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NEWS IN BRIEF
Siemon introduces new passive ceiling zone enclosure
Siemon has announced a new passive ceiling zone enclosure that installs flush within a 2 X 2 foot drop ceiling tile space . The new enclosure supports flexible , cost-effective zone cabling in today ’ s highly automated buildings by enabling shorter , easy-to-manage copper or fibre connections directly to building devices or to equipment outlets supporting a variety of low-voltage building systems .
Designed to meet UL 2043 plenum ratings for digital ceiling deployments , the new passive ceiling zone enclosure is ideal for connecting directly to LED lights , security cameras , wireless access points or building automation controllers , or to outlets serving voice , data , digital signage and other low voltage systems . It includes a 4U adjustable rack system that tilts 45 degrees for easy access to terminations . It also supports a recommended 96-copper port count to harmonise with IEEE 802.3 Type 2 and Type 3 Power over Ethernet ( PoE ) bundle size limitations and eliminate over congestion for optimised zone cabling deployments .
Lightweight for easy overhead installation , the enclosure features a lower profile for installation in a wider range of ceiling spaces while supporting a load capacity of 31.7kg . Its hinged door features foam gasketing to minimise vibration and accepts cut ceiling panels to blend into the surrounding ceiling décor . Part of Siemon ’ s line of
ConvergeIT cabling solutions for intelligent buildings , the passive ceiling zone enclosure is ideal for use with Siemon plenum-rated cables , cords and connecting hardware to provide connections in the plenum space . n
73 % of organisations say regular storage capacity shortage is biggest issue when managing backups
An independent survey commissioned by Cohesity has revealed that 73 % of IT decision makers in the UK and Germany regard the regular need for additional storage capacity as their greatest challenge when it comes to managing their backups . The results of the poll , carried out in January by Vanson Bourne , highlight how unprecedented data growth , fragmented backup silos , increased complexity in managing numerous applications and a lack of adequate management tools and forward planning , are taking their toll on performance .
Such high response ( broken down as 69 % in Germany and 76 % in the UK ) suggests that adding backup capacity is difficult , and complicated by the interplay between servers , backup software and target storage devices . Furthermore , as the number of applications continues to increase and the multitude of data storage platforms used concurrently in the modern enterprise continues to grow , IT managers face considerable challenges to ensure data is backed-up but not needlessly duplicated . Siloed secondary data spread across the data centre implies that storage capacity in which businesses have invested is not used optimally , as the same data is often stored repeatedly across these silos .
The results of the survey also highlight that half of IT decision makers in both the UK and Germany find that managing their backups is too administration heavy ,
supporting the notion that explosive data growth and increased complexity have led to extensive storage system fragmentation within the data centre . When it comes to traditional data management solutions , there are numerous independent components , workflows and hardware , and so administrators are compelled to spend far too much of their time managing these various elements .
More than two in five respondents ( 43 %) indicated the wish for backup products to be more easily scalable : this lack of flexibility is a major challenge , suggesting that organisations are struggling with wasted capacity and / or with the need for their backup solutions ’ ability to grow with the businesses . n
Glasgow ’ s gigabit transformation goes west
The construction of Glasgow ’ s new full-fibre , Gigabit City network is now moving westwards into the Finnieston area , marking a new milestone for the city ’ s digital transformation .
Launched in October by alternative infrastructure developer , CityFibre , the network now spans Glasgow city centre , including the Merchant City , giving businesses in more than 300 postcode areas access to 100 % fibre connectivity for the very first time .
City businesses are already benefiting . Chardon Trading founders Maurice and Nicola Taylor , owners of the Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express in Glasgow Theatreland , connected their West Nile Street hotel in December . Speaking of their experience to date , Nicola said : “ Reliable , ultrafast connectivity is as important to our guests as a comfortable bed and a hot shower – without it , we wouldn ’ t have a business . n
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