Frank Straka joined Panduit as an engineer more than16 years ago. He holds more than 30 patents in copper connectivity and cable design. He has held a number of roles in engineering and product management and currently is Director of Business Development for Panduit's Enterprise Business. Frank has been active in the development of standards for copper cable and regularly works within the industry on the development of new technologies. He is a frequent speaker at conferences such as BICSI on new Enterprise developments.
The move to smarter buildings has been a long time coming but is picking up steam. A new study from Juniper Research finds that the number of buildings deploying smart building technologies will reach 115 million by 2026 – more than double the 45 million expected this year. As more systems and sensors converge on…
We design products that support technology of today and tomorrow. An updated jack certification shows we supported Type 4 Power over Ethernet 2.5 years before the standard published.
It should come as no surprise to anyone that the number of wireless devices in the world is increasing. Five years ago, digital analysts declared that the number of devices had officially surpassed the number of people in the world. And, by 2025, analysts predict there will be 6 to 10 networked devices per person.…
With the ever-increasing popularity of video games, it’s no surprise that there’s a day dedicated to recognizing video games and the gamers playing them. July 8 is Video Games Day, so whether you’re more inclined to crush candies or join friends for a round or two (or 10) of Fortnite, today’s your day! In the…
When Panduit introduced 28 AWG patch cords to the market in 2011, we knew we were on to something big. When we showed customers and contractors the skinny patch cords, they were amazed by the sheer size and flexibility of the cords. At the time, they might not have fully realized the impact the cords…
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) has published ANSI/TIA-568-C.2-1, which supports 25, 40 and possibly even 50GBASE-T over Category 8 copper cabling. As you consider high-bandwidth applications, here are some key things to keep in mind. 1) How far can you go? Category 8 channel reach is 30 meters, much shorter than the 100-meter channel of…
Since its introduction in 2002, Power over Ethernet has gradually gained momentum in the market. Today, PoE has not only gained market acceptance, but is being pushed to even higher power levels, as a next generation of PoE technology is on the horizon. A new PoE standard, IEEE 802.3bt – or PoE++ — is expected…
Category 8 is the new copper twisted-pair structured cabling standard being developed within both the TIA and ISO groups to support the new 25 and 40GBASE-T standards being developed by the IEEE. Category 8 is going to have a few differences over prior Category 5e, 6, or 6A cabling, but will still retain the familiarity…
Wireless Access Points (WAPs) have become a common installation in the Enterprise space. How do you know what cabling infrastructure is right to get optimum performance from your WAP? The answer is simple: new permanent installations call for Category 6A. Category 6A is required to support 10GBASE-T 10GBASE-T will be the dominant new speed in…