Decision makers were looking for a better way to organize their network. In the MDA, many of the jumpers (also referred to as patch cords) were longer than the required distance, which was not only an eyesore, but also became a safety risk. The disorganized cables also made moves, adds, and changes (MACs) difficult, requiring too much time to identify connections and increasing the risk of accidental disconnection. Because of the overall appearance and disorder, the company was not even comfortable giving tours to current and potential customers.
Meeting the End Users' needs
The MTDC selected a Corning solution, including optical cable, hardware, and connectivity products. The Corning enhanced management frame (EMF) offers an integrated, modular design that allows for growth and expansion of the network one frame, module, or fiber termination at a time. With features such as a single jumper length, inbay jumper storage, and multiple interbay routing, the EMF helped the company address its cable management issues.
The MTDC also used Corning’s jumper-in-a-box (a packaging solution that contains up to 70 jumpers, in lengths up to 20 meters), based on the customer’s specific requirements. Corning’s self-tracking inventory system also delivers simplified inventory management, decreases the risk of running out of stocked jumpers, and facilitates easy recognition for reorder.
By ordering the specific jumper lengths needed, the company was able to decrease clutter and clean up its interconnection room. This allowed it to open up the facility for current and potential customers to tour. Organizing jumper routing also has the potential to make a significant difference, yielding up to 30 percent cost savings.
With Corning, the MTDC was able to deploy a reliable and organized network, meeting their requirements both during and after installation. The deployment was so successful, the Corning solution became the standard in several other locations.
