Tenerife to become communications nexus spanning three continents

The Council of Tenerife has announced a new initiative that will convert Tenerife into a global communication capital.

The objective of the ALIX initiative is to transform Tenerife into a main link within the global telecommunications network via the development of the neutral Internet access point (or NAP) for Western Africa-Canary Islands, the Island Telecommunications Ring and the CanaLink Project.

As a result of the geographical location of the Canary Islands in a key zone between Latin America, Africa and the rest of Europe, the Archipelago acts as a privileged tri-continental bridge. Status as a platform between three continents offers many advantages in a number of areas including cultural, social, economic, business spheres. All areas of our daily lives can be benefitted via good management of the location of the Islands within this globalised world.

The Western Africa-Canary Islands Nap (Network Access Point) is the element that will enable Tenerife to exploit its possibilities as a tri-continental platform and bridge, commencing with fundamental issue: communications. The Nap, to be installed in Granadilla, will house various existing submarine cable links along with others that are being prepared both between the Islands and within the Canary Islands-Europe-Africa-Latin America axis.

Therefore, the Council of Tenerife's Western Africa-Canary Islands Nap will act as a neutral data centre that not only serves as a point of concentration and distribution of international connectivity, but also as a base infrastructure for local information technology companies interested in competing overseas, or international companies that wish to operate in Western Africa using Tenerife as a platform, with the legal security afforded by location in the EU, hoping to benefit from the additional fiscal advantages associated with the Canary Islands' status as an Outermost Region.

In order to provide alternatives to internal connections, the Council is creating a fibre-optic cable network that will allow the Island to provide its own infrastructure for voice and data transmission.

The first phase will see the southern zone of Tenerife linked to the facilities of the Canary Islands Astrophysics Institute, using the layout of the roads and motorways on the Island. The second phase will see fibre-optics extended to the north and south-east, also via the road network managed by the Island Corporation.

The Island Telecommunications Ring of Tenerife will also be connected to the Western Africa-Canary Islands Nap.

The CanaLink project is another cornerstone of ALIX. CanaLink will contribute to the end of the monopoly within cable communications. CanaLink is formed by the Telecommunications Technology Institute (IT3) and the neutral submarine cable operator, IslaLink. It is responsible for laying a new cable between Tenerife and Rota (Cadiz), which will result in the liberalisation of the sector.

This submarine cable will avoid failures in data transmission and will afford high levels of quality to telecommunications within the Archipelago. It will fulfil the demands of the various telecommunications operators that operate in the remainder of the national territory that currently have their access to the market of the Canary Islands restricted.

FACTFILE:
The Council of Tenerife is the government body of the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain). It was constituted on the 16thof March 1913 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The Council of Tenerife, as is the case with the other councils of the Canary Islands, possesses a series of exclusive competences that are contained in the Statute of the Autonomy of the Canary Islands and has also been delegated a series of competences by the remaining bodies of the territorial administration.  It is the Canary Islands' own manner of governance and administration, which offers services and exercises powers deriving from the Autonomous Region of the Canary Islands. The president of this body is Ricardo Melchior Navarro.

www.tenerife.es

Excel Wins Award for a Second Year Running

Excel Networking Solutions, the copper and optical cabling infrastructure provider, has been voted as Cabling Supplier of the Year for a second year running in the highly respected Network Computing Awards 2012.

The Network Computing Awards, which took place on 22nd March in London, have been running for 6 years and are particularly meaningful as they are voted for by the readers of Network Computing magazine - the people who use the products every day. They were set up to recognise the companies, products and services in the industry that have most impressed the readers.

Excel beat off stiff competition from Brand-Rex (runners up), TE Connectivity (formerly Krone), Belden, Nexans, Panduit and Systimax to take the award for a second year.

Andrew Percival, Managing Director, says, “Winning Cabling Supplier of the Year for a second year is a great achievement and we’re very thankful for all those that voted for us.” Andrew continued “Back in October 2011 we decided to give the Excel brand a complete re-fresh which not only improved the look and feel of the system but has really helped to position Excel as a leading player in the market place. Winning accolades such as the Network Computing award helps to reinforce this message and further demonstrates the considerable strength of the system.”

The award was collected on the evening by the Directors of Sales for the North and South, Ian Irving and John Twidell respectively.

For details on Excel visit www.excel-networking.com.

Excel Launches Two New Patch Panels

Excel Networking Solutions, the copper and optical cabling infrastructure provider, has launched two new Patch Panels to its already extensive range. The new products include the Excel 24 Port 0.5U Keystone Patch Panel and the Excel 24 Port 1U Keystone V Patch Panel

The Excel 24 Port 0.5U Keystone Patch Panel delivers a high density offering with the benefit of a single row of keystone jacks. The single row of jacks means that the installation is straight forward and allows an individual jack to be removed if required. As the panel is only 0.5U in height it allows, by using two panels together, the ability to present 48 keystone jacks in 1U of rack space. Using two 0.5U panels ensures that the jacks are all aligned the correct way up.

Most 48 Port 1U panels require the bottom row of jacks to be mounted upside down.
The panel is supplied with a cable management bar and an earthing kit as standard.

The Excel 24 Port 1U Keystone V Patch Panel allows standard Excel keystone jacks to be presented in an angled patch panel configuration. The patch panel is designed to accept all of the Excel unscreened and screened standard keystone jacks from the Category 5e, 6 & 6A portfolios. This panel includes a rear cable manager to allow the cable to be dressed into the panel neatly and securely. The V shape of the panel presents the jacks at an angle to the front of the cabinet that reduces the strain on the jack that results from the patch lead. The patch lead is naturally routed to the cabinet/frame cable management reducing the requirement for rack mounted cable management bars. Earth bonding leads are supplied fitted to enable grounding if required.

Commenting on the new panels, Simon Robinson, Product Marketing Manager said "We are constantly listening to customer feedback and reviewing the Excel range to ensure that we have the right breadth of products, quality and competitive price point."

Simon continued "Excel already has an extensive range of panels to suit every requirement and these new models, utilising the Excel keystone jacks, provide even more choice to our customer base."

The Excel 24Port 0.5U Keystone Patch Panel is available from stock immediately, the Excel 24 Port 1U Keystone V Patch Panel will be available from the end of March 2012.

For further details on these and the full Excel range please visit www.excel-networking.com

Nexans customised ROV cable solutions ensure reliability at depths down to 7,000 metres

Nexans offers a wide range of cable designs customized to meet the changing needs of ROV manufacturers and operators for lift umbilicals and flexible tether cables.

Nexans, a worldwide expert in the cable industry, is at Oceanology 2012 to showcase its wide range of cable solutions developed to meet the specific needs of workclass ROV manufacturers and operators. Visitors to stand D250 can find out how Nexans is building on many years of experience in the subsea marine industry to utilize new designs and materials to produce tailor-made cables capable of deployment at ever increasing depths. Examples of some of the different types of ROV cables offered by Nexans will be on show, including lift umbilicals that can take the strain of onboard winching and flexible tether cables that ensure maximum mobility subsea.

ROV Umbilicals – for depths down to 7,000 metres
Nexans is a well established supplier of cables for the global ROV market, with the capability to draw on a wide range of standard electrical and fibre elements that, combined with customized armouring packages, create highly dynamic, torque balanced, compact solutions that deliver the essential reliability and robustness required for subsea applications.

Nexans’ specialized ROV cable manufacturing facility in Norway can produce steel armoured umbilicals for vehicles commonly used for trenching, ploughing, maintenance and drill support applications. The cables are typically designed with a two or three layer torque balanced armouring and 3 phase power supply, instrumentation and fibre optics. The typical depth rating is 2000 to 4000 metres.

Deep water umbilicals are designed for dynamic deep water applications rated down to 7000 metres and the conductors and fibre optics are armoured with special aramid yarns providing high strength. They are used typically in deep water mining.

The umbilical cables are easy to maintain in salt water environments through simple cleaning, hosing and greasing and offer the versatility to operate with complete reliability in harsh environments.

ROV tethers – designed for durability

Nexans flexible and durable TMS (Tether Management System) cables are designed for use with ROVs deployed in tethered applications or directly from the surface for smaller ROVs. They are strong, lightweight, neutral and positively buoyant and are suitable for use in a variety of underwater applications.

Layers of high strength, lightweight armouring yarns provide the ideal combination of tensile and torque strength.

Innovation through experience
Nexans is able to call on many years of experience in combination with a high level of technical expertise to work in partnership with ROV manufacturers and operators to develop the ideal cable solution for every application, with the emphasis on reliability, long-life and minimized TCO (Total Cost of Ownership). The development and manufacturing process is supported by extensive mechanical, electrical and optical testing in Nexans’ own in-house facilities and external facilities that are able to carry out additional qualification tests as required.

As part of its extensive service support package, Nexans can provide customers with training and advice on how best to handle and maintain dynamic ROV cables to ensure their reliability and longevity.

Spooling service
In response to the growing demand for a ready to use product, Nexans is now able to offer spooling on to a customer’s own winch drum for delivery direct to their operating vessel. This not only saves time, Nexans’ experience with handling ROV cables enables it to guarantee the quality of the spooling operation, eliminating the risk associated with third-party spooling.

FACTFILE:
With energy as the basis of its development, Nexans, worldwide expert in the cable industry, offers an extensive range of cables and cabling systems. The Group is a global player in the infrastructure, industry, building and Local Area Network markets. Nexans addresses a series of market segments: from energy, transport and telecom networks to shipbuilding, oil and gas, nuclear power, automotives, electronics, aeronautics, material handling and automation.

Nexans is a responsible industrial company that regards sustainable development as integral to its global and operational strategy. Continuous innovation in products, solutions and services, employee development and engagement, and the introduction of safe industrial processes with limited environmental impact are among the key initiatives that place Nexans at the core of a sustainable future. With an industrial presence in 40 countries and commercial activities worldwide, Nexans employs 24,500 people and had sales in 2011 of 7 billion euros. Nexans is listed on NYSE Euronext Paris, compartment A. For more information, please consult: www.nexans.com or www.nexans.mobi

Oceanology 2012
13-15 March
Excel, London
Stand D250

7 days left to save £159.90 with Virgin Media

New customers with Virgin Media can make a genuine saving of £159.90 when signing up online for any triple bundle of Virgin TV with TiVo®, broadband and calls before 24 November 2011.

Prices start from just £23 a month plus line rental of £13.90 for up to 10Mb unlimited broadband, 75 digital TV channels with 500GB TiVo® and unlimited weekend calls.

All combinations of Virgin Media TV with TiVo®, broadband and calls will qualify for a free 500GB TiVo®, free TiVo® activation worth £49.95, free installation worth £49.95, a free wireless router and £60 off, for a total saving of £159.90.

Additional savings can be made on other types of Virgin Media bundles until 24 November 2011. Packages of TV, TiVo® and either broadband or calls include £30 off, free TiVo® activation and free installation for a total saving of £129.90.

Bundles of broadband and calls without TV are also eligible for free installation worth £49.95 and £30 off, giving a total saving of £79.95, plus a free wireless router.

Paul France of Cable.co.uk said "There has been so much buzz about TiVo® since Virgin Media announced its launch earlier this year and this special offer gives new customers a fantastic saving of up to £159.90."

"This is one of the best Virgin Media deals we’ve seen this year. Our advice to consumers is, if you’re planning to sign up with Virgin Media, now is the time to do it."

Brand-Rex to Host Future Speeds – Greener Needs Seminars

Brand-Rex the international structured cabling specialist and UK market leader, will be hosting a series of UK and international seminars covering the two hottest topics in the industry this year: The Future Speeds – Greener Needs seminars will focus on planning for 40Gb/s and 100Gb/s Ethernet in the LAN and data centre plus understanding the truth from the hype regarding green issues and how good green credentials can benefit businesses when it comes to networking infrastructure.

The UK technical seminars will be held in Falkirk 27th Sept 2011, London 29th Sept and Birmingham 4th October with international venues following in Prague 6th Oct, Munich 13th Oct, Stockholm 25th Oct, Madrid 27th Oct and The Hague 1st Nov.

Who should attend? The information packed days are a great opportunity for attendees to meet and learn from the Brand-Rex technical team and are ideal for IT and network managers plus IT consultants and everyone in the IT integration and installation sector. Attendance is free – simply register at website www.brand-rex.com/seminars

Announcing the seminar series, Brand-Rex Chief Engineer Ken Hodge said, ”Network speeds have evolved amazingly over the past decade – from 100Mb/s through 1GB/s with 10Gb/s just about to become mainstream and 40Gb/s already a reality for the backbone but on the cusp of being developed for the horizontal too.

Network managers and their IT consultants probably have the hardest job of any professions because they have to best-guess which technology to install 5 or 10 years before the applications are in production. Our aim with these seminars is to arm them with full knowledge of the benefits and drawbacks of each solution – in a warts and all way – so that they can be fully briefed when having to make these difficult decisions.”

As well as Ken and his technology team, Kennedy Miller and the team who recently elevated Brand-Rex to the first cabling systems manufacturer to have its entire operations assessed as “globally carbon neutral” will be there to explain what all the standards and assessments mean to you when specifying a cabling system, how specifying green can actually boost your business and how to separate the truth from the “green-wash”.

To book your free place just visit website www.brand-rex.com/seminars

Ethernet Fibre Fuels Rising Market Demands for Broadband Speed

UK-based business communications company Intercity have joined with key UK carriers to offer their Ethernet Fibre solution to 50,000 current subscribers and new customers due to growing market demands.

The demand in the market has risen due to businesses using internet connectivity more frequently, so relying on a solution that is secure, reliable and offers exceptional upload and download speed. Ethernet Fibre provides a dedicated connection from the business premises straight to the internet. The service is uncontended so customers will not be sharing with other network users and are guaranteed the bandwidth they purchase – whether 2mb or 200mb.

The benefits of Ethernet Fibre will be apparent to the business instantly with a high speed connection which is suitable for all web based activities such as VoIP, vehicle tracking, hosted email or data transfer. The service is fully managed 2mb to 1gb and is highly reliable with a service level agreement. Failover options are also available.

Pre-sales expert Dave Reynolds stated “Our Ethernet Fibre service gives businesses across the UK an opportunity to increase connection speeds, boost reliability and utilise additional hosted products. The service uptake is increasing month on month and is already proving to be a popular choice amongst our customer base”.

Ethernet Fibre is now the standard replacement for Leased Line technology and with the current rate of uptake will soon be a leading high availability connectivity product in the UK.

For more information or to make a purchase call Intercity on 0800 652 2055.