From the May, 2012 Issue of Cabling Installation & Maintenance Magazine
As the articles that make up this issue of our magazine were coming together, it dawned on me that the issue would include quite a few pieces of information that may be brand new to you. Please consider my column this month to be a roadmap to what you’ll be able to read in our pages this month. And please do not consider it an adequate “Cliffs Notes” version of the issue. I’m just going to hit the high points here. The detailed information that will best help you with your day-to-day responsibilities is a bit more in-depth than the following sound bytes.
With that in mind, did you know any or all of the following?
1) The much-anticipated first revision of the TIA’s data center infrastructure standard, TIA-942-A, has been approved for publication. It includes a number of changes from the original standard, including several legacy cabling types (including Category 5e, Om1 and Om2 fiber) no longer being recognized as media for use in data center networks.
2) Some cabling contractors have turned the often-dreaded task of system labeling into not just an artform, but also a revenue stream. Not surprisingly, the story about Quintron Systems in this issue comes from the maker of the labeling equipment that Quintron uses on the job. Still, the tale of business ingenuity, coupled with the information we gave you last month about the new TIA-606-B standard, might inspire some to look more closely at the opportunities (not just the obligations) that come with cabling-system labeling.
3) The United Kingdom is the most surveyed (as in “surveillance”) country in Europe, but only one crime is solved for every 1,000 installed cameras in that country. The apparent reason is the low image quality of so much of the installed base of surveillance systems. The article from market-research consultancy BSRIA cites that eye-opening stat as one driver of the demand for technological improvement in surveillance systems.
4) Some commercial audio/video installers have been using their clout to persuade equipment manufacturers to incorporate technology that enables high-definition video distribution over Category 5e and Category 6 cabling systems. The group known as the HDBase-T Alliance is pushing the technology, which it stresses is not just a concept, but rather is proven. The group also has established its own version of Power over Ethernet.
There’s more in this issue, but I thought these tidbits might whet your appetite. Thanks for reading.
PATRICK McLAUGHLIN
Chief Editor
[email protected]
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