Data Centre & Network News – April 2019

INSIDE

ISSUE 7 | APRIL 2019

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED VISITING EI LIVE! SHOW?

CENTRE OF ATTENTION HOLDING THE TORCH FOR CLOUD ADOPTION

AI GONE AWRY THE EU’S NEW COPYRIGHT DIRECTIVE

MEET ME ROOM DCNN TALKS TO JASON WELLS OF CRADLEPOINT

CONTENTS

IN THIS ISSU REGULARS 4 EDITORIAL

Have you considered visiting EI Live! show?

6 INDUSTRY NEWS

From keeping your data safe with smart meters to understanding the benefits of 5G on manufacturing and industrial automation

12 CENTRE OF ATTENTION

Jackson Lee of Colt DCS discusses whether the 2020 Olympics could be a catalyst for cloud adoption in Japan

18 AI GONE AWRY

This month, instead of looking at how AI has gone awry, DCNN is getting to grips with Article 13 and how the EU’s copyright directive will change the web as we know it

44 PROJECTS & AGREEMENTS

Could this multi-year agreement transform automotive manufacturing?

48 COMPANY SHOWCASE

Schneider Electric expands its DCIM solution with EcoStruxure IT Advisor

16 MEET ME ROOM

From major issues dominating the industry to superhuman powers, DCNN talks to Jason Wells of Cradlepoint

36 2 | October 2018

SPECIAL FEATU 36 SMART CITIES

Neil Cresswell of Virtus Data Centres explains why it is crucial for smart city applications to have robust infrastructures and data centres that are equipped to handle the rigorous demands that today’s technology places on them

APRIL 2019

UE… FEATURES 22 OPINION

Jay Tourigny at Microcare explains why, as the demand for greater connectivity continues to surge, it’s imperative to understand how fibre cleaning is a critical factor to a network’s performance

CONTENTS

30

26 OPINION

Sarfraz Ali of Smartsheet explores the underlying needs of today’s organisations to ‘codify knowledge’ and the benefits it can bring

30 CASE STUDY

DCNN takes a look at how telecom contractor ICEE Managed Services is helping WightFibre compete in the global broadband league

URES: 40 AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

Could the UK, if the Brexit roadblock is removed, maintain a pole position in the £62 billion self-driving car race? DCNN explores the new report by SMMT and Frost & Sullivan

26 40

february 2019 | 3

EDITOR’S NOTE

EDITOR Jessica Foreman JESSICA@ALLTHINGSMEDIALTD.COM

SALES DIRECTOR Ian Kitchener – 01634 673163 IAN@ALLTHINGSMEDIALTD.COM

STUDIO MANAGER Ben Bristow – 01634 673163 BEN@ALLTHINGSMEDIALTD.COM

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Jordan O’Brien – 01634 673163 JORDAN@ALLTHINGSMEDIALTD.COM

DESIGNER Jon Appleton JON@ALLTHINGSMEDIALTD.COM

BUSINESS SUPPORT ADMINISTRATOR Carol Gylby – 01634 673163 CAROL@ALLTHINGSMEDIALTD.COM

MANAGING DIRECTOR David Kitchener – 01634 673163 DAVID@ALLTHINGSMEDIALTD.COM

ACCOUNTS 01634 673163 SUSAN@ALLTHINGSMEDIALTD.COM

Suite 14, 6-8 Revenge Road, Lordswood, Kent ME5 8UD T: +44 (0)1634 673163 F: +44 (0)1634 673173 The editor and publishers do not necessarily agree with the views expressed by contributors, nor do they accept responsibility for any errors in the transmission of the subject matter in this publication. In all matters the editor’s decision is final. Editorial contributions to Data Centre & Network News are welcomed, and the editor reserves the right to alter or abridge text prior to publication.

4 | October 2018

October 2018 | 4

© Copyright 2019. All rights reserved.

COPY CRO

W

elcome to the April issue of DCNN. Last month, in recognition of the World Wide Web (WWW) turning 30, our in-house tech expert Jordan O’Brien curated a 16-page timeline exploring the key events that have enabled you to become an avid reader of this digital magazine. This month, however, it appears the EU’s digital future is very much hanging in the balance and it’s all thanks to big changes coming to online copyright law.

The new copyright law, including the controversial Article 13 which has been dubbed ‘the meme ban’, will hold tech firms responsible for material posted without copyright permission. This, of course, will mean being inundated with upload filters and your content having to be screened before being able to share it.

EDITOR’S NOTE

YRIGHT OSSFIRE Though such filters already exist, with the most preeminent being YouTube’s Content ID, they are largely unpopular and being rolled out on such scale – from music forums to niche social networks – there is no guarantee that filters will be able to distinguish between copyrighted materials and material that could be regarded as ‘parodies’.

In this issue DCNN explores the EU directive and the likelihood of memes being caught in copyright crossfire.

With the feature focus this month being about all things smart, from smart cities to autonomous vehicles, it seems apt to mention that our sister publication Essential Install is also the organiser of the upcoming tradeshow EI Live! – held at Farnborough Exhibition Centre on April 30 – May 1.

Now in its ninth year, the expanded show format covers home automation, entertainment and AV systems, as well as commercial building automation and an array

of smart products from the world of electrical contracting.

With recent research from GfK Global showing that the UK is the fastest-growing smart home market in Europe – estimated to be worth £900 million – the importance of smart technology, whether that be running a smart city or smart home, is unapparelled.

If you have an interest in exploring what the show has to offer, want to learn and meet with industry experts, or just fancy marvelling at some tech that will take the automation and AV industry by storm, I recommend you pay a visit. Registration is free, and you can find out more about the show at eiliveshow.com or follow @eiliveshow on Twitter for all show updates and news.

If you wish to contribute to May’s issue of DCNN our special feature is cloud computing and storage, we are also looking for thought-provoking opinion pieces and case studies. Please email: Jessica@allthingsmedialtd.com.

April 2019 | 5

INDUSTRY NEWS

SIFI NETWORKS TO BUILD USA’S LARGEST PRIVATELY FUNDED OPEN ACCESS FIBERCITY International fibre optic network developer SiFi Networks (SiFi) has announced that it will deliver what it claims to be the USA’s largest privately funded open access FiberCity in Fullerton, California.

The company said Fullerton will become the biggest network of its kind in America and will be funded by the Smart City Infrastructure Fund, a global investment fund managed by Whitehelm Capital and backed by APG, a pension delivery organisation in the Netherlands.

The network developer hopes to deliver more networks throughout the USA in the same manner with Fullerton being the first in line to benefit from becoming a FiberCity.

14 | April 2019

“We are excited to deliver our first FiberCity in the USA, an investment that sets the standard for fibre optic infrastructure as a core utility. We believe that our business model can transform the telecoms market in the USA. Privately funded, open access networks will not only benefit residents and businesses, but also provide citywide platforms for Smart City applications including 5G and more,” commented Ben BawtreeJobson, CEO of SiFi Networks.

The network promises to deliver a significant upgrade to internet speeds and accommodate the growing demand for data from next generation devices in households and businesses. The network developer confirmed that it will also facilitate new smart city initiatives in key government services such as traffic control, street lighting and emergency services. In addition to this, the company has stated that the network will provide a platform for the future expansion of 4G and 5G cellular networks into the area.

“We are delighted to welcome SiFi Networks and its ISP partners Ting and GigabitNow to the city,” added Fullerton City Manager, Ken Domer. “Having a true fibre optic network passing every part of the city is an amazing opportunity

for smart city applications, bringing competition to the city’s communication needs, and creating enhanced opportunities for economic development.”

SiFi funds, builds and operates the network whilst partnering with internet service providers who bring their marketing and customer service expertise to deliver retail services (internet, TV and voice) to residents and businesses throughout the entire city without demographic segmentation. The internet service providers in Fullerton will be GigabitNow and Ting, which SiFi recognises as exceptional providers with excellent customer service levels and competitive pricing.

Elliot Noss, Ting CEO commented, “Fullerton will be great for our business, and Ting will support a thriving economy and quality of life there. We are pleased to embark on a California footprint, and to see alternative business models emerging in the ongoing fiberisation of America.”

SIFI NETWORKS, SIFINETWORKS.COM

INDUSTRY NEWS

HMS NETWORKS WHITEPAPER EXPLORES THE BENEFITS OF 5G FOR MANUFACTURING AND INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION With the arrival of 5G technology, the manufacturing industry faces its biggest transformation yet. Safer, flexible and more efficient manufacturing systems will be possible thanks to the ultra-low-latency and reliability of wireless 5G connectivity. A whitepaper produced by HMS Networks has explained the benefits of 5G in the factory and detailed its impact on smart manufacturing.

HMS Networks, a provider of solutions for industrial communication and IIoT, has released a new whitepaper which explores the benefits of 5G technology in the factory. The company said its whitepaper provides an overview of 5G’s future-proof potential for connected industries and outlines some of the main building blocks of 5G, which will contribute to enable the fourth industrial revolution.

During the last 30 years, the industry has automated everything which can be automated in the factory using wired technology. With 5G, the remaining parts can be automated and included in industrial real-time flows.

Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing are all about the

integration of logistics, material handling and factory automation. 5G is a key enabler of this integration.

Titled, ‘The benefits of 5G in the factory’, the whitepaper provides an overview of 5G technology as an emerging trend and future standard in the manufacturing and industrial automation industry. It also touches on the challenges and future directions of 5G and how it will affect the factories of the future.

“The industrial world is undergoing its fourth revolution, and the goals are to increase flexibility, increase automation and improve productivity, while also maintaining a high degree of safety and sustainability” said Dr. Jens Jakobsen, Development Manager at HMS Labs.

Dr Jakobsen continued “Using 5G is the perfect solution for enabling smart wireless connectivity in the factory, with key features such as massive machine type communications, real time control of machines, increased human/robot interactions and edge cloud analytics.”

HMS NETWORKS, HMS-NETWORKS.COM

April 2019 | 15

INDUSTRY NEWS

KEEPING YOUR DATA SAFE WITH SMART METERS Industry experts have spoken out against claims that smart meter technology, and customer data held within it, is susceptible to hacking.

Smart meters and their dedicated network for communicating with energy suppliers are in fact leading the way for data security and have been designed with GCHQ and the National Cyber Security Centre.

The biggest infrastructure upgrade of our generation has been at the forefront for data security and protection from the very beginning.

EXPERT COMMENTS Dr Ian Levy, Chief Technical director of National Cyber Security Centre said, “Security lies at the heart of the smart metering system and has been a key consideration at every stage of system development to ensure there are no ‘loopholes’.

“The system operates on a national scale and has been designed as a secure end-to-end system, not just a collection of meters, energy suppliers and other components that have evolved individually.”

16 | April 2019

Robert Cheesewright, Director of Corporate Affairs at Smart Energy GB affirmed, “Your smart meter is one of the most secure pieces of technology in your home.

But compared to things like your mobile phone or your email account, the data it holds is incredibly simple. Even if someone could gain unauthorised access to your smart meter, there’s very little they could actually do with it.

“The technology behind Great Britain’s smart meter rollout is second to none, having been designed by some of the world’s top cyber security experts. Consumers can rest assured that when it comes to data security, smart meter technology is leading the way.”

Matthew Evans, Exec Director at Tech UK added, “The smart meter system has been designed with security in mind from day one. Industry and Government, including GCHQ, continue to test and improve this system to ensure the maximum level of security for customers’ data.”

Martin Jordan, Chairman, Network Exploitation and Defence Forum (NED Forum) concluded, “Unlike your home computer, tablet or smartphone, smart meters are not

INDUSTRY NEWS

ANNOUNCING THE 2019 BICSI UK & IRELAND ANNUAL CONFERENCE

KEY FACTS FROM THE EXPERTS he smart metering system is a dedicated network for T communication with your energy supplier. The network is safe and secure, having been developed with GCHQ and some of the top minds in the country.

Smart meters do not use the internet and only ever store a household’s meter reading, tariff details and prepay balance. This means that no identifiable data is ever saved on your smart meter.

The secure network is dedicated to transferring very basic data from your smart meter to your energy supplier.

Many households won’t know that consumers own the data on their smart meter and they can decide how they want their energy supplier to process it.

Consumers can save money and energy suppliers are able to offer hints and tips on energy efficiency from analysing energy usage.

connected to the Internet. Instead they communicate over a closed secure private network. This removes the threat posed by hackers and scam artists who actively try and steal your data on a daily basis.

“Unlike your social media account, smart meters do not hold your life history, your personal information or what you had to eat over the weekend. Smart meters simply measure how much energy you are using.”

NATIONAL CYBER SECURITY CENTRE, NCSC.GOV.UK

BICSI, a professional association supporting the information technology systems (ITS) industry, has officially announced the title of its conference this year, ‘Creating the Network Infrastructure Connecting Tomorrows World’.

The conference, held on June 12 at the American Square Conference Centre in the City of London, has been designed to address new technology, approaches, practice and legislation affecting the creation of network infrastructure for datacentres, telecoms, industry and properties.

The BICSI UK & Ireland annual conference promises to deliver more content and accreditation opportunities than ever before; addressing the latest issues, ideas, best practices, technology and legislation for all involved in creating and maintaining IT and network infrastructure.

BICSI said its 2019 conference will not look at the industry retrospectively, but rather plan for the future.

With this approach, BICSI hopes that visitors will obtain greater knowledge and insight into the challenges and developments driving change in IT network infrastructure, as well as being privy to information from industry experts at the forefront of such developments.

DELEGATES WILL RECEIVE 6 CEC’s 1/2 of the RCDD conference attendance requirement CDP accreditation More content Access to thought leaders and industry specialists The latest information on legislation, technology and best practice More networking opportunities More business BICSI, BICSICONFERENCE.ORG.UK

April 2019 | 17

INDUSTRY NEWS

US ALLIES RESIST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S PLEA TO BAN HUAWEI FROM 5G NETWORKS The saga continues between Huawei and the US as European allies defy Donald Trump’s administration plea to ban the Chinese firm from 5G networks.

Despite efforts by the US State Department to convince European allies to ban Huawei from being included in the rollout of 5G technologies, nations including the UK, Italy and Germany have not taken any notice.

Last year the US alleged that Huawei’s networking equipment could be used for espionage by the Chinese government, with industry experts stating that Huawei would have no choice but to hand over network data to the Chinese government if Beijing asked for it.

The tech giant, however, has repeatedly denied these claims with its Chief Legal Officer, Song Liuping describing the US ban as based on “Numerous false, unproven and untested propositions.”

In fact, in its most aggressive move yet, Huawei asked a US federal court to overturn part of the National Defence Authorisation Act – one which would force the US to provide evidence – stating that a ban on its products is “unlawful” and will “harm US consumers.”

EUROPEAN DEFIANCE Last month, in the midst of the US crusade, which turned up the heat on US allies to also ban the Chinese telecommunications firm, Germany’s 5G spectrum auction began.

Instead of banning Huawei outright, German regulators tightened rules on all network vendors. These such vendors were not permitted to bid in

18 | April 2019

the auction but have the opportunity to become key partners in upgrading the network infrastructure.

Further disregarding Washington’s protests, German chancellor Angela Markel said that the country will define its own security standards.

But it’s not just Germany that has resisted the US plea; Italy’s government also said that it will not ban Huawei from its telecommunications industry, reiterating that there is no proof of any security threat.

And in the UK, intelligence officials have said that any risk posed by Huawei can be mitigated. Individual carriers such as the UK-headquartered Vodafone, expressed that a ban on Huawei would cost millions of pounds and slow the rollout of 5G.

WHAT’S AT STAKE WITH 5G? The launch of 5G is dominating tech news, especially since MWC back in February where a myriad of 5G devices were showcased, yet there is still a consumer misconception that 5G is just about making mobile internet faster.

The fifth generation of cellular mobile communications has been described as one of the most important technologies in recent times, it will support other technologies from driverless cars to smart cities – technologies that will, once launched, change the way in which we live day-to-day.

The US, of course, wants to be a leading player – but so does China.

HUAWEI, HUAWEI.COM

INDUSTRY NEWS

AI: THE NEXT TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION According to a new survey conducted by Digital Realty, over one-third of IT decision makers in the UK’s largest financial services companies believe that AI will transform the industry in the next decade, but the same percentage admit that their infrastructure is not prepared for the transformation.

The survey unearthed that AI’s potential to transform hugely outpaces other much-hyped technologies, with leaders naming blockchain (21%), IoT (11%), application programming interface (API) platforms (10%), and robotic process automation (RPA) (10%) falling behind AI in their potential for the industry.

The financial benefits of these new technologies are potentially huge but the ability of IT leaders to prepare their businesses for these new technologies is restrained by budget (40%) and legacy infrastructure (31%). The survey highlighted that across the UK businesses need to invest a total of £11.4 billion to be ready for these

new technologies, but they will need to do this in order to keep up with the challenges – identified by 20% of IT leaders in the industry as their biggest technological challenge.

Digital Realty believes that AI is going to revolutionise every industry, making businesses faster and cheaper to operate, creating new opportunities and adding an additional estimated £10 trillion to global economic activity by 2030.

Processes already seen as the norm in the financial services industry, such as fraud detection and stock trading, are made possible by AI. Financial institutions are increasingly looking to AI to aid customer communication, predictive analytics, trade processing, and intelligent investment solutions.

To seize these opportunities, businesses will need to meet new processing and interconnectivity demands. The challenge is leading them to look to cloud and data centre partners for the purposebuilt infrastructure, rapid low-

cost interconnection, and simple management of these complex data environments that can underpin their AI ambitions.

Digital Realty and IDG research predicted that in the next two years, 48% of large financial services businesses will move their workloads to cloud wherever possible and just 27% expect their workloads to remain on-premise.

Val Walsh, Senior Vice President, Portfolio Management at Digital Realty, commented, “The financial services industry is set to see some astonishing technological growth, and our new research demonstrates that companies in the sector are still underprepared for what’s to come. Technology like AI will greatly benefit the industry, but companies can only experience the full benefits of the technological revolution if their infrastructure is able to support these technologies.”

DIGITAL REALTY, DIGITALREALTY.CO.UK

April 2019 | 19

CENTRE OF ATTENTION: DIGITAL INNOVATION

HOLDING THE TORCH FOR DIGITA INNOVATIO JACKSON LEE, VICE PRESIDENT CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT AT COLT DCS DISCUSSES

WHETHER THE 2020 OLYMPICS COULD BE A CATALYST FOR CLOUD ADOPTION IN JAPAN.

P

laying host to the Olympics is a privilege and an incredible burden of responsibility in equal measure. On the plus side, the games increase valuable tourism which can help boost local economy. It increases the host country’s global trade and stature, and it creates a sense of national pride.

Tokyo is in the process of preparing for the 2020 games and it is facing a multitude of new

12 | April 2019

challenges since the country played host more than 50 years ago in 1964. The biggest change is the reliance on digital technologies, data-driven communications and cloud dependency to ensure the Olympics experience lives up to expectations.

We are likely to see more on-demand video streaming of the games footage, more online searches for news, information and locationmapping, to name a few. All of these require a stable internet connection and fast data transfer that is reliable and able to put up with

CENTRE OF ATTENTION: DIGITAL INNOVATION

H AL ON huge demand. There is certainly an appetite for digital services amongst consumers, but demand for cloud services is also on the rise for enterprise and financial services.

As more consumer and business services migrate to the cloud, demands for data centre capacity and reliable internet exchanges are only set to grow. However, for a country like Japan that is traditionally self-sufficient, turning to external solutions is increasingly becoming an attractive approach.

April 2019 | 13

CENTRE OF ATTENTION: DIGITAL INNOVATION

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, DATA-DRIVEN COMMUNICATIONS AND CLOUD DEPENDENCY WILL ALL PLAY A PART IN ENSURING THE TOKYO OLYMPICS EXPERIENCE LIVES UP TO EXPECTATION

14 | April 2019

THE DEMAND FOR DATA AND CLOUD SERVICES IS ON THE RISE

BUT SUPPLY IS REACHING ITS PEAK

A new wave of digital innovation is reshaping Asia with Japan at the heart of it all. Digital farming, e-commerce, fintech and mobile payment have seen rapid adoption in recent years, thanks to advancement in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and cryptography – all of which, of course, relies heavily on data.

Big data enables companies to innovate more creatively and at a much faster pace.

In turn, organisations are creating high volumes of data traffic on a minute-by-minute basis. More data means greater insights, new revelations and even more exciting innovations. It’s a circular process that is driving new ideas and creations every day.

The type of data services required is changing because of this. The data traffic is less static than a traditional infrastructure.

The conventional cloud model is no longer fit for purpose. Instead, organisations are turning to edge and hyperscale computing to achieve ultra-low latency. These agile data services are also highly scalable for any sudden peaks in demand.

If you look back over the last 20 years, the Japanese economy is mostly flat or declining because of its aged population.

However, we have seen an uplift in recent years as local businesses invest in digital technologies to compete with global players traditionally headquartered in the US and Europe.

International companies are piling more investment into the country to attract local talents who seem to be naturally apt at digital innovations. Cloud companies are also investing in key cities. But with more global businesses and cloud service providers expanding into Japan, it presents a supply versus demand challenge.

Data centres in Japan are mostly aged infrastructures that have been wellmaintained but lack significant upgrades.

They are designed to serve small, local (largely retail) customers, and not built to scale for the larger global cloud service providers like AWS, Alibaba, Google and Baidu, to name a few.

CENTRE OF ATTENTION: DIGITAL INNOVATION

“AS MORE CONSUMER AND BUSINESS SERVICES MIGRATE TO THE CLOUD, DEMANDS FOR DATA CENTRE CAPACITY AND RELIABLE INTERNET EXCHANGES THE BIG CLOUD BOOST Before we rush into building bigger data centres, it’s important we understand the cloud consumption landscape and how customers are expected to use it. In other words, knowing what kind of traffic will be computed in the cloud will help us understand what level of data centres services are fit for purpose.

With Japan booming as a hub for digital innovation, it becomes evident that advancement in AI, machine learning, and algorithmic decision-making are dictating a lot of the data traffic. Video-streaming and social media network traffic are only a proportion of the overall cloud usage.

Mobile payment is also creating new demands for edge computing with reliable and fast connectivity. In fact, most of Japan use mobile payment as their first choice of transaction as the country swiftly moves towards becoming a cashless society. This trend also brings with it the critical need for secure and reliable data processing – calling for business and service providers that demonstrate high tenacity and assurance in handling personal data.

It is clear that there is a high consumer appetite, but the real power users are enterprise companies that are moving their computing and data assets to the cloud.

With SAP, Oracle and Microsoft moving away from licensing model to cloud-based software platform services, data traffic is ramping up thick and fast. The more complex the systems, the more data and content it generates, therefore the higher the data density and storage capacity.

ARE ONLY SET TO GROW.”

A CATALYST FOR GROWTH Edge and hyperscale data centres offer low latency and high performance – a critical factor to today’s businesses that operate in near real-time and cannot afford slow or poor-quality connectivity. They are also highly scalable to provide for the sudden peaks in demand.

Locations like Inzai, Shiohama, Osaka and Otemachi are ideal. They are stable geographic locations that are moderate in seismic activity but offer low latency traffic to key cities and financial districts.

Partnering with a data centre that has good seismic design is also important, because these buildings are better equipped to handle earthquakes. It is able to sustain big compute cloud traffic with no outages.

Japan is a growing market with lots of opportunities in the years to come. That said, it has a much more traditional mindset.

While local businesses have not jumped as fast as the Americans on the cloud train, we are seeing significant growth potential for the cloud in recent years.

The Tokyo Olympics could be the catalyst for rapid growth. It certainly has the ability to lift the country’s global trade and stature – as long as the infrastructure is ready to support it. » COLT DSC, COLTDATACENTRES.NET

April 2019 | 15

MEET ME ROOM: JASON WELLS

CONNECTING BEYOND FROM MAJOR ISSUES DOMINATING THE INDUSTRY TO SUPER-HUMAN POWERS, DCNN TALKS TO JASON WELLS, VP AND GM EMEA AT CRADLEPOINT.

What were you doing before you joined Cradlepoint and how did you first get involved in the industry?

I have been immersed in the IT/network security industry since I stumbled into it in 1999. Prior to joining Cradlepoint I was VP and General Manager for EMEA & APAC at Aryaka Networks, a global SD-WANas-a-Service industry leader. I have not always been in the industry, however, and in my earlier career you would have found me selling ‘holiday ownership’ properties in Spain – this followed on from being a resort representative for Club 18-30 and a Butlins Red Coat in the early 1990’s.

16 | April 2019

Which major issues do you see dominating the data/comms industry over the next 12 months?

The wireless internet and the opportunities and cost-savings available to businesses willing to embrace ‘the cutting of the cord’ as they start their pathway to 5G. Looking back on your career so far, is there anything you might have done differently?

I would have taken more time to address my work/life balance as I have missed too much of my children growing-up.

MEET ME ROOM: JASON WELLS

What is the toughest lesson you have ever been taught in your career?

The purchase order you were promised to make your quarter isn’t a reality until its physically in your hand or inbox.

People promise these things with every good intention but often other influences beyond their control can hinder them delivering on them.

What part of your job do you find the most challenging?

Switching off and taking some personal time out, I seem to be almost always working.

What gives you the greatest sense of achievement?

Seeing my team fulfil their potential, crush their goals and over-achieve.

What are the biggest pressures involved in your job?

There are many, namely over-achieving against ever-expanding quota numbers, juggling different personalities within my team and managing our partner/customer environment. Nevertheless, if I had to pinpoint the most significant pressure it would be time – there is never enough of it.

If you could possess one super-human power, what would it be and why?

Teleportation. It would mean the ability to fulfil my global travel commitments without the hundreds of wasted plane hours, which could instead be used enjoying my children.

What are your company’s aims for the next 12 months?

In the foreseeable future, Cradlepoint aims to expand comprehensively into Europe.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

Don’t see a loss as a loss, see it as an opportunity to do things differently next time and win. » CRADLEPOINT, CRADLEPOINT.COM

April 2019 | 17

AI GONE AWRY: ARTICLE 13

A DARK DAY FOR INTERNET FREEDOM THIS MONTH, INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT HOW AI HAS GONE AWRY, DCNN IS GETTING TO GRIPS WITH ARTICLE 13 AND HOW THE EU’S COPYRIGHT DIRECTIVE WILL CHANGE THE WEB AS WE KNOW IT.

A

rticle 13, a part of the wider directive known as the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market, has sparked huge controversy with critics claiming that the new rules will have a detrimental impact on creators online. So,

18 | April 2019

what exactly does this divisive law mean for those living in the EU and what impact will it have on freedom of expression?

The new copyright law, including the most controversial segment Article 13 – dubbed ‘the meme ban’ – will hold tech firms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter responsible for material posted without copyright permission.

AI GONE AWRY: ARTICLE 13

April 2019 | 19

AI GONE AWRY: ARTICLE 13

DIGESTING THE DIRECTIVE

EXEMPTIONS AND MEMES

On April 15, 2019, despite high-profile campaigns which included the web inventor himself, the copyright directive (passed by the European Parliament in March) was adopted into EU law. Individual member states, will have two years to turn these new rules into their own national law.

The new directive is supposed help direct more revenue to content creators – musicians and journalists – as opposed to the platforms that host and share the content.

The final wording of Article 13 sets out exactly which platforms will require upload filters and the ones which won’t.

The only way a platform that hosts usergenerated content can avoid putting in place an upload filter is if it fulfils all three of these criteria:

WHAT IS ARTICLE 13?

Article 13 stipulates that online platforms will need to filter or remove copyrighted materials from their platforms.

As we are aware from previous AI Gone awry columns, filters and algorithms can be fickle things, and it’s yet to be agreed on how platforms are expected to identify and remove copyrighted content.

Earlier versions of the directive suggested using ‘proportionate content recognition technologies’, but that would mean asking platform owners to use automated filters to scan every piece of uploaded content – a task that, without an expendable cash flow, may not be feasible.

Although such filters already exist, with the most preeminent being YouTube’s Content ID, they are largely unpopular and being rolled out on such scale – from music forums to niche social networks – there is no guarantee they will be able to distinguish between copyrighted materials and material that is exempt.

20 | April 2019

he site has been available for fewer T than three years The site has an annual turnover below €10 million The site has fewer than five million unique monthly visitors.

Understandably it was Article 13 which prompted fears over the future of memes and GIFs, as they are often based on copyrighted images from film and TV. Rest assured, however, this fear can be somewhat quashed with specific tweaks to the law stating that copyrighted material used ‘for purposes of quotation, criticism, review, caricature, parody and pastiche,’ is exempt.

The European Parliament have since commented that memes would be ‘specifically excluded’ from the directive, though it remains unclear how tech firms will be able to enforce this using a blanket filter.

So, what’s all the fuss about if memes and GIFs are supposedly safe? Well, Google claims that the new directive will harm Europe’s creative and digital industries, and they are not alone in thinking so… Sir Tim Berners-Lee has also warned about the possible consequences of copyright changes and even took to Twitter to voice his opinions.

You can follow updates and find out more on EU’s copyright directive on the DCNN website.

AI GONE AWRY: ARTICLE 13

THE EU’S DIGITAL FUTURE IS HANGING IN THE BALANCE THANKS TO BIG CHANGES COMING TO ONLINE COPYRIGHT

April 2019 | 21

OPINION: FIBRE CLEANING

DON’T UNDEREST

THE IMPOR OF FIBRE C JAY TOURIGNY, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AT MICROCARE EXPLAINS WHY, AS THE DEMAND FOR GREATER CONNECTIVITY CONTINUES TO SURGE, IT’S IMPERATIVE TO UNDERSTAND HOW FIBRE CLEANING IS A CRITICAL FACTOR TO A NETWORK’S PERFORMANCE.

T

he world’s need for greater connectivity continues to grow. This increased demand for fast, unlimited service drives many network designers to rely more on sophisticated fibre optic systems to meet current and future bandwidth requirements.

Along with the need for greater capacity and higher speeds comes the need for absolute reliability of the networks to provide consistent and uninterrupted service.

For modern optical networks to perform at their peak, it is imperative that the

22 | April 2019

fibre network is properly installed and maintained. This includes ensuring that all connections and splices are kept perfectly clean to avoid potential problems such as insertion loss (weakened signal), backreflection (signal is diverted back to its source) or a complete system shut down.

Despite the importance of cleanliness, there is still reluctance by some within the fibre industry to recognise that thorough fibre cleaning is critical to a network’s performance. This article focuses on the top reasons why cleaning can be underestimated by some, and why this mindset should change.

OPINION: FIBRE CLEANING

TIMATE

RTANCE CLEANING FABRIC WIPES TO ‘WET/DRY’ CLEAN END FACES WITHOUT LEAVING LINT BEHIND

April 2019 | 23

OPINION: FIBRE CLEANING

BASIC TOOLS REQUIRED FOR EFFECTIVE AND RELIABLE CLEANING F abric wipes: These are an essential tool for successful cleaning.

Cleaning with ordinary wipes, tissues or clothing will deposit even more contaminants to the end faces and spread them around. Instead, opt for a clean, optical grade fabric wipe engineered for cleaning fibre.

Highly absorbent, they effectively wick the contamination away while not generating lint. They are also effective when used with a staticdissipative cleaning fluid, for ‘wet/dry’ cleaning to help eliminate static during cleaning.

Remember to use just one wipe per end face and never reuse wipes to avoid the risk of cross-contamination.

O ptical grade cleaning fluid: Fibre industry organisations recommend ‘wet/dry’ cleaning as the most effective method for cleaning fibre end faces. Water and Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) are traditional choices, but are hard to buy in high purity packaging and difficult to keep clean and uncontaminated during day-to-day operations. Instead, specify a pure optical grade cleaning fluid for best success.

Optical grade cleaning fluids are fast-drying, static dissipative and sold in hermetically sealed packaging. Fast drying time is especially important for cleaning fibre since it speeds cleaning time and keeps moisture from being attracted to the fluid, minimising contamination. A static-dissipative fluid also helps deflect impurities, especially dust from the surface being cleaned.

In addition, optical grade cleaning fluids are non-flammable, making them safer to store and non-hazardous for transport in service vehicles.

Fabric-tipped cleaning sticks: Cleaning sticks are typically used to clean bulkhead connectors. Choose a stick with a tip soft enough to not to scratch the ceramic or composite ferrule end face. When working with cleaning sticks, first moisten the cleaning tip with a small amount of optical grade cleaning fluid, rotate the stick in only one direction to avoid cross-contamination and remember to only use one stick per end face.

Reliable, trouble-free fibre optic networks are the key to an interconnected future. Cleaning is more than important, it is critical to the long-term reliability of any network. One of the biggest threats to fibre signals today is contamination to end faces. By using proven tools and procedures, network technicians can clean fibre connections, quickly, affordably and effectively. When choosing cleaning fluids, tools and methods, seek the help of an experienced supplier that specialises in fibre cleaning to advise you on which tools and methods will work best for you.

24 | April 2019

SPECIFY AN OPTICAL GRADE, HERMETICALLY SEALED CLEANING FLUID FOR BEST CLEANING RESULTS

USE ONE CLEANING STICK PER END FACE AND TWIST IN ONE DIRECTION TO PREVENT CROSS CONTAMINATION

OPINION: FIBRE CLEANING

IS THE FIBRE ALREADY CLEAN When it comes to installing or maintaining fibre networks, there is always the need to clean. A major threat to an efficient and reliable fibre optic network is contamination of the optical interconnects. They are vulnerable to micro contaminants that can wreak havoc on optical signals. To ensure system performance and reliability, the contaminants must be removed from both sides of each end face every time a fibre is installed, tested or reconfigured.

Dust particles are one of the most common contaminants and can originate from many sources, including dead skin, plant pollen, cardboard boxes and clothing lint. Although just microns in size, they cause scratches and pitting on the end faces resulting in insertion loss. Another typical contaminant is fingerprint oils.

These contain salts that can create air gaps between the end faces and can potentially cause back-reflection, signal attenuation or even a complete system shut down.

Even brand-new fibre needs to be cleaned and tested to ensure any contamination is removed. Jumpers and patch cords, even those direct from the factory, do not guarantee cleanliness.

Outgassed plasticizers or even plastic particles from the protective dust caps themselves can leave contamination behind.

HOW LONG DOES CLEANING TAKE AND AT WHAT EXPENSE? With the growing number of fibre optic networks, many technicians are feeling pressure to work as quickly as possible.

Combine that with the fact that many are compensated based on the number of installations they can complete for the day, and the temptation to cut corners when cleaning can be high.

However, it only takes a matter of seconds to clean and inspect a fibre end face. With the right tools and training, cleaning and inspecting a cable end face can take as little as 30 seconds. The minutes spent cleaning and inspecting fibre end faces will far outweigh the hours spent if the technician has to return to troubleshoot, identify, repair and clean faulty splices and connectors.

In addition, cleaning labour costs are typically lower than repair costs. It takes only pennies to clean, but a repair call could potentially cost hundreds of pounds when a connection fails.

END FACE CONTAMINATION CAN INCLUDE DUST AND OILS

ARE SPECIAL TOOLS REQUIRED? The standard for inspection and cleaning of fibre optic connectors is the international IEC standard 61300-3-35. One of the best ways to meet this cleanliness standard is to use the right fibre optic cleaning tools engineered for fibre optic applications.

Better cleaning tools and procedures allow technicians to clean quickly and thoroughly, saving time and money. It also helps limit warranty claims and ensure a highly functioning and reliable network. Âť MICROCARE CORPORATION, MICROCARE.COM

April 2019 | 25

OPINION: CODIFYING KNOWLEDGE

CODIF

KNOWL 26 | April 2019

OPINION: CODIFYING KNOWLEDGE

SARFRAZ ALI, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF MARKET DEVELOPMENT AT SMARTSHEET EXPLORES THE UNDERLYING NEEDS OF TODAY’S ORGANISATIONS TO

I

‘CODIFY KNOWLEDGE’ AND THE BENEFITS IT CAN BRING.

f you ask the leaders of pioneering companies to name their single most important asset, their answer may surprise you. While software, systems and rising technologies such as AI deliver innovation and value, it’s often the people that add the most value to a business. But this can pose a significant problem; unlike machines, the knowledge employees possess is often difficult to extract, codify and share, resulting in a loss of intellectual capital when skilled employees depart.

Therefore a growing number of organisations across industries such as

retail, professional services and healthcare are turning to systems that help capture this knowledge – which may include institutional history, complex processes, critical contacts both inside and outside of the organisation, and more.

Enterprises are undergoing a golden age of automation. Software systems can perform tasks with a level of efficiency and sophistication that was once only possible with human input. However, humans are still the epicentre of knowledge and judgement, with the flexibility to adapt based on circumstance, a skill that software has yet to truly emulate.

FYING

LEDGE April 2019 | 27

OPINION: CODIFYING KNOWLEDGE

ENTERPRISES ARE UNDERGOING A GOLDEN AGE OF AUTOMATION

For many organisations, the simplest form of knowledge capture is a record in a database, often from a form that allows information to be gathered and structured to become the basis of a workflow. However, internal forms are often overlooked, especially within technically specific situations.

Building out a rack within a data centre is one example; equipment specifications may change, but an engineer who has completed the task many times will use tricks of the trade that streamline the outcome. But complex tasks require multiple stakeholders, and this is where people – and their different ways of working – can become inhibitors.

Complexity increases when regulatory, health and safety frameworks come in to play. What is considered compliant in the UK may not be elsewhere, and mistakes happen when codifying a process without taking geography into account.

“WHILE SOFTWARE, SYSTEMS AND RISING TECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS AI DELIVER INNOVATION AND VALUE, IT’S OFTEN THE PEOPLE THAT ADD THE MOST VALUE TO A BUSINESS.” 28 | April 2019

Increasingly, organisations are turning to Collaborative Work Management (CWM) platforms to help teams plan and manage complex processes, breaking them down into a series of discrete steps carried out in sequence or in parallel. Unlike a static form, CWM platforms are dynamic cloud-based environments offering teams real-time visibility into project and process status. Take the world’s largest chain of coffee shops, for example, which uses a CWM platform to help plan every step of a new location build-out, from site surveys, connecting utilities, applying for permits, to the design and fit-out process. The CWM platform is used by multiple stakeholders in different locations and acts as a single source of truth for mission-critical information about the status of people, materials and processes.

More advanced CWM platforms offer rich, real-time dashboard and reporting functionality that enables projects at scale by allowing anyone to automate workflows, setting up triggers to request updates or approvals. The system acts as a process progressor and arbiter for dealing with exceptions while automatically chivvying people along if a process stalls. A new project can be spun up by simply cloning the process for an old one, thereby retaining the intellectual investment and helping to insulate the company from the cost of future employee departures.

These platforms can be used for thousands of tasks and are normally built and adapted by users within the business, with minimal IT training.

We can only guess at what the future will bring. For now, codifying human knowledge – creating repeatable, automated processes – is the best way to protect against the inevitable loss of valuable know-how. » SMARTSHEET, SMARTSHEET.COM

Helping your business journey to

Growth & Prosperity ECA offers valuable Trade Association membership to organisations in the electrotechnical & engineering services industry, which includes: • Extensive expert technical support • Free access to ECA's eRAMS (online Risk Assessment & Method Statement service) • Significant discounted access to BSI standards • Helping to get you specified • Regional support & networking opportunities • Expert business support including commercial, employment and health & safety • Free CHAS first year assessment & ongoing discounts • 50% off Part P notifications • Other exclusive member discounts • See even more member benefits at www.eca.co.uk/journey

25% discount off first year membership if certificated or approved by any of the following*

Join us online at Terms & conditions apply and are subject to change. * Membership eligibility and the stated 25% discount on initial 12 months membership of ECA is subject to continued registration of qualifying schemes through accepted certification bodies or organisations. All rights reserved.

Registered in England: Company Number 143669. Covering England, Wales & NI.

www.eca.co.uk/journey Shaping our industry. Enabling business growth. Getting you specified.

CASE STUDY: THE GIGABIT ISLAND PROJECT

THE GIGABIT ISLAND PROJECT DCNN TAKES A LOOK AT HOW TELECOM CONTRACTOR, ICEE MANAGED SERVICES IS HELPING WIGHTFIBRE COMPETE IN THE GLOBAL BROADBAND LEAGUE

30 | April 2019

CASE STUDY: THE GIGABIT ISLAND PROJECT

W

ightFibre, an independent cable network operator, has embarked on an ambitious project to make the Isle of Wight one of the world’s top locations for ultra-fast broadband delivery to domestic and business users.

With the help of telecom contractor ICEE Managed Services, the company has saved substantial cost and time by converting and re-using many existing cable cabinets.

If you want really fast broadband, move to Singapore, Sweden or the Isle of Wight.

That was the opening message in an article about WightFibre, an independent cable network operator serving England’s largest and second most populated island.

Published in the Isle of Wight’s Chamber of Commerce magazine in September last year, the article said Singapore ranks as the world’s fastest country for broadband performance with an average speed of 60.39Mbps. Sweden is an impressive second. By aspiring to this level in the global broadband race WightFibre is promising to bring major functional and economic benefits to domestic and business customers on the island.

The company aims to achieve that performance by upgrading its 18-year-old hybrid fibre-coaxial (HFC) cable system to a full, point-to-point, fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP) network. Starting in the summer of 2018 for completion 2021, its Gigabit Island project will enable up to 1Gb or more of broadband data to be downloaded and uploaded, serving some 53,000 homes plus large and small businesses across the island, including areas hitherto not served by the company.

“That level of performance will substantially out-class most other parts of the United Kingdom. It will make the

Isle of Wight stand out dramatically and for example, be highly attractive to those progressive businesses requiring that kind of competitive edge. In turn, it promises to valuably boost the island’s economy,” says John Irvine, CEO of WightFibre Limited.

‘SWEATING ASSETS’ OR RE-USING EXISTING NETWORK CABINETS

To finance the initiative, in November 2017 WightFibre was awarded £35 million investment from Infracapital Partners and gained the very first grant given by the UK government’s new Digital Infrastructure Investment Fund.

Crucially, the project would have cost more if the company had not been smart about modifying and re-using its existing infrastructure of 18-year-old street cabinets, or ‘sweating its assets’. It is doing this with the help of Hampshire-based manufacturing and contract services company, ICEE Managed Services. That initiative has resulted in big money savings, making the project more affordable, profitable and lean, and minimising waste.

Currently, the company serves 25% of the island’s population with 152Mb-rate broadband, including TV and telephone services. Supported by more than 27 cabinets throughout the county (painted white as a play on the company’s name), the existing infrastructure was installed in 2001 by an enterprise that evolved into today’s WightFibre.

Measuring some 380 square kilometres, the Isle of Wight is mostly agricultural with several large towns located around the coast, such as Ryde, Cowes, Sandown and Bembridge, and inland, Newport.

The existing co-axial cable network mainly serves these urban and suburban centres, with steel cabinets squeezed onto pavements of often narrow streets.

April 2019 | 31

CASE STUDY: THE GIGABIT ISLAND PROJECT

TWO-STAGE PROJECT Upgrading to full-fibre is being done in two stages. Ed Parker-Jervis, a Telecommunications Consultant brought in

by WightFibre to design the new network top-down, explains, “One part of the project is to provide new fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) to areas of the island never covered before by the cable TV network. This will require about 35 new cabinets.

“The second part is the conversion of cable TV infrastructure into a FTTP network. Today, there are 27 existing cabinets actively supporting this infrastructure. That has placed two different sets of requirements on ICEE.” Already started, he says the first part is relatively straightforward, especially as ICEE’s main business is making, installing, fittingout, commissioning and maintaining electrical enclosures and related systems for the telecommunications industry. “We’re asking them to build us new street cabinets for the delivery of new fibre optics to the home. That’s their bread-and-butter business,” he says.

Again an active work-in-progress, the second part is where existing street cabinets have been in place for some 18 years, typically big, powered cabinets located around the whole island, mostly in dense, urban streetscapes.

“We’ve got 27 live ones out in the network and a few extra ones that are in various states of repair or unused. To save money, we went through an important exercise to question whether we could convert these existing cabinets and put in to each fibre-to-the-home facilities, in parallel with the cable TV that’s already in them.”

Re-using existing cabinets would make a lot of sense, both financially and practically, saving big money and much time. Ed Parker-Jervis makes a compelling comparison, “A new street cabinet with all the equipment fitted in costs upwards of £25,000. Installation would be at least

32 | April 2019

Video will appear here: https://vimeo.com/242025737

another few thousand pounds for new foundations and so forth.”

He adds, to minimise disruption to customers and speed transfer, a new cabinet would have to be placed right next to an old one, making it easier and faster to transfer the service from old to new.

Making the change-over, starting with the time required to install a new cabinet, would take several days. In many cases it would be hard to find spare space on pavements.

What’s more, if the idea to install a new cabinet alongside the old (where possible), then transfer what could be re-used and install new equipment was adopted, a lengthy planning process would be required, plus the gaining of consent from all relevant authorities for days of disruption on the street. It would add more time and cost.

That option made no business or practical sense to WightFibre. In principle, it would be far quicker and less costly if existing cabinets could be converted by modifying internal space and replacing or adding what was necessary. That physical process would take a few hours at most, not several days and obviously the cost savings would be substantial. The bottom line was, if cabinets could be converted and re-used, significant savings up to £100,000 would be possible, lessening the pressure on funding.

THE GIGABIT ISLAND PROJECT IS PLANNED TO BE COMPLETED BY 2021.

IF YOU WANT REALLY FAST BROADBAND MOVE TO SINGAPORE, SWEDEN OR THE ISLE OF WIGHT

“LIKE THE FABR

HOUSE CHANGE

OVER DECADES

REQUIREMENTS, T

BEING AFFORDAB

MODERN ST

RIC OF AN OLD

ED MANY TIMES

S TO SUIT NEW

THE CABINETS ARE

BLY UPGRADED TO

TANDARDS.”

CASE STUDY: THE GIGABIT ISLAND PROJECT

WOULD IT WORK?

PLAN TO SUCCEED

To check if the re-use approach was viable, WightFibre consulted ICEE and the preferred fibre cable supplier, Hexatronic.

The changes called for replacement or re-organising of existing equipment and insertion of new devices, the latter being bulky assemblies including power supplies, rectifiers, batteries and distribution panels.

This was complicated by two other issues – accommodating the bundled mass of up to 1,700 fibre optic cables within cabinets, plus the fitting of fans to cool the new, hotterrunning power supply units.

Fibre optic cable also brings its own special demands. For a start, bending each one to allow for routing in and out of a cabinet, or connecting up to internal equipment, is not the same as for coaxial copper cables. Copper can be bent through a tight right-angle. Fibre optic requires bigger radii and hence different routing requirements.

Then there was the question of how to fit large fans, including the cutting of two ventilation apertures – one to bring outside air into the cabinets and another to expel hot air and prevent excessive heat build-up affecting equipment inside.

Initial design, development and test revealed a further complication – the fans plus new air flows generated noise.

In an urban setting with houses close by, decibels had to be suppressed. This was done by ICEE raising the original height of the cabinet roof to accommodate the fitting of sound-absorbing fibre panels beneath. Working on cabinets it had not originally made, the contractor designed and manufactured replacement metalwork.

Like the fabric of an old house changed many times over decades to suit new requirements, the cabinets are being affordably upgraded to modern standards.

With service continuity paramount, meticulous project management is key.

ICEE possesses a department dedicated to that function. Working closely with the WightFibre team, a highly detailed schedule and RAMs-driven installation process was drafted. To modify the cabinets, strip out old and fit new equipment, there has to be a shut-down period of around two hours.

In any weathers, work is done in the very early hours of the morning. Success mainly depends on the contractor doing two things, carefully preparing conversion kits for each cabinet (not all jobs are identical), and working fast and efficiently, and liaising closely with WightFibre, local customers, the traffic department and police.

ICEE arrives on site at around 4.00am, unlocks the cabinet, shuts down power, removes equipment, cuts ventilation apertures and fits louvred panels, replaces the roof structure complete with sound insulation, fixes any new brackets and installs the new equipment. Already drawn in by others, the new fibre optic cabling is connected up – sometimes hundreds of cables. Power is restored, tests completed and the job approved by a WightFibre ‘chaperone’. Thanks to painstaking preparation, the whole process finishes no later than 6.00am, before pre-notified early-bird customers begin using services.

The manufacturing and installation company has already installed the first two of around 35 new cabinets required to complete the Gigabit Island project by 2021. On a life-cycle basis, ICEE will also maintain both the old and new cabinets and equipment – over 60 assets - as part of its field service maintenance contract with WightFibre. » WIGHTFIBRE, WIGHTFIBRE.COM

April 2019 | 33

, E NU

E V W E N … S E T A D NEW

NEW !

S E I T I L I POSSIB One all-encompassing AV, entertainment and automation show, EI Live! will challenge industry norms, push the boundaries, and launch a platform on which a smarter, brighter future can be established.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

THE PATH TO A SMARTER FUTURE

eiliveshow.com Platinum Sponsors

Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre April 30 | May 1, 2019

N

O I T A R

O N

W

!

N

E P

O

G E R

T S I

@EILiveShow #EILFuture | #EILiveShow

SMART CITIES

SMART CITY SUCCESS DEPENDS ON SMART DATA CENTRES 36 | April 2019

SMART CITIES

NEIL CRESSWELL, CEO FOR VIRTUS DATA CENTRES EXPLAINS WHY IT IS CRUCIAL FOR SMART CITY APPLICATIONS TO HAVE ROBUST

T

INFRASTRUCTURES AND DATA CENTRES THAT ARE EQUIPPED TO HANDLE THE RIGOROUS DEMANDS THAT TODAY’S TECHNOLOGY PLACES ON THEM. here is no doubt that cities deliver opportunities and challenges in equal measure. On one hand these spaces are the epicentre of people, ideas, business innovation and economic growth bringing economic

success. London, for example, is the fifth wealthiest city in the world with a GDP of $731.2 billion, making its GDP greater than countries like Argentina, Poland, Sweden and Belgium. On the other hand, continuous growth puts strain on infrastructure such as power distribution, sewage, water systems, transport, education, policing and welfare.

April 2019 | 37

SMART CITIES

Fast flows of data underpin all of these basic needs in addition to increased streaming of rich graphical and video content, making resilience a number one priority for municipalities and businesses alike. Therefore, it can be argued that the real heart of the city is the infrastructure and, more specifically, the IT that powers it.

According to Hitachi, the ability to make cities productive and successful lies in making them as smart as possible and that technology-enabled living will be crucial to success and improved quality of life in the age of urban living.

“IF CITIES ARE TO TAP INTO THE POTENTIAL VALUE OF ‘BIG DATA’, INTERCONNECTIONS BETWEEN PEOPLE, APPLICATIONS, DATA, CONTENT, CLOUDS AND THE NETWORK NEEDS TO BE SEAMLESS.”

38 | April 2019

THE SMART CITY AND THE NETWORK THAT SUPPORTS IT What unites smart cities is that they thrive, or otherwise, on shared public systems and services, and governments and businesses alike want to leverage this urban interconnection and the data it produces. The ultimate goal is for cities to use data to bring intelligence to urban environments, and to improve the quality of life for residents.

We see smart cities learning from each other as they move to embrace the newer and smarter technologies. Viewed this way, London has more in common with cities like Shanghai than its closer European counterparts, as it struggles with the challenges that come with very high population density. And so, we see London moving towards Shanghai-style smart transport systems to alleviate congestion; hoping that innovations in autonomous vehicles, data, AI, electric vehicles and shared mobility will help solve its transportation issues.

The need for resilience is felt particularly hard with these types of smart city applications. Physically linking dispersed machines and sensors so they can exchange information in real time is crucial. If cities are to tap into the potential value of ‘big data’, interconnections between people, applications, data, content, clouds and the network needs to be seamless.

Whilst the benefits of the smart city are extensive, they will only be realised when digital infrastructures can physically link dispersed machines and sensors so they can exchange information in real time.

SMART CITIES

THE BIG CAPACITY CHALLENGE Although the future seems bright for smart cities, the possibilities are limited by issues of complexity and capacity. Because smart applications require lots of connectivity, data storage and computing power, it’s logical to assume that data centres are crucial to the success of smart cities.

The extensive nature of big data needs something beyond a company or government department’s in-house storage capabilities, and this presents significant opportunities for data centre providers to help governments and businesses alike to deal with their big capacity challenge. Being able to store IoT generated data, the ability to access and interpret it as meaningful actionable information – very quickly – is vitally important and will give huge competitive advantage to organisations and municipalities that do it well.

The implications of not getting it right are potentially disastrous. Failures in the network could result in energy systems being shut down, companies unable to do business and huge transportation disruptions – as well as hospitals and schools suffering if there was a huge outage.

There is certainly no one-size-fits-all model to mitigate these disasters – but interesting solutions and approaches are already in place to address the most pressing challenges. It’s not an easy task though. Cities will need to mix the old and the new, dealing with legacy infrastructure as well as creating new facilities. For some this might mean that traditional ‘core’ connectivity hubs will have to work alongside smaller data centres optimised for edge computing. Others are turning to decentralised energy-generation and

storage systems which will be able to minimise the impact of power outages or natural disasters.

Multi-tenant colocation facilities have been cornerstones of the internet economy since the 1990s, and will continue to be important as we enter into the age of the smart, tech powered smart city environment, providing the best in interconnectivity, flexibility and scalability.

High Performance Computing (HPC) will also likely power smart city applications, as it presents a compelling way to address the challenges presented by IoT and big data, and data centre managers will continue to adopt high density innovation strategies in order to maximise productivity and efficiency, increase available power density and the physical footprint computing power of the data centres; vital in power-heavy big data application.

Technology innovations sit at the heart of the new world smart city. Whilst there are incredible opportunities, we also know that population size – currently the motor of the modern metropolis – may also be their downfall if the IT infrastructure is not there to support it.

The key component to success is to ensure that the data centre is equipped to handle the rigorous demands that technology innovations place on them.

Governments and businesses alike must adopt a data-centre-first strategy when it comes to technical innovation if they are to provide an intelligent and scalable asset that enables choice and growth. » VIRTUS DATA CENTRES, VIRTUSDATACENTRES

April 2019 | 39

AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

POLE POSITION COULD THE UK, IF THE BREXIT ROADBLOCK IS REMOVED, MAINTAIN A POLE POSITION IN THE £62 BILLION SELF-DRIVING CAR RACE? DCNN EXPLORES THE NEW REPORT BY SMMT AND FROST & SULLIVAN.

T

he UK is in pole position in the global race to market for connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs), with a £62 billion boost to the UK economy by 2030 up for grabs, according to a new report published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and Frost & Sullivan.

The report titled: Connected and Autonomous Vehicles: Winning the Global Race to Market, analyses the wide-ranging societal and economic benefits to be achieved by gradually increasing CAVs on our roads.

40 | April 2019

TAKING TESTING TO TRIAL The report identifies that the UK is in a strong position to capitalise, with more than £500 million already committed by industry and government to CAV R&D and testing. Autonomous driving trials are taking place across many major towns and cities in the UK, which also homes four major CAV test beds and three additional sites focused on highways, rural and parking, with more than 80 collaborative R&D projects underway. But the next game-changing step is to actually move from testing CAV technologies to deploying them in the real world.

AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

WHAT IMPACT IS BREXIT HAVING ON THE RACE TO AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

April 2019 | 41

AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) such as Autonomous Emergency Braking and Collision Warning are already available on the majority of new cars registered in the UK. Combined with the gradual introduction of automated vehicles from 2021, this will deliver massive safety benefits. Over the next decade, the technology is set to prevent 47,000 serious accidents and save 3,900 lives.

At the same time, some 420,000 new jobs will be created, including in the automotive industry and other sectors such as telecoms and digital services. Driving commuters, meanwhile, will gain back the equivalent of a full working week thanks to more ‘downtime’ and smoother traffic flows during their commute.

42 | April 2019

“OVER THE NEXT DECADE, CONNECTED AND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES ARE SET TO PREVENT 47,000 SERIOUS ACCIDENTS AND SAVE 3,900 LIVES.”

AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

To realise this potential, however, the conditions must be right, and sustained support from government will be vital – particularly if we are to meet its ambition to get autonomous vehicles on to UK roads in 2021.

REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

THE UK IS AHEAD OF GLOBAL RIVALS IN ITS READINESS TO COMMERCIALISE SELF-DRIVING TECHNOLOGY

CRITICAL AREAS FOR CAV ROLLOUT The report pinpoints three critical areas that will help CAV rollout and in which the UK has a significant advantage: supportive regulation, enabling infrastructure and an attractive market. With the world’s first insurance legislation for autonomous vehicles already in place, the most comprehensive review of road transport underway and more miles across motorways, urban and rural roads able to be driven autonomously, the UK is already ahead of global rivals in its readiness to commercialise self-driving technology. The report ranks the UK above other major automotive countries, including Germany, US, Japan and South Korea as a global destination for the mass rollout of CAVs.

The report’s key recommendations for government include updating road traffic laws, improving 4G coverage across all road networks, encouraging local authorities to work with industry to implement urban mobility services and influencing future harmonisation of international regulations to ensure these new vehicles can operate seamlessly between the UK and abroad.

Crucially, however, the UK’s departure from the EU must be orderly with a deal that supports both the industry and technological collaboration, especially in data. A ‘no deal’ Brexit will result in lasting damage to the UK’s reputation as a politically stable destination for inward investment, putting the benefits identified in the report at risk.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, says, “A transport revolution stands before us as we move to self-driving cars and the UK is in pole position in this £62 billion race.

Government and industry have already invested millions to lay the foundations, and the opportunities are dramatic – new jobs, economic growth and improvements across society. The UK’s potential is clear. We are ahead of many rival nations but to realise these benefits we must move fast. Brexit has undermined our global reputation for political stability and it continues to devour valuable time and investment. We need the deadlock broken with ‘no deal’ categorically ruled out and a future relationship agreed that reflects the integrated nature of our industry and delivers frictionless trade.” » SMMT, SMMT.CO.UK

April 2019 | 43

PROJECTS & AGREEMENTS

DELTA’S UPS AND DCIM SYSTEMS POWER BYTESNET’S NEW GREEN DATA CENTRE Delta, a global provider of power and thermal management solutions, has announced its DPH 500kVA modular uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and InfraSuite Manager data centre information management (DCIM) system are now in operation at Bytesnet’s new d’Root data centre at Zernike Campus Groningen in the Netherlands.

The company’s new DPH 500kVA UPS promises to deliver fully rated power (kVA=kW) and is said to only require 50% of the space needed by similar systems from competitors. With Delta’s DCIM, Bytesnet, a regional colocation and network services provider, says it can collect energy consumption data from power meters and environmental detectors in real time to monitor data centre operations remotely.

At the heart of the d’Root data centre is a sixmegawatt power system. The three-phase modular DPH 500kVA Delta UPS chosen by Bytesnet is said to play a fundamental part in minimising the new facility’s environmental footprint.

Bytesnet also selected Delta to supply its InfraSuite Manager DCIM system. The company professes that its DCIM system guarantees Bytesnet full control over

all aspects of operating d’Root, whilst also enabling additional optimisation and efficiency gains.

The colocation provider will use the capacity module to analyse different aspects of the data centre such as power, load and rack capacity – with information as such used to form the basis for future decisions about expanding data centre assets.

The DCIM can also visualise rack operating status in 2D or 3D views, which assist Bytesnet in presenting the benefits of the data centre’s professional data centre management system to customers.

As the demand for data centre capacity increases rapidly, so too does the cost of energy. Jack Chou, Sales Manager, BNL Mission Critical Infrastructure Solutions, Delta Electronics EMEA Region, commented, “Bytesnet’s choice of Delta for such a high-profile project shows that the Delta solutions are perceived as leading, state-of-the-art technology by top experts in the field. Delta’s solutions are already designed today for a future in which colocation providers will need much more efficient and environmentally friendly power equipment. The d’Root facility offers a compelling example of how other colocation providers can also meet tomorrow’s challenges by innovating today.”

DELTA, DELTAPOWERSOLUTIONS.COM

44 | April 2019

PROJECTS & AGREEMENTS

VOLKSWAGEN AND AWS JOIN FORCES TO TRANSFORM AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com company, and the Volkswagen Group have announced a multi-year, global agreement to build the Volkswagen Industrial Cloud, a cloud-based industrial digital production platform that seeks to transform the automotive company’s manufacturing and logistics processes.

The agreement will see Volkswagen capitalising upon the breadth and depth of AWS’s portfolio of services, including IoT, machine learning, analytics, and compute services to increase plant efficiency and uptime, improve production flexibility, and increase vehicle quality.

The Volkswagen Industrial Cloud promises to bring together real-time data from all of the Volkswagen Group’s 122 manufacturing plants to manage the overall effectiveness of assembly equipment, as well as track parts and vehicles.

Volkswagen will use the suite of AWS IoT services, including AWS

IoT Greengrass, AWS IoT Core, AWS IoT Analytics, and AWS IoT SiteWise, to detect, collect, organise, and run sophisticated analytics on data from the plant floor.

The subsidiary of Amazon will provide its IoT services to deliver new insights into manufacturing operations across the facilities, these such services aim to optimise production and improve process efficiencies. With a company-wide data lake built on Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) to analyse the data, Volkswagen will glean insights that pinpoint operational trends, improve forecasting, and streamline operations by identifying gaps in production and waste.

Volkswagen will also utilise Amazon SageMaker, a fullymanaged service that provides developers and data scientists with the ability to build, train, and deploy machine learning models quickly, to optimise the operation of machinery and equipment in all of its plants.

“We will continue to strengthen production as a key competitive factor for the Volkswagen Group. Our strategic collaboration with AWS will lay the foundation,” said Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG and Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen.

“The Volkswagen Group, with its global expertise in automobile production, and AWS, with its technological knowhow, complement each other extraordinarily well. With our global industry platform, we want to create a growing industrial ecosystem with transparency and efficiency bringing benefits to all concerned.”

“Volkswagen’s industrial cloud, which will reinvent its manufacturing and logistics processes, is yet another example of how Volkswagen continues to innovate and lead,” added Andy Jassy, CEO of AWS. AWS, AWS.AMAZON.COM

April 2019 | 45

PROJECTS & AGREEMENTS

1&1 IONOS LAUNCHES FIRST UK DATA CENTRE 1&1 IONOS, a European cloud services provider, has announced that it is to open its first UK-based data centre and sales office to expand and enhance the availability of its Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) solution, Enterprise Cloud.

The new data centre will be housed at Virtus Data Centre’s Stockley Park facility near London Heathrow airport and promises to provide an additional availability zone dedicated to cater to the needs of UK customers.

The facility is to host specialist server hardware, custom-designed in Germany, to handle the requirements of 1&1 IONOS Enterprise Cloud business customers.

The 1&1 IONOS enterprise cloud is an advanced IaaS platform for enterprise-class cloud computing, offering secure, reliable and flexible solutions

46 | April 2019

for corporate clients – including live vertical upscaling and the dedicated power of a physical computing core mapped 100% to a vCPU. The use of networking communications standard, InfiniBand, is said to allow for transmission rates of up to 80Gbit/s.

As part of its expansion in the UK market, a new sales office in London will also provide localised personal sales consulting, professional services and technical support to 1&1 IONOS enterprise customers in the UK, as well as offering tailored proofs-of-concept to prospective clients.

“The UK is a vital customer base for 1&1 IONOS, and has been since we entered the market here in 2001. Our announcement is part of a renewed commitment to our existing and future UK customers to better serve their needs,”

commented Achim Weiss, CEO of 1&1 IONOS. “Our enterprise customers have different requirements for their cloud infrastructure than the individual user, and therefore our new data centre and sales office will ensure that we provide the best possible service to those looking for an optimal business cloud solution.”

With the UK expansion, 1&1 IONOS enterprise cloud is now operating in five availability zones, with data centres in the USA and Europe that adhere to the highest European security and data protection guidelines.

The new data centre and sales office launch comes following the 1&1 IONOS rebrand – where 1&1 and ProfitBricks joined forces to form the new united brand.

1&1 IONOS, IONOS.CO.UK

PROJECTS & AGREEMENTS

COLT DATA CENTRE SERVICES ACQUIRES NEW SITE IN OSAKA Colt Data Centre Services, a carrier neutral data centre operator, has announced its latest site acquisition in Osaka, Japan. The Osaka site will house Colt DCS’ first hyperscale data centre in the region with the development of the 30MW hyperscale facility expected to commence later this year.

Osaka has a population of 18 million, making it Japan’s second largest economic market and the 12th largest metro market in the world. Demand from online content providers and managed/cloud service providers is expected to grow significantly over the next five years making it a key market for Colt DCS. The Osaka region has become a very popular disaster recovery destination for Tokyo-based companies, as well as multinationals with Tokyo-based data centre operations, and as a result, the location has become the next data centre hub outside of Tokyo.

The Osaka data centre will be Colt DCS’ third hyperscale data centre

in Japan, adding to the existing Inzai campus just east of Tokyo, which already houses two other hyperscale facilities. The Osaka data centre will also provide customers access to highlyskilled, bilingual in-house staff to manage its facilities and support customers, a key solution that sets Colt DCS apart from other providers in the region.

The site acquisition comes in direct response to the surge in cloud service providers in Japan that have resulted in a growing demand for data centre providers and carrier neutral network access in the region.

“Having already built data centre facilities in the country, we understand the specific needs of this growing market,” said Richard Wellbrock, Vice President Real Estate, Colt Data Centre Services.

“The acquisition of the site and our continued focus and investment in Japan is being driven by our hyperscale customers who are in need of large capacity requirements and require reliable and scalable solutions. We are confident that our track record of building and delivering hyperscale facilities will be able to support the influx of cloud service providers in the country as they continue to expand their operations. The Osaka site acquisition is yet another step forward for us in significantly strengthening our foothold in APAC as well as being testament that our land banking strategy remains solid.”

COLT DATA CENTRE SERVICES, COLTDATACENTRES.NET

April 2019 | 47

COMPANY SHOWCASE

SPONSORED STORIES FROM THE INDUSTRY

SPECTRA ANNOUNCES NEW DATA MOVER FOR ITS BLACKPEARL SOLUTION Spectra Logic, a computer data storage company, has announced that it has enhanced its popular BlackPearl converged storage platform with the addition of Spectra RioBroker version 1.01.

The company says its improved platform acts as a data mover to speed file transfers, streamline workflows and scale out BlackPearl in both performance and capacity to accommodate growing amounts of digital assets.

As a software front-end to Spectra’s BlackPearl – an object storage platform that moves content seamlessly and economically into disk, tape and cloud – Spectra RioBroker offloads the data transfer job from the application to the Spectra RioBroker system. This system promises to bring greater performance, parallelism, scalability, ease of implementation and consistency to the entire platform.

Spectra RioBroker also simplifies the integration process to popular asset management software applications by providing partial file recall and file transfer protocol (FTP) capabilities.

SPECTRA LOGIC, SPECTRALOGIC.COM

48 | April 2019

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC EXPANDS ITS DCIM SOLUTION WITH ECOSTRUXURE IT ADVISOR Schneider Electric has announced the expansion of its cloud-based data centre infrastructure management solution (DCIM) with EcoStruxure IT Advisor. Harnessing the power of the cloud, EcoStruxure IT Advisor promises to deliver a simplified way to deploy data centre management that is accessible anywhere and at any time.

Leading the next phase of Schneider’s expansion of the EcoStruxure IT platform, its IT Advisor focuses on making data centre management and operations more efficient. This cloud-based planning and modelling tool is said to enable data centre operators of large data centres and colocation facilities to reduce operating expenses and maximise uptime by optimising capacity, analysing business impact, and automating workflows.

“Hybrid data centre architectures are driving the industry to rethink the way their data centre infrastructure is managed and operated” said Kim Povlsen, Vice President and General Manager, Digital Services and Software, Schneider Electric.

“EcoStruxure IT Advisor addresses this need by offering customers a powerful cloud-based or on-premise

data centre planning and modelling software, accessible from anywhere, and delivered with a flexible subscription model.”

ECOSTRUXURE IT ADVISOR’S KEY FEATURES AND BENEFITS: Asset management for accurate inventory – data is shown within the physical layout for instant access to accurate device details and asset attributes.

Risk planning for proactive incident management – the impact analysis report indicates how incidents may impact devices and infrastructure.

SPONSORED STORIES FROM THE INDUSTRY

COMPANY SHOWCASE

FIELDBUS MODULES WITH IO-LINKS MASTER FUNCTIONALITY FOR TODAY’S AUTOMATION AND IT SYSTEMS

hange management for all C asset moves, adds and changes – workflow automation ensures human error is reduced and best practices are deployed.

For colocation providers, EcoStruxure IT Advisor offers a floor view with areas, cages and racks, and IT assets, along with detailed floor and rack utilisation reports.

EcoStruxure IT Advisor is available globally and expands the EcoStruxure IT platform, which includes EcoStruxure IT Expert.

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC, SCHNEIDER-ELECTRIC.CO.UK

The new range of Fieldbus modules with IO-Link from ifm electronic has been designed to facilitate the inevitable drive toward increasingly sophisticated automation and IT. The company says these robust, decentralised modules are industry 4.0 ready and enable connectivity of sensors to PLCs via the fieldbus and securely to the IT infrastructure via a separate IoT port.

According to ifm electronic these modules serve as a gateway between intelligent IO-Link sensors and the fieldbus, as well as allowing important information from intelligent sensors to be sent simultaneously into the IT world. With a separate IoT Ethernet socket, the IT network can be set-up completely separate from the automation network. Sensor information is transferred into the IT world via the established TCP/IP JSON interface.

Among the key advantages and benefits to end-users is the separation between automation systems and the IT network.

For example, as machine uptime is a high priority, the automation network must not be interrupted by external factors which is why the modules feature a separate IT and automation network.

This means that business critical, non-real time data from intelligent sensors can be sent safely to the IT and ERP system without any effect to the real time control signals. Also, the ability to configure sensors with an LR device is important and this is possible as the integral intuitive software finds all the ifm electronic IO-Link masters in the network and creates an overview of the whole plant.

In addition, all connected sensors are displayed with the respective parameters making it possible to set the parameters of all the sensors in the system from one central point.

The sensors and actuators are connected via standard M12 connection cables without the need for screening and depending on the device type, up to four or eight IO-Link sensors can be connected and supplied with up to 3.6A. In combination with a wide range of IO-Link digital input/output devices it is possible to connect a high density of intelligent and digital sensors to a single fieldbus address.

IFM ELECTRONICS, IFM.COM

April 2019 | 49

NEXT ISSUE: CLOUD COMPUTING/STORAGE

NEXT TIME… AS WELL AS ITS REGULAR RANGE OF FEATURES AND NEWS ITEMS, THE NEXT ISSUE OF DATA CENTRE & NETWORK NEWS WILL CONTAIN MAJOR FEATURES ON CLOUD COMPUTING AND STORAGE. To make sure you don’t miss the opportunity to advertise your products to this exclusive readership, call Ian on 01634 673163 or email Ian@allthingsmedialtd.com.

REGISTER TODAY dcnnmagazine.com

Have your free edition delivered straight to your inbox each month.