TREND Networks acquires Terahertz Technologies

TREND Networks has announced the acquisition of US-based fibre optic and photonics test equipment company Terahertz Technologies. “Businesses handling fibre optic cables can now Depend On Us for a wider range of equipment for testing fibre optic cabling,” says Paul Walsh, CEO for TREND Networks. “TTI has a fantastic team and some extremely talented engineers, so we are excited to work alongside them to expand our range of high-performing and cost-effective fibre testing products, as well as innovate new solutions.” Following the acquisition, TTI will continue to design and manufacture products at its premises in Oriskany, New York, ensuring that products continue to be made in the USA. The existing team will remain, including the engineering, sales and production teams, and CEO Michael Mazzatti who founded the company in 1989 to offer a comprehensive range of testers including OTDR, PM/LS, OLTS, PON, DWDM, CWDM, and more. “We are looking forward to the next chapter for TTI and joining the TREND Networks family,” says Michael Mazzatti. “In joining forces with this trusted manufacturer, we know our customers will benefit from the first-class technical support, cloud-based solutions, and ongoing investment in technologies. We are excited that a renewed sales and marketing effort and international distribution network will also bring TTI testers to more users globally.” All existing TREND Networks fibre test equipment types will remain available. However, over the next several months, TREND Networks will begin progressing a number of new fibre test equipment projects, with TTI headquarters becoming the TREND Networks centre of excellence for fibre-optic research and development. TREND Networks intends to bring the new line of testers into the TREND AnyWARE Cloud eco-system to provide Dependable Data, whenever it is needed. This best-in-class test management system makes it easier for users to test and troubleshoot cable, access all information needed quickly and efficiently on multiple devices, and produce the high-quality performance reports that customers demand. TTI will continue to provide existing customers with sales, technical support and repair and calibration services, in essence business as usual. In the future, TREND Networks will provide these services for the new rebranded product portfolio, giving customers Dependable Support globally, including in local languages. The rebranded tester range will also become available via the international network of TREND Networks distribution partners. “Fibre cable is an ideal and cost-effective choice when high levels of bandwidth are needed, making up the majority of cabling in data centres in particular,” Paul Walsh explains. “Higher data volumes are increasing demand for fibre. So, in expanding our range of testers through this acquisition, we will ensure that businesses can get more of what they need from the same trusted brand.” This is the first acquisition for TREND Networks, which has been independent of its former owner for more than two years. The company, formerly known as IDEAL Networks, rebranded to TREND Networks in March 2021. The acquisition supports the company’s continued growth in North America, and globally, while also extending its existing fibre optic testing expertise and product portfolio.

Aico SmartLINK Gateway awarded Best Health and Safety Product

Aico are delighted to announce that their Ei1000G SmartLINK Gateway has been awarded ‘Best Health and Safety Product’ at the Housebuilder Product Awards 2021. The Housebuilder Product Awards were launched in 2013 to celebrate excellence in the products and systems used in the UK housebuilding industry. Aico’s SmartLINK Gateway was designed as an innovative alarm management system to facilitate resident safety and gives a proactive approach to Fire and Carbon Monoxide protection. The Ei1000G provides remote data insight and real-time event notifications for multiple connected alarm systems, enabling proactive monitoring and aiding with compliance for safer homes. Product Development Manager for Aico, Michael Wright comments “We are thrilled that our SmartLINK Gateway has achieved the accolade of Best Health and Safety Product. The Gateway was designed with Registered Social Landlords to assure tenant safety at any time by providing real-time remote status information on connected Fire and Carbon Monoxide Alarms, something that is invaluable in properties where gaining access is difficult. For the Gateway to be named Best Health and Safety Product is excellent and we are really pleased.” As a result of this award win, Aico and their Ei1000G SmartLINK Gateway are eligible for entry into the ‘Product of the Year’ category at the Housebuilder Awards on 3rd June 2021.

Banham Security are an ECHO-connected alarm receiving centre sending signals to police

ECHO have announced Banham Security as their launch customer – the first UK Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) to be ECHO-connected, fast tracking alarm signals to the Police. ECHO is set to transform intruder and hold-up alarm signal handling to the Police when ‘every second counts’, and Banham is at the forefront of this initiative to deter crime and facilitate a faster police response. By switching from traditional telephone communication between individual ARCs and Police Control Rooms, to an ECHO-connected process, police response times can be improved by as much as 4 minutes, a more efficient and effective deployment of Police resources to alarmed premises. All approved ARCs in the UK are now able to get ECHO-connected and help improve police response times for the certificated alarm systems they monitor. Robust connectivity to ECHO is being provided by BT Redcare and CSL networks. A key component of ECHO ARC eligibility criteria is Cyber Essentials/Plus certification, demonstrating ongoing commitment to cyber security. Domestic and commercial users of NSI and SSAIB approved installers and their professionally installed alarm systems, can benefit from ECHO as Police Forces and ARCs around the UK get ECHO-connected during 2021. Martin Herbert, Managing Director, Banham Security says “Banham is delighted to be the first ECHO-connected Alarm Receiving Centre in the UK. This is an exciting moment, not only for Banham, but for the entire UK security industry. ECHO’s new technology has allowed us to transform the way our industry responds to alarm activations by rapidly reducing response times, providing support for the Police and giving additional peace of mind to our customers. It has been a privilege to have worked in partnership with ECHO in achieving successful end to end testing of this ground-breaking technology at our in-house Alarm Receiving Centre in South West London. Having remained at the forefront of burglary prevention for over 95 years, Banham are proud to have worked with ECHO in setting a new benchmark for security innovation and alarm monitoring for the industry.” Richard Jenkins, Chief Executive at NSI observes, ”Approved alarm installers across the UK will, during the course of 2021, be able to offer ECHO-connected alarm systems as Police Forces in turn adopt ECHO-connected alarm handling. This marks a significant additional degree of assurance for homeowners and businesses operating police response alarm systems.” Martin Harvey, Director, ECHO, comments “We are incredibly grateful to Banham for their support and assistance in the development of the ECHO concept over the last 3 or more years and welcome them as the first ECHO-connected UK Alarm Receiving Centre. The ECHO initiative is a shining example of how collaboration between the Police and the professional private security industry, when motivated to work together, can deliver significant and tangible benefits for all.”

UK Power Networks leads the way in levelling up

Securing equal opportunities for the communities it serves is the driving force for UK Power Networks today becoming the first distribution network operator to partner with the country’s largest social mobility plan. The company which distributes electricity to 8.3 million customers across London, the East of England and South East of England, has committed to the Levelling Up Goals initiative spearheaded by former Secretary of State for Education, Rt Hon Justine Greening. This will see an action plan created to support the Levelling Up Goals agenda, building on UK Power Networks’ aim to be an employer of choice and providing continued additional support for its most vulnerable customers. The twin challenges of the economic recovery post-Covid and the UK’s acceleration towards net zero opens up a new era for utilities taking greater responsibility for social mobility, by leading the way, going above and beyond what people might expect of a utility. Andrew Pace, director of HR at UK Power Networks, said: “Levelling Up provides us with a clear benchmark as we look to play our part in the UK’s efforts to tackle social mobility, ensuring everyone has the same access and opportunities in life. “Our plan, will set clear priorities covering key areas as recruitment, engagement, safety, diversity and inclusion, customer vulnerability and the energy transition so that we are in a position to confidently continue doing the right thing both by our employees and the communities we serve.” A long-term campaigner on levelling up, Justine Greening co-founded the Social Mobility Pledge in 2018 to bring businesses and universities together to improve social mobility. The Levelling Up Goals are the first major piece of work launched by the most committed of these organisations, The Purpose Coalition. Justine Greening says: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be working with UK Power Networks on measuring its impact against the Levelling Up Goals. A large part of what we do is about sharing best practice and UK Power Networks is already demonstrating this with some of its fantastic work around social mobility and creating equality of opportunity. “The challenge now is for purpose-led businesses to step up and play their role in boosting opportunity and social mobility as we recover from the pandemic. “UK Power Networks has shown that it is committed to leading the way and making a difference on social mobility and I’m looking forward to working with the team on its Levelling Up Action Plan.”

Zicam chooses Wisenet to be its preferred video surveillance brand

"As a systems integrator which is always looking to innovate and provide our end-user clients with added value from their video surveillance systems, we have decided to work ever more closely with Hanwha Techwin”, says David Salisbury, Managing Director of West Midlands based Zicam Integrated Security, which has specialised in state-of-the-art surveillance and detection security systems for over 25 years. “Whilst we always offer objective advice to end-user clients in respect of the best cameras, recording devices and VMS available to meet their specific requirements, we have found for most projects we have been involved in over recent years that we have been able, via authorised distributors, to source everything needed from the Hanwha Techwin Wisenet product range”. Wisenet AI solutions Although Zicam Integrated Security is able to take advantage of the full Wisenet range when recommending the most suitable products for specific applications, they have recently been specifying Wisenet P series AI cameras for almost all projects where the video surveillance systems are being remotely monitored. “In addition to the superb quality of the 4K images captured by these cameras, they are also equipped with Deep Learning AI video analytics which deliver a high level of detection accuracy whilst minimising false alarms. This is proving to be extremely valuable to our clients, such as DHL, in terms of them efficiently and cost-effectively protecting their assets, people and property”, said David Salisbury. As a Gold level Hanwha Techwin STEP Partner, Zicam Integrated Security is able to benefit from the support offered by the partnership program, including an enhanced 5 year warranty, access to a wide range of technical support resources, lead sharing and co-marketing activities. "We are naturally delighted that a knowledgeable and highly professional systems integrator such as Zicam Integrated Security, has committed to recommending Wisenet branded products whenever possible to its clients”, comments Ben Speakman, UK Country Manager for Hanwha Techwin Europe. “We are very much looking forward to helping the Zicam team capitalise on the new business opportunities being created by our next generation products, many of which are equipped with Deep Learning AI video analytics”.

CENTIEL expands its sales team

CENTIEL has expanded its hardware sales team with the addition of Graham Murray as sales engineer.  Graham will be responsible for external hardware sales, specialising in UPS system replacements. Graham Murray confirms: “My new role is varied and includes working on new projects and replacing end-of-life systems. I will be helping clients upgrade to the very latest technology which is right-sized to reduce the overall total cost of ownership (TCO) and at the same time offers the highest levels of efficiency, availability and reliability. “Having worked in the UPS industry for several years, I’ve been involved in my fair share of modular projects. Modular’s design and levels of resilience has changed the way that customers can choose to protect their critical load. CENTIEL’s true modular UPS CumulusPower which is known for its industry leading availability, has raised the bar for modular UPS systems. In addition, its safe-hot-swap capability means a module being added to a system can be fully isolated and tested within a running frame before it accepts any load. As a result, CumulusPower is currently the safest, most reliable and flexible UPS available for critical power protection. “These innovations and technological advances offer more flexibility for clients and will also ensure I can develop bespoke solutions, tailored to meet specific requirements. Every site is different, so being able to supply a variety of frame sizes or battery configurations will result in the most optimal solution to protect the power at critical installations.” Louis McGarry, sales and marketing director, CENTIEL UK comments: “Graham’s appointment will further strengthen our team and offer support to our valued customer base. His experience with system integration and project sales, will make a valuable contribution to the continued growth of CENTIEL in the UK.” Before joining CENTIEL, Graham was a sales engineer at Kohler Uninterruptible Power UK for more than four years and prior to that, he worked at UPS Systems plc for several years as a Technical Sales Account Manager. CENTIEL is a Swiss-based technology company designing, manufacturing and delivering industry-leading power protection solutions for critical facilities. Its three-phase true modular UPS, CumulusPower known for its 99.9999999% (nine, nines) availability has now been installed in datacenters and comms rooms in over 60 countries across five continents. More than 50 MW of critical power loads are now protected with CumulusPower in locations across the world including: the UK, Singapore, Australia, Germany, Spain, the Czech Republic and the Channel Islands.

The five most common assumptions about electricians - how true are they?

Like many tradespeople, electricians often receive plenty of unfair criticism as a result of long-standing misconceptions about the training they receive or the work they carry out. In a bid to put some of the most common myths about electricians to bed and to provide further insight into our industry, electrical wholesaler ERF has addressed five frequent assumptions people have about those working in the electrical trade. Electricians are all men  As with many roles in the trade industry, being an electrician was historically viewed as a ‘man’s job’ but thankfully these kinds of stereotypes are being broken down. Although the majority of tradespeople are male there has been a significant rise in the number of women working across all trades in recent years. According to the latest research from Direct Line, there were an estimated 33,000 female tradespeople in 2019 which is a 120% increase on the 15,000 reported in 2009. When it comes to the electrical trade specifically, it was estimated there were around 8,000 female electricians compared to 230,000 male electricians in 2019. That would mean women make up just more than 3% of all electricians. While this does highlight there is still a huge gender gap, the overall picture is improving. The key to addressing this disparity further will be ensuring avenues into the industry - such as through apprenticeships or college courses - become more attractive and viable options for women across the UK, from all backgrounds. Electricians don’t have university degrees  While training to become a qualified electrician doesn’t require you to go to university, there is plenty of theoretical and practical learning that has to be undertaken. In order to gain a full qualification you have to complete an industry recognised level three diploma which takes around three years to achieve. Generally this is completed through an apprenticeship which will involve one day a week at college and four days within a related job role. Following this, many electricians will also go on to undertake further job-specific training on topics including electrical vehicle (EV) charging points and solar power. University degrees such as electrical engineering or computer science are also an option for those wanting to expand their skill set further. Electricians have to be good at maths  This notion is contrary to the above. While reading about Ohm’s law and trigonometry is enough to put some people off studying to become an electrician - especially those who aren’t whizzes at maths - there really isn’t any need to feel daunted by these topics. Electricians do use maths on a regular basis but a lot of it is simple calculations which are used to figure out sizes such as room dimensions or wiring lengths. While there is a need to have a good working knowledge of Ohm’s law - an equation used to study electrical circuits - once you have completed plenty of practice, you soon become confident using it. The key to being able to effectively work with numbers in the job is to recognise the techniques which work best for you when it comes to problem solving. Those who are more visual learners may find it beneficial to draw pictures when tackling calculations, for example. You can’t be an electrician if you’re colour blind  There’s no doubting that in the past being colour blind would have been a major problem for electricians, but we’ve come a long way in the last 50 years. Up until the 1970s, single phase electrical wires were coloured red (live), black (neutral) and green (earth). Due to the most common form of colour blindness being when red and green are perceived to be identical, it’s easy to understand the difficulties which many colour blind electricians would have been faced with. To try and avoid any confusion, since the late 1970s the earth wire has been multicoloured (yellow and green). Further changes were also made in the early 2000s, meaning the live wire is now brown and the neutral wire is blue. These alterations mean being colour blind is much less of an issue for electricians than it was previously. That being said, it is worth noting that when applying for an electrical apprenticeship you do have to undergo a colour blindness test. This doesn’t apply to those who are training as a domestic installer or funding their own training though. Electrical work is really dangerous  All work involving electricity has the potential to be dangerous and therefore being an electrician doesn’t come without risk. As with many jobs though, if the correct health and safety procedures are followed nearly all of these threats are either eliminated or considerably minimised. To ensure electricians protect themselves as well as others, they are required to undergo thorough electrical safety training. The dangers associated with being an electrician aren’t exclusive to working with electricity though. Some of the most common injuries people sustain come from falls or trips which is why it is important electricians put aside a bit of time to identify all of the potential threats they could face before starting a job. In the last 12 months, all of those working in the trades have also had to adopt additional health and safety practices as a result of the spread of coronavirus. This has involved electricians wearing PPE and adhering to social distancing guidelines.  

DALI+ delivers DALI lighting control with wireless and IP-based networking  

The DALI Alliance has launched DALI+, a new brand that denotes DALI over wireless and IP-based networks. DALI+ builds on the proven and sophisticated DALI lighting-control features in wired (DALI-2 and D4i) options, and offers access to the same rich set of data from control gear, luminaires and sensors. DALI+ devices communicate using existing DALI commands, but these are carried over a wireless and/or IP-based medium rather than the dedicated pair of wires used by DALI-2 and D4i. The DALI Alliance has published a new DiiA Specification, which supports DALI+ across different carriers and will lead to certification of interoperable DALI+ devices. The first certification program will be DALI+ with Thread, a low-power, IP-based, wireless-mesh networking protocol. In combination with a wireless carrier, DALI+ enables true wireless DALI, without any need to translate between protocols. Where access to DALI wired subnets or luminaires is required from the DALI+ wireless network, the new specification also supports bridges. “Following the publication of our Wireless to DALI Gateway specifications last month, the introduction of DALI+ ushers in a new era of seamless, industry-standardised lighting control,” says Paul Drosihn, general manager of the DALI Alliance. “DALI+ extends choice, flexibility and creative freedom for lighting designers and specifiers by supporting the development of wired, wireless and IP-based systems, using DALI throughout.” DALI+ enables lighting solutions that can easily scale to building-wide networks, or even across multiple buildings, by using new addressing features. The implementation of IP-based networks in commercial buildings allows IT systems and building automation services, including lighting control, to operate on a common platform, with features such as end-to-end security, unlimited scalability, and easy connectivity to other applications. Leveraging the existing features of the DALI protocol, DALI+ networks connect sensors, controllers and luminaires in a data-rich environment. This enables real-time monitoring of energy and power usage, and access to diagnostics information for predictive luminaire maintenance, among many other examples. DALI+ is supported by a new DiiA Specification entitled ‘Part 104 Changes and Additions’. The specification provides updates to the published Part 104 of the international IEC 62386 standard. The first version of this new specification supports IP-based protocols such as Thread, Ethernet and Wi-Fi. Initially, the DALI Alliance is developing tests that will enable a new ‘DALI+ with Thread’ certification program. Further DALI+ certification programs utilising other carriers will follow.

Report from IDTechEx reveals shift to electric vehicles to be worth £12.7 billion

IDTechEx has released a new technical market research report, “Printed and Flexible Electronics for Automotive Applications 2021-2031: Technologies and Markets”, on the current status of printed/flexible electronics in all aspects of automotive design and manufacturing, along with future opportunities created by these transitions. It is an exciting time for the automotive industry, with technological transitions towards electric vehicles and increased autonomy occurring simultaneously. This of course creates extensive opportunities for many new technologies, including printed/flexible electronics. For example, the ability to make electronics on thin flexible substrates enables weight to be reduced, a key consideration for electric vehicles. Furthermore, the conformality associated with flexible electronics is highly suited to emerging automotive interior design trends with organic curves replacing flat surfaces.   This new IDTechEx report is structured around three key technological transitions: electrification, autonomy, and an increased focus on the interior for differentiation.   Electric vehicles. The accelerating transition to electric vehicles is well documented, with multiple countries announcing that sales of petrol/diesel fuelled new cars will become illegal at various points in the 2030s. It is clearly desirable for EV batteries to always work as efficiently as possible to increase vehicle range for a given weight. However, battery capacity is strongly dependent on temperature. This creates an opportunity for printed arrays of temperature sensors to provide local monitoring and for printed heaters to be integrated within the same functional film.   Increased levels of autonomy. Vehicles across the price range now contain sophisticated ‘advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS)’. Over time the level of autonomy will increase, with full Level 5 autonomy expected in some vehicles within a decade. This creates opportunities for multiple sensor technologies and associated features such as transparent heaters, integrated antennas, and even low-resolution flexible displays for the exterior to interact with pedestrians.   Differentiation shifts from powertrain to interior/cockpit. Car manufacturers are increasingly turning to interior design and features to differentiate their products. Given their lightweight and conformable nature, this transition means that interior applications arguably provide the greatest automotive opportunity for printed/flexible electronics. This trend is already being seen with the rapidly increasing adoption of displays, which is set to continue and extend to curved and flexible displays.   Human machine interface (HMI) technologies, more simply described as pressure or touch sensors, are especially promising. Already widely used in seat occupancy sensors, printed pressure sensors are likely to find their way into control panels to provide a wider range of inputs than purely capacitive touch sensors without the expense of mechanical switches.   Many of these touch sensors are likely to be produced via in-mold electronics. By combining the electronics with the thermoformed plastic, it enables integrated systems such as center consoles and overhead control panels to be much lighter, simpler, and easier to manufacture. Indeed, IDTechEx forecast IME to be an approximately $1.3 bn market by 2031.   Other opportunities for printed/flexible electronics within vehicle interiors include printed heaters, which enable heaters to be incorporated within touchpoints. This is significantly more efficient than space heating through the ventilation system, and much more responsive – flexible printed heaters can even be transparent!

Ventola on course for entertainment and leisure industry reopening

An LED lighting firm has bolstered its reputation in the Family Entertainment Centre industry following a raft of project wins across the world. And the news follows a period in which many facilities in the sector have been renovating their venues ahead of lockdown measures easing. Leicestershire’s UK based Ventola Projects has been in hot demand during the past twelve months, as entertainment venues enlist the lighting expert to modernise their facilities in COVID-conscious times. And now, with the next set of lockdown measures set to be eased this month in the UK, and similar procedures taking place across the world, the lighting specialist is set to hand venue operators a cost-efficient, timely and modern entertainment offering to entice customers back. Playing its part in multi-million pound refurbishment projects, Ventola, which has distribution models set up in the UK, US and Middle East, has recently secured wins with Bowl Incline, an FEC remodel project near Lake Tahoe (USA), as well as securing a contract to supply LED lighting to a number of FEC venues in Saudi Arabia, later this year. “This has been a tough time for venue operators,” explains Ventola Projects founder Mick Ventola. “Not only have they had to contend with months behind closed doors, but also, they know customers will be looking for something fresh, exciting and modern when they reopen. Simply reopening your facilities as they were won’t cut it in a market where competition will be fiercely contested. “I’m delighted that we’ve been able support in some way, providing economically sound and attractive lighting features that will help the industry get back on its feet.” Ventola’s specialist VAvR lighting is a multi-function LED system that can switch from general white to colour changing mood lighting and glow effects. Computer controlled and low voltage, they save venues such as entertainment complexes, leisure parks and bar operators time and money. In the UK, the business enjoys a fruitful relationship with Ten Entertainment Group, the parent brand of Tenpin, with Ventola installing his signature system at the operator’s Manchester Printworks and Acton venues towards the end of last year. And now, the Leicestershire firm is on a sweep of Tenpin outlets across the country, helping to ensure lighting operations are ready for the proposed lockdown easing opening date of May 17th. “Upgrades and venue facelifts are necessity in this market,” adds Ten Entertainment Group CEO Graham Blackwell. “To this end, we’ve been delighted to have Ventola onboard, whose products help to distinctly modernise the entertainment experience and will excite our customers upon their return.” Ventola, a Midlands Engine Export Champion for 2021, completely reengineered his VAvR system last March, delivering efficiency tweaks and less impact on the environment compared to traditional older lighting products. He also introduced an experiential projection system, which overlays in-game advertisements and exciting mini games into the bowling experience, helping to peak operator and guest interest in competitive times.