Fidessa Selects AMP Netconnect Cabling

Fidessa, which supplies financial trading solutions, is using AMP Netconnect's advanced network cabling system in an internal communications system at a new data centre. The system, designed and installed by Maxima, an approved AMP Netconnect partner, includes Category 6 UTP (unshielded twisted pair) copper and OM3 multimode 50/125 fibre-optic cabling.

It is housed in a new purpose-built facility known as Sentrum IV on the outskirts of Woking, Surrey. Fidessa supplies multi-asset trading, portfolio analysis, decision support, compliance, market data and connectivity solutions for firms involved in financial trading. One of the specific requirements for the Sentrum IV data centre relates to the fact that Fidessa will use it as a showcase facility for existing and potential clients. This meant the 'public' areas needed to be as clean and tidy as possible, with any cabling hidden away beneath floors or in purpose-designed cabinets.

Maxima designed the sub-floor cable-support system to ensure cable capacity was not compromised. The installation proposed and implemented by Maxima includes a total of 125 APC servers, communications and switch cabinets incorporating 250 intelligent power units, along with 16 AMP Netconnect cross-connect central-patch frames. The fully ISO/IEC 11801 compliant Category 6 copper and OM3 fibre cabling system includes more than 9500 Category 6 AMP SL connections and more than 6300 OM3 LC AMP connections. The system carries Tyco Electronics' 25-year warranty, which will allow Fidessa to accommodate the growing bandwidth needs of IP convergence, reduce expenses associated with download, upload and backup time, and reduce costs associated with future upgrades.

An important feature of the installation is the use of the recently introduced AMP Netconnect Hi-D (high-density) network cabling system to provide a centralised high-density cross-connect patching system. The Hi-D network cabling system is positioned at the heart of the data-centre facility to allow for all the server, communications and switch cabinets to connect with the copper and fibre cabling through a centrally located cross-connect facility. The Class E/Category 6 UTP copper cabling system uses low-smoke zero-halogen sheathing, along with 24-port Hi-D angled patch panels with SL jacks to provide full RJ45 connectivity.

To provide a degree of resilience, copper cabling is routed from each panel in groups of 12 cables and follows diverse cable routes. The copper cabling is housed in a containment system under a false floor. The use of pre-manufactured Tyco Electronics harness assemblies between the network switch cabinets and the Hi-D angled patch panels is an important factor in ensuring warranty compliance. The OM3 fibre-cabling system also uses low-smoke zero-halogen sheathing and takes the form of individual 12- or 24-core cables linking 24- or 12-way duplex panels. As with the copper cabling, the fibre cables are diversely routed between cabinets.

Japan's NPA Selects Thermo Fisher Spectrometers

Japan's National Police Agency (NPA) has purchased 51 Thermo Scientific LXQ linear ion trap mass spectrometers and 27 Thermo Scientific Nicolet 6700 FT-IR spectrometers with Continuum microscopes. The NPA will use the LXQ LC/MS/MS system for toxicology screening in each of its 47 prefecture offices and will use the Nicolet 6700 FT-IR system for forensics in nearly half of those offices.

Prior to purchasing the LXQ system, the NPA used single quadruple LCMS for analysing drugs and toxic substances. The LXQ's ion trap technology provides high sensitivity and specificity, which enables it to analyse hundreds of analytes in blood and urine samples. The NPA said that one of the reasons it chose the LXQ was the time and labour it saved with the total solution offered by Thermo Fisher Scientific, including the company's ToxID software.

The software performs automatic data analysis and reporting, eliminating the need for manual data interpretation and increasing confidence in compound identification. The NPA saw a similar opportunity to improve both the quality of its forensic analysis, as well as to optimise cost per analysis and lab productivity with the Nicolet 6700 FT-IR spectrometer and Continuum microscope. This system combines visual microscopic analysis with infrared chemical information, ensuring sensitive, accurate interpretation, while preserving the sample.

For instance, one reason the NPA cited for purchasing the Nicolet 6700 FT-IR was its ability to analyse paint chips, a key piece of identification evidence in a hit-and-run crime. Normally, identifying auto paint requires dissolution and chemical extraction, but FT-IR microscopy provides quick chemical identification of each paint layer without degrading the sample.

Controlair Selects CDS Catalog And Modelserver

Catalog Data Solutions (CDS) has announced that Controlair has selected its CDS Catalog product for parametric product search, and its CDS Modelserver product for CAD downloads. The CDS Catalog will front-end the CDS CAD Modelserver CAD download solution and both will be integrated into the Controlair website.

CDS helps industrial suppliers and distributors grow sales and strengthen customer loyalty through interactive online catalogues, e-commerce, 3D CAD model delivery and product configuration solutions.