Hots : Text 11/2006

The elections in the USA are over and there are going to be BIG changes. Be thankful that we have the democratic privilege to choose. I voted and you did too.

The same goes for CODES and STANDARDS in the information & communication industries. If you don’t get involved, all you can expect is what a few “fat cat” corporations and their shills put in the process. Many of these corporate programs for the Codes and Standards are valid, but some are just a commercial agenda that puts profit before the public safety and improved performance of the IT systems. Get involved.

2006 has brought us much advancement in our industry. We have seen better copper and fiber optic cabling systems. There are a host of better connectors for the challenge of 10Gig. Testing, Labeling, and documentation systems are getting better every month. At least, the customers are starting to treat the infrastructure communication systems and hardware as a vital ASSET.

COSTS are up, but the values have also improved dramatically. Now, the customers are wrestling with the myriad of different performance levels of the installed cabling systems. Unfortunately, many users are finding their records, and labeling are anorexic. They don’t have test records, cut sheets, numbering plans, drawings, or even minimal labeling.

As CONVERGENCE looms in the near future, we are asking ourselves “ What is the BUILDING’S IQ?”. Building Automation, Security, Life and Fire Safety Systems, Access Control, Energy Control, and Wireless Networks are just some of the IQ items that loom large.

Smarter Buildings and Integrated Building Systems are a huge benefit for the users, with massive paybacks available. These are the revenue generators to power our business in the years ahead. Don’t be a clueless contractor. Read, Research, and Get up to date on every aspect of our business and the related applications. Start with the leading trade publications. SUBSCRIBE TODAY.

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

The Light Brigade, Inc., proudly announced celebration of the company’s 20th anniversary as the leading provider of fiber-optic training in North America.

The Light Brigade was founded in September 1986 by Larry Johnson, who wanted to provide the growing number of fiber-optic users in the Pacific Northwest with expertise in fiber-optic technology. In 1987, the company won their first contract through the State of Washington Department of Transportation to develop a comprehensive training course that focused on the state’s desire to design, install, test, and maintain fiber-optic communications systems for voice, video, and data transmission.

The following year, The Light Brigade was selected by Microsoft to design their new campus in Redmond, Washington to have fiber-optic communications capability. Over the next three years, TLB’s staff completely rebuilt the communications infrastructure for Microsoft. At completion of the project, TLB had installed 14,000 fiber links and trained Microsoft’s facilities group to handle the day-to-day operations.

Since that time, the company’s focus has shifted away from consulting and performing installations and, armed with the valuable knowledge gained from those projects, concentrated on providing the best in fiber-optic training. Over the years, TLB has trained over 30,000 people in courses covering the entire spectrum of fiber-optic subjects, from basic theory to in-depth focuses on specialized topics. The company has also hosted a wide array of events at industry conferences, including fiber-optic video theaters, emergency restoration demonstrations, training courses, and topical resource centers.

The company has produced seven DVDs, 25 videos and CDs, and one computer-based training module. In addition, TLB has produced an equal amount of custom videos for clients including Alcatel, Agilent Technologies, Lucent Technologies and the Optical Society of America.

In 1996 TLB was awarded a Fast 50 award by Deloitte and Touche for being one of the top 50 fastest growing technical companies in the State of Washington. The company's multimedia training has also won a variety of awards, including multiple "Attendee's Choice Awards" by attendees of the annual Optical Fiber Conference. www.lightbrigade.com

Today, BICSI Executive Board of Directors named David C. Cranmer, RCDD, as the new Executive Director of BICSI, effective January 1, 2007.

Since June 2006, Cranmer served as the Interim Executive Director of BICSI. After a thorough search of many qualified candidates and months of careful deliberation, the Executive Director Search Committee elected to appoint Cranmer to permanently serve as the Executive Director of BICSI. The Board’s decision directly correlates with BICSI’s new strategic direction to advance the knowledge and success of BICSI’s membership, their customers and the ITS industry.

“The Board welcomes David to his new position as BICSI looks to bring the technical aspects of the association back into focus,” said BICSI President, John Bakowski, RCDD^®/NTS/OSP/WD Specialist. “BICSI’s outreach program of actively seeking cooperation with related industries and associations will benefit greatly from David’s expertise and ability to drive collaborative efforts.”

Cranmer has many years of experience in the telecommunications industry, and brings a wealth of resources and contacts to the position that will be invaluable in driving the focus of BICSI in both the national and international forums. Cranmer is a familiar face to the BICSI membership. He served as BICSI President in 1990 and 1991, chaired the Installation Committee and served on several other Committees.

BICSI is a professional association supporting the information transport systems (ITS) industry with information, education and knowledge assessment for individuals and companies. BICSI serves more than 25,000 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.

BuildingGreen, Inc. Participates in 2006 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo

BuildingGreen to announce "Top 10 Green Building Products" and speak on various topics

Visitors to the US Green Building Council's Greenbuild International Expo and Conference will have an opportunity to see BuildingGreen's information resources and talk to the people behind the company's publications at Booth 1509.

BuildingGreen's booth will offer demonstrations of the BuildingGreen Suite. Visitors will learn more about individual, firm-wide and campus-wide access to this online resource, which includes articles, reviews, and news from Environmental Building News, product listings from the GreenSpec® products directory, and project case

In addition, Alex Wilson, Executive Editor of Environmental Building News, will announce the 2006 Top-10 Green Building Products on Wednesday, November 15 at 1 pm in Room 610-612 at the Colorado convention center. This fifth annual

award recognizes the best products recently added to the GreenSpec directory of environmentally preferable building products.

Nadav Malin, editor of Environmental Building News and executive editor of GreenSource, a new magazine presented by McGraw-Hill, is part of a panel discussion, "The Gauging Green" at 2 p.m. on November 15, Room 503/504.

Jim Newman, Director of Online Services for BuildingGreen, will speak on "Building a Successful Integrated Team with Contractors" at 10:30 a.m., November 15, rooms 702/704/706. Mr. Wilson will also assist in announcing the winners of the USGBC Natural Talent Design Competition, organized by the USGBC Emerging

Green Builder chapter. BuildingGreen is a competition sponsor. The competition, in its fourth year, gives entrants experience in the principles of integrated design, sustainability, innovation, and social consciousness in regional projects that embody the LEED Green Building Rating System. Projects are located in

Sacramento, CA, New York City, and Cincinnati, OH. This year's Greenbuild Expo offers extensive educational programming, workshops, an exhibition floor, and networking events. For information, go to www.greenbuildexpo.org or contact the U.S. Green Building Council at 202-742-3818.

Ontario School Districts Give Hitachi Data Systems, McDATA And CONPUTE High Marks for Wireless Disaster Recovery Solution

Hitachi Data Systems, provider of Application Optimized Storage(TM) solutions and a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE:HIT - News), and McDATA Corporation (Nasdaq:MCDTA - News; Nasdaq:MCDT - News), a leading provider of data access solutions, today announced in association with Redline Communications, a leading provider of standards-based broadband wireless equipment, and CONPUTE, a Solution Services company specializing in Data Centre and broadband solutions, that two school boards in Peterborough, Ontario will be deploying a combined Hitachi Data Systems and McDATA remote data replication solution, using Redline wireless technology, for disaster recovery and maintaining business continuity between their respective data centers.

The Kawartha Pine Ridge (KPR) District School Board serves 82 elementary schools and 15 secondary schools, reaching more than 37,000 students in Peterborough County. Neighboring Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington (PVNC) Catholic School Board, encompasses 32 elementary and 6 secondary schools, serves more than 15,500 students. The two boards are working collaboratively to leverage economies of scale offered by the solution in the event of a disaster situation. The solution enables synchronous bi-directional replication between locations to speed-up data recovery, minimize data loss and protect data integrity in the event of an outage -- securing the information of thousands of students.

"With our curriculum becoming ever more reliant on educational software tools, students completing more of their class work on school-owned systems, and school administrators utilizing technology to interact with parents and maintain student records, our school boards need to ensure that critical IT services can be assessed and restored quickly in the event of potential outages," said Ronald Plaizier, chief information officer, KPR District Public School Board. "With CONPUTE's assistance in the deployment of the solution relative to our Business Continuity Plan, we are now able to mitigate the impact due to loss and recovery of vital board functions."

"The integrated Hitachi Data Systems and McDATA solution, designed by CONPUTE, provides us with an enterprise-scale disaster recovery solution at a SMB price point," said Anthony Brice, manager, Technology Systems, KPR District Public School Board. "This allows us to meet our recovery point and recovery time objectives and provides our students, teachers, and administrators the peace of mind to confidently and confidentially utilize sophisticated storage solutions to enhance the learning experience."

For both KPR and PVNC, data replication over the WAN to enable disaster recovery was unrealistic given the limited budgets constraints K-12 institutions operate under. It was cost prohibitive due to the dedicated infrastructure and bandwidth required to replicate data and the complexity of management.

Working with Hitachi Data Systems GOLD channel partner CONPUTE, the boards will utilize the world-class remote replication capabilities of Hitachi Data Systems TrueCopy synchronous software running on Hitachi Adaptable Modular Storage (AMS) systems, FC to IP conversion and compression of the McDATA Eclipse 1620 SAN router, and the high speed connectivity of the OEMed Redline AN-50 backhaul wireless solution. The result is a simple-to-maintain, low-cost remote replication configuration that enables the school districts to replicate synchronously between their respective data centers, creating a real-time redundant copy of critical information for use in the event of an outage or scheduled downtime. For the two school boards, this joint solution offered the flexibility, high performance and economy of scale answer to their respective disaster recovery and business continuity requirements.

The boards, already familiar with secure wireless broadband solutions, will share a data link of approximately 49Mbps+ between education centers to facilitate their data replication needs. Utilizing the bi-directional capabilities of their respective Hitachi AMS systems running Hitachi TrueCopy the school boards required less investment in dedicated Fibre Channel ports compared to other solutions. In addition, McDATA's Eclipse technology will perform data compression to maximize their use of available bandwidth. Leveraging each other's IT staff (trained on like systems) in the event of a pandemic or site failover was crucial to maintaining flexibility in managing through a disaster. The ability to restore critical data using remote volumes quickly versus tape recovery will gain both boards precious time during any outage.

"By leveraging off-the-shelf compression and data replication technology, we were able to design a turn-key solution that met the customer's assessed risk and mitigates the impact of lost IT services during a disaster, dramatically improving their overall business continuity capabilities," said Terry Buchanan, vice president, Services, CONPUTE. "The wireless component enables long distance-high speed IP network connectivity between respective data centers, for a total CAPEX that averages to a few months of traditional TELCO T3 leasing costs. This eliminates OPEX traditionally associated with remote replication bandwidth and allows funding to be allocated to a disaster recovery infrastructure."

For more information on the wireless remote replication solution, visit the live demo at Storage Networking World Fall 2006, JW Marriott Grande Lakes Resort Orlando, Florida,

Established in 1983, CONPUTE is a Solution Services Company helping organizations use Information Technology to cut costs, increase revenues and improve customer satisfaction. We partner with organizations that need help expanding or managing their IT resources. CONPUTE specializes in four practice areas to address customer IT infrastructure goals including data centre, security, wireless & IP and outsourcing. CONPUTE builds solutions that allow our clients to effectively secure, store and access information. We continually reinvest in our team of experienced professionals to deliver exceptional value in today's challenging business environment. We pride ourselves on offering an outstanding customer experience to our clients through personalized support and consultative advice. For more information, please visit our Web site at http://www.conpute.com.

McDATA (Nasdaq:MCDTA - News; Nasdaq:MCDT - News) is the leading provider of storage networking solutions, helping customers build, globally connect, optimize and centrally manage data infrastructures across SAN, MAN and WAN environments. With nearly 25 years experience developing SAN products, services and solutions, McDATA is the trusted partner in the world's largest data centers, connecting more than two-thirds of all networked data.

Redline Communications is the leading provider of standards-based wireless broadband solutions. Redline's WiMAX Forum Certified(TM) systems and award-winning backhaul and transport products enable service providers and other network operators to cost-effectively deliver high-bandwidth services including voice, video and data communications. Redline is committed to maintaining its wireless industry leadership with the continued development of WiMAX and other advanced wireless broadband products. With more than 30,000 installations in 75 countries, and a global network of over 100 partners, Redline's experience and expertise helps service providers, enterprises and government organizations roll out the services and applications that drive their business forward. For more information, visit www.redlinecommunications.com.

Hitachi Data Systems leverages global R&D resources to develop storage solutions built on industry-leading technology with the performance, availability and scalability to maximize customers' ROI and minimize their risk. By focusing on the customer's perspective as we apply the best hardware, software, and services from Hitachi and our partners, we uniquely satisfy our customers' business needs.

With approximately 3,200 employees, Hitachi Data Systems conducts business through direct and indirect channels in the public, government and private sectors in over 170 countries and regions. Its customers include more than 50 percent of Fortune 100 companies. For more information, please visit our Web site at http://www.hds.com.

Hitachi, Ltd., (NYSE:HIT - News; TOKYO:6501 - News), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 356,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2005 (ended March 31, 2006) consolidated sales totaled 9,464 billion yen ($80.9 billion). The company offers a wide range of systems, products and services in market sectors including information systems, electronic devices, power and industrial systems, consumer products, materials and financial services. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

ELECTEC Ltd, a Canadian innovator of manufactured wiring systems is proud to be involved in the design and cabling of a new expansion of office space at Zenix Engineering Ltd.

For the expansion, Zenix chose Electec’s EZ-Cabling system for its voice/data horizontal cabling. “For a consolidation point system that offers so much flexibility, not to mention mechanical protection of our cabling, EZ-Cabling provides an efficient, reliable and cost-effective cabling solution”, says Robert Larabie, Principal – Electrical of Zenix Engineering Ltd.

The pre-terminated and verified EZ-Cabling system will provide Zenix the ability to manage moves, adds and changes in a modular, turn-key fashion resulting in less down time, more reliable performance and a long-term cost savings.

The mechanical protection provided by premium Ultralx™ armour inherently maintains proper cable bend radius and offers a higher level of flexibility and ease of installation not available with rigid conduit.

Additional features of EZ-Cabling include non-combustible cable construction resulting in a safer work environment free of hazardous chemicals found in flame retardant and limited combustible cable and a distributed, modular design concept that eliminates troublesome, costly and often dangerous abandoned cable.

The Zenix project also afforded the opportunity for Electec to test prototype designs of an innovative new reel and a light-weight cable management and installation system.

For over a decade, Electec has been developing manufactured wiring systems used across Canada in the construction of Class A office buildings, Universities, Factories and Retail Stores. Electec systems enjoy a large share of the modular wiring market in Canada and are proudly used in the construction of IKEA stores throughout North America and Japan.

Although smaller in comparison to many of Electec’s prior projects, the Zenix project represents a new era in The Next Generation of Wiring Systems™. Electec’s new product lines, beginning with EZ-Cabling, offer added value, flexibility and safety to all construction projects, large, medium or small.

Founded in 1995, Zenix Engineering Ltd. has grown to be one of Ottawa’s premier full service engineering firms. The company provides a comprehensive range of services in the following disciplines: Building Envelope and Roofing, Electrical, Fire and Life Safety, Interior Design, Mechanical, Security, Structural and Tenant Fit-Ups. www.electeconline.com

Michelle Dupray has joined the National Environmental Balancing Bureau (NEBB) staff in a newly created Marketing and Communications Coordinator position. With Dupray’s hiring, NEBB is enhancing its capabilities to provide information on its expanding programs throughout the HVAC industry and also within the NEBB organization.

Dupray previously worked as a copywriter and media buyer for a Tucson advertising agency. She has also worked as a Marketing Assistant for a Tucson technical employment agency, where she managed e-newsletters, wrote sales materials, coordinated job fairs and initiated a diversity program.

Dupray previously has served on the board of the Tucson Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), holding the positions of Newsletter Editor and Awards Chair. She graduated from the University of Arizona in 2001 with a major in Marketing and minors in English and French. www.nebb.org

CHICAGO - “EMP Technology has been exploited in movies like Ocean’s Eleven and Matrix: Revolutions and now on Jericho on TV, but do you really know how much damage a real E-Bomb can deliver to your corporate door-step when you are not EMP-proof?” asks James Carlini.

Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP) Bombs, sometimes also referred to as HPM (High-Power Microwave), have been discussed for over several decades (ever since they were viewed as a threat in the Cold War) and most recently appearing in popular entertainment, portrayed as a device to wipe out everything electronic that is not shielded. The E-BOMB is basically an electrical weapon of mass destruction (EWMD).

Lately, there has been even more attention given to these EWMD’s. There are references to EMP Bombs, HPM, or E-Bombs in movies as well as popular combat games and a new TV series, Jericho. Susceptible items are devices that run on very low voltage batteries like laptops, PDAs, and hand-held devices which use CMOS and NMOS as well as unshielded copper cabling.

Virtual reality movies and sci-fi-thriller series aside, what does this really mean to organizations and their network infrastructures?

Some people paint an EMP disaster scenario that would make Hurricane Katrina look like a picnic. From the article, “HOW E- BOMBS WORK” by Tom Harris:

“Anyone who's been through a prolonged power outage knows that it's an extremely trying experience. Within an hour of losing electricity, you develop a healthy appreciation of all the electrical devices you rely on in life. After a couple hours, you start pacing around your house. After a few days without lights, electric heat or TV, your stress level shoots through the roof.

But in the grand scheme of things, that's nothing. If an outage hits an entire city, and there aren't adequate emergency resources, people may die from exposure, companies may suffer huge productivity losses, and millions of dollars of food may spoil. If a power outage hit on a much larger scale, it could shut down the electronic networks that keep governments and militaries running. We are utterly dependent on power, and when it's gone, things get very bad, very fast.

An electromagnetic bomb, or e-bomb, is a weapon designed to take advantage of this dependency. But instead of simply cutting off power in an area, an e-bomb would actually destroy most machines that use electricity. Generators would be useless, cars wouldn't run, and there would be no chance of making a phone call. In a matter of seconds, a big enough e-bomb could thrust an entire city back 200 years or cripple a military unit.

The U.S. military has been pursuing the idea of an e-bomb for decades, and many believe it now has such a weapon in its arsenal. On the other end of the scale, terrorist groups could be building low-tech e-bombs to inflict massive damage on the United States.”

Without getting into a lot of technical details, that is the overview of a threat which increasingly seems more reality than fantasy. Organizations should take note and begin re-designing their data centers and other mission critical networks to develop a hardened countermeasure for this risk.

EMP WEAPON DISTANCE
Here is an overview of what an EMP bomb can do: The major energy in an EMP is electromagnetic and radiates out from the point of detonation in a sphere. EMP is electromagnetic radiation. The intensity of these fields decreases in proportion to the circumference and distance from explosion. The actual amount of EMP energy deposited per unit-area can be entirely different depending on the size of the bomb and point of destination. Its intensity falls off at a rate of the inverse-square of distance.

Remember there are two types of nuclear attacks – a ground burst and an air burst. In an air burst you would not get the “Mushroom Cloud” that you see on every atomic bomb movie.

An E-Bomb gets exploded above the earth. Its fraction-of-a-second electronic pulse can cripple everything electronic that is not shielded from Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI), including power grids and telecommunications infrastructures.

Having a weapons platform that can deliver this type of bomb high into the atmosphere is all that is needed. A super-accurate missile system with pinpoint guidance is not needed, as long as you are not targeting a very specific area. An EMP just needs to be exploded over a region. The higher it is, the more coverage it has.

IN THE MOVIES
You might have seen different versions of an E-Bomb in various movies over the last decade. From MOVIE MISTAKES on the film Ocean’s Eleven:

“Factual error: The EMP wave generated from "The Pinch" would do more than just black out the city. It would also permanently disable any electronic equipment including cars, mobile phones, TV cameras (like the ones recording the fight), mobile phones, slot machines, computers, in fact any electrical equipment used in the world today, More importantly the entire security system would have been disabled which means that Benedict could not have seen his vault getting robbed from the security room. The only way an electronic device can survive an EMP is if the device is turned off.”

Well, the “mistake” says that “the only way an electronic device can survive an EMP is if the device is turned off.” That is not necessarily true. If the device is properly shielded, it would also be able to survive an EMP blast. So much for the critics. There are other recent movies that refer to the use of EMP bombs and weaponry:

INDEPENDENCE DAY (1996) – had references of vehicles that were not susceptible to EMP weapons, like the M93 FOX.

IN GAMES
Just like in some movies where they are featured as a weapon that fizzles everything electronic, the idea of using EMPs is proliferating into popular combat games. There are several games that feature EMP technology and weaponry for defeating the enemy within virtual combat:

Like so many other new technology-based weapons, movies and science fiction, as well as combat games have romanticized EMP’s. But, what would happen if they were used for real?

CBS’s JERICHO is the latest media to ignite EMP interest. Blogs have sprung up discussing the story plot as well as the accuracy of the technical details. The critics range from Gamers and Ham radio operators to real authorities voicing criticisms that range from bad plots to lack of reality on certain equipment and events.

“Now, I thought that the internet was built around an older US military intranet, designed specifically to survive a nuclear attack. I mean there is so much redundancy built into the phone network that destruction of a number of main cities wouldn't completely disable this system.

They have electricity coming from somewhere, so power to drive their pc's/laptops… communications should have been far more resilient.”

Resilient? Not with tons of unshielded, twisted pair as the last mile. And what do you make of this comment on the same blog?:

“If you look at the targets Boulder, Wichita, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Chicago, Seattle, etc., these aren't military targets and they are not major population centers. They are something in between.”

“The whole EMP issue is tackled in tonight’s episode. I don't know how you get an EMP from a bomb 2 weeks later.”

The short answer to that: You don’t. It’s immediate. So much for technical accuracy on Jericho.

IN REALITY
The latest concern surrounding EMP’s is that a rogue nation like North Korea or Iran could explode a bomb above the United States and send us back into pre-electronic times. With the recent nuclear tests that have happened in North Korea, it does not sound like a movie or TV episode that “could never happen in real life.” In one blog:

“U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says his main concern following North Korea’s claim that it tested a nuclear explosive is that it could provide nuclear technology to other countries, and to terrorist groups.

Secretary Rumsfeld says North Korea’s claim has raised concern around the world, and that his particular concern about the nuclear programs there and in Iran is the potential for proliferation.

“Their programs point to increasing risks of lethal weapons possibly ending up in the hands of non-state entities, folks that, unlike a nation, tend not to be deterred the way a nation-state would because they don’t have to worry about protecting real estate, population and leadership,” he said. Secretary Rumsfeld says North Korea and Iran have already shown their willingness to sell weapons both to other countries and to terrorist groups. He also expressed concern that North Korea’s test could inspire moves by other countries in Asia to develop their own nuclear weapons capabilities.

Misinformation about E-Bombs should be cleared up. After seeing 9/11 happen, the range of security scenarios that this country was prepared to deal with was definitely not complete.

All the “defense experts” went back to the drawing board to intellectualize and debate “How could this have ever happened?” Well it did and they definitely did not have it covered in their strategic play book.”

“Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, chairman of the House Projection Forces Subcommittee, says an EMP attack – even by an underfunded, unsophisticated terrorist group – has the potential to cripple U. S. society and kill millions.

"Today we are very much concerned ... about asymmetric weapons," Bartlett told his colleagues. "We are a big, powerful country. Nobody can contend with us shoulder-to-shoulder, face-to-face. So all of our potential adversaries are looking for what we refer to as asymmetric weapons. That is a weapon that overcomes our superior capabilities. There is no asymmetric weapon that has anywhere near the potential of EMP."

Bartlett added: "Potential adversaries are aware of the EMP's strategic attack option. Ninety-nine percent of Americans may not know very much about EMP, but I will assure you ... that 100 percent of our potential enemies know all about EMP. I think that the American people need to know about EMP because they need to demand that their government do the prudent thing so that we will be less and less susceptible, less and less at risk to an EMP attack year by year. The threat is not adequately addressed in U. S. national and homeland security programs. Not only is it not adequately addressed; it is usually ignored, not even mentioned, and it certainly needs to be considered."

EMP, he warned, can cause catastrophic damage to the nation by destroying the electric power infrastructure, causing cascading failures in the infrastructure for everything: telecommunications, energy, transportation, finance, food, and water.”

Judging by this serious warning, it seems that all businesses should have EMP’s on their risk management radar screen. Yet, the truth is that most risk managers are probably not up to speed in this area and would probably not even see it coming.

In another recent article entitled “U.S. Seen Vulnerable to Space 'Pulse' Attack,’” by Bill Gertz Frank J. Gaffney Jr, of the Center for Security Policy, former Pentagon offical, and author warns: "this is the single most serious national-security challenge and certainly the least known.” His book explains that “an electromagnetic-pulse (EMP) attack uses X-rays and gamma rays produced in a nuclear blast in three separate waves of pulses, each with more damaging effects, and would take months or years to repair… The damage to unshielded electronics would be irreversible.”

To some people, this is just another fear designed to generate expenditures in defense budgets or in corporate risk management areas. To others, it is a realistic issue that must be considered a threat to business continuity and network infrastructures just like the risk of a hurricane or a conventional power-grid outage.

Maybe a new generation of electronic devices should be developed which have an “EMP Proof” seal of approval or maybe there is another solution. At the least, though, the serious risk EMP’s pose to our current electronic world should be taken seriously.

James Carlini will be the keynote speaker at the Justice: Media, Wireless & You symposium Nov. 30 in Milwaukee. Details can be found here.

Dallas, TX - With the launch of the Cabling Business Magazine Web site in September, 2006, responses have come in from all over the world. "We just got hits from Greenland!" says circulation director, Cindy Webb. Other countries include Egypt, India, China, Japan, France, the Netherlands and Russia. "We are so pleased to finally be able to introduce our magazine to a global audience," stated magazine publisher Steve Paulov.

For more information about the magazine and to view the Web site go to www.cablingbusiness.com.

Anixter International Inc., a distributor of wire, cable and communication parts, said Tuesday its third-quarter profit more than tripled, thanks to a sizable tax refund.

Net income climbed to $76.2 million, or $1.76 per share, from $25.1 million, or 62 cents per share, last year. Earnings include a $22.8 million, or 53-cent per share gain related to a tax refund.

Quarterly revenue was $1.33 billion, up 32 percent from $1.01 billion last year.

Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected the company to post, on average, earnings of $1.03 per share on $1.25 billion in sales.

Looking forward, the company said it expects fourth-quarter results to be negatively affected by holidays and customer facility shutdowns for the holidays. Anixter expects a "modest" fourth-quarter sales drop sequentially from the third quarter, but sees sales improving on a year-over-year basis.

For 2007, the company expects sales to grow 8 percent to 12 percent. Analysts expect the company to report $5.23 billion in 2007 sales.

Shares of Anixter were trading at $57.20 in the premarket session, up 88 cents, or 1.6 percent, from Monday's closing price of $56.32 on the New York Stock Exchange. www.anixter.com

We are pleased to announce that new "Research Papers" are now online and searchable. CABA continues to provide timely research and information on integrated systems and home/building automation. To that end, three (3) Research Papers have recently been placed in the CABA Research Library at:

ER 2006-03: North American ConnectivityWeek 2006 This event report is a comprehensive account of session presentations from

2006 North American Connectivity Week held in Palm Springs, California from May 16 to 18. The 2006 North American Connectivity Week collected the industry events: BuilConn, M2M Expo and Conference, GridWise Expo and a Wireless Forum into a single venue.

IS-2006-73: Trends in Consumer Technology: Defining and Sizing the Market This white paper by Parks Associates provides a snapshot of the digital lifestyle landscape.

This white paper by Parks Associates examines changing mobile TV standards in Europe.

Does your organization have a research study or white paper, which should be posted in the CABA Research Library? If the answer is yes...or you know of a paper that CABA should pursue, please contact CABA at: caba@caba.org or 888.798.CABA (2222). For each research paper, document or white paper that are placed on the CABA Research Library, you will earn $50 CABA Bucks. These CABA Bucks can be used to offset your membership, registration fees, or purchase other CABA goods/services.

Check the Research Library as 25 new research papers were recently added, when CABA and the IHA merged to create the Internet Home Alliance Research Council.

Effective October 30, 2006, the offices of the Continental Automated Buildings Association will move to:

Electec's objective with The Next Generation in Wiring Systems™ is to deliver the safest, most reliable and most cost-effective manufactured wiring solutions the industry has to offer. These initial tests at Underwriters Laboratories demonstrate this commitment and Electec's continued dedication to innovate and develop leading edge solutions.

Electec's EZ-Cabling system surpasses the requirements of UL Standard 2043, 2nd Edition “Fire Test for Heat and Visible Smoke Release for Discrete Products and Their Accessories Installed in Air-Handling Spaces”.

EZ-Cabling is acceptable for use in environmental air handling spaces other than ducts or plenums in accordance with NEC 300.22(c).

Burn tests were conducted in December 2005 at Underwriters Laboratories; the test results are shown below. EZ-Cabling greatly exceeds the requirements set out in the standard.

Test Sample	Peak Heat Release Rate (kW)	Peak Normalized Optical Density	Average Normalized Optical Density
A-1	10	0.26	0.02
A-2	8	0.25	0.02
UL 2043 Requirements	‹100	‹0.50	‹0.15

EZ-Cabling is manufactured with non-combustible steel armour and UL approved, low-smoke, non-halogen, flame retardant components. Click here for more information.

TED Magazine Requests Distributor, Supplier Entries For Best Of The Best Marketing Awards Competition

The National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) invites electrical distributors, electrical suppliers and marketing groups to participate in TED Magazine’s 2006 Best of the Best Awards Competition. The deadline for entries is February 2, 2007.

Each year, TED Magazine’s Best of the Best Awards recognize the finest marketing practices in the electrical industry. This year’s competition will feature entries from marketing programs fielded in 2006.

The awards will be announced live in front of the top leaders in the industry during NAED’s Annual Meeting, May 5-9, 2007, in Washington, D.C. A special Best of the Best luncheon will be held on May 8.

Best of the Best Overall Distributor and Supplier winners will receive video coverage of their campaigns during the awards luncheon.

Best of the Best Overall Distributor and Supplier winners will have the opportunity to serve on a panel and present their campaigns to peers during the 2007 AdVenture NAED Sales & Marketing Conference, August 2007, Chicago.

All winning entries will be on display during the 2007 AdVenture NAED Sales & Marketing Conference and be used to spur discussion between industry marketing professionals.

All winning entries will be published in TED Magazine’s June 2007 issue. Winners will also be highlighted by category each month thereafter.

Print Advertising
Direct Marketing
Integrated Marketing Campaign
Selling Tools
Web Promotion
Publications
Merchandising
Public Relations
Events
Product Launch

In addition, top awards will also be presented for “Best of the Best Overall” Distributor and “Best of the Best Overall” Manufacturer, based on all entries.

Additional information and entry forms for the Best of the Best are available on TED Magazine’s Web site at www.tedmag.com. A $100 fee applies to each entry/board.

For more information, contact Sheila Logan, advertising/executive manager of TED Magazine, at (888) 791-2512 or slogan@naed.org. www.naed.org

Multisuns Corp, a leading manufacturer and provider of voice logging solutions announced that it will be promoting their full product line at GITEX in Dubai , November 18-22, 2006 . The Multisuns product line focuses on voice logging, teleconferencing and call processing solutions. During the show Multisuns will also display new and upcoming technologies.

During GITEX Multisuns will focus attention on the EasyLog Web+ and the Professional Digital Communication Recording System (DCRS). The EasyLog Web+ and the DCRS are both voice loggers with diverse features and functions.

Multisuns EasyLog Web+ is a complete logging solution that is economical and easy to use. EasyLog Web+ is a top selling product for small and medium office looking for a robust plug & play system.

The DCRS is a professional voice logging solution that is built to handle hundreds of channels and is an essential part of a call centers integration. Multisuns integration to a call center is accomplished using an OAPI, Open Application Programming Interface. The OAPI facilitates the needs of customers that depend on real time sensitive information.

"During GITEX we will focus our attention on our top selling voice loggers," says Bruce Sun, CEO. "To meet the demands of the international market we will showcase the features and functions that have made our voice loggers the top brand in the Asian market."

Multisuns showcase will be at booth E8-34 in Hall 8 of the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. www.multisuns.com.tw

Belden To Outsource Some Work In Netherlands Plant, Take Charges, Add Tax Benefit

Belden CDT Inc., a maker of cable and wire products, said Wednesday it will outsource the manufacturing of braided core for coaxial cable from its plant in Venlo, Netherlands.

The company said the move will reduce space used in the Netherlands plant to 135,000 square feet from 500,000 square feet and will result in a severance charge of $4 million in the third quarter.

Additionally, in the fourth quarter or in 2007, Belden expects to take non-cash asset impairment charges between $2 million and $4 million related to the action.

Separately, the company will take a non-cash impairment charge of about $2.5 million in the third quarter for data cable manufacturing equipment in its Budapest, Hungary plant. The charge is related to a plan to raise some prices in order to improve product margins, which has lowered product demand in some cases.

Belden expects savings of about $2 million from the restructuring actions beginning in 2007.

The company also said it expects an income tax benefit of 9 cents per share in the third quarter, related to resolving some prior period tax contingencies.

Including the charges and benefits, Belden expects third-quarter earnings at the high end or above previous guidance between 43 cents and 48 cents.

The company added it expects more restructuring costs in Europe in the future. www.belden.com

The Leviton Manufacturing Company, North America’s largest producer of electrical and electronic wiring devices and manufacturer of voice and data solutions, today announced its acquisition of Fiber Connect Incorporated, a Chicago-based provider of Data Center fiber optic solutions.

"With this acquisition, our second fiber optic-related acquisition in less than 24 months, our Voice and Data division broadens its suite of Data Center products," stated Daryoush Larizadeh, Leviton’s Senior Vice President. "This suite now includes quick-turn, custom, high-performance fiber solutions, a full range of Category-rated connectivity including 10G, as well as cable management and power solutions," Larizadeh added.

"As Fiber Connect reaches its tenth year in business, we are proud to join Leviton," stated Ron Berrettini, President and founder of Fiber Connect. "We can now better serve our clients with Leviton’s global manufacturing and logistics capabilities, as well as reach a new set of customers in cooperation with Leviton’s sales force. As technology infrastructure evolves, and increases in importance, we will become a global integration organization."

"Data Center infrastructure spending is growing rapidly and increasing in complexity," added Don Hendler, President of Leviton. "We have worked with Fiber Connect over the past few years and we look forward to bringing the benefits of a broad, high-performance solution to Leviton’s customers worldwide."

With this acquisition, Leviton extends its leading-edge fiber solutions to a wider audience of distributors, contractors and end-users, with faster delivery, superior design and increased technical support for Plug-n-Play Fiber and Data Center applications. The complete Leviton fiber product line includes extensive pre-terminated and field-terminated fiber solutions, a broad selection of standard and made to order fiber optic cable assemblies (trunks), enclosures, cable management and overhead raceways.

Fiber Connect is a wholly owned subsidiary and reports into Leviton’s Voice and Data Division, which is led by Ross Goldman, Vice President and General Manager.

About Fiber Connect
A data center infrastructure firm, Fiber Connect provides solutions for the most advanced data centers in Fortune 1000 companies. Fiber Connect develops and manufactures fiber optic infrastructure solutions, and provides design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of data centers. Fiber Connect's headquarters is located in St. Charles IL, just outside of Chicago. www.fiber-connect.com

About Leviton
Established in 1906, Leviton Manufacturing Company, Inc. is one of the world’s most diversified electrical manufacturing companies. Leviton has more than thirty facilities dedicated to engineering, manufacturing and distribution of over 25,000 products for nearly every connectivity need. Leviton’s Voice & Data division is dedicated to producing complete copper, fiber and wireless network infrastructure solutions for enterprise, data center, and service provider applications. www.levitonvoicedata.com

Preformed Line Products Announces Financial Results For The Third Quarter And First Nine Months of 2006

Preformed Line Products Company (Nasdaq: PLPC - News) today reported financial results for the third quarter and the first nine months of 2006.

Net income for the quarter ended September 30, 2006 was $3,999,000, or $.70 per diluted share, compared to $4,179,000, or $.72 per diluted share, for the comparable period in 2005. Net sales in the third quarter 2006 were $56,439,000, a 1% increase from last year's $55,614,000.

Net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2006 was $10,028,000, or $1.75 per diluted share, compared to the prior year's $11,103,000, or $1.92 per diluted share. Net sales increased 4% over 2005, to $165,172,000 for the first nine months of 2006 compared to $159,078,000 in 2005.

Rob Ruhlman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, "Our sales increase continues to be driven by our strong international operations. Foreign currency had a favorable impact on sales of $.6 million for the quarter and $1.9 million for the first nine months. Domestic sales were lower in the third quarter than the previous year, primarily because last year included $3 million of hurricane related sales. Our year to date domestic sales have also been negatively affected by decreased spending on the construction and maintenance of copper communications networks by the telcos. Our margins are being negatively impacted by the higher cost of raw material and rising energy costs. However we are beginning to see the positive effect of price increases implemented at the beginning of the quarter. The increase in our costs and expenses reflect our continuing investment in our people, particularly in the research and technology side of the business."

Founded in 1947, Preformed Line Products is an international designer and manufacturer of products and systems employed in the construction and maintenance of overhead and underground networks for energy, communications and broadband network companies.

Preformed's world headquarters are in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Company operates three domestic manufacturing centers located in Rogers, Arkansas, Albemarle, North Carolina, and Asheville, North Carolina. The Company serves its worldwide market through international operations in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, England, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain and Thailand.

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 regarding the Company, including those statements regarding the Company's and management's beliefs and expectations concerning the Company's future performance or anticipated financial results, among others. Except for historical information, the matters discussed in this release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties which may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in those statements. Among other things, factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements include the strength of the economy and demand for the Company's products, increases in raw material prices, the Company's ability to identify, complete and integrate acquisitions for profitable growth, and other factors described under the heading "Forward-Looking Statements" in the Company's Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 15, 2006. The Form 10-K and the Company's other filings with the SEC can be found on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking statements that become untrue because of subsequent events. www.preformed.com

There are many pitfalls for the contractor. They need self-defense. Costs can sneak up and wipe out the profit from a project. Some of the surprises cannot be prevented, but most of the nasty developments can be avoided. Planning is crucial, and the agreement for the project should be well defined, with some clauses to address the unforeseen and unexpected expenses.

Attacks upon the contractor can come from many directions. Even the weather can pose a serious threat to even the best-laid plans. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, we have seen resources choked and costs skyrocketed.

The other day, I overheard a contractor filling his truck at the gas station. The clerk inquired if he was going to fill up the tank and the contractor replied, "Nope, I've only got a hundred bucks on me." Gas prices soared so quickly that many contractors ended up paying the extra costs to do the jobs out of their own pockets. There are many other horrific examples of unexpected cost increases spiraling upward after the job has been negotiated and the deal signed. Medical and liability insurance can rocket up with very little advance notice. Contracts that must be performed over lengthy periods are very likely targets for these "bear traps,”

In the electrical and communications industry, there are some counterfeit products. Some are even labeled and packaged to look identical to the “real deal.” While the products in the electrical side are less prone to this problem, the communications cabling industry has had so many new products come on the scene that almost no one can keep up.

“For my money, going it alone is not an option," says Michael Shannahan, vice president of Communication Planning Corp. "The pace of technology in the communications network industry is moving so quickly that we would need a purchasing agent dedicated to only new products and improvements. Now, add the need for product testing and quality control, and bingo - now you need another dozen, or so, full time employees. Also, don’t forget the billion-dollar-testing organization," he added. "The problems are more than just evaluating the product on a stand-alone basis, now you have to put it to work in a real network to calculate actual performance with other components. To do that type of testing, you will require some real high-dollar techs. Throw that in your budget."

Fortunately, there are powerful self-defense resources available that provide real solutions to the quality control challenge. We have researched the communications industry and found a set of solutions. By now, you should have gotten part of the message about why self-defense and a strong distributor is a "no-brainer" for the contractor. Let's add a few other self-defense bonus points to the distributor value. Face it; the distributor is the communications cabling and connector market’s largest buyer. For the manufacturers, maintaining the best working relationship possible with a distributor is an absolute must. The distributor is where products converge and network systems are created. We don’t buy parts anymore. We buy systems. The systems must be integrated and maximized.

Arthur Padgett, an independent communications consultant and 30-year veteran of the industry said, "Today the process of developing a design and evaluating alternatives for the cabling network infrastructure is more challenging than ever before. Functionality, performance, life-cycle term, and budget are thrown into the mix along with the entire technical specification. In the world of communications infrastructure, using a self-defense mind set and a distributor is a priority for the contractor. However, we still see many contractors failing to use or capture the values available from the distributor."

The time to find out about glitches or mismatches is not "after the fact.” The communications infrastructure was once a formula of 80 percent labor and 20 percent materials. Today that formula has evolved to approximately 52 percent labor and 48 percent materials. Once the installation has been performed, a change-out to correct performance problems could cost the contractor the entire labor investment. That scenario is a death sentence for the contractors' profitability. If you think lawyers are the solution for that type of problem, you have a lot to learn.

Everybody knows that the customer will wait until tomorrow to order the network that they want yesterday. Timetables and availability on the labor side is somewhat controllable by the contractor. Cables, connectors, and other required materials, are a challenge of inventory and usually outside of the control of the contractor. Maintaining large inventories to service their customers is not a good business practice for the cabling contractor. We have all seen inventory building up in the contractor's warehouse and that sometimes adds up to a small fortune. Much of the contractor’s inventory that is not installed immediately usually ends up as junk. Out of date, obsolete, or incomplete materials mean wasted dollars. As an option, the contractor should utilize the distributor to control inventory for their customers.

Having all of the materials for the communications network is only part of the solution. We must have the peripherals. We need labeling and record systems. We need testers and analyzers. We need to stay abreast of technology, codes, and standards. We also need to be able to predict the future. Building barriers to obsolescence requires a vision for the future. Planning for the future challenges while delivering today's solutions is imperative. Anything less is usually unacceptable. If you are a contractor, you do not want to go it alone.

Another terrible pitfall for the contractor is the tester screen that proclaims, “FAIL” on the installed cabling. Face it, some products have been made so close to the minimum limits of the industry standards that if they go a little “minus,” then the connected system will come up as failing. When this happens on a small or large job, the results are the same. Profit walks right out the door.

Good self-defense advice: Make sure your mindset is prepared for the unexpected. There are more than hurricanes out there.

Frank Bisbee is the Editor for "Heard On The Street," his monthly column found at www.wireville.com. For more information, contact Frank at 904-645-9077 or via E-mail at frank@wireville.com.

At the 37th International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) International Convention in Cleveland, the Washington, D.C.-based organization stated that alternative energy may be the union's best chance for job growth. This statement comes after years of focusing its membership on the manufacturing and construction industries. According to the union, construction and upkeep of wind turbines, solar panels, and hydrogen fuel cells will drive new jobs, although currently the alternative-energy industry provides only a small portion of work for unionized electricians. www.ibew.org

I need your help to improve our industry. Even though the general business climate has been good, some companies in the electrical distribution and the manufacturing

businesses continue to do things that make me wonder if they’re playing with full decks.

In this free enterprise economy, every company has the right—the obligation—to run their businesses however they think is best for them. At first blush, one might think that when other companies run their businesses poorly, it’s simply their problem. Looking at the big picture, however, shows that this is a problem for everyone.

To succeed against the intense competition facing the electrical distribution channel, all distributors must provide the type of products and services that their customers want and need, because we all benefit when companies in our industry produce good products and provide good service. We need companies to deliver on promises, help customers, hire qualified people, support employees with education, encourage efficiencies, and support the industry.

I’ll bet most distributors can point to one or two companies in their market that would be better with the experience and education that NAED can provide.

That said, I need your help identifying potential NAED members so we can contact them about joining. The information, education, products, and networking that these companies will be exposed to if they become members of NAED will improve their business abilities. And not only will NAED membership greatly help these companies, but it will also benefit the rest of us by making our channel that much stronger

Some of these potential members are small, some are large, and some are niche players. But there is no size or niche that cannot benefit from NAED affiliation. Some belong to one of our many buying/marketing groups—but not to NAED. I am a firm believer in our industry buying groups. These groups have helped smaller independents increase their bottom line and compete more effectively with the ever-growing list of mega distributors.

And buying groups do what they do well. But what NAED does is not and cannot be done by buying groups. NAED is concerned about and dedicated to the health of every electrical distributor—individually as well as the entire industry as a whole. By their nature, buying groups are concerned only about the distributors and manufacturers who belong to their organization.

Check out this list of recent initiatives to help our individual companies prosper:

• Supply Chain Scorecards to help each of us evaluate our respective trading partners

• POS/POT information to give manufacturers accurate sales information that they can use in compensating their reps and getting their sales assistance

• NAED Learning Center to make tracking available for proprietary industry education, standard skills training, and manufacturer product training over the

• Industry Data Warehouse for inexpensive EDI and to secure a central repository for manufacturers to communicate with their distributors, including net prices

• Keeping in constant contact with NEMRA, NEMA, and NAW to coordinate industry initiatives and eliminate waste and duplication

No company is too big or too small to take advantage of the numerous benefits and services NAED has to offer. And because we represent the total electrical distributor channel, our members can work to develop strategies, training, and programs to help them succeed at all levels in today’s challenging, ever-changing business climate.

Please take a moment to help our industry by providing the names of companies and individuals that may be contacted for NAED membership. Send your suggestions to Anita Bauer, NAED senior director of membership services, at abauer@naed.org, or to Bill Elliott, this year’s membership chairman, at billelliott@elliottelectric.com. In the end, it’s in your best interest!

Duda is chairman of NAED and CEO/chairman of Butler Supply in Fenton, Mo. Reach him at 636-349-9000 or duda@butlersupply.com.

NEMA Calls For Commitment To Restrict Hazardous Substances In Electrical Products