Zayo has been selected by a major global technology company to deploy metro dark fiber in Chicago. The solution leverages Zayo’s dense Chicago fiber network that spans more than 1,600 route miles and connects more than 35 data centers. As noted by Zayo, dark fiber offers substantial levels of bandwidth, a higher level of control and long-term lease terms.
What happens when sensor data in the workplace extends beyond machinery or tech infrastructure to employees? Performance management software has long played a role in the workplace, and the IoT can enable more comprehensive data gathering and better analysis of employee performance. This will inevitably drive an increase in discussion about which types of employee monitoring are optimal and ethical; is the added stress that comes with increased monitoring worth the analytics provided? Do employees perform better when not dealing with the anxiety of automated monitoring?
5G is the cool-sounding name everybody uses for the next generation of cellular wireless. Changes in the wireless protocols and use of different radio frequencies are aimed at increasing the bandwidth capacity of 5G to about 100 times greater than the current 4G LTE cellular systems. These goals, if achieved, will enable wireless connections to equal the bandwidth of current Wi-Fi and fiber-to-the-home networks. To achieve those goals, wireless companies must overcome several technical and financial barriers including installing more fibers to the cell sites and denser urban cellular sites using small cells with a coverage of a few blocks or less.
The Alaska Canada Overland Network from co-op telecom MTA will directly connect the northern state to the lower 48, as the name suggests, over land for the first time, improving connections statewide with a 100-terabit connection that could grow as better tech empowers the fiber.
In the age of smart buildings, the realm of operational technology needs cyber security equal to those employed for IT systems. Organizations often overlook Operational Technology (OT) environments, which can house sensitive control systems, when devising a cyber security plan. OT environments comprise the machinery, sensors, actuators, and other equipment that help form the backbone of building operations but have not traditionally connected to the Internet—until now. And without the precedent of strict cyber compliance, these environments are often vulnerable, and in certain instances, the weak link in the organization.
Polarity needs to be determined during the design phase so that the right components can be purchased. Unfortunately, the confusion surrounding polarity often means finding out that you’ve ordered cables or patch cords with the wrong polarity. And since pre-terminated MPO assemblies and jumpers are typically made to order (and often nonreturnable), ordering the wrong polarity risks unexpected project delays and expense. Thankfully, the combination of being able to test for polarity and new MPO connectors that allow you to change polarity in the field is putting an end to the risk. This article takes a closer look.
The commissioning plan for a data center defines the guiding principles detailing schedules, responsibilities, full and accurate test documentation, and functional performance guidelines. Commissioning should help identify potential problems before they occur and result in less repairs, fewer moves, adds & changes, and prevent downtime.
The topic of “sustainability” is increasingly coming to the fore through “Green IT”. Resource-conserving components with low energy consumption and environmentally friendly materials are currently the No. 1 trend topic. Rosenberger OSI’s FTT-ACP concept provides an innovative, redundant Ethernet cabling solution that can be used flexibly, reduces energy costs savings by up to 50%, requires only 31.25% of the energy required to manufacture cables for traditional savings, and offers raw materials savings of up to 70%.
According to a recent report by Dell’Oro Group, a slowdown in cloud capex growth rate weighed on the data center switch market’s growth in 1Q 2019. Year-over-year growth of data center switching revenue recently fell below 5 percent for the first time in almost five years, according to the analyst firm.
TIA and UL are working together through TIA’s Smart Buildings Program, to accelerate the development of common framework for smart buildings. The two organizations are collaborating on an online aggregation portal designed to educate and inform stakeholders on the multiple aspects and solutions available for the smart buildings market. The two organizations signed an agreement to share commercial, technical, and standardization insights to further their work in the smart buildings ecosystem. TIA and UL will additionally focus on benchmarking, measurements, assessments, certification, and registration in the areas of connectivity, interoperability, safety, security – both cyber and physical, resiliency and sustainability for buildings.
