|
Home > Company > Case Studies
MasterCard International:
On the move with The Siemon Cabling System
Our goal was to create a world class cable plant for a world class company." That was MasterCard's mission as they planned the telecommunications infrastructure for MasterCard International's new world headquarters in Purchase, NY.
With over 800 employees moving in and a looming deadline, MasterCard had their work cut out for him."We wanted an application-independent structured cabling system. We were looking for high performance and tried to future proof ourselves by building in room for growth."
In selecting their cabling system vendor, MasterCard had clear criteria. First on their list was performance. The second criteria was the R&D capability of the company, as he expected the need for new and or customized products to be developed. Readily available and knowledgeable technical support was the third item on MasterCard's evaluation list. Product availability was the fourth criteria, and the reputation and stability of the selected vendor fifth.
Because this project was a move from an existing facility, MasterCard was able to install and test actual products from a number of vendors while still in their existing facilities. Real-life applications were run and evaluated on each of the different product offerings.
"We decided early on that we wanted an end-to-end solution. Because we didn't want to 'mix & match', we were looking for a complete product offering," said MasterCard. Mastercard reviewed and evaluated every end-to-end cabling system on the market. An internal application-independent performance testing procedure was the next phase of the selection process. The Siemon Cabling System was selected after a thorough analysis of all viable options.
Cable management and easy identification was a big factor in their decision, as was the Siemon Company's ability to create new, customized products. "We've been doing this a long time and knew from our experiences in the field that there were certain things we would want modified to meet my specific needs. MasterCard chose Siemon because they were flexible and accommodating."
One of the specific requirements that MasterCard required was a factory terminated 110 frame to match the AT&T switch to the building. MasterCard visited the Siemon headquarters to meet with engineering and technical support personnel, where the needs were defined and preliminary design solutions developed using Siemon's patented 110 category 5 disconnect blocks. A project team, led by Siemon's Jed Thompson, built and tested prototypes at MasterCard to see if they would perform as expected in the field. There are 10,000 pairs connected through four 2,500 pair frames.
"What we ended up with is a 'plug and play frame' with no field terminations. It's more reliable than a field-assembled product and provides a clear point of demarcation between the switch vendor and the cable vendor", says MasterCard. "The Siemon Company provided very proactive customer support. They are competent and creative."
The backbone and horizontal cable is all category 5 copper, because as MasterCard noted, "The equipment that's on the market today and in the foreseeable future is being manufactured to the copper standard, and performance over copper far exceeds most applications." In designing the workstations MasterCard needed a product that would allow for category 5 future expansion and growth such as fiber to the desktop without a retrofit. They also looked for something that would be consistent throughout the facility, whether it was being used at a workstation or in a private office. There are 1,200 individual workstations throughout the facility equipped with either Siemon CT faceplates or the Siemon SM series 6-port surface mount box. Modular furniture is outfitted with 3,300 category 5 connectors. This kept the number of products specified to a minimum and made it easier to stock and track inventory. There is over 1.5 million feet of Siemon Qualified category 5 cable running throughout the building.
A strikingly simple yet effective color-coding system is used throughout the facility. There are four colors used for horizontal cabling: white, blue, yellow, and orange. All terminations are color coded to match the color sequence of the cable. User guidelines are in place to ensure that the color coding is used to facilitate effective administration and to make troubleshooting and moves, adds and changes easier.
As is the case with any large undertaking, it took more than great products to get the job done. MasterCard relied on the services and expertise of other telecommunications professionals to build their cable plant. Siemon Cabling System Certified Installer, U.S. Information Systems was selected by MasterCard as the installation company for the job, and Wise Components Inc. was the full stocking Siemon distributor.
As the job approached completion and move-in day drew near, Doug Platzer, Vice President of Sales for Wise, observed "The most unique aspect of this job was the teamwork that everyone put in from day one. Once the decision was made to use the Siemon Cabling System, everyone from the CSR's to the people on the loading docks knew about MasterCard and worked together to make it happen.
As was the case with his product selection procedure, MasterCard had a list of specific criteria that were used in evaluating potential installation companies. Areas considered included product knowledge, RCDD certification, and company management, but the ultimate factor was somewhat less tangible: "What separates USIS is the dedication of the cable installers to the company", said MasterCard. "The distinction is that USIS employees are dedicated to USIS and to doing a good job."
Now that the installation is complete, what is MasterCard's opinion of the Siemon Cabling System? "The final result is a cable system that is easy to manage, easy to maintain, and provides a level of performance that far exceeds existing data transmission standards and will support all applications for the foreseeable future." Sounds like they found the world class solution they were looking for.
|
Ally Support Center