News Industry ACI release new warning on non-compliant cables


THE APPROVED CABLES Initiative (ACI) has issued a new warning about the growing practice of miss-sell- ing data cable (Cat/Cat 6) products with Copper Clad Aluminium (CCA), which are non-compliant with national and international standards.


Issuing the warning, the ACI has also alerted the marketplace to some inaccurate reporting on the BBC website, where a piece in February reported that ‘traditional cable can be replaced with alu- minium coated in copper’.


Although several instances of installation failures


have already been reported in the media, a spate of fur- ther failures and the BBC piece has prompted the ACI to speak out against the purchase of CCA products. The ACI is also advising that CCA products are unlikely to stand scrutiny by an independent authority or a knowledgeable end user. Iain Ballingall, spokesperson for the ACI, said, “This is an extremely important issue and while the dangers associated with CCA products are not life threatening, as with faulty electrical cables, they can have a disastrous affect upon a company’s repu- tation and livelihood. “We are advising installers to avoid non-compli- ance by being vigilant. They must check documen- tation associated with a product’s purchase, including invoices and product data sheets, to ensure what they have purchased is compliant. If anyone is in any doubt regarding a product they should contact the ACI immediately.” www.aci.org.uk


Power concerns as Olympics loom


WITH THE LONDON 2012 Olympics fast approaching, busi- nesses are moving with haste to safeguard their IT provisions to minimise disruption.


Data centre provider Node4 has seen growing concerns about the power demands of London data centres as the world descends onto the capital. As a result, the com- pany’s data centres outside of London have become much more attractive to firms looking to avoid the limited power resources within the M25.


Node4 has already seen a surge of interest from customers who are apprehensive about the rising costs


associated with London data cen- tres, as well as ongoing anxieties about terror threats. It is thought that the Olympics could be the tip- ping point that could cause out- ages for those without robust contingency plans in place. Andrew Gilbert, managing director of Node4, said, “Although most are hoping the Olympics will go without a hitch, IT managers aren’t leaving things to chance when it comes to related pressures on their data infrastructures. There has been much talk previously about the issues faced in London with regards to the growing number of businesses fighting for


finite sources of power and during the Olympics, a time when many businesses want to put their best foot forward, data centres could face down-time.”


Data centres in London nearing capacity are particularly at risk from Olympics disruption, and Node4 is currently working with firms who are in the process of moving to data centres in other locations before the games begin. www.node4.co.uk


In brief...


Brand-Rex has announced that its GigaPlus Category 5e and Cat6Plus Category 6 boxed cable ranges are now completely carbon neutral. This achievement is part of the compa- ny’s PAS 2050 certifications, which pro- vide methods for assessing the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of its products and sets out a defined strategy for reducing them year on year. www.brand-rex.com


Provider of electronic security and fire safety solutions, Chubb Fire & Security UK, has launched a national centre of excellence for training and knowledge and skills development. Chubb’s partner, Training 2000, is cur- rently delivering apprenticeships for 29 Chubb employees from across the UK in Level 2 electrical engineering and Level 3 fire and security, with plans to include apprenticeships in mechanical fire protection (sprinklers) in the future. www.chubb.co.uk


Hoppecke Industrial Batteries has supplied its trak air batteries and charg- ers to Norish Foods cold store to help run a fleet of Flexi Narrow Aisle articulat- ed fork lift trucks. Norman Hatcliffe, MD of Norish Foods,


said, “The really great additional benefit of Hoppecke trak air is the 40% energy saving we achieved. It meant we were able to obtain payback on our invest- ment in fewer than 12 months as well as real long term high power performance from our fleet of flexi trucks.” www.hoppecke.co.uk


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