Networks Europe Mar-Apr 2016 | Page 5

FOREWORD FOREWORD The broadband debate... 05 Data centric IT: the driving seat. Information Technology and especially the role of the Data Centre in provisioning IT services have entered a very interesting phase: the Data Centre in all of its forms has certainly moved to centre stage. With the exception of the professionals involved, there is a reducing interest in the technology itself: it’s as though these IT services are becoming more utility and the lexicon commonplace: you could is an of expert! other words,fibre, as users, we just Not a month goes by without someone finding a newbelieve way tothat sendeveryone vast amounts data In down a single but how will expect the services we choose to accessWe to work, like the waterwith andexperts electricity ever-present high-speed broadband make a difference to our Internet experience? couldmuch be interconnected fromsupplies in our homes and there is nothing wrong with that. all conceivable professions, accessing scientific and everyday equipment all over the globe, reaching communities of all shapes This—may bereal nothing than abroadband confirmation maturity both the and sizes, using all sorts of new applications and services all in time. more High-speed canofenable our in projects to technology and the market, but it is essentially a user view. The professionals be adopted across both our business and social lives, and the only effective way to deliver this future is with a fibre optic-based involved in designing, building, operating, financing, regulating and generally infrastructure.Tech investment is hitting record highs in the UK and the essential foundation of this booming growth is access to making sure that our user experience is as seamless as utility would imply are broadband. In an ideal world the whole of the Unitedhowever Kingdom’s telecoms network would be based off a pure fibre optic network, facing new challenges. but in reality it makes more economic sense to upgradeThe whatascendancy already exists. Convincing stakeholders that fibre is a is necessary of Data, its analysis and its hidden value a huge driving force investment is yet another obstacle. There is a clear role here to help demonstrate business caseit’s for afibre. good and forfor noproviders other reason than in one waythe shape or form, highThe value asset: big money. Where there is big money there is big influence from large corporations, newsData is that all of the major operators are bringing fibre optic cables ever closer to homes, but we need to focus on take-up of Centre Greening Data Centre Government and regulators and itbe is here professionals needmetres to turn superfast broadband byTesting businesses, not just consumers. In ten or twenty years we might able that to replace the last few of their gaze. copper and coax with a true fibre optic connection, but time will tell. To put it bluntly, being a good engineer, manager or service provider is no longer enough. In future, to be at the top of their game, the modern IT professional will Enjoy the issue. have to understand all of the issues at stake actively lead the debate and get their heads out of the cloud and into the heart of the big picture… Nick Wells March/April 2016 NETWORKS EUROPE The magazine for network and data centre professionals GREEN DATA CENTRES THE CHURCH OF DATA DATA CENTRE SUMMIT Reality or myth? Gaudí meets digital A London first Editor – Netcomms Europe Ray Smyth Editor – Networks Europe. INTELLIGENT R&MinteliPhy – Automated Infrastructure Management by R&M Manually managed infrastructure data has a 10% error rate*, 20-40% of ports in a network are forgotten over time**. The automated R&MinteliPhy solution continuously monitors each connection in one or more data centres or local networks, a (remote) central server records cabling status. The AIM-based solution has functions for management, analysis as well as planning cabling and network cabinets. R&MinteliPhy is easy to retrofit and can halve network monitoring and management costs. When new devices are integrated or changes made updates are automatically generated. Unused patch panels and ports in active equipment are instantly detected. Data can be traced in real time with a PC or smartphone, faulty connections are located in seconds. More info: [email protected] Convincing cabling solutions * Source: Watson & Fulton ** Source: Frost & Sullivan www.netcommseurope.com www.networkseuropemagazine.com NETCOMMS europe Volume V Issue 3 2015 3