Case study - Guildhall sChool of MusiC and draMa fast - Brand-Rex

L e a d i n g S u pp l i e r o f N e t w o r k I n f r a s t r u c t u r e S o l u t i o n s
Issue 22
Practicalities of Network
Convergence
Case Study - Guildhall School
of Music and Drama
Fast Fibre PRE-TERMINATED Solutions
does your it system stand up when it Matters Most?
We all know how disruptive and costly an IT system failure can be. Whilst many focus on
active hardware risks, the choice of cabling system can be equally important to ensure
maximum performance, network security and IT stability.
Brand-Rex delivers a comprehensive range of high-speed cabling solutions that support the most advanced and
demanding networking applications. The reliability of a Brand-Rex system gives peace of mind that your network
won’t fail when you need it most. Brand-Rex prides itself on our industry leading, dedicated and experienced technical
support to ensure we offer a complete global solution. The rigid training and accreditation of installers, combined with
validation of installation test results, allows Brand-Rex to offer end users a 25-year product and lifetime application
warranty that remains the best in the industry.
www.brand-rex.com
A message from Martin Hanchard
C o n t e n t s
4–8
9
News
Question & Answer
10-11
Product Focus
12-15
Technology Focus
16-17
Regional Update
18
Case Study
19
Project Update
20-22
23
At long last we are all beginning to see the
first tentative signs of an improvement in
the broader economy. Clearly Europe in
general and Southern Europe in particular
still has some way to go before both private
and public infrastructure investments begin
to stimulate infrastructure spend to the
levels enjoyed in the early 2000’s, but with
the return of some level of stability we can
once again plan for the future with some
degree of certainty.
Environment
Events
At Brand-Rex these plans for the future extend to people, business
processes and technology and are all geared toward increasing
customers satisfaction.
Re-enforcing and developing our workforce is our number one
priority and with this in mind I am very pleased to announce two
important leadership appointments. Mr. Andrew Sharkey who has
been appointed as Sales Director, will lead our International Sales
team, and Mr. Andrew Black will lead our International Product
Marketing & Business Development Team. Both bring substantial
industry know how and experience and I am delighted to have
them both join the Brand-Rex team. With these additions to our
Strategic Planning Team our technology road map and regional
growth plans will be in good hands.
As customer demand continue to evolve our Business and IT
capabilities also need to keep pace. Significant investments made
in the last months, in both Product Design Software and Planning
software, will help to ensure that Brand-Rex maintains its reputation
as a flexible, responsive and reliable European source of Data
Networking product solutions.
Our technological investments in R&D are very focussed on providing
product solutions that address the ever increasing convergence
of Data Networks, and the need for pre-terminated solutions that
address total installed cost. This issue of Brand-News features
our view of how these technological developments are relevant
to today’s data networking market and how end users are taking
advantage of the many benefits associated with pre-terminated
solutions. During the next 12 months we will be launching new Cable
designs, Component designs and customised Pre-Terminated
solutions that deliver tangible and measureable benefits to our
customers.
This issue of Brand-News includes key articles that further
elaborate upon the continued trend towards Converged Networks
and the demand driven growth for Pre-Terminated solutions.
I hope you find them both informative and of interest.
Brand-News will be going digital however, you will still receive
informative and current emails to keep subscribers up to date with
the very latest industry developments and news. We hope you
enjoy the final printed version.
Marketing:
marketing@brand-rex.com
martin j hanchard
(ceo)
LATEST NEWS
Kempinski Marsa Malaz Hotel
Brand-Rex has been selected to provide
a state of the art cabling system for
Qatar’s newest 5* luxury hotel resort,
the Kempinski Marsa Malaz.
Brand-Rex Premier Partner
Zerone Technologies has been
chosen to deploy a Brand-Rex 10GPlus
Augmented Category Copper cabling
system and FibrePlus Singlemode
and Multimode backbone to support
the new high performance network
infrastructure.
The new $247m luxury development
is located on Pearl Qatar, Doha’s first
manmade island spanning nearly four
million square metres. The ultra luxurious
hotel will offer 280 guest rooms and
suites, three restaurants, top of the range
sports facilities, and will open in 2015.
Pictured: Kempinski Marsa Malaz Hotel - Rendered image courtesy of www.aeb-qatar.com.
Pictured: New EEC Moscow office.
Brand-Rex Premier Partner
NVision Group has been awarded
a prestigious project to design and
install an extensive network cabling
system for the new Moscow office of
The Eurasian Economic Commission
Council (EEC) - the permanent
regulatory body of the Customs Union
of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia.
The development, being administered
by project management company
City-Developer, has 15 floors, will house
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Qatar is currently undergoing a major
construction boom with 21 new hotels
expected to open in Doha in the next
five years. The new developments will
add a further 45,000 hotel rooms to
Doha’s capacity, taking it a step closer to
achieving the 60,000 hotel room target
set by FIFA for the 2022 World Cup.
Brand-Rex delivers future-proof
communications infrastructure for
prestigious EEC project
1000 employees and will see in excess
of 5000 Brand-Rex 10GPlus Augmented
Category 6 outlets installed.
place at Brand-Rex Stanislav Kunevish,
Chief Industrial Relations Manager of
NVision said:
Yuri Chingin, Deputy Director General
of City Developer said: “The task of
designing, supplying and installing a
cabling system for 5000+ outlets within
the space of 3 months was no easy feat.
However it turned out to be a great
success thanks to the high-quality
design by NVision Group and efficient
production and delivery processes in
“We are rarely asked to design and
deploy such a huge network for a single
company and it is not often that a
project involves a customer occupying
all floors within a high rise building.
This influential project has successfully
been developed quickly and effectively
due to the ease of co-operation with
both Brand-Rex and City-Developer”
LATEST NEWS
Future proofed
infrastructure
for Standard
Chartered Bank
National Military Museum - image courtesy of Claus En Kaan Architecten
State of the art network for Dutch
National Military Museum
Brand-Rex and Kannegieter were
awarded the project during the design
phase after it was decided the systems
presented offered the best technical and
commercial fit.
The project consists of a campus Fibre
cable and Air Blown Fibre backbone
connecting all museum buildings and
CCTV systems, as well as a 10GPlus
Category 6A U/FTP internal building
infrastructure. The installation will
be covered by the 25 year Brand-Rex
system warranty as part of the extensive
warranty programme Brand-Rex offers to
its partners.
Brand-Rex and distribution partner
Kannegieter have been selected by
Heijmans to provide both internal and
external network infrastructure for
the new National Military Museum in
Soesterberg, Netherlands. Hiejmans
was selected for the prestigious
Defence Museum PPP Project in May
2012 by the Netherlands Government
Building Agency.
The PPP project which is being
managed by Heijmans and installed
by Heijmans Techniek includes the
design, development, maintenance
and facilities management of the new
National Military Museum including
the museum quarters of the former
Soesterberg Military Airbase. The integral
construction, technical engineering
and infrastructure contract is valued at
almost €160 million with the DBFMO
contract covering a period of 25 years.
A large museum building will be
constructed which spans over 45 hectares.
A number of existing buildings onsite,
including several with significant historical
value, will also be re-designated.
The Ministry of Defences decision
to build the new facility is intended
to represent the significance of the
Netherlands Armed Forces of the past,
present and future to the public at
large. The collections from the Military
Aviation Museum in Soesterberg and
the Armed Forces Museum in Delft
will be consolidated and exhibited in
the new museum. The ‘Hart van de
Heuvelrug’ information centre currently
located on the Soesterberg Air Force
base will also be accommodated in
the same development.
Standard Chartered Bank, UAE has
selected a Brand-Rex cabling system to
provide a high performance network
for its new offices (level 11 to level 17)
and Electronic Banking Unit at Emaar
business Park in Dubai.
Brand-Rex partner Telematics,
Networking & Communications, was
selected by main contractor Brookfield
Multiplex, to install a high performance
horizontal and backbone network.
In total over 2800 Category 6 outlets
and 408 Optical fiber links were
installed to provide a reliable and
robust network infrastructure.
Product sustainability was really at the
heart of the project, by aligning design
concepts, sustainable construction
practices and key fundamental “green
building” components, main contractor
Brookfield Multiplex was able to deliver
the first LEED certified tower within
Downtown Dubai. LEED (Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design)
is a program that provides third-party
verification of green buildings and
signifies active participation in the
green building movement. The new
development achieved LEED Gold
rating for the shell and core and LEED
Platinum rating for the Standard
Chartered fit-out.
The project will commence in 2014.
5
LATEST NEWS
New Appointments
Andy Sharkey
Sales Director
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Andy Sharkey to the position of Sales Director, based at the headquarters in
Glenrothes, Scotland.
Andy is a highly qualified professional with over 22 years experience in the IT industry, most recently holding the position of regional
business director at Panduit.
Commenting on his new position, Andy said “I am excited to join Brand-Rex and look forward to combining my industry knowledge
and experience to lead the sales organisation as we move the business forward.”
Andy will be responsible for all aspects of sales strategy development and deployment. His appointment will further strengthen the
senior management team ensuring ongoing support for the company’s channel and system integrator partners. Andy’s wide ranging
experience across international markets will be instrumental in realising the company’s plans to extend its territorial footprint.
Aldo Strawbridge
Sales Director - Middle East
Following recent growth in the Middle East, we are delighted to announce the appointment of Aldo Strawbridge as Regional
Sales Director.
Aldo will be based out of the Brand-Rex Regional HQ in Dubai. With partners in 12 countries throughout the region, he will spend
much of his time visiting customers over the first few months to gain a detailed understanding of their needs and challenges.
Aldo joins Brand-Rex from NEC where he previously held the role of Director of Sales and Service Operations. Aldo has been
involved in the telecoms industry for over 35 years and brings with him experience of the Middle East market, having previously
worked for Lucent Technologies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Andrew Black
Technical Marketing Manager
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Andrew Black, an IT and telecoms industry veteran with 29 years of experience,
to the position of Technical Marketing Manager.
Based at the Brand-Rex Glenrothes Headquarters in Scotland - Andrew will lead the Marketing team. Commenting on his new
position, Andrew said that he will be working closely with clients to develop new products of the highest level of technical
compliance, delivering market leading data networking solutions.
“IP networking systems are evolving rapidly. Increasingly, clients require bespoke products and services. As an established and trusted UK
based manufacturing company Brand-Rex has the in-house expertise needed to deliver innovative solutions that meet or exceed future
network architecture needs in all its key markets”
Andrew is a Member of the Institute of Marketing (MCIM) and an Associate Member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers
(AMIMechE).
Brand-Rex Partners with Bayan Telecommunications
All Access Computer
Haus, Inc. (ALL
ACCESS), the
exclusive Philippine
distributor of
Brand-Rex,
has recently
been accredited by Bayan
Telecommunications Inc. (BAYAN) as a
supplier of UTP and Fiber Optic cables.
6
With its accreditation, ALL ACCESS
looks forward to the forging of a
mutually beneficial partnership with
Bayan anchored on the Brand-Rex tried
and tested wide array of superior IT
infrastructure products.
BAYAN is a major telecommunications
services provider in the Philippines
and is a member of the Lopez Group
of Companies. The company is a
leading provider of telephony and
data communications services to
consumers and corporate clients in
strategic industries such as financial,
industrial automation, business process
outsourcing, among others.
LATEST NEWS
Box Clever
New Range of Brand-Rex Boxed Cable Products
Brand-Rex offers the widest range of boxed cable products available on the market today. New additions to the already successful
range include 10GPlus Zone and U/FTP cable.
The combination of superior quality boxed cable and REELEX® packaging makes it easier for users to manage, handle and install.
With no need for on site cable reel stands, robust packaging and ergonomic box design it is now easier than ever to handle, transport,
stack or store.
Details of the new additions to the boxed cable range can be found below:
Features & Benefits
• Easier to install – up to 30% faster installation time
• Simple to use – REELEX® packaging means no need for a cable reel stand
• Improved usability – no twisting, no tangling, no rotation
• Easy to stack, store and transport
• Strong, robust and ergonomic box design makes it easier to handle
• Less material waste - recyclable box and no reels to dispose of
The compact dimensions of the box coupled with optimised pallet layout
configuration allows for more efficient transportation and as a result fewer
carbon emissions.
Description
Product Part No.
10GPlus Augmented Category 6 U/FTP Zone Cable, 305m, Violet
AC6-DCZ-Rlx-305VT
10GPlus Augmented Category 6 U/FTP Cable, 305m, Violet
AC6U/FTP-HF1-Rlx-305VT
Cat6Plus Category 6 U/UTP Cable, 305m, Violet
C6U-HF1-Rlx-305VT
Cat6Plus Category 6 U/FTP Cable, 305m, Violet
C6U/FTP-HF1-Rlx-305VT
Cat6Plus Category 6 F/UTP Cable, 305m, Violet
C6F/UTP-HF1-Rlx-305VT
GigaPlus Category 5e U/UTP Cable, 305m, Violet
GPU-HF1-Rlx-305VT
GigaPlus Category 5e U/UTP Cable, 500m, Violet
GPU-HF1-Rlx-500VT
GigaPlus Category 5e F/UTP Cable, 305m, Violet
GPF-HF1-Rlx-305VT
Brand-Rex Partners with Allied Telesis
Brand-Rex are pleased to announce it
has signed an EcoSystem Partnership
with IP networking infrastructure
provider Allied Telesis International.
Allied Telesis are leading global network
infrastructure provider with more
than 25 years design and manufacture
experience, resulting in an extensive
portfolio of solutions that offer endto-end networking to enterprise and
service providers.
The EcoSystem Partner Program is
designed to bring together technology
partners who provide complimentary
products and services. The new
partnership will allow Brand-Rex
and Allied Telesis to offer a complete
network solution to meet the demands
of new and existing customers.
Announcing the new partnership,
Piero Bottini, Program Manager
at Allied Telesis commented, “The
EcoSystem partner program brings
together best in class suppliers to
leverage expertise and create bespoke
solutions for multiple markets.
“Having worked with Brand-Rex
on a number of projects we concluded
that their commitment to quality
and advanced technology, matched
our own objectives and solutionsbased philosophy.
Andrew Black ,Technical Marketing
Manager, Brand-Rex commented,
Participating in the EcoSystem program
provides an opportunity to expand our
knowledge of IP hardware equipment
and associated technologies that
benefit from our high performance
cabling solutions.
Brand-Rex and Allied Telesis will
promote their new EcoSystem
partnership through a series of
events and campaigns.
To find out more visit:
www.brand-rex.com
7
LATEST NEWS
Green Light for
Arla Foods Diary
Premier Partner NG Bailey IT Services
has been awarded a prestigious
contract to install a Carbon Neutral
Brand-Rex Cat6Plus copper cabling
infrastructure and an extensive OM3
multimode FibrePlus backbone for
the new £150m Arla Foods Dairy in
Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
The installed dairy and office space
network infrastructure will support voice,
data, security and building management
systems with an OM3 Multimode
backbone supporting around 35
locations from sites to server rooms.
Arla is committed to sustainable
dairy farming and is aiming for the
new dairy to be a “zero carbon”
fresh milk processing facility.
Throughout the design stage, the
potential environmental impact
was a key decision factor. With NG
Bailey IT Services and Brand-Rex both
committed to reducing their impact
on the environment and to offering
customers the most sustainable
solutions, a Brand-Rex Cat6Plus Carbon
Neutral cable was the ideal choice.
Arla has production facilities in 12
countries with a total of over 18,000
employees and brand leaders such as
Arla®, Lurpak® and Castello® sold into
more than 100 countries.
For more information visit:
www.arlafoods.co.uk
The Sound of Music Dubai Studio City
Brand-Rex partner, Fiberzone Network LLC has been
selected to provide a Brand-Rex 10GPlus network
infrastructure for Dubai Studio City’s (DSC) latest state of
the art sound stages.
The new infrastructure project is the first of its kind in
the Middle East and is specifically designed to meet the
increasingly sophisticated needs of the high growth
entertainment industry. The complete cabling system has
in excess of 600 copper links as well as a fibre backbone
containing over 50 links of OM3 installed. Spread across
22million sq. ft, Dubai Studio City features pre-built studios,
warehouses, workshops, office space, and accommodates up
to 14 ultra modern sound stages.
For more information visit: www.dubaistudiocity.com
8
question
Regional
& focus
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With availab tricked
Ken Hodge, CTO
answers:
As an Engineer I have to start by saying
that, in the right context, aluminium is
a good material for many applications
- electricity distribution and microwave
co-ax for example.
Ken Hodge, Chief Engineer,
Brand-Rex
Ken Hodge was educated
at Liverpool and Warwick
Universities. He is a Chartered
Engineer and a Fellow of
the Institute of Engineering
Technology. Ken has been
involved in the industry since
1982, researching, designing
and developing optical fibre
and high frequency cabling for
LAN and Telecom networking.
He is actively involved in
standardisation activities in
International Standardisation
in the cabling sector.
It could even possibly one day be
suitable in structured cabling. But today
it is not suitable at all. It is not compliant
with the requirements or standards of
an open structured network system,
and presents a risk if installed. At best
such cables compromise transmission
performance and will deteriorate with
time, at worst they could present a
potential fire risk.
Aluminium has a higher resistivity
than copper so to achieve the same
performance; you need thicker
conductors and larger cables.
But purveyors of CCA cables make
them the same size as copper ones,
increasing the risks.
When used for Power over Ethernet,
a typical temperature increase in a
cable bundle will be around 10⁰C above
ambient, with aluminium conductors that
will double or even triple, making cables
run hotter and presenting a risk to the
current and future network owners.
Moisture in the atmosphere provides
the electrolyte and connected parts will
corrode making long term reliability of
connections questionable.
The major point in this argument
is that the standards bodies do not
allow aluminium conductor cables –
there is no support for their use in
open, interoperable, backwardscompatible networks.
Installers of CCA conductor cables
are sentencing users to ownership of
unsupportable, potentially unreliable,
short-life networks that could have
major safety issues depending on
current and future use.
Has it got a foot-hold? Yes, the product
has undoubtedly gained ground particularly in cost conscious Cat5e
installations. Purveyors are marking
and passing them off as “real”
structured cabling - which it’s very
difficult to guard against.
Some protection can be provided
by asking for test evidence on the
installation (check the resistance is
compliant) and for assurance that
standards compliant products have
been installed.
Or simply insist on a good brand
from a reputable manufacturer.
At every point where you terminate an
aluminium cable to an RJ-45 IDC in a
jack you risk the continuity.
If you have a question You would like featured in the next issue of Brand-News, why not email: marketing@brand-rex.com
9
product focus
Take risk out of termination...
While network infrastructure technology continues to grow at an exponential rate, installation
practices have been slower to evolve. Legacy has often dictated that familiar products and
processes offer a certain level of reassurance, however the drive for more efficient and financially
viable solutions is challenging that outdated rationale.
Pre-Terminated Cable assemblies
are not a new technology, in fact the
early adopter was the copper industry
who used installation ready Multipair
cables for telephone systems.
As fibre continues to increase
penetration into both data centre
and office environments, so too does
the uptake of factory terminated
assemblies. In recent years this has
been further strengthened by the
demand for high quality, cost effective
installations to support short project
lead-times, all resulting in a shift
towards fibre and copper factory
tested assemblies.
By definition Pre-Terminated
assemblies in the cabling world
describe the process of delivering
fully approved, factory manufactured
solutions as an alternative to
conventional on site termination.
10
Fundamental to the transmission
performance of any system is the
component quality and how these
parts are connected determines the
associated losses. Field termination is
a critical process and requires skilled
resource to assemble, inspect and
test, all of which take time. Even then
the installation is only one aspect,
as consideration must be given for
the ease of which these systems can
be updated to support growth and
flexibility. This is particularly the case
in the data centre environments where
access is tightly controlled.
product focus
Pre-Terminated solutions can help solve many of these challenges and offer significant tangible benefits:
• Accuracy
Terminations are carried out using precision manufacturing processes in a controlled environment to optimise quality.
• Consistency
Process capability is used to control the repeatability and consistency of the manufacturing process.
• Resource
Faster installation of pre-terminated products means skilled labour requirements in the field can be minimised.
• Visibility
Assemblies are documented and labelled to offer full traceability.
• Sustainability
Pre-term solutions eliminate onsite waste by optimising cable usage.
• Logistics
Removes the need to transit and store multiple cable reels on site.
• Warranty
The Brand-Rex 25 year system warranty guarantees performance supported by 100% testing.
• Time
Pre-Term assemblies allow fast, smooth and efficient installations.
TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP
MAINTENANCE
COST
MAINTENANCE
COST
INSTALLATION
COST
INSTALLATION
COST
MAINTENANCE
COST
INSTALLATION
COST
PARTS COST
PARTS COST
PARTS COST
Conventional
FO cable
Pre-term Conventional
FO cable
Pre-term MTP® cable
Delivering significant time and money savings, pre-termination solutions become a viable and attractive option. Simplifying
the ‘Smart Design’ premise means that future proofing your network by using superior performance, high quality products will
promote longevity.
Reliability, increased density and managing modularity at the installation and throughout the life of the project are key elements
of any project.
Brand-Rex Pre-Terminated solutions offer superior plug-and-play functionality and are ideal for the moves, add and changes
(MAC) environment where multiple point to point connections can be quickly and efficiently installed.
The MT Connect Optical range is an ultra high performance, pre-terminated, modular system based on MT ferrule connector
technology. The range is standards compliant and is manufactured to conform to the requirements of ISO/IEC 11801:2002 &
amendments 1 & 2, EN 50173-1, TIA 568C series and the IEC 24764, EN 550173-5 and TIA 942 data centre cabling standards.
For more information visit: www.brand-rex.com/products
11
technology focus
The
practicalities
of network
convergence
We’ve all read lots of hype about convergence over the last year or two.
However, not much has been written about the practicalities of installing
true converged and semi-converged networks, so we asked Ken Hodge,
CTO at Brand-Rex and Paul Goodbrand, director of Intelligent Buildings
with Boston Networks, to explain the practical basics.
Convergence of different functions into a single
structured cabling network throughout the building
is not a new concept. Look back 20 years and,
the only networks in the building were the telephone
wiring and some data cabling.
The first step of convergence came when some companies
decided to use a single data-capable network (Cat 3) for both
data connections and phones.
A bit later came the idea of IP phones for VoIP and then both
the cabling and the switched network converged. Around
1994 along came QoS (quality of service) managed switches
and VLANs (virtual LANs) and the scene was set for devices
like IP-CCTV to start sharing the same cabling and switched
Ethernet network.
At the same sort of time, other systems in the far away
worlds of Facilities Management and Security were growing
up completely independently of the IT world. Whilst these
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systems used intelligence
and needed lots of cable
infrastructure it was all
proprietary, and in no way
‘convergable’ with the
Ethernet network.
Fast Forward
If we come bang up to
date, however, two or three
major factors have caused
building owners and systems
manufacturers to realise there
are some very significant benefits
associated with converging all these
various systems onto one cabling
network and either one or two
switched Ethernet networks.
technology focus
Physical Layer
If every system, such as data, building management system (BMS),
lighting control, CCTV, Access Control etc, has its own cabling
network – this would require four or five lots of independent
wiring and containment. With installers trying to work in an
already overcrowded building site with all the scheduling plus
health and safety implications infrastructure, the overbuilding of
the network provides for real challenges and risks.
You would need to be pretty sure where every single CCTV
camera or thermostat sensor needed to be now - and for the
next 20 years.
Fortunately you can now install a single Category 5e, Category
6 or Category 6A network. A massive overall saving.
Whatever your next 20 years’ requirements for sensors,
lighting controllers, window blind or shutter controllers,
IP-CCTV cameras, door locks, ID-readers and RFID devices ,
all you have to do is plug-in to a nearby RJ-45 outlet and
you’re connected to a fully converged network.
The
implementation
of RFID Asset
Tracking over the
wireless network
keeps track of all
valuable items. Which,
for example, is ideal for hospitals where expensive
mobile equipment is regularly moved but difficult to
track-down in an emergency.
As more and more buildings become fully converged
- the interoperability capabilities increase leading to
the streamlining of business processes; centralisation and
simplification of reporting and many environmental benefits.
Of course, as long as you provide power over Ethernet (PoE or
PoE+) you’ll rarely need a skilled electrician to install or move
these items and you will eliminate the need for mains sockets.
Building Management
Application Layer
So, lets get down to practicalities. If you’re planning on
installing a converged network here are some of the things
you need to consider:
Once all these devices begin sharing an Ethernet LAN - the
magic really starts! Now, these previously disparate systems
can start to talk to each other.
Whether its a school; hospital; office block or a university,
connecting together the access control systems card reader,
biometrics or iris scanner with the lighting control and HVAC
individual rooms can have their services and temperatures
pre-defined. Take any given classroom and control the supply
of heat/cooling and light automatically from 8 a.m to 4 p.m.
Once PIRs (infra-red detectors) and the access controller
determine there is no-one left in the room, the lights are
switched off.
Later, when the cleaner comes along and swipes-in, on comes
the lighting but not the HVAC. Of course the light turns off
when she leaves.
Lighting generally has an electronic lightning controller in
the ceiling void connected locally to light switches or dimmer
controls and controlling maybe 30 or 40 light fittings.
This requires just one RJ-45 per controller.
If you’ve flood-wired the ceiling voids with RJ-45 outlets,
it can simply jack-in to the nearest free outlet.
Person-presence PIR detectors would normally be connected
to the lighting controller – but of course once it’s connected
to the converged Ethernet network the lighting controller can
share this ‘knowledge’ with other systems.
HVAC control Heating, ventilation and Aircon controls
have a number of components that need interconnecting.
Temperature sensors, deployed in most rooms are PoE
Ethernet devices.
But there’s more. The fact that the cleaner has swiped-in or
been tracked on RFID also allows the Payroll department to
use this date instead of needing a separate clocking in-out
system. Universities invaluably now use this for attendance
recording too.
13
technology focus
Ceiling mounted
air conditioning units
likewise have an Ethernet
requirement - so that the
controller can optimise
the unit’s valves to use hot or
cold water and the fans to go
at various speeds or stop
altogether.
The practicalities of
network convergence
In some buildings there will also be ‘sunlight detectors’.
‘Signals’ from these will initiate motorised blinds or external
sunshades to operate in order to control the solar-gain.
Each of these (or their local controller) will need a PoE
Ethernet outlet so you may need to provision a higher density
of outlets (or a consolidation point) near the windows.
In the Plant rooms is where all the boilers and the big
beefy pumps, valves and plumbing lurk. Typically these
might house fifty or so Ethernet enabled devices in each
room. As the plant room is potentially an electrically noisy
environment, serious consideration should be given to using
shielded cabling and components.
All in all, for a large building, the BMS might have 2000
Ethernet connected devices.
Access Control
We mentioned before various types of access control devices
– swipe cards, PIN code devices, finger-print and iris readers.
Almost always these are co-located with an electronic door lock.
Only one Ethernet connection is needed for a reader/lock pair
with either both connected to a local controller or the control
function embedded in the reader. Because the locks are
clunky electromechanical devices PoE+ is often needed for
its extra power.
Fire System
Although some manufacturers are talking about using the
LAN and IP-based detectors or sprinkler controllers - there is
a way to go before such ‘life protection’ systems are converged
onto the LAN. For now, it’s probably only the fire-control
panels that need Ethernet connections to integrate into the
Access Control and BMS.
14
IP-CCTV
The UK is the world’s biggest user of CCTV. But in cabling and
network terms, as long as you’ve provisioned plenty of ceilinglevel RJ-45 outlets, there’s almost no need for pre-planning.
The CCTV camera can be deployed rapidly and plugged into
the nearest outlet and redeployment is just as simple.
IP cameras need PoE and should always have their own VLAN.
Pan, tilt and zoom cameras (PTZ) tend to need PoE+.
VoIP
In the early days of VoIP, there was an argument about
whether the phone and PC should have separate RJ-45 outlets
or whether one should piggy-back into the other, to integrate
both of them and only require one RJ-45.
Perhaps not surprisingly, ten years on, the argument still
continues. However, as long as you flood-wire the building,
you give users the option to do either, and to change their
mind at any time during the next 20 years.
technology focus
The practicalities of
network convergence
Wi-Fi
It’s also worth mentioning Wi-Fi as a converged service
because increasingly it is being used for much more than
just laptop access.
The move to BYOD (bring your own device) sees it being used
for voice services such as VoIP and Skype on smartphones and
tablets. You can expect to see roving building security officers
with Wi-Fi enabled ID scanners able to do security spot checks
on people within the building or campus.
And where RFID is used it uses the same Wi-Fi access points
and IEEE 802.11 protocols as laptops and smartphones.
However, if RFID is being used, then four
would probably be needed. This is not
because of the level of traffic but, like
GPS, the RFID location is worked out by
triangulating the response time from
the RFID device to at least three
Wi-Fi access points. So four
are indicated to make sure
the RFID device can always
‘see’ three.
In terms of provisioning Wi-Fi then PoE is usually essential.
This allows access points (APs) to only need a single RJ-45
connection. As a rule of thumb, if the usage is data only,
an open-plan office or boardroom/conference room would
need one Wi-Fi AP. If voice is to be supported as well then
two APs are indicated.
How fast?
The final question is: “How fast does the network cabling need to be?
1 Gigabit/s (Cat 5e/Cat 6) or 10 Gigabit/s (Cat 6A)?
All of the Facilities/non IT systems we’ve discussed in this article will
work quite happily over Cat 5e or Cat 6 - so there’s no need to install
Cat 6A on their account.
So the discussion comes down to the company’s scalability and
future-proofing needs.
As a guide on what’s actually happening in practice in our day-today experience at Brand-Rex and Boston Networks - around fifty per
cent of the converged network installs we’re completing at present
are shielded.
15
Regional FocuS
APAC Focus & Project Wins
The region covers a wide geographical area of diverse
landscapes, societies and economies. A common
challenge uniting these regions is the eager drive to
be at the forefront of technological advancements.
Key Brand-Rex references including:
• Galaxy Phase 1 (consists of Galaxy
Hotel, Hotel Okura, Banyan Tree
Hotel, Mass Gaming Hall, Data
Centre, Retail Outlets)
• Galaxy Phase 2, due to open before
end of 2014 (to consist of JW
Marriott Hotel, Le Ritz Carlton Hotel,
Mass Gaming Hall, Data Centre,
Retail Outlets)
• Ponte 16 Casino and Hotel
• Mira Hotel, L Hotel, W Hotel,
Excelsior
• Shangri-La Hotel in Malaysia
Pictured: Hong Kong harbour.
• ESF Discovery Bay
Asia Pacific presents an anchor of
stability and a new pillar of growth for
the global economy. While the severity
of the financial crisis in Western Europe
has created headwinds, Asia Pacific
still continues to be the fastest
growing region.
Occupying the largest market and
land mass in APAC, China is the
world’s second largest economy by
nominal GDP and by purchasing power
parity after the United States. Whilst
operating within a booming market,
competition in China remains at its
toughest with competition from foreign
and local brands remaining high.
16
Brand-Rex is as a major player in APAC
with particular success in the Government
sector, major references include:
• Kellett British International School
• Harrow International School
• Diocesan Girls’ School
• Police Headquarters
• La Salle College
• NTS Police Headquarters
• Pui Ching Primary School
• MTR (Underground)
• St Paul’s Co-Educational College
• Customs and Excise Headquarters
• Hong Kong Stock Exchange
• Hong Kong Airport
• Securities & Futures Commission
• ICAC Headquarters
Being an ever present force and a
trusted brand in the cabling industry has
allowed Brand-Rex to become a system
of choice amongst many vertical markets.
Brand-Rex has seen significant success in
the region winning prestigious projects
in both existing and new markets such
as Malaysia, Vietnam, Macau, Cambodia,
Indonesia and Singapore.
A focus on manufacturing excellence and
technology drive has ensured Brand-Rex
has become the data system provider of
choice for many major customers.
• Singapore International School
• National University of Singapore
• Baptist University
• City University
• Poly University
• Open University
• Woodrose School Manila
• British School Manila
• St Teresa’s Hospital
• St Paul’s Hospital
• Kwong Wah Hospital
• Union Hospital
• Queen Mary Hospital
• Tung Wah Group of Hospitals
• Nanjing Guluo Hospital
• Hospital Putrajaya
Regional FocuS
Project Focus
Galaxy Casino, Macau
Owner: Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG)
Partner: CTM
Overview: Both Phase 1 (completed) and Phase 2 (under construction)
combined will have over 120,000 ports.
Solutions: 10GPlus Augmented Category 6 Zone cable was used throughout
the data centre and a Cat6Plus solution for the mass gaming halls,
retail outlets, and hotels requirements.
Project Focus
Perusahaan Gas Negara (PGN), Indonesia
Partner: PT. Uni Network Communications
Overview: 2 floors with approximately 10,000 m2
Solutions: OM3 Multimode 8 core optical fibre backbone, with Cat6Plus
category 6 end to end cabling solution for the horizontal data and
telephone system.
Project Focus
Hoa Sen University, Vietnam
Owner: Hoa Sen University
Partner: ELV Technologies Corporation
Overview: 10 floors covering a total area of approximately 12,000 m²
for students to use, equipped with latest equipments.
Solutions: Fiber SM OS2 12 core backbone, CAT6 UTP LSZH for the
horizontal and data telephone system.
Project Focus
Liberty Central Riverside Hotel - Vietnam
Owner: Que Huong Liberty Corporation
Partner: ELV Technologies Corporation
Overview: 170 rooms four stars hotel, restaurant & bar, conference room,
swimming pool.
Solutions: Fiber MM OM3 8 core backbone, CAT6 UTP LSZH for data system,
CAT5e UTP LSZH for telephone system horizontal from patch panel to outlet
with full accessories for fibre and copper.
17
case study
Pictured: Guildhall School.
Pictured: Guildhall, London.
Brand-Rex delivers a truly converged
multi-media network
Located in London’s prestigious Barbican
Centre, The Guildhall School of Music
& Drama offers aspiring musicians,
actors, stage managers and theatre
technicians a creative and stimulating
environment in which to develop as
artists and professionals.
With just 62 part-time students, it was the
first municipal music college in Great Britain.
After rapidly growing in popularity, in 1887
the School moved to new premises in John
Carpenter Street, where it stayed there up
until 1977.
Having identified the need to expand
and offer a wider range of facilities, in
2009 plans were announced for the £90m
redevelopment of the neighbouring Milton
Court site.
The new building features three new
performance spaces – a 608- seat concert
hall, a 227- seat theatre and a 128-seat
studio theatre – in addition to drama
teaching and administration spaces to
complement those currently in use in the
Silk Street building.
Brand-Rex systems were used extensively
within the new £90m state-of-the-art Milton
Court facility in London to offer the best
possible network infrastructure for its staff,
students and visitors.
The Guildhall School of Music & Drama’s
Head of IT, Richard Antonel, was charged
18
with overseeing the implementation of a
network infrastructure that could provide
the highest possible levels of performance
and future proofing. He explained,
The scope was to install
a high specification
structured cabling system
that would last in excess
of 25 years. We decided to
install 10Gbit/s to every
outlet. After carrying
out research I decided
the Brand-Rex 10GPlus
Category 6A system
would offer the best
combination of value,
reliability and longevity.
Chris Chandler, technical manager at
Brand-Rex, who advised on the system
design commented, ‘For this environment a
shielded foil twisted pair (F/FTP) low smoke
zero halogen (LSOH) cable was the most
appropriate option due to the quantity of
electrical services in the building that could
cause electromagnetic interference (EMI).
Over 150km of it was used to configure
2,000 10GBASE-T channels and, in addition,
singlemode (OS2) and multimode (OM4)
optical fibre from our FibrePlus range has
been used in the campus wide area network
(WAN) and internal backbones respectively.’
A truly converged multimedia environment,
as well as running data, voice and
video conferencing applications, the IT
infrastructure at Milton Court has to be
able to handle the many radio and TV
broadcasts that will be made from the new
facilities as well as supporting the Guildhall’s
recording studios for sound and video. It
will also facilitate a large digital signage
system, as well as wireless networking to
accommodate the increasing preference for
‘bring your own device’ (BYOD) functionality
amongst students. It is also used to network
a building management system (BMS) that
operates access control, CCTV, and heating
and ventilation.
Antonel is confident that Milton Court’s
communications infrastructure will fully
support the technologies of the future.
He concluded, ‘Milton Court will open in
September and I know that its network
infrastructure will perfectly complement
and enhance the outstanding quality of the
Guildhall School of Music & Drama’s training
and the success of its graduates.’
For more information visit:
www.gsmd.ac.uk/
project update
Resilient, flexible and highly scalable Intelligent
Building solution for South Glasgow Hospital
As part of the new South
Glasgow Hospital campus,
Brand-Rex Premier
Partner Boston Networks
has worked closely with
Brookfield Multiplex and
Mercury Engineering
from to design and deploy
a resilient, flexible and
highly scalable Intelligent
Building solution.
The new £90 million laboratory is one of
the most modern sites in the UK enabling
groundbreaking research and pioneering
treatments to be developed. The new
laboratory accommodates blood sciences,
pathology, genetics, and microbiology,
post-mortem and mortuary services and
is developing lifesaving treatments and
technologies to benefit patient diagnosis
across Scotland. The intelligent building
solution encompasses:
• Structured Cabling
• CCTV
• A
ccess Control, Intruder Alarm & Video
Door Entry
• Disabled Refuge & Disabled WC
• Mortuary Audio Communication
Business Challenge
Covering 25,000 square meters, the
laboratory building is more than five
storeys high and is equipped with stateof-the-art technology. In the planning
stages NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
(NHS GG&C) quickly identified that
the new laboratory, and indeed the
new South Glasgow Hospital campus,
required a future proof, secure and highly
resilient security infrastructure. The new
building demanded a robust cabling
solution to facilitate a wealth of different
technologies and an integrated security
system to protect staff and members of
the public throughout the building and
around the perimeter.
• Delivers unsurpassed integration
capabilities
Key Features
Brand-Rex Partner Boston Networks also
deployed an audio communications
system to guarantee secure and constant
communication between areas within
the lab building including the Mortuary,
Police rooms and Paediatrics department.
The chosen Brand-Rex structured cabling
infrastructure encompasses:
• Category 6A 10GPlus Structured Cabling
• Fibre Optic & Copper cabling
• 2
6 communication cabinets,
installed across campus within 11
communications rooms
The IP security solution includes over
60 Pelco cameras, ensuring that the
building benefits from mission-critical HD
surveillance with unwavering
reliability. Additionally the highly secure
Access Control and Door Entry system
provides enhanced operational flexibility
and centralised management and is
currently fully operational for over 400
unique users. Through the integration
of critical systems, including CCTV and
Access Control the solution is:
• S calable enough to accommodate
thousands of HD and mega pixel
cameras
•H
as multiple levels of redundancy to
ensure maxi mum system uptime
•P
rovides around-the-clock monitoring
and cost- effective recording
Benefits
The experience of the design, project
delivery and engineering teams at Boston
Networks ensured that this prolific project
was delivered within the tightest of
schedules. The Labs building now benefits
from seamless flows of communication
and staff can use a myriad of devices
to access the intelligent network for
critical patient records and information,
facilitating truly world class research and
patient services. Moreover by delivering
a fully integrated and state of the art IP
security solution, the Labs building will
benefit from a scalable and bespoke
solution with simplified and centralised
management. Boston Networks is now
working on the structured cabling,
wireless infrastructure and security
solution for phase 2 of the new ‘South
Glasgow Hospital’ and it’s seamlessly
integration into to the new ‘super
hospital’s’ intelligent network when it
opens in 2015.
19
environment
Essent’s obsolete data centre
infrastructure gets a new lease of life
thanks to Brand-Rex
Headquartered in the
city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch
in the southern
Netherlands, Essent,
part of the German RWE
(Rheinisch-Westfälisches
Elektrizitätswerk) Group,
is the largest energy
company in the country.
It provides heat and other
related services and has a
history of gas supply dating
back over 150 years.
Essent has developed a rigorous
corporate social responsibility (CSR)
agenda and is aiming to supply all of its
energy CO2-neutral by 2050.
Recognising the fact that the growth of
the worldwide population together with
increasing prosperity are forcing the
demand for raw materials upward, Essent
recycles wherever and whenever it can.
Having decided to consolidate its
data centre operations into the RWE
Data Centre in Germany, Essent had to
decommission two existing facilities in
Landgraaf and Tilburg. This meant that
the now obsolete cabling, servers, racks,
power distribution units (PDUs) and cable
management needed to be removed.
Both Essent and Brand-Rex have a
strong focus on minimising waste and
cascading the efficient use of reusable
materials. So it was decided to recycle
as much as possible of the waste
resulting from the decommissioning of
the current Essent Data Centres.
Brand-Rex already had significant
experience with the recycling of cabling
infrastructure at other customers’ sites
and so took the lead in this ambitious
project to sustainably dispose of the
existing infrastructure.
Marco Spoel, maintenance and support
manager at Essent commented, ‘Having
a sustainable IT infrastructure is an
important companywide objective and
it was therefore logical for us to want to
do this. Essent’s Green-IT achievement
was rewarded with the number
one position in Gartner’s Green-IT
benchmark in both 2010 and 2012.’
Brand-Rex has a long history of
environmental awareness and boasts
industry leading green credentials.
In 2011 it announced that its global
organisational and operational
activities had achieved Carbon Neutral
Status in accordance with PAS 2060
and it was subsequently announced
20
as a winner at the 2011 VIBES (Vision
In Business for the Environment of
Scotland) Management Awards.
More recently Brand-Rex was named
runner-up to Dell as Manufacturer of
the Year at the Green IT Awards 2013,
which reward organisations that have
made the most significant contribution
to improving the IT industry’s
environmental performance over the
preceding 12 months.
Erwin Deeben of Brand-Rex said,
“As natural resources will become
increasingly scarce in the future it is key
for us all to explore possibilities such as
urban mining and recycling of end-of life,
or end of support cabling infrastructures.”
Asked why he thought Brand-Rex could
add value to the project, Spoel replied,
‘There are many similarities between
our two companies in terms of our
environmental principles. Also, much
of the decommissioned equipment
from the data centres contains raw
materials found in Brand-Rex products
and we hope that they can be used for
these purposes again, in the spirit of a
“cascading ” approach to material use.
“What’s more,” he continued, “Brand-Rex
could offer expertise that we do not have
in-house and I was confident that the
company’s technical consultant, Erwin
Deeben, and his team would devise and
implement a seamless process”.
Supervised by staff from Brand-Rex,
Essent’s employees retrieved and
collected the redundant products and
put them into specific container units
where the first separations were made.
After this the containers where collected
from site by recycling partner and
waste management specialist, Van
Gansewinkel, and transported to a
recycling facility in Helden, where they
were processed to be re-cycled or used
for the generation of energy.
environment
Under Brand-Rex
leadership, a massive 91
per cent of the products
retrieved from site have
been reused, with the main
proportion comprising of
power cables, unshielded
twisted pair copper cable
and steel.
Products that were deemed unfit for
re-use have been turned into energy
by incineration.
The entire project achieved a positive
revenue stream after all costs were
deducted, meaning that Essent’s
original budget for the project was
unused. Essent and Brand-Rex are now
reinvesting this sum into sponsoring the
“An Innovative Truth” (energy efficient
ICT) and have donated five solar panels
- via 1miljoenwatt.nl - to the “Playing for
Success” initiative.
‘This process has proven that the disposal
of network infrastructure products can be
carried out in a way that is economically
viable, clean and green and therefore
sustainable,’ concluded Erwin Deeben.
Essent is delighted with the results and we
look forward to using our experience here
to help other businesses achieve similar
results in the future.’
21
environment
Brand-News
goes digital!
Brand-Rex
wins Green
apple
award
The next issue of Brand-News will
arrive in digital format.
We will be communicating with you more
frequently with our new digital newsletter which
will include:
• Exciting project wins
• New technical updates
• Environmental success stories
• Latest product news
We hope you enjoy the last issue!
The Green Apple Awards, now in their 19th year,
have become established as the UK’s major source
of recognition for environmental endeavour.
The Awards are organised by The Green Organisation,
an independent, non-political, non-activist, nonprofit group dedicated to recognising and promoting
environmental best practice.
Brand-Rex’ initiatives and success on Carbon and
energy reduction secured a prestigious Green Apple
award in the manufacturing category for the second
year at an awards ceremony at Edinburgh Zoo on the
2nd September.
Brand-Rex shortlisted for
VIBES award
Brand-Rex has again been shortlisted
for a VIBES award, an accolade that gives
recognition to companies who take
significant steps to improve or reduce
their impact on the environment.
VIBES is a partnership between
Environmental Protection UK, the Scottish
Environment Protection Agency, The
Scottish Government and Zero Waste
Scotland. The award, open to Scottish
based businesses that contribute to the
sustainable development of the country,
not only aims to encourage the efficient
use of resources, but supports the
wider goals of sustainable development
including social benefits through
community and staff involvement.
22
A record number of entries were received
including some outstanding applications
therefore making it through to the short
lists stage is a great achievement.
As previous winners of the Management
award and in recognition of our
continuous work to drive down Carbon
Emissions., Brand-Rex has now been
entered into the Energy Award category.
This is aimed at businesses that have
significantly reduced energy consumption
within their own organisation or through
providing a service or working in
partnership with others.
events
Brand-Rex
has manufactured
316,600
boxes of
Carbon Neutral Cable
Brand-Rex
exhibits at
IP Expo
Brand-Rex recently exhibited at IP
Expo, the UK’s number one end to end
enterprise IT event. Held at London’s
Earls Court on the 16th and 17th
October the Brand-Rex stand featured
the very latest high density copper and
fibre management systems as well as
live hands on product demonstrations.
The event was a perfect networking
platform and was a great success for
Brand-Rex.
To find out more visit:
www.ipexpo.co.uk
LANline Tech
Forum Hamburg
The Brand-Rex German team
recently exhibited and presented
at the industry leading technology
conference LANline Tech Forum in
Hamburg on the 20th August.
Technical Product Seminars
Brand-Rex alongside Distribution Partner Networks Centre and Fluke Networks
delivered two innovative technical product seminars at both Wembley and
Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium.
The events designed to aid application and product awareness, comprised of live
hands on product demonstrations and presentations on the latest technologies
providing attendees with a unique opportunity to learn from a team of experienced
industry experts.
Manufacturers across all sectors of the
networking industry hosted a series of
interesting and informative sessions
with Michael Schneider, Regional Sales
Manager at Brand-Rex providing a
well attended presentation on ‘Space
Efficiency & Data Centres’.
Over 130 people attended the one
day event which provided an excellent
platform to showcase the latest Brand-Rex
range of high performance solutions for
data centres and high speed networks.
For more information visit
www.lanline-events.de
23
Did you know
that Brand-Rex have a
technical video library?
The video library contains short step by step guides on jack termination and panel installations
as well as the very latest demos on the KeyQuick® mechanical splice solution.
www.youtube.com/user/iBrandRex
For more information visit www.brand-rex.com