In the early days of environmental awareness, the issue of greenwashing plagued the network infrastructure sector. Companies that were actually doing very little in terms of sustainability were using what amounted to token gestures to overplay their commitment to the environment. Fortunately, the number of companies paying lip service to the issue has started to recede.     

While some certainly view sustainability as the right thing to do for the planet, many businesses are not operating this way purely for altruistic reasons. A significant factor in choosing to adopt such a policy is based on the notion that end users of network infrastructures want to work with companies whose products and services can help them achieve their own environmental objectives. That's the subject our panel of experts examine in this month’s Question Time and they offer some excellent advice on how to separate the lip service paid to being green from the hard facts.    

In addition, we have a special feature dedicated to automated infrastructure management (AIM), intelligent infrastructure management (IIM) and network management. Rifai Khan of RiT Tech examines the peace of mind afforded by AIM solutions, while Rahul Rathod of Nexans explains why this technology is essential for intelligent buildings.    

The need for high quality containment has never been more important but aisle containment and cable management have opposing needs. The former seeks to close every hole to keep air where it is needed, while the latter wants apertures for cable entry paths. We’ve asked Andrew Wreford of Rittal how to address this conundrum.      

Rob Shepherd 
Editor