NCN February 2018

THE UK’S NO.1 NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE MAGAZINE

Network Communications News

February 2018

Built to scale With increases in data traffic, comes a greater focus on higher performance network architectures, as well as infrastructure consolidation. Andreas Rüsseler, CMO, R&M, looks at the options

inside...

Tools and Measurement Taking stock of the latest tech

Intelligent Buildings

APOLAN Update

Will they soon be able to think for themselves?

Converged Passive Optical LAN networks

CONTENTS

In this issue…

Regulars

Knowledge Network

4 Editorial

14 Remote Possibilities

Intelligent buildings, will they soon be able to think for themselves?

Adam Byrne of RealVNC talks about how remote access technology can transform the workforce in 2018, outlining the new and unusual ways the tech will be deployed

6 Industry News The latest and greatest from across the sector

10 On the Case Who’s doing what and where?

22 Project Focus A full two years ahead of the official launch of 5G networks and the 5GCHAMPION consortium have developed a fully integrated 5G network… And, what’s more, they’ve deployed it at PyeongChang Olympic host city, Gangneung

36 Know How R&M delves into how integral high density solutions will be, as the focus on higher performance network architectures and infrastructure consolidation are set to increase

38 Company Showcase Getting a handle on the latest innovations in the industry

16 Security First Why should security be the top criteria in your SD-WAN selection process? NCN gets the latest from Nicolas Capitoni of Masergy on this hot topic

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20 Leading The Game Are stadiums doing the games justice? Cemil Canturk, marketing committee member of Nokia APOLAN explains why employing Passive Optical LAN is the new optical backbone for stadiums

Intelligent Buildings

20

32 PoE Computing, Uncovered There are many questions when it comes what to opportunities and capabilities PoE can offer smart buildings. NCN gets Valarie Maguire of Siemon to answer some of the top questions

34 So Many Standards Ed Macey-MacLeod of technology consultancy, Sterling Tech, explores some of the many different standards, detailing why and how they are useful in the context of intelligent buildings

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@NCNMag 2 | February 2018

CONTENTS THE UK’S NO.1 NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE MAGAZINE

Network Communications News

February 2018

February 2018

Tools & Measurement 24 Past, Present And Future

06

Mayflex launches a new campaign that allows customers to trade in their old network testers for credit towards a new and improved unit

26 Timing Issues With global mobile traffic continuously on the rise it is no surprise that mobile operators are inundated with issues. Juergen Rummelsberger of Anritsu Europe, explains how the industry is, and should be, responding to this notorious challenge.

Built to scale With increases in data traffic, comes a greater focus on higher performance network architectures, as well as infrastructure consolidation. Andreas Rüsseler, CMO, R&M, looks at the options

inside...

Tools and Measurement Taking stock of the latest tech

Intelligent Buildings

APOLAN Update

Will they soon be able to think for themselves?

Converged Passive Optical LAN networks

Editor in Chief: Daniel J Sait 01634 673163 | dan@allthingsmedialtd.com

Assistant Editor: Jessica Foreman 01634 673163 | jessica@allthingsmedialtd.com

Designer: Jon Appleton jon@allthingsmedialtd.com

Sales Director: Ian Kitchener 01634 673163 | ian@allthingsmedialtd.com

Studio Manager: Ben Bristow 01634 673163 | ben@allthingsmedialtd.com

36

30 Good Things In Small Packages Dan Payerle Barrera at IDEAL Networks explains the importance of selecting the right tools to evaluate network conditions and identify sources of poor VoIP quality

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

ABC membership approved, pending first audit.

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www.networkcommunicationsnews.co.uk

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 NCN are welcomed, and the editor reserves the right to alter or abridge text prior to publication. © Copyright 2017. All rights reserved.

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February 2018 | 3

EDITORIAL

Intelligent buildings, are we there yet?

O

ne of this m o nt h ’ s s pecia l feat u re s ta kes a l o o k at t h e devel o ping co nc e pt of the ‘Inte l l ige nt Bu i ldi ng’, but what do we m e a n whe n we ta lk a bo ut bu il d ings wi th i ntell igen ce?

The dictionary definition of intelligence is ‘the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills’, however when we refer to intelligent buildings currently, what we are really talking about in practical terms are ‘automated buildings’; structures that can feel a bit intelligent, but really are exhibiting an automated response without much sophistication or real ‘thought’, for instance, turning lights on when presence is detected in a space.

The next generation of automated building systems using comms backbones such as KNX, and their more sophisticated cousins like Crestron, can go further, making multiple decisions based on several stimuli. This allows for a much more ‘macro’ approach, and starts to make the concept interesting in practical and cost scenarios too. For example, the development of lighting systems which ‘know’ when the sunlight reaches a certain level, ‘know’ what time of year it is, ‘know’ how many people

4 | February 2018

Daniel J Sait, editor-in-chief, ATM

there are in the room, ‘know’ about circadian biological systems, can begin to create human centric automation scenes which genuinely produce positive results.

These systems are proving to show considerable benefits, even once the initial outlay is taken into account. They save money via sophisticated energy assessment and reaction, improve the built environment, and can increase productivity in commercial settings, they have a huge future moving forward.

So what is the next step up from there? Well up to this point buildings and automation systems have largely gathered information about the enivronment and the building itself. The systems currently know only a small amount about the people actually in the building.

Using AI and the huge amount of info that can now be gathered over the internet through smart handheld devices and building networks, automation systems can now start to gather, if we want them to, information about individuals. The system will know if you have a meeting that day, how far away you are from the building when travelling to work, what your particular preferences for lighting and heating are at your work station, and so on.

Buildings are getting closer to being able to think for themselves

From there buildings can start to make decisions that really will to all intents and purposes, feel intelligent and peoplecentric. When they look and feel intelligent, in practical terms there is no real difference to intelligence that is triggered by an ‘if this, then that’ type of decision process to a machine that genuinely understand what it is doing. So in real terms we are close, but we are not at Blade Runner level quite yet, and do we ever want to be?

The question is, do we really want to give ‘them’ that power ? Will employees feel comfortable having their building know that much about them? Lots of questions will need to be addressed. As long as the building or AI only apes intelligence, it can be turned off, if it gains an intelligence of its own then that is when it starts to get all ‘skynet’ and some very big decisions have to be made.

The likelihood is that if current social trends remain the same (younger gens are far less resistant to hand power to AI) that in the future buildings including work places and homes will ‘know’ lots about us, and will be able to make many of the decisions we make for ourselves currently. But will they ever really be ‘intelligent’; not yet, but the kernel for that transition is already out there somewhere.

ECA3189 ECA Member Ad 1 A4 WHITE with Bleed.pdf

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Mini mast, max speed Nothi ng q uite compa re s to t h e pi ct u re s q ue s cen ery th at c a n b e e nj o y e d i n t he m a ny Area s of Ou t s ta nd ing N at u ra l Be au ty (AON B) through o u t t h e U K . It ’ s a shame however, that th e s a m e c a nnot be sai d for the netwo rks in AO N B, a re a s su ch as Por thcurno, Co r nwa l l . T h e bat t le b etween minimising t h e v is u a l and env iro nmenta l impa ct of m o b il e mast s and being a ble to d e l ive r re l ia b l e and ef fective covera ge to re s id e nt s and touris ts , ha s been s o m ewh at of a n u phi ll strug g l e. But Vodafo ne s a y s it h a s su cc e s sfull y tra il ed a so l u t io n t h at m a y allevi ate thes e is s ues e nt ire l y .

Mobile operator, Vodafone, has claimed to be successfully delivering mobile broadband speed in excess of 200Mbps, as well as residents benefitting Vodafone claims to be successfully delivering mobile broadband speed in excess of 200Mbps, as well as from strong voice signal, but that’s residents benefitting from strong voice signal, but that’s not all not all. The company, which developed the new mini masts in par tnership with CommScope, also recognises the convenience of the mini mast. The telescopic design stands at just 8m high, once fully extended, which makes it around half the height of the shor test standard mast. In order to blend in to its environment, the company says that the mini mast can also be painted. The mast also does not require a large technology cabinet to house the power supply and electronics.

The company says the mast is going to be targeted to help serve specific locations, such as rural hotels, leisure and retail parks, and tourist attractions. The maker professes the masts will be ‘much quicker’ to install, taking around six months to become fully operational as opposed to a year and a half to install a standard mast.

Scott Petty, CTO, Vodafone added, “We’re working hard to connect customers across the UK and our new mini mast will help provide 4G in places where other networks struggle to reach, whilst minimising the visual and environmental impact. It forms part of our major investment in our network and services to provide our customers reliable coverage where they live, work and travel.”

Derek Thomas, MP for West Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (St Ives), commented further noting, “The quality of mobile phone signal in West Cornwall is a subject that is regularly raised with me, as is the need to protect and preserve the countryside. This new mast offers the opportunity to reduce the visual impact of phone masts, whilst addressing people’s desire for improved connectivity. I’m pleased that the Vodafone mini mast is now in place and welcome any additional innovations that enable us to stay connected.”

Vodafone, vodafone.co.uk

New chipset for faster, smarter Wi-Fi With the next generation of Wi-Fi just around the corner, it’s about time devices started supporting it. Thankfully, Qualcomm is getting ready to support the 802.11ax standard with a new Wi-Fi chip that has just been announced for smartphones and tablets.

Qualcomm claims that its chip is the first to make 802.11ax features available to manufacturers, as well as being the first to support WPA3 encryption, which should bolster the security of the Wi-Fi network. 802.11ax should also ensure that devices consume less power, while still giving a higher network throughput than the previous generation.

Very few Wi-Fi routers are currently available with the 802.11ax standard, although Qualcomm’s new Atheros WCN3998 chip is backwards compatible. That means users will still be able to connect to a Wi-Fi network no matter what generation of the technology their router supports.

What is 802.11ax Wi-Fi? It’s been a while since the industry all committed to adopting a new Wi-Fi standard. In fact, the 802.11ac standard, which is

6 | February 2018

widely used currently, was published back in December 2013 – meaning the networking landscape has changed significantly over the last five years.

That pace of change is what has led us to 802.11ax. Seen as a direct successor to 802.11ac, this standard should become widely available in 2019, and will greatly improve the efficiency of Wi-Fi networks, while still utilising the existing 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands.

The 802.11ax standard has yet to be formally certified, although it should boast a top speed of 10Gbps. That’s significantly faster than the current 802.11ac standard, which stands at around 1,300Mbps, although it’s unlikely to represent real-world speeds. Instead, users should see maximum speeds of 2Gbps, still pretty fast for a Wi-Fi network.

In addition to fast speeds, 802.11ax should be highly efficient. The standard allows up to four different spatial streams (MIMO), with each stream multiplexed with OFDMA (or thogonal frequency division multiple access). OFDMA should improve overall spectral efficiency, which means that while the nominal data rate will be just 37% higher

INDUSTRY NEWS

Hyperoptic tests broadband speeds of up to 10Gbps Broadband speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second (Gbps) have been tested in the UK for the very first time. Taking place at the former Olympic Village in the East of London, Hyperoptic conducted a trial, claiming it was the first time such speeds have been brought to a UK home using an existing ISP network rather than a dedicated line.

With firms now looking to roll out full-fibre technology in the UK, Ofcom boss Sharon White claimed that higher speeds were becoming essential.

“The amount of internet data used by people in the UK is growing by around half every year. So, we’ll increasingly need fullfibre broadband services like this to provide faster, more reliable connections and capacity to our homes and offices,” she noted.

Sharon commented further, “We’re seeing real momentum behind full-fibre, with bigger and bolder commitments from companies of all sizes to build broadband that can support the UK’s digital future.”

Customer demand D ana Toba k, chief execu t ive of H y p e ro pt ic , note d t h at t h e test was a bout proof-of- co nc e pt , “We h ave c a r r ie d o ut thi s tr i al to pus h the limit s in te r m s of wh at ’ s p o s s ib l e fo r re si d e ntia l broa dba n d.

“It wasn’t long ago that people asked if 100Mbps connections are necessary. However, as we’ve seen with the advent of 4K media services, gaming and a dramatic proliferation of multiple connected devices in the home, it has fast become the minimum many consumers demand.”

Hyperoptic realises it provides a full-fibre network in 30 cities across the UK, and claims that is available to 400,000 homes.

The firm has said it would roll out 10Gbps services if there was ‘customer demand’, suggesting this is likely to start with businesses and pointing out that there are currently very few computers on the market capable of coping with such speeds.

Dana also took a swipe at BT which has been slow to adopt full-fibre technology – also known as Fibre to the Premises (FTTP).

Broadband speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second (Gbps) have been tested in a home in the former Olympic village in East London

“While other players are just considering how they can upgrade their infrastructure to enable gigabit speeds, we are already working on a path to 10Gbps consumer broadband,” Dana added.

Future-proof fibre networks BT h a s u se d F i b re to t h e C a b i n et te c h n o l o g y fo r m uch of i ts b ro a d b a n d ro l l o u t – w h i c h re l i e s o n i t s o l d co p p e r n etwork to c a r r y co n n e ct i o n s b et we e n t h e st re et c a b i n et an d co n su m e r s’ h o me s.

It has now promised to bring full-fibre connections to three million premises by 2020, 700,000 of which will be in rural areas.

Dana admitted that her firm has no intention of tackling the rural market, which is commercially difficult to justify because of the expense in laying the necessary fibre network in areas where there are few houses.

More firms are thinking about the need to future-proof their networks and TalkTalk recently announced its own big investment in infrastructure which will also bring full-fibre technology to three million homes and businesses.

Hyperoptic, hyperoptic.com

than 802.11ac, the new standard should achieve a four times increase to user throughput.

When will 802.11ax be available?

The standard has yet to be finalised, but that doesn’t mean devices with 802.11ax haven’t started to make their way onto the market. Asus announced the first router utilising the standard in August 2017, with the RT-AX88U boasting 4×4 MIMO in both bands, and is capable of achieving a maximum of 1148Mbps on 2.4GHz and 4804Mbps on 5GHz. Since Asus’ announcement, Huawei has made its first 802.11ax access point available with the AP7060DN, while Aerohive has released a slew of new access points supporting the standard.

The new family includes the AP630, AP650, and AP650X. While the first networking devices have been released, there aren’t any devices that can actually connect to them. That’s why Qualcomm’s announcement is significant, although it won’t have a big impact to 802.11ax’s availability until next year.

Qualcomm, qualcomm.com

Qualcomm debuts 802.11ax chipset which is set to provide faster, smarter Wi-Fi

February 2018 | 7

INDUSTRY NEWS

Qualcomm ‘thanks, but no thanks’ After its meeting, held-on February 14, Qualcomm announced that the regulatory risk associated with a merger with Broadcom was just too high, and could leave both companies in a state of ‘limbo’.

But, may there be a possibility that Qualcomm is warming up to the relationchip with Broadcom? Well, quite possibly.

Since Qualcomm have encouraged further discussions, released in a letter to Broadcom CEO Hock Tan, Qualcomm chairman Paul Jacobs detailed: “Our Board found the meeting to be constructive in that the Broadcom representatives expressed a willingness to agree to certain potential antitrust-related divestitures beyond those contained in your publicly filed merger agreement. At the same time, Broadcom continued to resist agreeing to other commitments that could be expected to be required by the FTC,

the European Commission, MOFCOM and other government regulatory bodies. Broadcom also declined to respond to any questions about its intentions for the future of Qualcomm’s licensing business, which makes it very difficult to predict the antitrust-related remedies that might be required. In addition, Broadcom insists on controlling all material decisions regarding our valuable licensing business during the extended period between signing and a potential closing, which would be problematic and not permitted under antitrust laws.”

The meet The meeting marked the first time the chipmakers had discussed what would, and could, be the technology sector’s largest acquisition. Qualcomm said it met with Broadcom for two hours, and ‘listened carefully to what it had to say’.

It convened shortly after Qualcomm’s board unanimously rejected Broadcom’s revised cash-and-stock bid of $82 per share last week. And, after the rejection, the firm reiterated that the offer undervalues Qualcomm; identifying that the offer would not compensate the company in the event that the deal failed to attain regulator approval. Notably though, Broadcom’s offer did include a ‘reverse break-up fee’ in such an event – the largest such provisions ever offered in an acquisition bid.

Is there potential for another meet on the cards? After all, Broadcom had said its last offer of $121 billion to acquire Qualcomm was its ‘best and final offer’.

Qualcomm, qualcomm.com

Commitment to connecting Openreach has finally got behind full fibre-to-the-premises, as it announced that three million UK homes and businesses will be connected to its ultrafast network by the end of 2020.

The announcement came as Openreach launched its new ‘Fibre First’ programme, which is set to see the company leaning more on the rollout of fibre optic cabling, rather than traditional copper. That’s despite efforts to make copper cabling more reliable, with its G.fast technology having already delivered speeds of up to 330Mbps to some areas across the UK. Openreach has pledged to recruit and train 3,000 engineers this year in order to connect its new target of three million homes and businesses by the end of 2020. It had previously committed to reaching just two million homes by that date.

There’s a long way to go until those three million homes are connected.

Openreach currently has just 500,000 homes connected to its FTTP network, meaning it’ll now have to connect an addition 2.5 million in the next few years.

Those homes will also be centred around large cities, with Birmingham, Bristol,

8 | February 2018

Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, London and Manchester making up the first phase of the roll-out. In fact, Openreach said there will be around 40 UK towns, cities and boroughs that will be connected.

Clive Selley, chief executive of Openreach, noted, “Through the Fibre First programme, Openreach is getting on with the job of building an Ultrafast Britain.

“We are accelerating our plans to build FTTP to three million premises by 2020 which sets the course to reach 10 million by the mid-2020s with the right conditions. Where possible going forward, we will ‘fibre first’.

“Working closely with central and local government and our communication provider customers, we will identify the cities, towns and rural areas where we can build a future-proofed, FTTP network that’s capable of delivering gigabit speeds to all homes and businesses at an affordable cost.”

The cost of connecting homes and businesses to the FTTP network will definitely be an obstacle in its roll-out.

Openreach estimated that the current plans will likely cost around £300-400 per premises, although even with the

Openreach commits to three million FTTP connections by 2020

additional homes the UK still pales in comparison to some other EU nations.

Alex Neill, from consumer group Which? commented: “When you see that 79% of people in Spain have got access to full fibre and yet only 3% of British homes have, clearly consumers will be asking why that is happening, especially when the majority of them have experienced a problem with their broadband in the last year.”

Openreach, openreach.co.uk

INDUSTRY NEWS

Virgin Media reveals big plans and massive promises

Cisco is helping prepare orange for the next wave of network speed

Next gen network speeds What future challenges do networks really face? Over the next five years we can almost certainly expect a strong growth in the number of mobile users, business digitisation demands, IoT connections, and mobile video consumption. Though future traffic projections suggest a positive equivalent growth in ARPU, we are yet to bear witness to it.

The pressure has already begun to build on service providers as they begin to prepare for the next wave of network speed, extensive architectural transformation involving programmability and automation. All of which proves vital in the efforts to support future capabilities and prospective innovations, including the evolution of enterprise services, 5G, and IoT. In anticipation of this, Orange has said that they knew they could reduce CapEx and OpEx by implementing new architectures on platforms ready for mass-scale networking and automating a large number of tasks and operations.

The company, therefore, has taken the initiative to improve its business efficiency by deploying the Cisco Network Services Orchestrator (NSO) software platform to its current and future network. Orange proclaim that this will act as a foundation for infrastructure programmability and automating method of procedure (MOP) operations and customer-facing services.

As a key technology enabler, Cisco NSO plan to assist Orange and its subsidiaries realise a series of new benefits, including: roviding a highly efficient abstraction layer between network services and P the underlying infrastructure components, even in complex, heterogeneous environments R educing service activation times from days to hours and dramatically increasing TTM for critical service offerings A utomating its service lifecycles and reducing manual configuration steps by up to 90% across the spectrum of mobile and enterprise networks, including zero-touch provisioning of network devices E mpowering Orange teams along their journey towards SDN and NFV through use of an open, modern programmable platform R educing failed service activations and network issues by removing risk of human error “Cisco’s model-driven approach to network automation and service orchestration is enabling Orange to drastically speed up the delivery of services across our entire lifecycles,” said Christian Gacon, vice president, Wireline Networks and Infrastructure, Orange. “This global deployment of Cisco NSO also provides us with uniform configuration management tools and consumable network APIs for business applications and customer self-service portals.”

“Visionary service providers like Orange recognise the value network automation and SDN offer to drive innovation in their markets,” said Yves Padrines, vice president, global service provider EMEAR, Cisco. “Cisco’s network automation software and product portfolio enables carriers to simplify their operations through sophisticated data analysis and proactive control to help them continue to deliver superior customer experiences without interruption.”

Virgin Media could soon overtake BT in offering the fastest widely-available broadband service in the UK. That’s after the company announced plans to launch a 350Mbps service, which will be available to both new and existing customers.

Technically this isn’t the first time Virgin Media has offered speeds of up to 350Mbps.

In fact, some customers have already been given the option to upgrade their packages to the faster speeds. This further roll-out will ensure it’s available to all.

It’s not known how many customers will be able to take full advantage of the 350Mbps service, although it’s likely to be vastly more than those able to take advantage of Openreach’s G.fast service.

BT and other broadband providers using Openreach’s network have been able to offer speeds of up to 330Mbps, but that is estimated to only be available to around 390,000 premises across the UK. Virgin Media is quickly adding capacity to its network to ensure even more customers can take advantage of the faster speeds. It’s currently midway through a £3bn network expansion dubbed ‘Project Lightning’. The aim of this investment is to reach an additional four million premises served by Virgin Media by the end of 2019. Two million of those premises should boast FTTP. The promise of 350Mbps broadband is all well and good, but Virgin Media’s existing EuroDOCSIS3 network is technically capable of delivering speeds of up to 500Mbps. The company could also instigate the DOCSIS 3.1 network upgrade that has been on the back burner for quite some time, which would increase speeds even further over 1Gbps.

Virgin Media’s 350Mbps service should launch within the next few months to all customers as a replacement for the company’s existing 300Mbps service. It’s unclear whether it will be offered at the same price point.

Virgin Media, virginmedia.com Virgin Media reveals plans for fastest widely-available broadband service in the UK

Orange, orange.com

February 2018 | 9

ON THE CASE

Boosting experience with a robust cloud communication solution RingCentral has announced that MSX

Key RingCentral benefits for MSXI include:

International (MSXI), a business process

network consisting of more than 30

taking months to stand up a new legacy

communications technology vendors

contact center. With RingCentral Contact

spread across 80 countries; hence, why

Center, MSXI has cut implementation

cost and manageability of MSXI’s legacy

time from months to only three days,

Increased productivity among MSXI employees, with simplified communications and collaboration between countries.

A mo re co n n e cte d te a m; R i n g C e nt ra l ’ s m o b i l e - f i r st p l at form e n su re s re m ote a n d g l o b a l workers feel l i ke a p a r t of t h e of f i c e te a m .

Consolidated end-user experience where voice, video, and conferencing are integrated into a single solution; previously MSXI used ad hoc video and audio solutions to host online meetings.

“We’re happy to see MSXI reap the immediate benefits of new business opportunities and higher customer satisfaction by consolidating all its business communications solutions with RingCentral,” says Mitch Tarica, senior vice president of enterprise sales, RingCentral.

“As organisations strive to provide the best customer experience while enabling a highly productive workforce on a global scale, they are turning to the cloud to achieve what legacy systems have not been able to deliver.”

system was somewhat challenging. The

from start to finish.

MSX International msxi.com

outsourcing company which provides technology-based services to enterprises, has selected RingCentral to provide a ‘superior’ customer experience and connect its many 6,000 global employees.

With globally distributed customers and employees, MSXI required modern cloud solutions with robust communications capabilities, including; voice, video, conferencing, team messaging, collaboration, and contact center. By leveraging RingCentral Office, MSXI acknowledges that it can efficiently connect its global workforce

MSX International Boosts Customer Experience and Connects Global Workforce with RingCentral

by improving their productivity with the

voice-only contact center system also

mobile capabilities of RingCentral.

limited MSXI’s ability to react quickly

Previously, MSXI employed a complex

and efficiently to customer demands,

Data Centre News is a new digital news based title for data centre managers and IT professionals. In this rapidly evolving sector it’s vital that data centre professionals keep on top of the latest news, trends and solutions – from cooling to cloud computing, security to storage, DCN covers every aspect of the modern data centre.

The next issue will include a special feature on software & applications in the data centre environment. The issue will also feature the latest news stories from around the world plus high profile case studies and comment from industry experts.

REGISTER NOW to have your free edition delivered straight to your inbox each month or read the latest edition online now at www.datacentrenews.co.uk

DCN is available to read online at www.datacentrenews.co.uk 10 | February 2018

ON THE CASE

Bringing Machine Learning to the Cloud Data Warehouse Qubole, the cloud big data-as-a-service company, and Snowflake Computing, the only data warehouse built for the cloud, announced a new partnership that enables organisations to use Apache Spark in Qubole with data stored in Snowflake.

With the new integration between cloud services, data teams can build, train and put in production power ful machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) models in Spark using information stored in Snowflake. The integration enables data engineers to use Qubole and to read and write data in Snowflake for advanced data preparation such as data wrangling, data augmentation and advanced ETL to refine existing Snowflake data sets.

Qubole provides an enterprise cloud data platform for all types of big data workloads. The company says it enables organisations to operationalise data lakes through infrastructure automation and cloud optimisations for leading open source engines. The new partnership automates the connection between Qubole and Snowflake, which eliminates

New partnership enables customers to utilise Apache Spark on Qubole’s cloud-native big data platform with data stored in Snowflake’s leading cloud data warehouse

the complexity of manually configuring Spark and reduces the time to train and deploy ML and/or AI models with Snowflake data. As well as this, the integration provides one-time, secure credential management between Qubole and Snowflake, permitting access to Snowflake data through Scala and Python via Qubole’s Dataframe API for Apache Spark.

Businesses are increasingly looking to build a cloud-based data infrastructure to gain agility, scale broader analytics capabilities, as well

as lower cost of ownership. At the same time, moving data warehouse infrastructures to the cloud and building data lakes improves organisations’ per formance, concurrency and simplicity. With this announcement, enterprises have the best of both worlds, giving them access to a simple, out-ofthe-box integration between Qubole and Snow flake for the most per formant, cost effective, and proven solution to any alternatives in the market.

Qubole qubole.com

INTELLIGENT R&MinteliPhy – Automated Infrastructure Management by R&M Manually managed infrastructure data has a 10% error rate*, 20-40% of ports in a network are forgotten over time**. The automated R&MinteliPhy solution continuously monitors each connection in one or more data centres or local networks, a (remote) central server records cabling status. The AIMbased solution offers functions for management, analysis as well as planning cabling and network cabinets.

R&MinteliPhy is easy to retrofit and can halve network monitoring and management costs.

When new devices are integrated or changes made updates are automatically generated.

Unused patch panels and ports in active equipment are instantly detected. Data can be traced in real time with a PC or smartphone, faulty connections are located in seconds.

* Source: Watson & Fulton ** Source: Frost & Sullivan

More info: gbr@rdm.com Convincing cabling solutions February 2018 | 11

ON THE CASE

Transforming airport experiences G at w i c k h a s p ro c l a i m e d t h at i t i s t h e wo r l d ’ s f i r s t m a j o r a i r p o r t to i nt ro d u c e a c l o u d - b a s e d F l i g ht I nfo r m at i o n D i s p l a y S y s te m ( F I D S ) – a n i n n ovat i ve , co s t ef fe ct i ve s y s te m t h at i s e a s i l y s c a l a b l e , m o re f l ex i b l e a n d re s i l i e nt , a n d re q u i re s co n s i d e ra b l y l e s s i nf ra s t r u ct u re a n d m a i nte n a n c e .

Legacy FID systems require software to be loaded on a separate PC behind the screen to run them – whereas the airport’s 1,200 cloud-based screens now connect via a web browser from any operating system. The advantage of this being that it now only takes up 3Mbps of bandwidth; so, the new real-time system is extremely fast and responsive to updates – which is key in times of disruption.

The new system, VisionAir, can also run natively on smart TVs which saves on infrastructure, maintenance costs, and demand on engineers’ time. The new system is also: F lexible – the system can run from either an internet browser or mobile device, and, does not require any software to be installed. Content can also be managed collaboratively with other organisations such as airlines and ground handlers. Different types of content can be hosted depending on requirements – disruption, weather, advertising etc.

R esilient – unlike legacy systems, the system is extremely robust to network blips or power failures; with mobile battery power and 4G backup available if required. VisionAir includes a fully independent management inter face, which supports operation completely independent from any airport infrastructure or system if required.

I ntelligent – the system has awareness of screen positions with respect to the airport layout and can target appropriate messaging depending on the situation.

M o re s u s ta i n a b l e – V i s i o n Ai r h a s t h e a b i l i t y to c o nt ro l b a c k l i g h t , h e l p i n g to re d u c e e n e rg y c o n s u m pt i o n w h e re p o s s i b l e .

Starting back in 2015, when Gatwick Airport decided to develop cloudbased FIDS in line with the airport’s cloud migration strategy, AirportLabs developed the solution successfully implementing it on 1,200 screens mid 2017. Since then, the system has provided an uninterrupted service.

Cathal Corcoran, chief information officer at Gatwick Airport, commented on the system saying, “Our vision was to develop a new generation system that is reliable, scalable and accessible from anywhere. We are the first major

Gatwick is the first major airport to introduce a cloud-based Flight Information Display System

airport to introduce a cloud-based Flight Information Display System and the solution we now have in place is resilient, flexible and low cost with highly optimised data transfer.

“The VisionAir system is just one of many exciting digital initiatives our award-winning digital team is developing. We are transforming the way airport information is communicated and will soon allow passengers to interact with chat bots using Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and other popular apps. We are also exploring the use of the Internet of Things for improving si t u at i o n a l awa re n e ss, ma c hi n e l e a r n i n g fo r a cc u rate l y p re d icti n g f li ght d e p a r t u re t i m e s a n d re c e nt l y b ecame t h e wo r l d ’ s f i r st a i r p o r t to d ep loy a u g me nte d re a l i t y wa y f i n d i ng.”

Gatwick gatwickairport.com

Thule cuts costs with new SD-WAN services Interoute, a cloud and network provider, has been selected

by Thule Group, a sports and outdoor goods company, to deliver Interoute’s Edge SD-WAN – a software-defined wide area network solution. Interoute is set to connect 30 of Thule Group’s sites in 14 countries to its enterprise digital platform supporting the group’s growth and digital evolution.

“As we’ve moved to use more cloud and SaaS based applications, we’ve seen increased bandwidth demand and heavy over-utilisation of our network. We needed an underlying network that would allow us to achieve greater flexibility, scalability and control over our IT estate,” says Anders Olsson, director of IT at Thule Group. “Interoute owns an advanced world-class network Interoute are set to slice costs, increase bandwidth and bolster security compliance with Edge SD-WAN solution

that offers us a platform unlike any other. With Interoute, we now have a software defined network foundation that offers us the flexibility we need to expand our business, enabling us to grow and evolve without technology limitations.”

“As Thule Group is a world leader in premium products that simplify an active lifestyle, it needs a digital plat form that can suppor t its rapid growth into new product categories,” explains Mark Lewis, EVP products and development at Interoute. “Using Interoute Edge, Thule Group can leverage our low-latency global cloud fabric, which will enable Thule Group to benefit from high bandwidth, WAN optimised access to their applications in the data centre and various clouds, all securely meshed to their locations.”

Interoute Edge proclaims to provide a solution that intelligently manages traffic routing as well as WAN Optimising traffic to other sites and clouds. The company say that the solution prioritises and optimises essential data traffic at the edge of the network, actively directing it along the most efficient lowest latency routes. By using Edge SD-WAN, Thule Group should be enabled to optimise data flows to and from applications hosted in the cloud, improving per formance for users. The platform will also help Thule Group reduce costs, increase flexibility and bolster compliance with the in-built security capabilities native to Interoute Edge.

Interoute interoute.com

12 | February 2018

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THE KNOWLEDGE NETWORK

From banking to transport, many industries are increasingly taking advantage of remote connectivity

Remote possibilities How will remote access technology transform the workforce in 2018? Adam Byrne, COO at software company RealVNC, outlines how remote access technology will be deployed in new and unusual ways.

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s the digital economy blurs the boundaries between industries, companies, suppliers, employees and customers we will witness remote access technology being widened to include a number of new applications over 2018.

Bank managers may soon ‘remote into’ cashpoints to oversee and guide transactions in realtime, while cable firms will access home devices to deliver connected customer service direct to the living room. Workers will increasingly be able to remotely log in to an array of other devices to work with any other division or department,

14 | February 2018

dissolving the traditional boundaries that hamper crosssector oversight, enforcement, collaboration and learning.

Central to this is extending the remote access technology once used by IT help desks into a multi-purpose enabling technology that encompasses a wider array of applications, from real-time maintenance and monitoring to customer support and remote ‘virtual’ training.

The trend is being driven by the growing automation of services such as retail banking and education, the digitisation of business systems and processes and the breaking down of traditional

silos between businesses, customers and suppliers.

Organisations are empowered to automate traditional transactions and digitise key functions when they can allow trainees, consumers or employees to be remotely ‘present’ in any other location, department or organisation.

Organisations will increasingly integrate remote access capabilities directly into their own products, personalising the services they need for their employees and customers. Remote access is a strategic technology that will facilitate our new connected economy, a universal resource for sharing all forms of

THE KNOWLEDGE NETWORK digital data between a vast galaxy of Internet of Things (IOT) devices.

The effect of all of this will be to transform network and IT managers into technology strategists, by implementing connected technology for the benefit of every department across the entire organisation.

Below are three examples of the role that remote access will play in transforming everything from business training to retail banking and healthcare over the coming year.

Connected cashpoints Remote access technology has significant applications across the banking sector. Online banking has dramatically overtaken branch visits as the most popular method of transaction and three quarters of global banks are now set to close branches. In the pursuit of app-happy millennials they risk losing their wealthiest clientele, older customers who value human interaction and personal customer service. However, tried-and-tested technology traditionally used by IT help desks, will now enable banks to share screen data from a cashpoint with offsite bank staff or technicians and send remote commands or audio and visual instructions from a Tablet or desktop in any location.

Banks can now use remote access technology to ensure the cashpoint replicates a bank branch, by allowing bank managers to ‘remote in’ and give customers live, 24-hour customer support or fix technical problems.

Banks will be able to embed remote access capabilities ‘under the hood’ of their ATM estate so that they can include distinctive features such as second-screen or conferencing facilities. They may, for example, include splitscreen features to offer real-time video, audio and text guidance for customers at the ATM. This will enable ATMs to be monitored, maintained and upgraded by technicians and software developers without costly and potentially risky site visits and enable customers to get human interaction and ser vice outside bank branches. Crucially, the technology will allow financial institutions and ATM operators

Data-driven healthcare

to future-proof their entire ATM estate by allowing a single exper t to remotely add new upgrades to thousands of cashpoints from any location.

Enterprise-wide remote access As the digital economy relentlessly pulls down the barriers between industries, sectors, people and places, remote access technology will increasingly be deployed by network managers as a new way to bring workforces together across multiple locations, sectors and industries through a new kind of interconnectivity.

Re m ote a cc e ss te c h n o l o g y wil l b e u s e d to en a b l e i n h o u s e a p p d eve l o p e r s to t ra i n co l l e a gu e s in d is ta nt of f i c e s o n new s of t wa re o r a l l ow t ra i n e e s to re m ote in to ove r se a s t ra i n i n g s e r ve r s f ro m iPad s.

The legal department can remotely access accounts retrievable and thousands of employees across divisions could remote in to ‘smartboards’ or screens to remotely participate in design. Taxis with phonecar connectivity will even allow employees to remote in to office PCs from backseat screens. Other companies will bring connected customer service into consumer homes by enabling staff to remote in to TV set-top boxes to resolve technical issues or queries, and deliver home customer support from a central support centre or a roaming agent.

We could even see remote access technology mixed with Virtual Reality to create immersive industrial design. Microsoft HoloLens is already being used

by Ford to design cars and by Japan Airlines to train engineers.

Connected VR headsets with built-in remote access technology could allow an engineer in one location to remote in to another engineer’s headset, get a birdseye view of the design studio and the 3D model and remotely edit the design or give audio or visual instructions. The same technology could be used to train offsite engineers, sketch artists or creative designers. Trainee from pilots to IT professionals could even remote in to a high performance data centres to receive offsite training.

“Remote access technology has significant applications across the banking sector.”

The coming integration of health and social care will depend the sharing of live care information between connected medical equipment, and fully interoperable IT systems across hospitals, ambulances and care institutions. Hospitals are already putting this in place as part of NHS Digital’s “integrated care programme” creating standard inter faces across all IT systems and devices. The vision is to use digital interconnectivity to create a responsive, adaptable health and social care ecosystem bound together by a thread of live data from a medical Internet of Things network.

Calderstone NHS Trust is already using remote access software to enable technicians to remotely manage hospital IT systems from any location, dramatically increasing uptime while minimising site visits and maintenance bills. Fujifilm has similarly created an integrated support system enabling medical imaging equipment to be remotely monitored and fixed from thousands of miles away across vets, clinics, chiropractors and even cruise liners.

This improves operational efficiency and reduces downtime on critical hardware, ultimately contributing to improved patient care.

The technology is currently used to allow technicians to remotely monitor, manage and fix MRI scanners, x-rays and other medical equipment. However, the technology can be adapted for wider purposes, such as allowing trainee surgeons to log into an operating theatre to get a birds-eye view of medical equipment and surgery. Junior doctors or first-responders could remote in to medical devices or X-rays to get offsite training.

In the future, this same technology will facilitate the sharing text, visual and audio data between any devices, creating a medical Internet of Things that can share a wide range of information in real-time.

The key across all organisations and enterprises will be the deployment of remote access technology to facilitate the unprecedented sharing of expertise across sectors and organisations.

RealVNC www.realvnc.com, 0800 888 6410

February 2018 | 15

THE KNOWLEDGE NETWORK

Why security should be the top criteria in your SD-WAN selection process Nicolas Capitoni, director of southern Europe at Masergy, explains why organisations should be considering security as a top priority when it comes to choosing an SD-WAN provider.

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yber security remains a hot topic with nearly every IT and business leader that I speak with. In particular, there seems to be much more of a focus on network security.

In fact, enterprises thinking about their connectivity challenges over the next year put security among their top three concerns, according to a new IDG Enterprise survey of IT executives. Many respondents to the survey are now looking to SD-WAN to deal with these issues – almost half in fact.

Among the various reasons that IT leaders see value here is that SD-WAN facilitates the normally difficult task of WAN segmentation, helping businesses deal with issues such as security threats from within. However, they want to be sure that moving from a traditional WAN architecture to one that is software-defined improves security, especially in an environment where they need the business agility to get remote sites up and running quickly.

Bu t, how ca n yo u inc re a s e WA N flexibil ity a nd a gil it y w i t hou t increa s ing the p o s s ib il it y of data brea ches a n d ot h e r sec u r i ty pro blems ?

Security Intelligence touts SD-WAN to be the starting point of zero-trust network models.

And, TechTarget has discussed the introduction of first-line-ofdefense capabilities, such as integrated online application and website whitelists in SD-WAN solutions for branch offices that may not have local firewalls.

It is critical for security to be at the top of SD-WAN priorities, given that the technology paves the way for critical business

16 | February 2018

applications and processes.

Bundling security services or integrating with security vendor solutions is no longer an option, but a requirement.

Features your business should expect to leverage to protect it from the increased vulnerabilities that more direct internet access brings should include single onpremise,virtual client devices, or bookend devices that can handily and cost effectively serve multiple security functions, including embedded firewalls for secure internet offloads and automatic encrypted tunnelling to secure data across the internet.

You should also expect to have the capability to centrally drive policies and configurations to reduce complexity and ease management of all the business’

critical security requirements.

Centralised orchestration is a path to chaining WAN security ser vices like firewalls and routers across locations around the globe, for example.

Continuous and consistent monitoring Another aspect related to security is resiliency and redundancy which is why many businesses are turning to fully-managed services to mitigate the risks of deploying and operating new SDWAN technology, with continuous monitoring and maintenance as part of the solution. According to Frost & Sullivan, nearly one-third of companies would prefer to buy a managed SD-WAN solution from a Managed Services Provider [MSP].

THE KNOWLEDGE NETWORK

And again, I can’t repeat enough the value of looking to fully managed SD-WAN solutions to avoid the struggles of DIY implementations. This way, deployment is quick; time consuming administrative functions are removed from IT staffers’ hands and risks are minimised.

SD-WAN solutions, whether managed or not, can improve your overall security but not at the expense of advanced security solutions. Your managed SD-WAN solution should be able to provide intelligence to existing security technologies and, equally, your security solution should be able to have full visibility of your network, enabling you to add context to security events by synthesising historical and realtime network metadata.

New, agile networks “SD-WAN can make operating your network more efficient than ever before.”

SD-WAN can make operating your network more efficient than ever before with real-time analytics, and when equipped with application-based routing, it provides IT organisations greater control over quality of service. Ideally, any SD-WAN incarnation will include zero-touch provisioning, policy-based routing, centralised orchestration, WAN optimisation, active-active circuits and connectivity to cloud partners as core features.

New SD-WAN services give businesses many new managed service options to create agile networks. It is our way of thinking that businesses should seek service providers that deliver an integrated, comprehensive suite of hybrid network solutions

to achieve optimal price and performance.

Further evidence that SDWAN sellers and vendors, VARs or service providers need to be at the top of their games when it comes to security is that it’s the top factor in buyers’ minds as they consider from whom to source their solutions. Fifty per cent of survey respondents rank it as critical in their determinations.

To reinforce this mentality, fifty per cent of survey respondents rank security as ‘critical’ in their determinations. Street cred counts, with the survey revealing that most organisations prefer to use an established vendor when purchasing SD-WAN technology.

Masergy 0207 173 6900 www.masergy.com

February 2018 | 17

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THE KNOWLEDGE NETWORK

Texas A&M´s Kyle Field stadium

Leading the game The game really is only as good as the stadium in which it’s played… Cemil Canturk, Nokia APOLAN marketing committee member, explains why employing Passive Optical LAN (POL) is the new optical backbone for stadiums and why it is future-proof.

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ecently, the Association for Passive Optical LAN (APOLAN) hosted a webinar focusing on gaining value with converged networking over POL. Featuring representatives from VT Group, Dasan Zhone Solutions and IBM – Sports and Connective Venue Practice, the content of the webinar included overviews on a Converged Passive Optical LAN network, and the components and technology details involved in deploying such a network. As well as this, the webinar homed in on the real-world applications of Converged Passive Optical LAN networks – specifically addressing why it is important in sporting venues.

20 | February 2018

In today’s society where everything is desired at the touch of a button, or in this case, a tap on a smartphone, desirable locations and places such as stadiums simply cannot afford to be disconnected. Sports fans are just the tip of the iceberg in demanding seamless connectivity, anywhere in the stadium. The desire to share experiences through sharing videos and images has become somewhat a necessity.

Therefore, in order to continue to attract fans, sports stadiums must appeal to this ideal, offering real-time entertainment whether that be via large HD flat screens or other means. Stadium owners are constantly aspiring to drive fan loyalty further. In the hope

of generating new revenues, the prospect of personalised services has sparked a lot of attention.

Such abilities as being able to offer fans the possibility to buy food and beverages by using a mobile app, and have it delivered to their seats will add to the appeal of ‘going to a game’. But there are also other critical issues stadiums must consider, primarily safety and security. A fast access to security cameras and sensors to react instantly to any incident, real-time staff or object tracking and protection of valuable property is essential.

With a demand on stadium owners to provide an infallible infrastructure to meet these expectations, whilst also,

THE KNOWLEDGE NETWORK operating separate, unrelated and difficult to manage systems – for voice, video, IPTV, HD cameras, access control, security, WiFi, etc. – it is inefficient and expensive. As a result, a more efficient networking backbone is required to support such a great number of connected devices, host of applications and high capacity, whilst minimising complexity, all at a lower cost.

An optical backbone that saves money…

Passive Optical LAN (POL) can be considered an optical backbone; it saves money, delivers all new and high-bandwidth applications like Wi-Fi, HD flat screens, computers in network operation centres, etc., and what’s more, it’s future-proof.

POL is highly flexible, scalable and, it converges a wide range of voice, data and video applications onto a single network.

It is designed to use a simple and centralised architecture, eliminating multiple distribution layers typical of traditional LANs. The network can process the continuously increasing volume of data and information that must be managed quickly and efficiently during any sports event.

As a result of its unique architecture and capabilities, POL delivers significant CAPEX savings. In addition, the entire network can be easily managed from one point offering OPEX savings in the ongoing network operations of the stadium.

Another benefit of the POL solution is cabling – primarily its space saving abilities. As fibreoptic cabling, the fibre is naturally thinner and lighter than copper; this small form factor frees up space in walls and ceilings. POL also supports sustainable growth on the same fibre infrastructure without costly upgrades.

The best stadium network Though Texas A&M University’s Kyle Field stadium renovation was star ted with copperbased networks as the original plan, the school deployed the stadium network with a single optical infrastructure for WiFi, Distributed Antenna System (DAS) and IPTV networks.

The optical network cost is considerably less than a comparable copper-based deployment and, what’s more, it delivers much higher performance, huge capacity and is future-proof against the perpetual need for increasing bandwidth. In addition, POL’s unique architecture will allow Texas A&M Kyle Field to target upgrades to only those devices needing higher bandwidth; resulting in significant cost savings over the traditional ‘rip-and-replace’.

Soon after the inauguration, Kyle Field’s Wi-Fi network performance, with POL as the network infrastructure to backhaul the Wi-Fi traffic, was unequalled by any other large public venues in terms of raw speed and the ability to deliver bandwidth.

The passive optical network consistently conveys more than 6TB of Wi-Fi traffic on the stadium per game.

Fully fledged fibre stadium The Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA, uses a single converged shared fibre infrastructure to provide all network services, be that POL, DAS and Broadcast. The stadium uses a future-proof and flexible design with no dependency on any CATx copper cabling. Every endpoint is directly connected with fibre.

With new devices and technologies requiring ever increasing bandwidth GPON will not be sufficient, meaning an upgrade to next generation PON will be required. If, and when,

the stadium will introduce a new product, for example an 8K Ultra HD Television, only the specific ONT serving that end device will need to be upgraded. Lowbandwidth devices such as door locks can operate for many years on the current GPON technology.

D i f fe re nt ge n e rat i o n s of P O N te c h n o l o g y c a n b e co m b i n e d o n a si n g l e f i b re se r v i n g o l d a n d n ew te c h n o l o g i e s s i m u l ta n e o u s l y .

T h e re i s n o n e e d to c h a n ge t h e f i b re c a b l i n g i n f ra s t r u ct u re w h i c h re d u c e s C A P E X a n d u p g ra d e t i m e s i g n i f i c a nt l y .

Another advantage is that DAS leverages (co-exist) the same SMF infrastructure which contributes to further CAPEX reduction.

Passive Optical LAN could, quite possibly be a backbone solution for every modern stadium’s network. It delivers a future-proof, high-capacity and cost-efficient always-on infrastructure that has been described as a ‘musthave’ requirement to keep fans coming back, create more business opportunities and improve security.

Mercedes-Benz stadium in Atlanta, GA

More information: APOLAN apolanglobal.org

Space savings with fibre optic cabling

February 2018 | 21

PROJECT FOCUS

5G takes gold at the Winter Olympics The 5GCHAMPION consortium, which includes 21 universities, research institutes and companies from Europe and South Korea, have developed a fully integrated intercontinental 5G network proof of concept and deployed it the PyeongChang Olympic host city, Gangneung, a full two years ahead of the official launch of 5G networks.

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eti, a research institute of CEA Tech, led the project demonstrating the world’s first 5G platform during the 2018 Winter Games.

The project’s other 21 participants came from across the EU and South Korea and were supported by the European Commission and the Korean Ministry of Science and ICT.

22 | February 2018

The project delivered a fully integrated intercontinental 5G network proof of concept that was deployed at the PyeongChang Olympic host city.

Visitors on Yulgok Street, also called IoT Street, have been able to experience the network while riding the 5GCHAMPION bus between event venues in Gangneung’s main area. Wearing

PROJECT FOCUS

Electronic beamtype transmitter array antenna in an anechoic chamber at Leti to characterize and develop 5G highspeed wireless link systems

Backhaul highspeed point-topoint link station developed by Nokia and the University of Oulu’s CWC laboratory as part of the 5GCHAMPION project

vir tual-reality glasses, they can ‘visit’ almost instantaneously and in 3D a site in Oulu, Finland, via a 5G intercontinental connection developed by the project teams.

The data-transfer speed on this proposed 5G mobile network is 2.5 Gbps.

T h e p ro j e ct te a m a l s o i nve s t i gate d n ew 5 G wavefo r m s fo r s ate l l i te c o m m u n i c at i o n a n d a l g o r i t h m s to e n a b l e 5 G ‘ w h i l e o n t h e g o ’ a n d t rave l i n g at u p to 5 0 0 k m / h , s u c h a s o n h i g h s p e e d t ra i n s .

EU-Korean Symposium on 5G Networks on Feb. 23 The EU and Korean partners also sponsored a symposium, ‘From 5G Challenge to 5GCHAMPION Trials at the IoT Street near the Winter Olympic Venue’, in Seoul on Feb 23. Leading corporations from Europe and South Korea, including Nokia, Orange Japan, Thales Alenia Space, KT, SKT and

access, will be seamlessly combined with disruptive satellite communication,” says Emilio Calvanese Strinati, innovation and scientific director at Leti, and coordinator of the 5GCHAMPION project. “This technology will form a 5G network with multiradio-access technologies (multi-RAT) that is optimised to serve user equipment in various applications.”

5GCHAMPION is an Horizon 2020 project financed by the European Commission and the Institute for Information and communication Technology Promotion (IITP) in Korea.

Leti leti-cea.com

Samsung, joined international institutes, such as ETRI and Leti, for presentations. Supported by the Korean Institute of ICT Promotion and the Ministry of Science and ICT, as well as the French and Finnish embassies in Korea, this event presented participants’ outlooks on how 5G technology will shape the future of communication, industry and society, and the value of crossborder collaborations.

5GCHAMPION, coordinated

by Leti and ETRI, has eight European and 13 Korean partners.

The project developed a new architecture that provides an efficient end-to-end system performance encompassing cutting-edge 5G radio-access, a core network and satellite technologies.

“This proof of concept is the first time that state-ofthe-art terrestrial wireless communication, including future key enablers such as mmWave

February 2018 | 23

TOOLS & MEASUREMENT

The ‘Past. Present. Future’ campaign allows exisiting customers to trade in their old network testers for credit towards a new and improved unit.

Past, present and future Mayflex divulges into the benefits of Fluke Networks old for new campaign.

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xpanding on its promise to ensure installations are made easier and more accurate, Mayflex has extended its range of testing equipment from Fluke Networks. The dedicated provider of network test and monitoring solutions, Fluke, acknowledges that its product range sets to increase speed of deployment and improve the performance of networks and applications. Thus ensuring that any installation is able to face today’s toughest technological issues and emerging challenges.

In order to keep abrest of ever evolving issues, Fluke Networks’ introduced a ‘Past. Present. Future’ campaign, by which existing customers can trade in their old network testers for credit towards a new and improved unit. As of February 2018, Mayflex will also be a part of this scheme, and, by upgrading to Versiv the improved performance will save users time and money on every installation.

The company say this scheme, coupled with trade deals for existing Gold customers, is an unbeatable combination, giving customers the

24 | February 2018

“The scheme, coupled with trade deals for existing Gold customers, is an unbeatable combination.”

chance to earn cash back of up to £5,190 if the trade-in occours before March 31, 2018.

As part of the Versiv cabling certification product family, the maker acknowledges that the DSX CableAnalyzer Series provides accurate, error-free certification. Fluke Networks say that in the installation business there are multiple teams, varying media types and multiple testing requirements. The difference between being profitable or not is just a few percentage points.

The DSX certifies copper cabling and complies with all standards including Level VI/2G accuracy, which is said to make jobs easier to manage and getting to system acceptance faster. Looking at the target market, the company say it’s not just for the expert technicians and project managers; individuals of various skill levels can improve the set-up, operation, test reporting, and simultaneously manage diverse projects.

Empahsising its dedication to the industry, Mayflex say it will be running the promotion until June 30, 2018, by which point, long-term

service and calibration for the DTX Series of units will cease. Ensuring that you have all the information on the promotion, Mayflex have included a wealth of information on its website; detaling all the ‘must-knows’ on how to capitalise on the offer.

In line with this trade-in promotion, Mayflex has also announced a new suppor t ser vices offering. This sevice means that Mayflex’s Fluke Suppor t team are on hand to help customers with a range of ser vices relating to any Fluke Networks’ devices. Mayflex say it is providing this ser vice to all customers who purchase a Fluke Networks unit with Gold suppor t through them, and whats more, its free of charge. All of the Fluke products purchased with Fluke Gold Suppor t are covered by the ser vice. Mayflex now also offer customers the option of spreading the cost of their Fluke tester units across a specified number of years; which provides a cashflow advantage.

Mayflex mayflex.com

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TOOLS & MEASUREMENT

Timing issues in mobile backhaul networks Global mobile data traffic is continuously on the rise, and with that comes numerous issues for mobile operators to overcome. Juergen Rummelsberger, test and measurement specialist, Anritsu Europe, explains how the industry is responding to this challenge.

G

lobal mobile data traffic is continuously increasing, and mobile operators are facing many challenges when implementing network convergence. One key issue being the synchronisation of base stations. For GSM and UMTS-FDD systems, frequency synchronisation accuracy is required, and, to date, this has been ensured by the use of timedivision multiplexing (TDM), which has frequency timing. However, things are changing with the advent of UMTS-TDD and LTETDD technology, which demands phase synchronisation as well as frequency synchronisation.

Table 1. Phase and Frequency accuracy requirements

Table 2. Synchronisation technologies

Phase/time synchronisation

Fig. 1 (a) Frequency synchronisation

Fig. 1 (b) Phase/Time Synchronisation (the two clocks are aligned in Phase/Frequency and ToD; Time of Day)

26 | February 2018

Base stations in 2G/3G networks have traditionally recovered the clock signal from the E1 TDM backhaul connection to fulfil the frequency accuracy requirements.

To support this process, a centralised primary reference clock (PRC), in conjunction with TDM E1 backhaul links, or a distributed PRC using a GPS (Global Positioning System), have been the technologies used to synchronise base stations.

As the bandwidth in a mobile backhaul system between the radio equipment and the core networks increases, the legacy TDM systems are being replaced.

In addition, the need to carry various new services means that the flexibility of the networks needs to be enhanced.

At the same time, and despite the increase in data traffic, carriers are under pressure to reduce the operational costs of their networks. Unfortunately, the migration to an Ethernet based backhaul network is limited by the asynchronous behaviour of the earlier generation of packetswitched networks, which are not designed to handle complex timing and synchronisation issues – hence a new challenge for frequency and phase synchronisation emerges (Fig.1).

TOOLS & MEASUREMENT SyncE and PTP Mobile operators are now implementing cell sites with SyncE (Synchronous Ethernet; G.8261, G.8262 and G.8264) and IEEE1588v2 PTP (Precision Time Protocol) in conjunction with GPS (GNSS; Global Navigation Satellite System) to achieve this synchronisation (Tables 1 and 2).

SyncE frequency synchronisation is achieved through the physical layer (Fig.2).

The transmitted signals are synchronised directly or indirectly with a precise clock source in the network. SyncE can distribute frequency, but it cannot be used to distribute time-of-day (ToD) information. In addition, SyncE must be supported equally by every element of the synchronous Ethernet network. This means that SyncE can only be deployed in legacy Ethernet networks if all the interfaces and physical hardware have been upgraded. This might limit the scope for its deployment across networks owned by different operators.

For a SyncE architecture (Fig.3) the internal clock of the Ethernet card is replaced by a phaselocked loop to supply the Ethernet physical layer.

Precision Time Protocol (PTP) relies on a distribution method where the timing information is included in event messages between master and slave(s) for precise time and frequency over existing packet networks.

In order to recover the clock, the slave has to compensate for the propagation delay of the network and offset (Fig.4).

Fig.4. Exchange of messages

Tick Tock “The need to carry various new services means that the flexibility of the networks needs to be enhanced.�

Fig. 2 SyncE synchronisation network

Fig. 3 SyncE in a Mobile Network

Essentially, there are three types of clock are associated with PTP: grandmaster; boundary clock; and transparent clock.

G randmaster: The grandmaster clock (T-GM) is synchronised via GNSS (GPS) and distributes its timing to BBU via PTP protocol through the Ethernet network. The internal master time is available via a 1 pulse per second (PPS) and time of day (ToD) interface.

A clock distribution network is also constructed in the mobile backhaul network (physically or logically or both). This phase/ time synchronisation is based on G.8275.1. In a PTP network the grandmaster clocks are deployed at the edge of the MBH core network.

B oundary clock: A boundary clock (T-BC) can be considered as a master clock with its timing reference being derived from its slave port using PTP packet exchanges with an upstream master (either a grandmaster or boundary clock). The PTP slave terminates the PTP traffic from the PTP grandmaster and

synchronises its local clock to the grandmaster. This local clock is used to act as a new PTP master. Furthermore, a boundary clock provides a 1 PPS signal that corresponds to the performance of the slave side.

T ransparent clock: The transparent clock (T-TC) provides on-path suppor t for packet-based timing transfer based on PTP (IEEE 1588) and is achieved by adjusting the correction field by an amount equal to the residence time.

For this purpose, the time of packet arrival and packet depar ture is measured and the difference (residence time) is added to a correction field in the packet header. The value of the correction field represents the total delay in each of the switches along the route.

Testing PTP networks Testing the time/phase behaviour of the clocks requires the time error (TE) to be determined by either PTP time-stamp measurement (defined in ITU-T

February 2018 | 27

TOOLS & MEASUREMENT G.8273) or 1 PPS signal phase measurement (Figs. 5a and 5b).

To secure interoperability between different vendors, the emulation of both master and slave clocks is advisable to check the PTP network configuration.

For a proper TE measurement, an appropriate reference is required to ensure reliable synchronisation testing, verification and troubleshooting.

This can be provided by a portable GPS controlled rubidium oscillator.

When performing field measurements, a GPS signal may not always be available – when inside a building, for example. It is therefore essential to have enough usable holdover time (the period after the GPS signal is lost and the point where synchronisation can be maintained).

Fig 5 (b), 1 PPS test

TE with packet method For this method, the tester emulates the master and slave.

The UTC reference is obtained from the GPS to measure the difference between the timing of PTP message reception and the time stamp inside the message (T1 and T4), observed as one-way delay (OWD). As mentioned before a T-TC measures the residence time (the time taken for a signal to pass through the switch) and adds it into the correction field of the PTP header. This function can be evaluated by measuring the one-way delay.

The Sync and follow-up message corresponds to the delay between master and slave and the delay request between slave and master. The correction field in the PTP header is taken into account for this calculation.

Table 3. Need to know parameters

Before these tests are carried out, the length of the fibre from the master and to the slave needs to be calibrated. The determined delay and the internal offset of the tester can be compensated for by inserting this value in the cable length correction. Afterwards the device under test will be connected to the tester and the average value – which should be equivalent to the correction value – can be displayed.

The same procedure can be used for T-TC. In addition, the tester should be able to emulate two masters at the same time to test protocol functionalities such as BMCA (best master clock algorithm). Packet TE (Time error) represents the time difference calculated from timestamps in IEEE1588.2 messages. The following

parameters are important and requiring attention (see table 3)

TE with 1PPS method As indicated, the 1PPS output from a T-BC reflects the per formance of the slave side and can be used to monitor the internal time. The principle of the measurement is to compare the 1PPS output of the device under test against a reference to determine the phase error deviation. In this case, the max |TE| (absolute Time Error), cTE (constant Time Error; analogous to DC component) and dTE (dynamic Time Error; analogous to AC component) are measured and serve as an indicator for phase/ time synchronisation.

Anristu Europe, anritsu.com

cTE1: Mean value of TE1 cTE1 = −1 × (avg. Sync OWD) + ms; cTE4: Mean value of TE4 cTE4 = (avg. Delay_Request OWD) − sm; ms = sm = Ethernet cable delay (MasterSlave, SlaveMaster) Max|TE1|: Absolute maximum value of TE1 Max|TE1| = Greater absolute value of (−1 × (max. Sync OWD) + ms) and (−1 × (min. Sync) OWD + ms) Max|TE4|: Absolute maximum value of TE4 Max|TE4| = Greater absolute value of (max. Delay_Request OWD − sm) and (min. Delay_Request OWD − sm)

Fig.5 (a), T-BC device test

28 | February 2018

Terr: Time error between DUT and the Tester Terr = cTE1 + cTE4 = (avg. Delay_Request OWD) − (avg. Sync OWD) 2

NEXT ISSUE

Switches & Routers

Next time‌

Data Centres

Industry Focus:

In addition to its regular range of features and news items, the February issue of Network Communications News will contain special features will be on switches & routers and data centres, along with a cable management & labelling industry focus.

They will comprise major articles and comprehensive product round ups which will be used as a reference point by network cabling infrastructure installers, integrators and end users.

To make sure you don’t miss the oppor tunity to adver tise your products to this exclusive readership, call Ian on 01634 673163 or email ian@allthingsmedialtd.com

Network Communications News

Cable Management & Labelling February 2018 | 29

TOOLS & MEASUREMENT

Do good things come in small packages?

In order to do their job effectively, network engineers need to understand more than just why and how VoIP is different. Dan Payerle Barrera, global product manager – data cable testers, IDEAL Networks, explains the importance of selecting the right tools to evaluate network conditions and identify sources of poor VoIP quality.

W

ith increased flexibility, features and a competitive cost, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone systems offer many benefits and are an increasingly common par t of commercial network installations.

However, VoIP is not without its issues. While it can be easily integrated into virtually any LAN, network performance problems can still occur, resulting in delays and interruptions in speech. This impacts quality and negatively affects user experience.

An added complexity is that Ethernet networks handle VoIP traffic differently than typical data so technicians may not know how to troubleshoot issues effectively.

Large vs small Ethernet allows for many different packet sizes but the standard size for Ethernet data packets is 1,518 bytes. Maximum efficiency is achieved when large packets like this are used instead of small packets, because fewer total packets are transmitted to carry a given amount of payload – just like how a single bus is a more effective way of transporting 30 people compared to six cars.

Fewer packets on the network also results in less workload on the switches and routers which must process each packet.

T h e E t h e r n et p roto c o l d ete ct s w h e n a n et wo r k e r ro r o c c u r s

30 | February 2018

“VoIP is not without its issues.

While it can be easily integrated into virtually any LAN, network performance problems can still occur, resulting in delays and interruptions in speech.”

TOOLS & MEASUREMENT t h at re s u l t s i n a l o s t p a c ket , a l l ow i n g t h e p a c ket to b e re s e nt a n d t h e f u l l m e s s a ge to b e t ra n s m i t te d . T h e d ev i c e o n t h e re c e i v i n g e n d c o l l e ct s t h e l ate p a c ket s a n d c o m p l ete s t h e m e s s a ge . H oweve r, t h i s d o e s n ot wo r k i n t i m e s e n s i t i ve s c e n a r i o s , s u c h a s ta l k i n g o n t h e p h o n e w h e re eve n a s m a l l d e l a y i s n ot i c e a b l e to t h e c a l l e r.

Therefore, VoIP protocols do not use large packets and instead use 64 byte packets.

When speech is broken up into small packets, each carries just a fraction of a syllable of speech so even if a packet is dropped by the network, disruption is minimal. Although this makes the network less efficient, speech quality is maximised – if the conversation was in large packets, one dropped packet may result in entire words being lost, making conversation impossible.

Measuring performance So, how does this change how network issues are diagnosed?

Packet loss is the percentage of the total packets that are lost, or discarded, by the network and this is one very important factor when working on VoIP networks.

Network switches and routers discard packets when the incoming buffer is full due to congestion on the outbound side, which prevents packets from being forwarded to the next ‘hop’ on their way to the destination.

Acceptable packet loss depends on many factors, although 3% or less is generally considered good.

To establish packet loss, a transmission tester which sends a stream of packets between two locations and measures the loss rate should be used.

However, when measuring VoIP it is important to ensure that the packet size is set as 64 byte in order to accurately measure or demonstrate performance. Some testers also offer a VoIP pre-set that can be used to make this process even easier.

Delay is the time required for a packet to cross the network and needs to be minimised to ensure the best VoIP phone user experience. An acceptable delay time for VoIP is 200ms (milliseconds) or less.

Delays are commonly increased by the number of switches and routers between the users on the call. LAN and WAN congestion leads to routers searching for alternate paths between locations often resulting in additional hops, and each hop adds delay.

To establish the minimum, maximum and average delay, a simple PING test can be used.

However, like when measuring packet loss, it’s important to change the default settings on the tester as these do not account for the way that Ethernet manages VoIP differently. Installers and technicians should adjust the PING settings to a 64 byte packet size, a 1,000 packet count, and a 10ms interval between tests. This provides a 10 second test with 100 packets/second that provides more realistic measurements of network delay.

Jitter is the difference in delay time between packets and should be reduced as much as possible to ensure speech sounds smooth and fluent. The less jitter, the more consistent the stream of packets is, and the smoother speech sounds.

Often, VoIP equipment incorporates a particular buffer to accommodate some amount of jitter, but with less jitter and a more consistent stream of packets, resulting sound quality is always improved. Jitter must be measured with dedicated network testers that use the right type of hardware, as computers and mobile devices are prone to delivering inaccurate results for this type of test.

Installers and technicians should aim to ensure jitter of 30ms or less between packets – where jitter exceeds 35ms voice quality is significantly reduced. Although peaks and troughs will likely be observed during testing, what is important is to achieve an average within the acceptable range.

The Ethernet protocol detects when a network error occurs that results in a lost packet, allowing the packet to be resent and the full message to be transmitted.

Troubleshooting tools Delays, interruptions, crackles and pops on the line are all quality metrics that are measured when testing VoIP quality of service (QoS) statistics. Packet loss, delay and jitter can all be partly responsible for these user issues, so are essential factors in measuring the rated quality of a VoIP conversation.

I t ’ s t h e re fo re v i ta l fo r n et wo r k e n g i n e e r s to n ot o n l y u n d e r s ta n d w h y a n d h ow Vo I P i s d i f fe re nt , b u t a l s o s e l e ct t h e r i g h t to o l s to eva l u ate n et wo r k c o n d i t i o n s a n d i d e nt i f y s o u rc e s o f p o o r Vo I P q u a l i t y .

IDEAL Networks, idealnetworks.net

February 2018 | 31

INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS

Ethernet cable and the traditional RJ45 connector power next gen PoE computers

PoE Computing: Top questions answered Valerie Maguire, director of standards & technology at connectivity manufacturer Siemon, answers the most common questions that come up regarding the opportunities and capabilities that PoE-enabled desktop computing solutions can offer to smart buildings.

T

he industry is well aware of the tremendous advantages that remote powering technology, such as Power over Ethernet (PoE), brings to intelligent buildings - with PoE lighting dominating recent discussions. IP convergence is the mantra of the digital building

32 | February 2018

and, as 60W and 90W power delivery systems increase in prevalence, PoE computing becomes the logical next component in the digital building ecosystem. Cost-effective PoEenabled desktop computers and thin clients will enable smar t building environments to be safer and more mobile, flexible, and energy efficient than ever.

What is the difference between PoE computing and traditional computing?

PoE computing refers to any highly efficient thin client, desktop, or large mobile device that can be powered over the same standard Ethernet cables and traditional RJ45 connectors used to support data connections.

The advantage of PoE computing

INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS is that 230 V/50 Hz electrical mains connections are simply not required to power these devices.

How much power is needed to support a PoE desktop computer?

Siemon is looking to the future of truly integrated, intelligent and energy efficient buildings

Today’s PoE-enabled desktop computers are commonly paired with Cisco UPOE switches, which deliver 60W of power using a protocol that is closely aligned with the nearly-finalised IEEE 802.3bt Type 3 PoE amendment. Large 24in and high-definition (HD) screens and powerful x86 processors are easily supported with 60W.

What are the benefits of PoE computing?

Smar t building owners will appreciate the mobility PoE computing solutions offer when devices need to be moved, added, changed or upgraded to accommodate growth and changing work area dynamics.

Since deployment of electrical mains cabling is not required, new PoE computers can be installed in hours instead of days or weeks. In addition, PoE computing devices can be configured with the same UPS systems that provide backup power to the PoE switch to ensure operation in the event of a power outage.

Is PoE computing ‘greener’ than traditional computing?

PoE computers are among the most energy efficient computers in the world; they consume less than half the power of an equivalent desktop computer on average. In addition, using PoE to power devices results in the elimination of electrical cabling materials, which is less wasteful and reduces clutter at the work area.

Are special credentials required to deploy PoE computing devices?

PoE is a safety extra low-voltage (SELV) application, which makes it inherently safe to deploy and use in all smart building environments.

Since PoE computing is an extension of the existing IT network service, no new training or credentials are required for cabling installers and technicians to run cabling to

“Costeffective PoE-enabled desktop computers and thin clients will enable smart building environments to be safer and more mobile, flexible, and energy efficient than ever.”

support PoE computing devices.

PoE computing solutions can help reduce costs by eliminating the need for expensive electrical outlet connections, electrical wiring, permits, and specially certified or licensed contractors.

What grade of cabling is recommended?

The cabling infrastructure to which PoE computing devices are connected should be capable of supporting both 10GBASE-T and up to 100W remote powering applications in dense pathway and bundled configurations. Specifically, the transmission performance of the cabling at elevated temperatures should be extremely stable and the current carrying capacity should minimise the need for restrictive bundling practices and reduce or eliminate the need for channel length derating when operating in temperatures up to 60° C. In addition, connecting hardware should de designed to comply with IEC 60512-99-001 to ensure consistent and reliable contact performance when unmating PoE computing devices under load. Shielded category 6A/ class E A and category 7 A /class FA cabling systems are ideal for the support of PoE computing equipment and applications.

Does this technology exist today and who is using it?

T h i n l a b s i s o n e exa m p l e of a l e a d i n g i n d e p e n d e nt m a n u fa ct u re r of s p e c i a l i s e d l ow p owe r t h i n c l i e nt a n d d e s k to p co m p u t i n g s o l u t i o n s t h at h a s a s t ro n g p re s e n c e i n t h e U . K . G l o b a l l y , Po E co m p u t i n g s o l u t i o n s a re f i n d i n g t h e i r wa y i nto a w i d e ra n ge of s m a r t b u i l d i n g , s c h o o l a n d u n i ve r s i t y , h e a l t h c a re , m a n u fa ct u r i n g , a n d ot h e r e nv i ro n m e nt s t h at b e n ef i t f ro m t h e i r s afet y ( n o e l e ct r i c a l o u t l et re q u i re d fo r c h a rg i n g ) , m o b i l i t y , l owe re d co s t of i m p l e m e ntat i o n , re d u c e d p owe r co n s u m pt i o n , a n d co n s o l i d ate d p owe r b a c k u p a d va nta ge s .

Where do we go from here?

The availability of 90W Type 4 PoE will enable larger screens (up to at least 42in) or multiple screens and may even expand the role of PoE computing in digital signage applications.

Having the recommended cabling infrastructure in place will go a long way towards ensuring that your smart building is ready to ride the wave of PoE computing.

Siemon 01932 57 1 7 7 1, siemon.com

February 2018 | 33

INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS

What’s with all the standards?

Ed Macey-MacLeod of technology consultancy, Sterling Tech, explores some of the many different standards, detailing why and how they are useful in the context of intelligent buildings.

A

n intelligent building requires a convergence of technologies and disciplines. Solutions that have been found by one discipline may be usefully applied to another. Advice specific to one discipline should be shared by all disciplines where it is transferable and applicable. Engineers should also be aware of what those in another field are being taught about their own discipline.

Standards bodies, professional societies and trade organisations have published literature on the design and implementation of intelligent buildings. They have also produced information for other purposes that one should consider when designing an intelligent building. Some documents are best practice guides, some are standards and others are explanatory guides meant to inform.

The standards that follow are readily available to professionals in our field, however it is imperative to address why and how they are useful in the context of intelligent buildings.

34 | February 2018

It is by no means an exhaustive list, but as you will see there is much design advice available from different sectors, not one single authority. Information from the various disciplines overlaps, often usefully enriching the way a project can be approached.

addresses the infrastructure requirements of networked building services devices, discussing protocols for building services and their data exchange requirements.

It also ensures the infrastructure design conforms to European and international standards.

ANSI/BICSI-007 Design and implementation practices for intelligent buildings

BS EN ISO 16484-1 Building automation and control systems project specification and implementation

The American standard, intended for worldwide adoption, specifically covers telecommunication cabling design for intelligent buildings. The standard includes requirements and recommendations for the design of cable pathway, room layouts with examples, and grid layouts to accommodate building services devices. As well as this, it includes requirements for documentation, commissioning and management of an intelligent building. That said, it does not provide any information on producing or programming interactions among systems.

So, why is this useful? Well, the documentation comprehensively

This international standard acts as a guide to creating a project specification for a Building Automation and Control System (BACS). In summary, the documentation describes the considerations one should address for the design, installation and commissioning stages. Assisting the company’s approach, the documentation provides comprehensive descriptions of the project documentation required. But, why is this beneficial? The documentation can simply be used to define the requirements of a Building Management System

INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS Standards bodies, professional societies and trade organisations have published literature on the design and implementation of intelligent buildings

(BMS) or can be read and applied more widely to all of the systems in a building. Its requirements for documenting integrations between systems should be considered for all systems in an intelligent building.

BS EN 50173-6:2013 Information technology – generic cabling systems – part 6: distributed building services Conforming to British and European standards, this document details the requirements of a structured cabling system to support building services devices and other network devices. The advantage of this being that intelligent buildings require a network infrastructure to support the networked building services devices. This is one of three defined standards for network infrastructure, the others being BS ISO 11801 and ANSI TIA-EIA 568B. Notably though, it should be used in concert with the aforementioned ANSI/BICSI guide to intelligent buildings.

BS EN 50398-1 Alarm systems. Combined and integrated alarm systems.

General requirements Again, conforming to British and European standards, this document gives guidance on integrating alarm and nonalarm systems. The document provides useful definitions of alarm, notifications and alerts; whilst also suggesting a priority classification for alarms –which, of course, depends entirely upon on the originating system and severity of the alarm. So, what is it that makes this documentation so beneficial? When collecting all systems together in an intelligent building it has to be acknowledged that an alarm, caused by a lifesafety system, may be more important than one caused by an audio-visual device. The concepts outlined in this document can be applied to all systems in a building to categorise their alarms. This is helpful for managing systems, reducing nuisance alarms which erode confidence, and processing interactions based on events.

BSIA 210 An installer’s guide to Internet Protocol (IP) in the security industry This documentation serves to give the reader a basic understanding of IP, the components of an IP network and any special considerations that should be made when considering the use of an IP network for electronic security systems – access control, video surveillance, time and attendance, etc. It acts as a useful primer to those seeking to understand how their building systems use an IP network, though redundant for those familiar with networking.

Building automation system over IP (BAS/IP) design and implementation guide A private companies’ design guide was published by Cisco and Johnson Controls back in 2008, specifically to address the Johnson Controls Metasys building management system, and its use of an IP network.

The documentation discusses building ser vices protocols and their management over an IP network, whilst addressing active network design including switches, firewalls, broadcast domains and resilience. The guide usefully instructs the reader through the active network design required for building ser vices systems, although specific implementation methods have since been superseded.

CIBSE Guide H - building control systems This building control systems documentation delivers an introduction to control systems for environmental conditioning plant.

It predominantly concentrates on control of plant but also discusses networks and integration. Control strategies, or interactions, are HVAC biased, but the concepts are transferable; lightly touching on analytics using data derived from the system. The documentation covers control of HVAC plant using a building management system but contains concepts transferable to other building services, which can prove useful. The CIBSE Guide H also explains use of IT networks

for BMS devices, full network convergence (intelligent buildings), user management, developing interactions, commissioning and ongoing management of the BMS.

EEUMA Publication 191: Alarm systems - a guide to design, management and procurement This is a very detailed guide on how to manage alarms, alerts, notifications and other events that could otherwise distract an operator from the task at hand.

Written for those operating industrial processes in mind – such as chemical manufacture, power generation and natural resource refining – the guide contains direction on the design of alarm processing, performance optimisation and specification of alarm systems. Following this guide will allow any intelligent building platform to triage alerts, notifications and alarms so that they are dealt with productively by the platform and by the operator. Nuisance alarms on any system can degrade the operator’s confidence in the system and prevent them from seeing and reacting to important alarms. Documentations as such should be used in conjunction with BS EN 50398-1 above.

IET Code of Practice for Cyber Security in the Built Environment This short but broad guide is aimed at those who are not well as well versed in information security, and, particularly, the requirements of non-domestic buildings. IET Code of Practice for Cyber Security in the Built Environment covers information security of the building information pre-construction. It details just how much attention should be given to all of the building’s systems during and after construction. Written specifically to address information security for a construction project, its appendices helpfully detail areas specific to intelligent building designers, giving guidance as to what should be considered part of the information security posture for systems installed in the building.

Sterling Tech, www.sterling.tech

February 2018 | 35

KNOW HOW

Built to scale With monumental increases in data traffic, comes a greater focus on higher performance network architectures as well as infrastructure consolidation, explains Andreas RĂźsseler, CMO, R&M. But how integral could high density solutions be in accommodating this?

O

ver the next three years, consolidation, automation and efficiency enhancements will drive bandwidth needs to a level previously unseen. Until recently, scaling up to add bandwidth automatically implied using up more space. Today however, high density racks make it possible to optimise the use of space without having to build out or completely re-install existing infrastructure.

Solutions as such, offer a lower cost per port than existing platforms; providing a flexible upgrade path to accommodate needs for many years to come.

36 | February 2018

For systems that may have to support several consecutive generations of hardware and bandwidth standards, the traditional 72 ports per unit UHD solutions won’t cut it. High density solutions can provide a flexible upgrade path to accommodate needs for many years to come and, in many cases, offer a lower cost per port than existing platforms.

It is also possible to increase port density and improve organisation of ports and cabling. Thinking ahead, when specifying and implementing an HD solution, adhering to structured cabling standards such as TIA-942 becomes simpler; as do MACs and maintenance.

Density vs complexity Both density and complexity tend to go hand in hand. In relation to cabinets, HD connectivity can introduce all kinds of challenges.

When developing a high-density solution, a variety of factors need to be taken into account.

One approach is removing the conventional retainer from LC Duplex patch cords. Manufacturers need to overcome the limitations of traditional latching mechanisms on copper and fibre connectors with patch cords designed specifically for high-density environments.

Increased density can often result in unmanageable cabling.

Outlets may be so close together

KNOW HOW that unplugging cables becomes a challenge. This severely hinders fault-finding, moving, adding, changing and cable tracking.

Cables should have a very high fibre count, be easy to terminate and it should be possible to handle them in the same way as smaller cables. Organising trays and cable management in a way that respects fibre cables’ bend radius avoids performance limitations, damage and downtime.

Poor cable management can result in inter-symbol inter ference, damage and failure; resulting in data transmission errors, performance issues and downtime.

It is recommended that you double-check measurements and the quality of terminations; testing wherever necessary, labelling and colour coding, avoiding tight conduits and ensuring no cables or bundles resting upon others.

Higher density infrastructure requires more energy and produces more heat, so the approach to cooling must be changed. This can vary from traditional hot and cold aisles to chip cooling or liquid cooling based rear-door heat exchangers.

Racks can also be significantly heavier, and, in many cases, ‘standard’ racks and enclosures won’t be able to support the increased bulk. HD subracks and patch panels that are fully populated with cable systems and patch cords may well bend ‘regular’ racks out of shape, potentially placing a damaging strain on 19in equipment and cabling. Therefore, it is worth investing in 19in racks that are specified for the increased weight of higher density solutions.

Of course, it also wise check whether the supporting floor can cope before HD-ready racks and cabinets are installed.

As the number of connections in small spaces continues to grow, information remains key to preventing errors and faultfinding. Automated tracing and monitoring of all changes to a physical network, including switches, servers and patch panels, improves operational efficiency and facilitates passive infrastructure management. An integrated hardware and software system can automatically detect when cords are inserted or

removed. As such, the system offers functions for mapping, managing, analysing and planning cabling and cabinets. The systems may also be used to take care of asset management, planned and unplanned changes and alarms. The entire infrastructure is represented in a consistent, up to date database, offering precise, real time information on the current state and future requirements of the data centre. Cabling and connected equipment, can be documented on an ongoing basis, being monitored and administrated from a common software tool.

Accommodating data-hungry technology Preconfigured cabinets in different configurations can provide internal connectivity that is presented in the way that is most suitable for its respective application.

More importantly, they offer a larger number of connections that fit into a small space without compromising performance, airflow, flexibility and resilience. In addition to port locks, preconfigured cabinets could be supplied with the intelligent access control, using key cards, biometric verification or remotely control via IP. Systems that evolve organically from low to high density will always run into problems, limit growth and ultimately be more expensive, so planning is extremely important.

Room lay out, choice of cabinet (size and configuration), patching systems and cable management methods should all be planned with tomorrow’s requirements in mind – this way, any density increases will be less disruptive and expensive.

Modularity is key to agility and risk mitigation; modular connectivity, modular cooling and modular power will all facilitate greater operation continuity and greater availability of services.

Huge data traffic increases and new applications are driving network operators to look at higher per formance network architectures. Data-hungry technology solutions may be expanding at amazing speeds; however, the backbone can’t simply be replaced every few years. Soon, far more bandwidth will be needed than current infrastructure can provide. If

specified and employed properly, high-density solutions can play an important role in accommodating this growth.

Introducing high-density racks, cabinets and enclosures offers an opportunity to diminish footprint.

Freed up space can be used to accommodate new equipment or future expansion. In the end, higher density provides the flexibility to grow as densities continue to shift. Although high-density infrastructure implementation is often seen as an enormous challenge, with the correct planning and tools it really doesn’t need to be. In fact, when done correctly it presents an opportunity to achieve more with less.

High performance and meticulous designed data structures deliver huge benefits

R&M, rdm.com

February 2018 | 37

THE KNOWLEDGE COMPANY SHOWCASE NETWORK SPONSORED STORIES FROM THE INDUSTRY

Aerohive enters secure access management market Aerohive Networks, in a statement of direction, has announced Aerohive A3, the industry’s first hybrid cloud-access management solution, intended for release in early Q2 2018.

The company says Aerohive A3 will provide a comprehensive portfolio of access management functionality to enable onboarding and security for Internet of Things (IoT), BYOD and standard wired and wireless clients.

The Aerohive A3 solution includes capabilities to deliver a complete, secure access solution, such as automated device provisioning, device profiling and network access control, self-service onboarding, and guest access, all without the operational complexities associated with competing offerings, claims the company.

Aerohive A3 ha s b e e n d e s igne d to be compatibl e with n et wo r k e qu ip m e nt from a ll ma j o r vendo r s , s ignif ic a nt l y broaden in g Aerohive’s m a r ket re a c h .

T he solutio n wil l a l s o fe at u re a u niqu e , valu e-a dded fun ctio na l it y wh e n de ployed a s pa r t of th e Ae ro h ive SD -LAN / SD-WAN plat fo r m , s u c h a s

inte grate d P r i vate P re - S h a re d Ke y (PPS K ) m a n a ge me nt a n d ma n a ge m e nt f ro m Ae ro h i ve ’ s Hi ve M a n a ge r.

Aerohive identifies the solution as unique in its ability to be deployed onpremises, akin to more traditional AAA and access management solutions, and, in the future, as a cloud service accessible from the Aerohive Cloud Services platform. The company say it should also be possible to configure a combination of the two, with certain functions distributed to remote premises and others centrally managed from the public or private cloud.

Aerohive aims to deliver a complete, integrated Cloud Networking product for effective network security and client management. Combined with streamlined workflows, an intuitive UI, and Aerohive’s Cloud networking competency, Aerohive A3 is set to simplify IoT and BYOD setup and ongoing management. While traditional solutions typically require an extensive professional services commitment, Aerohive say its offering will mitigate the need to rely on expensive professional services. Combined with

very attractive pricing, customers will be able to enjoy a significantly lower total cost of ownership (TCO) for greater network access control over all devices connecting to their network.

“We recognised the sizable opportunity presented by the complexity and user experience of current access management solutions”, says Abby Strong, VP of product management & product marketing at Aerohive. “They can be grouped into two categories: complicated, and complicated and expensive. Aerohive’s offering will address the operational complexity issues, while providing superior functionality at a highly competitive price point. We are confident that our solution will quickly gain significant traction in the access management market.”

Aerohive Networks aerohive.com

Zyxel, building the networks of tomorrow Zyxel Communications hosted the global debut of two new CAT5 Distributed Antenna System (DAS) in-building coverage solutions at this year’s Mobile World Congress.

The company says the new solution will enable ser vice providers to quickly solve connectivity limitations within small-to medium buildings.

Designed to deliver ubiquitous mobile coverage, the maker says its ZoneDAS extender and Slim DAS provide greater flexibility when deploying in-building coverage solutions. The former allows existing ZoneDAS networks to be scaled up to cover larger areas with up to 64 radiating spots, without the cost of replacing or installing entire networks. Tailor-made for smaller areas, the Slim DAS comes with a modular design which is said to give service providers the freedom to choose whether to deploy the system with a small cell or a repeater, depending on which best fits the budget and scenario.

Zyxel explains that its entire range of in-building coverage solutions supports CAT5 cabling, as well as Power over Ethernet. The multi-system (2G/3G/4G), multi-band and multi-carrier compatibility also provide an extra layer of flexibility for deployment.

“With subscribers’ demand for anytime, anywhere connectivity growing at a rapid rate, service providers cannot afford to fall behind,” says Wayne Hwang, VP of service provider business unit at Zyxel. “With the latest portfolio additions, we’re providing a full suite of solutions for home, on-the-move, outdoors and small-to-medium buildings – demonstrating connectivity without boundaries.”

Also showcased at Mobile World Congress was Zyxel’s award-winning LTE products, including 2017 Broadband Awards finalist the LTE3300 series and the 2018 Taiwan Excellence Awards winner the LTE5366. Zyxel say its comprehensive portfolio of lightning-fast LTE solutions revolutionises the way consumers use 4G LTE by providing limitless access in any scenario, including indoors, outdoors or on the move.

Demonstrating its role as a comprehensive solutions provider for service providers, Zyxel also showcased its in-home networking solutions – including the Multy Pro Managed WiFi Solution.

Zyxel zyxel.com New, tailored solutions target small-to-medium buildings to enable seamless mobile coverage, such as hotels, hospitals, department stores and office blocks

38 | February 2018

SPONSORED STORIES FROM THE INDUSTRY THE KNOWLEDGE COMPANY SHOWCASE NETWORK

Advanced DDoS attack detection and mitigation Aryaka, global SD-WAN provider, has announced a new technology partnership with Radware, provider of cyber security solutions and application delivery for virtual, cloud and software defined data centres, to implement best-in-class Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack detection and mitigation for its global enterprise services.

Aryaka has a multi-layered security approach and ecosystem, proclaiming to provide global enterprises with best-in-class network and application protection, while delivering significantly faster global application per formance.

T h e firs t l a yer is A r y a ka ’ s gl o b a l pr i vate network, whic h is s a id to provide intern ation a l e nte r p r is e s wit h re li abil ity, per fo rma n c e , a nd ind u s t r y lead i n g s ecurity. Busine s s - c r it ic a l appli cation traf fic trave r s ing t h ro u gh thi s private n etwo rk is not ex p o s e d to the p ubl ic Internet a nd d o e s not h ave e ntr y po ints that ca n b e p ote nt ia l l y ex ploited by threat acto r s . T h e second l a yer is enter p r is e - gra d e e nd to-e nd encryptio n.

The next layer of data protection and threat mitigation is provided by Aryaka’s ecosystem of security partners, such as Radware. Radware’s family of DDoS security solutions provides integrated application and network security for Aryaka’s multi-layered security architecture and DDoS attack prevention.

DDoS attacks, which affect large and mid-sized global enterprises and their web applications, have grown in frequency, size, and sophistication.

“Radware’s Hybrid Cloud Attack Mitigation helps to keep Aryaka’s networks available while protecting them against even the most pernicious volumetric and zero-day attacks,” notes Anna Convery-Pelletier, chief marketing officer for Radware.

Radware provides Aryaka protection accuracy with patent-protected behavioural based detection to protect legitimate traffic and real-time signature creation for zero-day attack protection. The company’s hybrid DDoS protection integrates always-on detection and mitigation (on-premises or in the cloud) with cloud based

volumetric DDoS attack prevention, scrubbing, and 24×7 Emergency Response Team (ERT) support.

“Today’s ever changing threat landscape necessitates a layered, defence in depth approach to security that scales to global enterprise networks and combines advanced threat detection, mitigation, and perimeter protection,” says Gary Sevounts, chief marketing officer at Aryaka. “Radware’s DDoS attack detection and mitigation service complements Aryaka’s existing security controls and contributes to a robust security program that meets internationally accepted security practices and is in line with our goal to exceed customers’ expectations.”

Aryaka aryaka.com

Ethernity Networks Enhances ENET Ethernity Networks, supplier of data processing technology on programmable logic for high-end Carrier Ethernet applications, has successfully enhanced its ENET solution to include IPSec. Ethernity says it has integrated a crypto engine into its already rich, advanced Carrier Ethernet (CE) data path and used the ENET network processing engine for delivery of a complete IPSec solution.

The maker says the addition enables secure and authenticated transmission of any data for enterprise and cloud providers. The new feature, as part of Ethernity’s FPGA-based ENET flow processor SoC and Ethernity’s All-Programmable SmartNICs, was displayed as part of Ethernity’s SD-WAN platform at the Mobile World Congress.

Ethernity’s IPSec Virtual Private Network (VPN) is now available as part of the ENET flow processor SoC, on Ethernity’s embedded products, or on its SmartNICs for the Telco cloud. By offloading the security functions to Ethernity’s programmable FPGA hardware, customers will achieve high throughput, while relieving the CPU of overhead from highly compute-intensive operations. Furthermore, by utilising FPGA as the platform, any update to the crypto engine can be instantly adapted by downloading new firmware into the FPGA. “Our patented data path architecture offers scalable grow-as-you-need IPSec offload, which significantly improves performance,” says Eugene Zetserov, Ethernity’s vice president of product marketing. “Low-cost systems can easily run up to 5Gbps encryption for data, while our

The new feature guarantees secure and authenticated data transmission.

FPGA SmartNIC solution can scale to 50G IPSec offload. This enables enterprise customers, wireless backhaul, alternative operators, and cloud service providers to benefit from the data security and authentication methods, beginning with the advanced crypto engine integrated within the ENET flow processor pipeline, and to utilise them for other methods beyond the current IPSec suite,” Eugene adds.

Ethernity has already incorporated the IPSec suite on multiple customer platforms, including an SD-WAN solution, uCPE implementations at the edge of the network, and a 5G wireless base station.

The company say its IPSec suite works effectively with other overlay and tunnelling technologies commonly used by telecommunication companies and enterprises that operate both in the cloud and at the network edge, including VXLAN, NVGRE, GRE, and LT2P. It provides encryption/decryption and user authentication with various AES and SHA algorithms required for both mobile and fixed networks.

Ethernity ethernitynet.com

February 2018 | 39

Business directory ACTIVE PRODUCTS

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25

BRANC NATIONWHIDESE

www.eel-datatech.co.uk

Why Mayflex? All together. Products, Partners, People, Service. Mayflex brings it all together.

Mayflex lead the way in the distribution of Converged IP Solutions.

We use our specialist knowledge and experience to bring together best in class infrastructure, networking and electronic security solutions to create a compatible, feature rich, value for money offering to meet the demanding needs of business types and sizes across all sectors.

Working together with VARs, Installers, integrators, and specifiers Mayflex provide support through pre-sales, product selection, commercial flexibility and technical knowhow to enable the delivery of truly converged solutions which provide businesses with advanced, scalable, cost effective and reliable IP based communication networks and building management systems.

Excel House, Junction Six Industrial Park, Electric Avenue, Birmingham, B6 7JJ Tel: 0800 75 75 65 Email: sales@mayflex.com Website: www.mayflex.com

CABLING SPECIALIST

CMW Ltd are a leading supplier of cable management and containment products to the networking and data industry.

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Cablelines-NCN-Directory-Jan16issue.indd 1

This could be you!

To advertise in the NCN business directory contact Kelly on 01634 673163 or email kelly@allthingsmedialtd.com

CABLE MANAGEMENT WAREHOUSE LTD Units 5 & 6 Arkwright Road Industrial Estate Arkwright Road, Bedford, MK42 0LQ T: 01234 848030 E: sales@cmwltd.co.uk

09/12/2015 16:36

Business directory CABLING SUPPLIES

Any Strand, Any Connector, Any Length, Any Time Save yourself a lot of time and trouble, and eliminate all performance worries with custom pre-terminated LSZH fibre cables.

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GET IN TOUCH: 00800-2255 2269 | black-box.eu/Pre_Terminated_Fibre

Corning Optical Communications, part of the Corning Incorporated telecommunications segment, is a leading manufacturer of fibre optic communications system solutions for voice, data and video network applications worldwide.

Tel: 00 800 2676 4641 Email: cc.emea@corning.com www. corning.com/opcomm

We offer the broadest range of end-to-end fibre optic and copper product solutions for customers’ telecommunications networks. We put companies at the forefront of network innovation, pioneering many

of the global products and solutions commonly used in state-of-the-art cabling systems.

We develop and manufacture fibre optic and copper cable, hardware and equipment including frames, cabinets, terminals, network interface devices, splice and test equipment, cable assemblies and connectors.

Our commitment to total quality and superior customer satisfaction distinguishes us as a leader in the telecommunications industry.

YELLOWbook Network & AV Editions

Distributors of IT Infrastructure, Network, Security and AV solutions Farnborough

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ORDER YOUR COPY!

Request yo ur FREE copy of the late Mills cata st logue NOW!

A leading distributor and manufacturer of structured cabling, cable management and specialist tooling and equipment for internal and external communications infrastructure.

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Mills Ltd, 13 Fairway Drive, Greenford, Middlesex UB6 8PW 2682 Mills NCN Panel AW.indd 1

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Tel: 020 8833 2626

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Email: sales@millsltd.com 20/2/12 15:20:25

Business directory CABLING SUPPLIES

There’s more to Nimans than you think!

Over 500 Pages 7,000 Products Includes many NEW Products & Services Order your FREE copy at: www.nimans.net/2015catalogue or call 0161 925 1966 2598 NCN Directory fusion panels:Layout 1 9/6/11 09:58 Page 1 MK3353 Business_Directory_Ad.indd 1

15/04/2015 10:09

COPPER CABLING

Cat 5e & Cat 6 Integrated Structured Cabling Solutions The Fusion product range has been extensively researched to provide an ‘altogether better’ solution for structured cabling products

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Cat5e & Cat6 Cable Reinforced handle No snagging

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Self Adhesive Back Boxes Easy, time saving

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Official Fusion Distributors: Mills Ltd Tel: 020 8833 2626 Nimans Tel: 0161 925 1980 Middle East Agent: Total Empower Est. Po Box 567, Post code 115, Madinat Qaboos, Sultanate of Oman. Tel: +968 92801196

ENCLOSURES & RACKS

Network, Data Centre rack systems & infrastructures For a copy of our new Data Centre Solutions catalogue or for further details of our rack platforms please contact us or visit our website at:

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Accessories compatible with all standard 19-inch racks • A wide variety of sizes • High quality • Competitive prices Solid and vented cantilever, sliding, keyboard, monitor and adjustable shelves • Solid and vented aluminium and steel front panels • Cable management accessories M6 front panel fixing kits • Drawers, locks, earth kits, documentation pockets, wall brackets and castors • And much more

We rack your world!

Business directory ENCLOSURES & RACKS

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FF2 - NCN Business Directory Entry- 131216.indd 1

sales@fibrefab.com +44 (0)1908 441144 www.fibrefab.com

FIBRE OPTICS

Connectivity Solutions For: Data Centres / Enterprise / Premise Networks / Ultra High Density Solutions / Telecommunication Networks

13/12/2016 16:46:17

TESTING TOOLS UPS

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