Networks Europe May-Jun 2017 | Page 8

08 NEWS IN BRIEF New suite of solutions to help cable installers slash capital expenditure in half IDEAL Networks has announced the launch of Test4Less, a suite of products, services and payment methods to help companies installing and testing data cabling and networks to reduce capital expenditure, increase productivity and improve cash flow. “Companies investing in multiple certifiers face the issue of increased expenditure and reduced ROI,” says Tim Widdershoven, Global Marketing Manager at IDEAL Networks. “We’ve also found that several businesses have invested in a new fleet of certifiers which now require an expensive upgrade to new models due to certifier discontinuation by the manufacturer.” The range of Test4Less solutions has been specifically developed by IDEAL Networks to address the common frustrations of data cable installers and systems integrators and provide cost-effective solutions to help them overcome these challenges. Test4Less includes a new ‘Pay as you Test’ option to transform a Kohler Co. acquires Pure Power Systems Kohler Co. has acquired Pure Power Systems, a Dublin-based independent distributor and service provider of uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems. The transaction will see Pure Power Systems become part of Kohler’s UK-based UPS sales and service company – Uninterruptible Power Supplies Ltd (UPSL). Established in 2003, Pure Power Systems has locations in Dublin and Limerick and was owned by company founder Ian Jackson. Jackson and all other current employees will continue to lead and manage Pure Power Systems following the acquisition.  “We’re excited about this new chapter in our company’s story,” Jackson said. “UPSL is owned by Kohler Co, which brings us together with the company’s other leading power-industry brands, including Kohler Power Systems, SDMO, Clarke Energy, and of course UPSL. We believe this is a very promising development for our customers and employees alike and we’re now well positioned for continued success and a new level of growth here in Ireland.” “Pure Power Systems is a highly reputable company and will be an excellent addition to the Kohler family,” said David Renton, Managing Director for UPSL. “We’ve partnered with Pure Power for nearly a decade, so we’re very familiar with the company’s deep technical expertise as well as the unmatched, locally-based service they provide. This acquisition will allow us to give our datacenter and other power protection customers throughout Ireland and the UK access to an enhanced offering of UPS products and support services.” NETWORKS EUROPE certifier fleet from a capital investment into an operational expense. Test credits for the LanTEK III cable certifier can now be purchased in batches (from 5,000 to 10,000 tests) and topped up as and when needed. To help protect data cable installers from unforeseen costs and to reduce downtime, IDEAL Networks has also launched the Sapphire Care Plan. This includes a free annual calibration to maintain accuracy, free loan units during calibration to reduce downtime, free shipping to reduce costs and a selection of free replaceable accessories each year to reduce cost of ownership. To eliminate the issue of delayed and lost test results, the free IDEAL AnyWARE mobile app allows users to transfer data in real time from tests conducted on SignalTEK CT, SignalTEK NT or LanTEK III. Data can be easily transferred to a user’s mobile device and shared with off-site colleagues straight away. n NHS cyberattack patch highlights complexity of keeping IT up to date A patch that may have prevented the recent NHS ransom- ware attack was made available to the organisation a month ago it has emerged. The widespread use of unsupported Win- dows XP operating systems is thought to have provided an entry-point for hackers to infect computers with ransomware software, effectively paralysing large parts of the NHS. The attack brings into relief the scale of vulnerabilities that can develop as systems are not kept up to date. World Wide Technology – a global systems integrator – warns that the growing complexity of managing enterprise-level IT will increase the regularity with which software must be patched, even as this attack shows that existing patches are not always being adopted. Ben Boswell, UK & Ireland Director at World Wide Technol- ogy, has advised that the relationship between software pro- viders and organisations should increasingly be governed by a new breed of Enterprise License Agreements (ELAs). These are now being tailored towards fast-moving areas of technology such as security, replacing the product-by-product purchasing model that can so quickly leave companies lagging behind. Ben commented: “The attack has highlighted the fact that IT should be at the forefront of operations planning in any large organisation such as the NHS. But the product-by-prod- uct approach, where large-scale IT infrastructure is bought on an ad hoc basis and fully updated sometimes as infrequently as once every decade, leaves organisations incredibly vulnera- ble to attack.” n If you have any news please email James Abbott, [email protected] The magazine for network and data centre professionals www.networkseuropemagazine.com