditional products, while being smaller in diameter, lighter in weight, stronger and more durable.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090127/CG63239LOGO)

Hook-up wire is used by a broad range of OEM manufacturers and markets, including: electrical panel builders; building construction and maintenance operations; manufacturers of electrical and electronic products; computer manufacturers; and the production and assembly of appliances, furniture, automobiles, and automotive components and systems.

Belden PPO UL AWM Hook-up Wire fully meets RoHS (Restriction on Hazardous Substances) and WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) requirements because it is constructed of stranded tinned copper conductors and a Zero Halogen Polyphenylene Oxide (PPO) insulation that contains no halogens, phthalates or heavy metals. The absence of toxic materials means the product can be burned or disposed of safely without harm to people, animals or the environment. And unlike another zero halogen insulation, cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE), PPO is a fully recyclable compound.

Additional features of Belden PPO UL AWM Hook-up Wire include:

Superior dielectric strength enables a thinner wall thickness and an OD which is up to 45 percent smaller than equivalent wires

Electrical performance that meets or exceeds that of traditional PVC-insulated 600V wire

Increased flexibility and durability, with ten times better abrasion and pinch resistance than PVC-insulated wires

Excellent thermal properties over a wide operating temperature range (-40 degrees C to +105 degrees C)

Meets VW-1 UL 1581 flame rating requirements

Reduced weight by up to 40 percent, due to PPO's lower specific gravity/density as compared with PVC, polyethylene (PE) and XLPE insulations

Meets Belden's GreenChoice requirements

Belden's PPO UL AWM Hook-up Wire is available from stock in gauge sizes ranging from 28 to 10 AWG. Put-ups are 100 ft (30.5 m), 1000 ft (304.8 m) and 5000 ft (1524 m). For easy identification, the wires are color-coded in Brown, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Violet, Gray, White, Black, Blue, and Green/Yellow.

GreenChoice – Providing Environmentally Friendly Solutions to Our Customers

Because of Belden's commitment to providing environmentally-friendly solutions to our customers, the GreenChoice label has been created to allow easy identification that the product meets the strict environmental standards associated with Belden's environmental commitment.

Like the PPO UL AWM Hook-up Wire, all of Belden's environmentally-friendly products will soon be labeled as GreenChoice. This label confirms that the product will meet the needs of companies looking for a 'green' alternative to the products they traditionally use. Belden GreenChoice products will help them meet their earth-friendly goals since they are non-toxic and represent no danger to people, animals or the environment.

For more information on Belden's commitment to the environment through the elimination, or reduction, in the type of materials normally used in wire and cable design, see Belden's environmental overview.

Belden is committed to continuing to expand our line of products that meet the GreenChoice standards. If you have specific environmental needs, please consult with a Belden representative today.

For more information on Belden PPO UL AWM Hook-up Wire, download Product Bulletin 325. Review our website at: www.BELDEN.com, or call 1-800-BELDEN-1 (1-800-235-3361).

About Belden

St. Louis-based Belden Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets cable, connectivity and networking products in markets including industrial automation, enterprise, transportation, infrastructure, and consumer electronics. It has approximately 6,600 employees, and provides value for industrial automation, enterprise, education, healthcare, entertainment and broadcast, sound and security, transportation, infrastructure, consumer electronics and other industries. Belden has manufacturing capabilities in North America, Europe and Asia, and a market presence in nearly every region of the world. Belden was founded in 1902, and today is a leader with some of the strongest brands in the signal transmission industry. For more information, visit www.belden.com.

Draka was acquired by Prysmian

In 2011, Draka was acquired by Prysmian, a leading player in the industry of high-technology cables and systems for energy and telecommunications, with sales exceeding 4.5 billion Euro in 2010. The Prysmian Group is a truly global Company, with subsidiaries in 39 countries, 55 plants in 24 countries, 7 Research & Development Centers and 12,000 employees. Prysmian is listed on the Milan Stock Exchange in the Blue Chip index.

Draka, headquartered in Amsterdam, has 9400 employees in countries worldwide and 2010 revenues of over € 2.4 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 & Specialty 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 please visit us online at www.draka.com/communications.

Copper cable prices continue to soar to new heights

Global demand sent copper surging almost 40 percent since the beginning of 2010.

The March 2011 copper contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 9 cents to a record close of U.S. 63 cents per pound, taking the base metals sector up 1.4 percent. High demand for the metal used in construction and electrical appliances has sent copper surging almost 40 percent since the beginning of 2010.

The strong showing in copper prices came amid data showing that China’s exports surged 37.7 percent in January, which was more than double December’s rate, in a sign of rebounding global demand. Import growth jumped 53.5 percent.

Also, the chief executive of mining giant Rio Tinto Group, Tom Albanese, told Australian television over the weekend that he expects copper prices will continue to head higher amid rising demand and before output from new projects eases a supply shortfall.
FEP is driving up cable prices more than copper. One of the main components in FEP is called fluorospar, and there has been a worldwide increase in demand and decrease in supply. As with any natural resource there is a finite supply.

Another component in the jacketing material is caustic soda; the caustic soda market has been weak, which had caused a decreased supply driving up demand. In addition to the component cost increases, last year one of the U.S.-based FEP producers decided to stop manufacturing this compound. That immediately drove up prices and reduced the supply. At this time, only two chemical companies (DuPont Teflon FEP and Daikin Neoflon FEP) produce FEP, and Daikin is having some post-earthquake problems with their plants in Japan. When exposed to heat, CMP cables may emit some gasses that are highly toxic and extremely corrosive. The NEC CMP rating does not require toxicity testing.

The U.S. dollar has taken a beating in the world economy. Due to the inflation of the U.S. dollar as compared to other world currencies, we are no longer able to source product at the same purchase price as before. Our buy price is increasing across the board and will continue to do so until we are able to slow down the inflation rate. This is affecting all out of country products for the entire United States.

Some industry experts have noted that the European Union cable requirement of LSZH RoHS may be the best move for the United States. Low smoke zero halogen cables that are free of hazardous materials, such as heavy metals, represent a significantly better safety profile for people and property. The NEC does not require RoHS. The cost of LSZH RoHS UTP CAT 6 cable is lower than the United States’ CMP UTP CAT 6 cable. Recently, CAT 6 CMP 4PR UTP plenum cable prices have been increased almost every two weeks (currently at approximately $290 per box).

In today’s unstable market, the smart electrical/cabling contractor is sticking with the reliable distributors to prevent getting stung with counterfeit products.

Progress will not be denied. If copper cable inventories (at any price) are exhausted and intervals are prohibitive, we expect the market will seek other media, probably fiber optic cable as the infrastructure main media.

FAQ
What is the difference between CAT 3, CAT 5, CAT 5e, CAT 6, etc.?
This is actually a somewhat complex question to answer as it involves a number of technical details. The most basic answer is that each category of cable is supposed to meet (or exceed) a specific set of standards, the most significant of which, is the ability to pass all signals up to a particular carrier frequency (or signaling rate). Additional standards have to be met, including values for attenuation, near end cross talk (NEXT), ACR, etc.

Below is a table of the types of category cable we install. The table shows the Maximum Carrier Frequencies required by the EIA/TIA 568 Standards for each Category of cable and the Maximum Frequencies the manufacturer actually tests the cable.

Why do I need all the bandwidth of CAT 6?
Bandwidth precedes data rates just as highways come before traffic. Doubling the bandwidth is like adding twice the number of lanes on a highway. The trends of the past and the predictions for the future indicate that data rates have been doubling every 18 months. With additional throughput requirements right around the corner, it makes sense to plan ahead. Note: Bandwidth is defined as the highest frequency up to which positive power sum ACR (attenuation-to-crosstalk ratio) is greater than zero.

The barrier of obsolescence is the point where the functionality of copper based communications cabling can no longer deliver the required speeds of the network.

For many years the communications industry has guessed at the maximum effective speed of copper (UTP) cabling. Today many experts are in agreement that the need for speed is approaching copper's max. We must begin to look at hybrid designs that incorporate new technologies mixed with the traditional copper UTP. Shielded or coaxial cables deliver better speed and distance performance than UTP; however, distance is challenged by increased network speeds.

Network Cable
CAT 5 Cable (UTP) is a multipair (usually 4 pair) high performance cable that consists of twisted pair conductors, used mainly for data transmission. Note: The twisting of the pairs gives the cable a certain amount of immunity from the infiltration of unwanted interference. CAT 5 UTP cabling systems are, by far, the most common (compared to SCTP) in the United States. Basic CAT 5 cable was designed for characteristics of up to 100 MHz. CAT 5 cable is typically used for Ethernet networks running at 10 or 100 Mbps.

CAT 5e cable (enhanced) Same as CAT 5, except that it is made to somewhat more stringent standards (see comparison chart below). The CAT 5e standard is now officially part of the 568A standard. CAT 5e is recommended for all new installations and was designed for transmission speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second (gigabit Ethernet).

CAT 6 Cable is the same as CAT 5e, except it is made to a higher standard. The CAT 6 standard is now officially part of the 568A standard.

CAT 7 is the same as CAT 6, except it is made to a higher standard (see comparison chart below). The CAT 7 standard is still in the works being revised. One major difference with CAT 7's construction (as compared with CAT 5, 5e, 6 and 6a) is that all four pairs are individually shielded, and an overall shield enwraps all four pairs. CAT 7 will use an entirely new connector (other than the familiar RJ-45).

If we use a CAT 5e RJ45 connector and connect it to a CAT 6 UTP cable, will the installation be CAT 5e or CAT 6?
By definition (of the standard), it will be a CAT 5e channel. The actual performance will probably be somewhat better, but nowhere near CAT 6 requirements. Of course, you can set up a channel using any components and measure it using a CAT 6 (level III) compliant tester. If it passes, it is CAT 6 performance compliant. It would not be standards compliant, however, because the components have requirements in and of themselves to ensure interoperability with other CAT 6 components.

CAT 6 cabling recognizes advances in cabling technology and is designed to be backward compatible with Categories 3, 5 and 5e. This ensures that any applications that operate on lower category cabling will be fully supported by CAT 6 cabling. When different category components are mixed with CAT 6 components, the resultant cabling will satisfy the category transmission requirements of the lower performing component.

Is there a limitation on the size of bundles one can have with CAT 6? Can you have 200–300 and still pass CAT 6?
Maybe not. There is no limit imposed by the standards on the maximum number of CAT 6 cables in a bundle. This is a matter for the market and the industry to determine based on practical considerations. It should be pointed out that after six or eight cables, the performance in any cable will not change significantly since the cables will be too far away to add any additional external (or alien) NEXT.

What is the shortest link that the standard will allow?
There is no short length limit. The standard is intended to work for all lengths up to 100 meters. There is a guideline in ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.1 that states the consolidation point should be located at least 15 meters away from the telecommunications room to reduce the effect of connectors in close proximity. This recommendation is based upon worst-case performance calculations for short links with four mated connections in the channel.

Are the connectors for CAT 5e and CAT 6 different? Why are they more expensive?
Although CAT 6 and CAT 5e connectors may look alike, CAT 6 connectors have much better transmission performance. For example, at 100 MHz, NEXT of a CAT 5e connector is 43 decibels (dB), while NEXT of a CAT 6 connector is 54 dB. This means that a CAT 6 connector couples about 1/12 of the power that a CAT 5e connector couples from one pair to another pair. Conversely, one can say that a CAT 6 connector is 12 times less "noisy" compared to a CAT 5e connector. This vast improvement in performance was achieved with new technology, new processes, better materials and significant research and development resources, leading to higher costs for manufacturers.

Will contractors be able to make their own patch cords?
CAT 6 patch cords are precision products, just like the cables and the connectors. They are best manufactured and tested in a controlled environment to ensure consistent, reliable performance. This will ensure interoperability and backward compatibility. All this supports patch cords as a factory-assembled product rather than a field-assembled product.

Why wouldn’t I skip CAT 6 and go straight to optical fiber?
You can certainly do that, but you will find that a fiber system is still more expensive than copper. Ultimately, economics drive customer decisions, and today optical fiber together with optical transceivers was about twice as expensive as an equivalent system built using CAT 6 and associated copper electronics. Installation of copper cabling is almost craft-intensive as fiber. Copper cabling supports the data terminal equipment (DTE) power standard developed by IEEE (802.3af). PCs ship with copper network interfaces included, in fact, recent announcements indicate that the major PC vendors are shipping 10/100/1000 with all new systems. Moving to fiber would mean buying a fiber-based network (NIC) card to replace equipment already included in the PC.

When should I recommend or install CAT 6 vs. CAT 5e?
From a future proofing perspective, it is always better to install the best cabling available. This is because it is so difficult to replace cabling inside walls, in ducts under floors and other difficult places to access. The rationale is that cabling will last at least 10 years and will support at least four to five generations of equipment during that time. If future equipment running at much higher data rates requires better cabling, it will be very expensive to pull out CAT 5e cabling at a later time to install CAT 6 cabling. So why not do it for a premium of about 20 percent over CAT 5e on an installed basis? Data transmission speeds have not slowed down EVER.

Which standard addresses the combination of electrical cable and CAT 6 regarding performance or sensitivity?
I'm an ICT Consultant for a university and in the process of designing the infrastructure for them. They are using CAT 6 cable as horizontal cabling and fiber optic as the backbone. We are facing a problem with M & E consultant on the trunking design. They are proposing the use of a four-way service box, which contains cables for electrical and CAT 6. We cannot find in the standard about the combination of electrical cable and CAT 6 cabling either of performance or sensitivity.

TIA/EIA-569 "Commercial Building Standard for Telecommunications Pathways and Spaces" includes all necessary provisions for service boxes and enclosures. There are no special considerations associated with CAT 6 cabling.

List of cables and street prices as of 3/9/2004 and 5/5/2011
Jacksonville, Fla

Copper cables will be with us for many years to come. Fiber optic cabling will continue to increase its share of the new cabling being installed for a host of valid reasons.

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

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

ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR is the leading information provider serving the $130 billion commercial, industrial, institutional, residential and nonbuilding electrical contracting community.

Download 2010 BPA Circulation Statement

Some of those paradigm-shifting changes include the following:

Increasingly, electrical design schematics are delivered to the electrical contractor incomplete, i.e., electrical contractors are responsible for the completion and resultant specification.

Those suppliers who recognize and take advantage of these and other dramatic changes in how today's electrical contractor market works will experience significant growth in their bottom line.

REMEMBER TO RECYCLE, REDUCE AND REUSE

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Wireville.com

Issue: May 2011
By: Frank Bisbee

Wireville.com

Issue: May 2011 By: Frank Bisbee

Issue: May 2011
By: Frank Bisbee