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