Industrial Boxes. We saw a lot of these products showcased by various vendors. The boxes can be used in indoor or outdoor environments, depending on the NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) rating and what the equipment in the box can be protected against (falling dirt, water, rain, snow, sleet, corrosive materials, etc.). Great Lakes Case & Cabinet’s SEAL enclosures showcased at the conference can be integrated with multiple mechanical options or intelligent access. In fact, we shared a booth with DIRAK, who produces a NEMA-rated handle that was integrated with our SEAL enclosures and showcased together at the conference.
Fiber cabling and accessories. While fiber has been around for many years, it has become increasingly popular and more widespread because the cost of fiber installation and equipment has become more affordable. As trends like fiber become more and more popular, it’s important for both BICSI and companies marketing these products adapt to reflect that change. Great Lakes Case & Cabinet is committed to remaining ahead of the curve, taking new products trends and requirements into consideration so that our enclosures and cable management products can properly address the needs of fiber infrastructure.
Power Over Ethernet (PoE).Also a prominent trend seen at BICSI, PoE is the standard for sending data and power over Ethernet cable to low wattage devices such as network cameras, wireless access points, VoIP phones, etc. PoE gives you the ability to power devices in remote, hard to reach, and non-powered locations, with many of these locations being industrial/manufacturing environments (often used with NEMA boxes), as well as the data center environment. This trend is so important because entire systems can move to a PoE system to increase operational efficiency. Requiring increased cable infrastructure throughout the data center and the entire building, PoE has prompted Great Lakes Case & Cabinet to consider how enclosures inside a data center will be best managed, especially because PoE throughout the building will increase demand for metal enclosures such as wall mounts or floor/ceiling mounted enclosures to house PoE infrastructure in various locations.
Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM).A high-level priority of data center managers right now is to increase energy efficiency and reduce operating costs. As a result, DCIM tools are used to monitor and manage data center utilization and energy consumption of IT equipment and facility infrastructure components. Implementation of DCIM requires intelligent PDUs installed in the enclosure, environmental monitoring sensors that are normally installed on front and rear enclosure doors, as well as rack mount hardware to support the infrastructure. At Great Lakes Case & Cabinet, we make this process easy with the option to integrate sensors, PDUs, etc. into the enclosure prior to shipping.
Determined to be at the cutting edge of the industry, we’re always learning, evolving, and adapting to ensure we’re providing our customers next-level equipment and customer service so they’re able to serve their customers as efficiently and effectively as possible. Stay tuned for more info as we continue to learn and bring you trends from the industry and beyond. Missed us at BICSI? Catch us at our next event, the Electro Expo in Cleveland, OH on March 7-8.
Great Lakes Case & Cabinet (GLCC) is a USA based (COO-USA), woman owned (WBENC), ISO 9001:2008 registered metal manufacturer. Great Lakes provides customers with innovative engineered solutions for Security, Data Center, Network Communications, Information Technologies (IT) , Electrical, HVAC, and Industrial (NEMA) requirements.
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