The latest example of spin that caused me to write this blog was a connectivity manufacturer’s ad that claims to have the smallest Cat6A cable on the market.  Now a claim like this is pretty black & white right?  I mean the outside dimension of your Cat6A cable is either smaller than all others or it’s not.  Well as you read the details behind this claim you see that the cable isn’t really Cat6A rated.  It’s a Cat6 cable that will support 10GbE for 70 meters not the full 100 meters that the Cat6A specification dictates.

Why the spin?  Why not just say we have a cable that supports 10Gb Ethernet for 70 meters and it’s smaller than our Cat6A cable?  I guess that wouldn’t be dazzling enough.

The problem is that spin like this creates distrust and extreme skeptism.  It’s hard enough to get users to listen to important details about their options for cabling.  Spin like this makes everyone leery about what to believe and who to believe.  I guess the “spinner” feels that they’re more attractive to buy from or something.  They’re not!  This stuff puts them on the “don’t buy their BS” list, or at least it should.

Anyway, I just needed to vent.  Rest assured you won’t get spin when you deal with our team.  We’re interested in delivering what helps you.  We’re not interested in apologizing for marketing teams that are over-stretching the truth.  Life’s short, shoot straight!  You’ll sleep better.

Mike

But as I look closer I see they’ve painted everything…even the network cables.

No big deal right?  Well it might be.  The two issues that painting networking creates are that it nullifies the UL rating for fire/smoke and it voids the performance warranty from the cable manufacturer.

First, UL or equivalent agencies dictate that the “print legend” be visible and legible.  Paint blocks the print and it adds compounds to the jacket that are untested.  So this becomes a NEC issue that inspectors may ding you on.

The second issue is more menacing.  Electrical performance of the cable can be diminished due to the absorption of water into the jacket and insulation of the cable.  The jackets/insulations are porous extrusions of various blends of plastic.  These extrusions are specifically designed to provide exact levels of dielectric strength against electrical currents.  Once they absorb the water molecules they can break down and there goes the expected performance.

What to do…talk to your General Contractor.  Let them know that the network cable performance is more important than an easy paint job.  There are many options to hide the cables or make them blend in.  Ask your cabling installer for their thoughts or call us.  We’ve got many ideas and options for you to consider.

Mike

Another step in “Making a Difference”

This week Team Capital made another step towards making a difference in our customer’s business lives.  Long time Capital Sales Representative Dan Cronin, RCDD has earned the Systimax Solutions Design & Engineering certificate.

The focus of the Design & Engineering (D&E) program is on the design of each SYSTIMAX SCS subsystem; Campus Backbone, Building Backbone, Horizontal cabling and Work Areas, etc.  Designs for PowerSUM, GigaSPEED® XL , X10D (UTP&FTP), VisiPatch™360, LazrSPEED®, OptiSPEED®, TeraSPEED™ and InstaPATCH™ are all included.

So you might be thinking…so what?  Well, this certification is one more way we add value to our customers.  As I’ve said in the past, we’re not going to earn business with our good looks, so we need to offer something else.  Our something else is knowledge.

Our ability to share knowledge (both application and technical) provides reassurance that you’re buying the right solution for your problem. Involvement at this level is what makes a difference.  The easy thing to do is be a cheap price.  The hard thing is to make the purchase pay off or provide a return on investment.  Honestly, this is the stuff that gets me excited about this industry. 

So here’s where we’re at… call Capital to get competitive prices, certified knowledge and the most flexible service in the industry. 

At least that’s what I think; let me know what you think.

Mike

With budgets becoming tighter than ever before, it’s become more tempting to find savings by pursuing a cheap price on some or all components of the structured cabling system.  That cheap price can come at a hefty cost; your life and those in a building that catches fire.

This danger comes from the failure of some “cheap” off-shore cables to meet even the most basic safety requirements of UL/ETL.

We’ve all become accustomed to seeing the UL or ETL mark on a product and the understanding that it meant that product was safe to use.  Recent CCCA funded examinations of imported cables proves that safety is not always behind the label.

The CCCA commissioned independent lab testing in 2008 and 2009 on randomly chosen samples of Category Cables from distributors in the US.  All carried either the UL or ETL labels.

In 2008, 8 out of 9 cables tested failed to meet the minimum flame/smoke safety requirements specified by the National Electrical Code (UL 1666 and NFPA 262).  Similar results were found in 2009 with 6 out 8 failing these basic flame/smoke tests.  Mind you that each one of these samples was clearly printed & labeled with UL’s or ETL’s mark stating they passed!

Wow, that‘s quite some “deal”.  Not only do you get a cheap Cat6 cable; the cable doubles as a candle wick inside your walls!  How great is that?

Listen, I know prices are important, especially today.  But consider this…there are a dozen or so well established, quality AND performance driven manufacturers in this county that beat themselves bloody each day to compete for your business through reputable, well known distributing partners.  These people are committed to Safety, Quality and Performance and have been for decades.  If you see a price that’s too good to pass up, think about what’s missing from that price…Remember the cheap price guys are the same ones that brought you fillers in dog food that saves you money by killing your dog and lead-based paint for children’s toys.

We all have instincts for a reason, use yours.

I’ve just returned from the WTA’s March meeting; Avaya’s Road-map on how people will share information and collaborate now that Nortel has been acquired by them.  I continued to be amazed by technology and how people think about using it to improve their world.  Simply amazing.

Technology is cool, but the best thing about this meeting was that I see  people are getting out and asking questions, investigating new ways to do things.  It feels like people are moving forward once again.  WTA meeting attendance is way up this year.  Next month’s topic  “Can Social Media make B-to-B  companies money?” promises to be even bigger.  Our WTA board has done a great job to improve these meetings and add value to our members. 

Check out the next meeting on Aprial 15th.  go to www.wta-wi.org to register.