We’ve reached the end of IBC 2011, and what a whirlwind past couple of days it has been!  This year, IBC had its’ largest gathering of exhibitors and guests with approximately 49,911 people to be exact!  OCC is very excited to have been part of such a great turnout for this event and had a great time meeting with customers and exhibitors while in Amsterdam.

OCC showcased several products that are designed to meet demanding requirements of field and stadium transmission applications including broadcast fiber optic cables, the MARS reel system, and corresponding reel accessories for rapid cable deployment. So which of these products were our most talked about at the booth?  Our MARS Reels.

Besides the talk of our MARS Reels being so light-weight and easily deployable, what we saw and heard at IBC this year was that many companies who are still using the triax copper solutions want to move toward a fiber solution. Based on the customer feedback at our booth, we hope that OCC has demonstrated our ability to provide a full solution, meaning our ability to provide cable, connectivity, and complementing products such as our MARS Reels product line, to our customers and instill a confidence in them to call on us to help in the development of a fiber optic solution for their business needs.

IBC 2011, the leading global tradeshow for professionals engaged in the creation, management, and delivery of broadcasting media and entertainment starts today and OCC is very excited to be a part of this premiere event.  The IBC exhibition, held in Amsterdam, Netherlands, boasts a wide array of onsite certified training, product demonstrations, and big-screen movie presentations.   It is the place to learn and get connected to leading innovations and new technologies for the broadcast market.    This year plans to be no exception.

In fact, OCC is showcasing several expert products designed to meet the demanding requirements of field and stadium transmission applications including broadcast fiber optic cables, the MARS reel system, and corresponding reel accessories for rapid cable deployment.

OCC’s broad range of Fiber Optic Broadcast Cables are specifically designed for real-time transmission of high definition broadcast signals. Our Field Broadcast cables are proven to repeatedly withstand the abuse associated with the extreme demands in rapid deployment and retrieval applications.  From extreme environments that require water and UV resistance, to high foot traffic applications, OCC’s Distribution and Breakout fiber optic cables offer excellent crush resistance, maximum flexibility and immunity to electro-magnetic and radio frequency interference.  In addition, we can manufacture them in a variety of colors for easy identification or to blend in to their environment.

Deploying and taking up fiber optic cable is one of broadcast’s most thankless jobs. Hundreds of yards of cable are laid across tarmacs, down sidelines, over fences, and under tarps, only to be gathered up again when the broadcast wraps up. Thunderstorms, muddy fields, and on-site news coverage can make the job even worse; often piles of cable end up heaped on the floor of the truck, waiting to be tediously sorted out at the next location.

To help untangle this mess, Optical Cable Corporation (OCC®) has developed the Modular Advanced Reel System (MARS™), the industry’s first lightweight fiber optic cable deployment system, ideally suited for tough environment broadcast field applications in which cable must be deployed and reeled in quickly and stored efficiently in tight spaces.

Unlike traditional metal-style reels, MARS is a lightweight, modular system constructed of an impact modified thermoplastic material that is easily transported and is ideal for applications where cable needs to be deployed and reeled in quickly and stored efficiently.

If you are in Amsterdam this weekend for the IBC Showcase, please stop by and visit the OCC Stand #10-F29 to learn more about the innovative products OCC offers for the Broadcast market!

Recently, we read an article featured on CablingInstall.com that discussed the Telecom grounding and bonding standards that were recently published by The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and BICSI.  The new standard, NECA-BICSI-607-2011 Standard for Telecommunications Bonding and Grounding Planning and Installation Methods for Commercial Buildings, will help contractors and installers in designing more effective bonding and grounding systems as well as enhancing the planning and layout of these systems.

Check out the full article features on CablingInstall.com here:  https://bit.ly/njEG65

After reading this article, we got to thinking about how this new standard can be applied to some of our own products.  OCC’s Category 6A Patch Panels immediately came to mind.  With the next generation of high performance copper connectivity entering the structured cabling market, OCC wanted a product solution   that exceeds  10Gbit standards by TIA/EIA and that could promise exceptional component compliance with the option for added security that only shielded solutions can offer.  As a 10 Gig component, the Category 6A patch panel is ideal for end users who are looking for outstanding network performance to keep their infrastructure lasting well into the future.

For more information on this product, please visit our website  https://bit.ly/oXIoHL  or contact us toll free at 1-800-622-7711 to find out more about our Category 6A Patch Panels and how they can be best utilized in your industry.

An article featured on CableOrganizer.com last week takes a look at the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) Ratings and explains the importance of these ratings in regards to protecting cabling equipment when in harsh or unfriendly environments.

NEMA ratings ultimately serve as a system for grading and regulating telecom and electrical enclosures and have been noted as the “go-to standards” for choosing enclosures for industry application.  The article goes on to state, “NEMA-rated enclosures are all about controlling ingress and egress, a substance’s ability to either enter or exit from a given structure or space – in this case, a cabinet. While the majority of NEMA ratings are mostly or entirely focused on blocking ingress, or the entry of a material into the enclosure, there are also several that deal with preventing egress, or the escape of a substance from the interior of an enclosure.”

To read the full article, visit   https://cableorganizer.com/articles/nema-ratings.html

OCC is proud to offer NEMA 4X Enclosures designed to protect fiber optic networking components against environments where corrosive materials, caustic cleaners, and hazardous materials are used. Available in four sizes, the OCC NEMA 4X Enclosures are indoor/outdoor rated cabinets for patching and/or splicing 12 to 96 fiber ports

Some of the features of OCC’s NEMA 4X Enclosures include:

• Adheres to the rigorous NEMA 4X standard for indoor or outdoor use, including extreme environments
• Protects against windblown dust, rain, sleet, snow, splashing water, and hose-directed water
• Constructed of strong molded fiberglass-reinforced polyester material with matching flat cover
• Gasket made of closed cell neoprene cord encased in a continuous channel
• Continuous stainless steel hinge
• Accepts any standard OCC fiber adapter plate
• Includes tie wraps and Kurl Locks for cable management and security
• Pole mounting options are available with a quick assembly and release feature

To learn more about NEMA 4X Enclosures, please check out OCC’s data sheet https://www.occfiber.com/library-support/nema-4x-fiber-optic-enclosures/

We at OCC are very excited to be entering into the world of social media and hope to make our blog an informative and relevant source of information about our products, solutions and services.  Subscribers of our blog can expect to find a wide array of content related to our industry including blog posts, videos, pictures, links to industry related news, and much more.  Some things you can expect to see include:

-Information on our newest products and developments
-What articles and websites we’re reading
-Commentary from our engineers
-Photos and information on trade shows and events we are participating in

Ultimately, we want to make our blog an information hub for our customers.  We hope customers will visit our blog to learn more about OCC and what we do as well as to keep informed about all the upcoming products, events, and promotions happening at OCC.  Most importantly, we hope our blog will give subscribers a better look into who we are, what we do, and why we are the best choice for their cabling needs.