Author name: Simon Randall

Fibre Optics

5 Advantages to Fibre Optic Cabling

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The standards for the cabling of data communication and networking infrastructures revolve around two main philosophies. The first is based around a twisted pairing of copper cored cable, and the second is based around fibre optic cable which uses a glass core.

Fibre optic cable is also available in a plastic version (PFO – Plastic Fibre Optic), and PCS – Plastic Clad Silica version. Of the 3 types, the glass cored version has the lowest attenuation; the PFO has the highest attenuation; and the PCS is pitched somewhere in between the other 2. Attenuation means loss of power, so in other words, the lower the attenuation, the better.

Business

How to reduce your ICT energy costs

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The larger your company, the higher your ICT energy levels are likely to be if you rely substantially on computers, data banks and/or large networks to operate your day to day business. As an example, many universities and colleges here in the UK spend approximately £147 million per year (opens PDF) on ICT related energy costs (correct at the time of the linked report). For this particular market sector, the UK climate change act of 2008, which targets higher and further education establishments has decreed that they must reduce their carbon footprint by 34% by the year 2020, and 80% by the year 2050, when compared to their energy level consumption back in 1990.

Of course, it’s not only desirable from an environmental point of view, but companies would also benefit from a financial and ethical standpoint too.

Gadgets

[INFOGRAPHIC] Winning Gadgets and Tech from 2013

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This week’s infographic takes a look at the top trends and winners and losers in the technology sector for last year. It also gives an overview of what we can expect in the coming year, which as we discussed in an earlier post, includes such wonders as the growing wearable tech sector, consumer devices such as Google TV and smart home technology.

The winners and losers are listed as to what went down well in 2013 and what’s expected of 2014. Whilst the graphic focuses a fair amount on consumer devices, with the ever-increasing trend towards BYOD, it’s a useful insight into which devices worked well over the past year.

Surface RT of course was something of a disaster for Microsoft this year, as was the introduction of Windows 8, which was redeemed slightly by 8.1 and the reintroduction of the start button. However, Microsoft are making some inroads, especially with Windows Phone and given the security issues that continue to surround the Android OS, Windows Phone and Surface could well become the devices of choice for the enterprise this year.

Uncategorized

The Structure of Fibre Optic Explained

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Fibre optic cable is the cream of the crop when it comes down to network cabling quality. It’s faster, and more secure than twisted paired copper, but it’s also more expensive. But for some applications, particularly those with very heavy data loads, where bandwidth is an issue and speed a premium consideration Fibre optic is also useful where outside interference is a problem, it’s hands and shoulders above anything else on the market. It can also carry the data far greater distances before the signal requires any sort of boost.

3 Main Types of Fibre Optic Cable

There are three main types of Fibre Optic cabling available today. They are:

Business

5 Top Tech Trends for 2014

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Yup, it’s that time of year again when we all speculate on what’s going to be hot this coming year in the world of technology and what’s on the way out. As the majority of our readers already know, technology moves at an increasingly fast pace, so let’s have a look at what we can expect to be hearing more about in 2014.

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[INFOGRAPHIC] 25 Years of Technology!

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As the New Year is upon us, we thought a little less cables and a little more fun facts were suitable to see 2014 in properly. This interesting infographic from Insight below looks at how technology has changed over the course of the last quarter century.

For many of us that have been involved in technology for quite some time, it’s odd to think that the World Wide Web was first being developed by the UK’s very own Tim Berners-Lee and team just 23 years ago. Did anyone back then in 1990 see it coming to this?

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What is a structured cabling system?

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A structured cabling system (SCS) refers to a complete system of cabling, together with its associated items of connectivity hardware, that is uniquely designed and installed to carry the services of business’s IT infrastructure around any given premises.

This is as opposed to point to point cabling, which only connects specific devices to each other. A SCS is totally independent of any other devices such as servers, or PCs, or printers etc, yet it serves to provide such devices with the signals and data they need to operate.

Business

Wired vs. Wireless for SME’s

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Wi-Fi is nothing new but it has rocketed in popularity over the course of the last decade. For the individual private consumer, it is both the height of fashion and the height of convenience too. In addition, with more and more people now taking their personal devices into the workplace, under the auspices of BYOD, the decision to use a structured cabling solution, or a wireless one can be tricky.

The Dividing Line between Large Enterprises and SMEs

The only thing that is quite clear in the wireless v wired debate in the business world, is the easily seen dividing line being drawn between large enterprises, and SMEs, whereby the decision of bigger businesses is often more straight forward to make. The larger enterprises are for now sticking with wired LANs in the main, using wireless only as an addition for the convenience of top brass, and facilitate visitor access. But for how long?

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Preparing for an IT System Compliance Audit

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IT audits often feel like something of a personal imposition, especially to the people who are responsible for operating the IT system. However they are a necessary evil that substantiate whether the IT system being audited conforms to any industry compliances that may apply, or industry best practice.

Industry Standards

Here in Europe ISO 9001 helps to ensure businesses adopt best practice in terms of quality of information, and procedural discipline, across both their entire administration infrastructure, and any production facilities; whilst within the IT sector, (across all industries), it is ISO 27002 which rules the roost in terms of recommending the measures that should be deployed in order to best safe-guard information security.

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[INFOGRAPHIC] Fibre Optic Cabling Benchmarking Test Results

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This week’s infographics takes an in-depth look at fibre optic cabling and how different types can affect network performance. The image itself is courtesy of US company Siemon, following benchmarking tests on different types of fibre cabling.

The testing and accompanying study included looking at generic fibre jumpers, which can be obtained through retail channels, usually online through approved resellers and big brand names from around the globe. This was intended to help infrastructure specialists help understand the variables that could be at work when it comes to the solutions that they choose.

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