Structured cabling plays a pivotal role in "data centers, which store vital digital data and support businesses 24 x 7

                                 
On overall interconnection industry

The IP revolution and the increasing globalization of business have placed significant demands on the performance of data centers. They have become a critical resource for many businesses, because of the heavy reliance upon digitally stored information. Now there is a need for most data centers to have an infrastructure that will support operations 24 x 7. And here is where structured cabling comes into play. The cost to business for any prolonged downtime is disastrous. Ensuring that the data center investment meets the needs of business and its customers is critically important. The building and its contents need to be secure and the systems that support it must be reliable; so the design must be robust and to the highest specifications, to meet the needs of digital environment both today and tomorrow.

On key driving factors

IP coverage, bandwidth, and data storage are things that need to be looked into as part of the data center design, but ultimately it is the implementation of cabling infrastructure and its compliance with the industry standards that determine the performance and reliability of a data center. Government is taking measures for installation of cabling systems in all vertical segments. Thus, cabling system has huge demand in the government sectors, public sector undertakings, IT/ ITes, and campuses. A growth in demand for cabling systems in the education sector is also seen. With the boom of infrastructure and the concept of SEZ penetrating in India, the demand for structured cabling is seeing an upward trend. The growth in the deployment of cabling systems can be attributed to security, data storage, bandwidth demands, data accessibility, IIM system, cable management, disaster discovery, and data speed and performance. In terms of products, we see an dramatically increasing demand for Cat6 and Cat6A in the Indian market.

On key products and players

With an escalation in the cabling systems in India, a large number of players are foraying into the market. ADC Krone, Systimax, R&M, D-Link, and Molex are some of the key players in the cabling arena. We have our individual channel distributors, who help us in the widespread distribution of cabling systems in India.

Molex manufactures a range of cabling solutions for all vertical markets and has a number of solutions that are specifically suited to data center applications, where the demand for density, performance, and reliability are paramount.

Solutions like 10G fiber pre-terminated end-to-end solution, Modlink plug and play, specification grade fiber enclosures, angled patch panels, real time intelligent infrastructure management, PowerCat10G solution, cable management solution, and PowerCat6 end-to-end solution are being offered by Molex. Keeping in mind this omnipresence, we are also launching a number of new products. In January 2009, we are coming up with an enhanced product in the IM solutions range to meet the high demand for IM solutions in markets like India. We will also be launching our second generation Ca6A solution in late September/early October. The growth in the deployment of data center infrastructures on a global basis has increased the demand for high performance products for use in this environment. Molex offers an extensive portfolio of innovative products and solutions to meet the needs of these demanding applications.

On your marketing achievements

Molex's involvement with data centers spans many years - from product design and innovation to advising and supporting customers and partners. The knowledge and support we provide assists our customers in selecting high performing solutions that support their business requirements. Molex offers varied products to its customers, in keeping with the industry standards like TIA-942, BS EN 50173-5, TIA/ETA 568, ISO 11801, AS/ANZ 3080, and CENELEC 50173.

The specific requirements of datacenters from a design perspective led to the TIA942 standard being created. This standard was first published in 2005 and provides guidance on a number of issues relating to Datacenters, including layout, cabling infrastructure, safety systems, and environmental considerations . It also specifically addresses expandability and redundancy. Molex solutions for data centers are cognizant of all the Industry standards and their high performance; high density solutions address some of the issues detailed in the TIA 942 standard.

Totally committed to meeting individual customer needs and anticipating new technology, the parent company has reinvested over Rs 1.447 crore in research at its 25 new product development centers. Through 59 manufacturing facilities, 34 regional sales offices and thousands of distributor outlets across 6 continents, Molex Incorporated has the resources to meet customer needs on a local, regional, and global level. Molex has 33,000 highly skilled individuals focused on the design, development, and supply of innovative solutions to customers all over the globe.

On India vis-à-vis other Asia-Pacific markets

Structured cabling plays a pivotal role in any organization. It is of vital importance to any data center. The definition of a data center according to T1A-942 is a building or portion of a building whose primary function is to house a computer room and its support areas. If this definition is given importance, then we can see a wide market for structured cabling in India. Molex estimates around 15-20 percent of the market share for structured cabling in India.

Keeping in mind the thirst and demand for infrastructure, a 20 percent year-on-year growth rate for cabling systems is also seen in the country. India is essentially a UTP market. Molex is making efforts and coming up with solutions to ensure that these specifications are met. Furthermore, if we look at the Indian market, and other regions not only in the Asia-Pacific, but also across the globe, then we see a huge market for cabling systems in countries like UK, US, China, and Singapore.

On key challenges

The basic impediment is the non-realization of the importance of the cabling systems in a data center. What is required is the need for global recognition of cabling systems, as the first and foremost important paraphernalia. The other major hurdle is the need for education of installation of cabling systems in the country. Unlike China, which has had a gradual progress in the growth of its market and economy, India has had a sudden growth. This poses a challenge to the players in the market in keeping pace with the fast growing economy of the country. Not to forget, price plays a predominant role here like in any other market. The need is to deploy problem placed solutions. For this, Molex Premise Networks has manufactured comprehensive copper and fiber data transport solutions for the transmission of voice, data, and video imaging signals. Thus, Molex, through its fault management, ensures that a system meets base requirements and has no redundancy. Additionally, Molex offers high quality training to its certified installers to ensure workmanship and implementation of problem-free systems and ensures that the systems performance reaches the highest level. Molex also offers a 25-year performance warranty to clients, where the solution has been installed by a certified installer.

On future prospects

If we look at the cabling market more from a solutions point of view, then the high demand for cabling systems is anticipated to grow. If we take a glance at the tier-wise availability of facility infrastructure in data centers, a lucid picture of cabling systems in the market is seen. Tier 1 has a basic availability of 99.671 percent, where as Tier 2 has 99.741 percent of availability of redundant components. Tier 3 is concurrently maintainable with 99.982 percent of infrastructure availability and Tier 4 is fault tolerant with a 99.995 percent of infrastructure available here. Thus, a bird's eye view of the market suggests that the cabling systems market in India is sure to stay and grow.