Fall ICT Direct: On Demand Sessions

• General Sessions and Keynotes

  Conference Call to Order, Opening Remarks and Opening Keynote Speaker Rachel Wilson, Director of Cybersecurity, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Former NSA Senior Executive

  ICT Field of Vision Presentation – Sponsored by Sumitomo Electric Lightwave “Supporting Today’s Connectivity Challenges with PICS (Pre-Integrated Connectivity Solutions)” Steve Cheng – Swift Designs – Emerald Hills, California, USA   How can the market meet the explosive growth demands of data center & hyperscale cabling and infrastructure connectivity? Key manufacturers have developed truly innovative Pre-Integrated Connectivity Solutions (PICS) to help tackle this challenge. Allowing customers to more easily and effectively meet their extraordinary connectivity capacity needs while dramatically easing installation, quickening time to install, reducing costs and maintaining high performance.

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  Mid-Week Keynote Speaker: TBD

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  ICT Field of Vision Presentation – Sponsored by CommScope "The Augmented Workforce of the Future" Ronna Davis – CommScope, Inc. – Henderson, Nevada, USA The future of the workforce is augmented.  Advancements in automation, including augmented reality and artificial intelligence will support the most productive work force ever. Before the robots takeover, technology will help us do our jobs better, faster, and easier. This deeper connectedness and dependency on technology makes the network that much more essential and how we architect our networks will be critical to the success of our augmented workforce.  In this Field of Vision discussion, we will review how augmentation technologies will impact our workforce and thoughts on how our networks will need to change to support this shift.

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  ICT Field of Vision Presentation – Sponsored by CommScope "Data Center Requirements to Enable Web 3.0" Kam Patel – CommScope, Inc. – Shakopee, Minnesota, USA   We will define the tools that are available today or in the near future to enable Web 3.0. These tools have specific requirements related to the physical layer/structured cabling. In this presentation, we will define physical layer infrastructure that is in place or coming in the near future.

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  ICT Field of Vision Presentation – Sponsored by Corning Optical Communications “Here in Vegas: Fiber Delivers World Class Experience at a World Class Resort” Brian Davis, RCDD – Corning Optical Communications – Charlotte, North Carolina, USA   Resort properties need technology to deliver a phenomenal guest experience as well as an efficient back of house operation.  This presentation will look at a case study for how an optical architecture was utilized to efficiently connect and power multiple networks in a world class, technology focused resort on the Las Vegas strip. We will detail the architecture that was deployed, their technology decisions, and how this technology delivered on their needs.

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  BICSI Cares Presentation and Door Prize Drawing; Closing Keynote Speaker; and Conference Wrap-up, Closing Video, and Door Prize Drawing

• Track 1 – Intelligent Buildings / Smart Cities / IoT and Power over Ethernet

  “PoE and IoT Smart Building Technology: The Net-Zero Solution” Dwight Stewart – Igor – West Des Moines, Iowa, USA Luis Suau – Sinclair Digital, LLC – Fort Worth, Texas, USA   In this session, seasoned smart building industry experts will engage attendees in a discussion on the implementation of smart building technology in creating net-zero buildings. The session will feature a case study on the innovative Hotel Marcel, set to be the world’s first net-zero hotel.  The speakers will lend their expertise on the role of smart building technology and renewables within the Hotel Marcel, and how these applications can be integrated into any market whether that be office spaces, hospitals, schools and more. The discussion will center on the technology present at the hotel including, PoE, IoT, renewables, and solar and how these solutions work together to create a sustainable, self-sufficient building ready to meet the needs of occupants and the environment today, and in the future.

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  “Smart Cities: The Equilibrium Point” Abdelhameed Mohamed – HFT Stuttgart University – Stuttgart, Baden-Wuttemburg, Germany   Smart Cities is all about ICT. No, it is all about Urban Design. No, it is about sustainability. Maybe it is about carbon emissions. This is the new dilemma that we are living in. What exactly is a smart city and which sector is involved in its design & existence? What is the future of smart cities? Is the smart city a choice that we can accept or reject? What will happen if we do not have smart cities in the future? Many questions that we will try to go through together and navigate.

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  “Single-Pair Ethernet Roadmap: Products, Testing, Standards and Use Cases” Bob Voss – Panduit Corporation – Tinley Park, Illinois, USA Todd Harpel – Berk-Tek, a Leviton Company – New Holland, Pennsylvania, USA Steve Cowles, RCDD – AEM – St. Cloud, Florida, USA Simon Seereiner – Weidmueller – Richmond, Virginia, USA   To achieve the goals for smart buildings, migrating to an IP-based, Ethernet network is essential. To maximize the benefits of smart infrastructure, all systems must communicate on a common network, able to transmit data from a variety of devices all the way to the cloud. Ethernet has long been ubiquitous in IT networks and Single Pair Ethernet offers the mechanism to extend the same features and performance to OT networks and edge applications, drawing on a stable, well-developed ecosystem with a full security suite, that’s easier to maintain than a host of different legacy networks, easier to upgrade to higher speeds and allows data collected from edge devices to be captured and used in real time. This presentation examines how SPE helps Smart Buildings achieve the next level of performance in terms of edge-to-cloud connectivity, delivering power to devices, lowering maintenance, improving security, and providing a migration path.

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  “Trends, Opportunities and Realities Behind PoE Technology and Applications” Dr. George Zimmerman – CME Consulting – Manhattan Beach, California, USA Jason Potterf – Cisco – San Jose, California, USA Ronna Davis – CommScope – Reston, Virginia, USA Paul Vanderlaan – UL, LLC – Melville, New York, USA   Power over Ethernet (PoE)-enabled port and device shipments are projected to reach USD$2 billion by 2025. Ethernet is diversifying into a host of application spaces, from the enterprise, to consumer, to emerging markets such as automotive and industrial applications. With new PoE solutions being introduced across the ecosystem, users are seeking more robust interoperability.  Attendees will hear the latest updates from industry experts and global consortium, Ethernet Alliance thought leaders during an interactive panel discussion on all things Power over Ethernet.

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  “Single-Pair Ethernet: Walks Like Ethernet, Talks Like Ethernet, But Does it Look Like Ethernet?” Konstantin Hüdepohl – Softing Inc. – Haar, Germany   The goal of Single-Pair Ethernet (SPE) is to eliminate buses and a myriad of topologies and protocols at the device level. Maybe you are familiar with the challenge of connecting an Ethernet PC and software application at the enterprise level to building automation solutions that require BACnet or Modbus down at the device level. Imagine eliminating various protocols and now having one Standard to design, install, maintain/edit, and support – Ethernet – all the way down to the device level! Learn how SPE is the same as 4-pair Ethernet, but also learn how SPE brings some powerful new differences in (look) architecture and capabilities to building automation and other commercial applications without introducing the interoperability, maintenance, and support nightmares of buses.

• Track 2 – Data Centers

  “5 Best Practices You Need to Know About MPO Testing in Data Centers” Vincent Racine – EXFO – Quebec, Quebec, Canada Gwenn Amice – EXFO – Quebec, Quebec, Canada   While MPO connectors are gaining in popularity, they also come with their share of challenges. Especially in a data center context. Ensuring link performance and getting it right the first time is critical. This session will cover what you need to do to ensure the quality of your link.

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  “The Data Center Connector Conga Line – MPO 8, 12, 16, 24, SN, MDC, CS – Jump Right In” Rodney Casteel, RCDD, DCDC, NTS, OSP – CommScope – Villa Rica, Georgia, USA Cindy Montstream, RCDD, NTS – Legrand – New London, Connecticut, USA Jim Davis – Fluke Networks – Everett, Washington, USA Tiger Ninomiya – Senko Advanced Components, Inc. David Hessong – Corning Optical Communications – Charlotte, North Carolina, USA Robert Reid – Panduit Corporation – Tinley Park, Illinois, USA   Regardless of the data center type, i.e., Cloud, Edge, MTDC, Private, Public, Corporate, or Hyperscale there is a single constant: the need for more speed. This thirst for more speed has led to Ethernet line rates now reaching 400Gbps with 800Gbps and 1.6Tbps in the very near future. To achieve some of these higher speeds new connector and transceiver technologies have emerged. The plethora of options to achieve these higher rates requires careful considerations and migration strategies.

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  “High-Speed, High-Density, Lower Power, Low-Latency Fiber Solutions for Data Centers” G. Mabud Choudhury – OFS – Sturbridge, Massachusetts, USA   This presentation will provide attendees with some key trends and latest advances for high speed, high density, low power, low latency fiber solutions for both hyperscale cloud and enterprise data centers. The presentation will cover recent Multimode (MM), Single Mode (SM), Bend Optimized (BO), Multicore (MM), Rollable Ribbon (RR), and Hollow Core (HC) fiber solutions. This presentation will also focus on the continued relevance and growth of cloud-enabled enterprise data centers.

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  “All About Next-Generation Singlemode Applications and the Need for Designing with Ultra-Low-Loss Cabling Systems” Gary Bernstein, RCDD, CDCD – The Siemon Company – Watertown, Connecticut, USA   New shorter-reach 500- and 2000-meter singlemode applications offer cost and power benefits for today’s data center fiber links. Unfortunately, these applications also come with significantly reduced insertion loss budgets and some return loss considerations. This presentation will review short-reach singlemode applications, their benefits, tighter loss budgets, and the impact of reflectance. It will also highlight the benefits of using ultra-low-loss singlemode cabling systems, with real-life channel configurations and loss budget comparisons.

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  “Implementing Multi-level Multi-site System Backup Strategy” Abdul Quadeer Tajammul – Saudi Electricity Company – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia   With seven sites across seven geographical locations across the country, maintaining consistent and redundant backup was a challenge for our operations. We also needed to consider network bandwidth and other bottlenecks while considering backups across multiple sites to maintain backup redundancy and consistency. This presentation is about the business challenge in maintaining the backup of Pi Systems located in seven different geographical sites across the country. We came out without a unique preposition of maintaining multi-levels of backups for each Pi server and also ensuring that backup redundancy is maintained across multiple sites by keeping a copy of the incremental backup on a daily basis both at the local level and at the central backup location.

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  “The Impact of Liquid Immersion Cooling on Data Center Design” David Hoag, RCDD, DCDC, PE – BCER Engineering, Inc. – Arvada, Colorado, USA Scott Muller – BCER Engineering, Inc. – Arvada, Colorado, USA   Liquid Immersion Cooling (LIC) is rapidly gaining acceptance in Data Center design. This is due to the more efficient cooling, minimal water usage, higher PUE performance and reduced data center footprint for the same level of compute processing. As a result, LIC is being recognized as a viable technology to reduce costs, be more environmentally friendly and dramatically increase compute densities. The LIC technology is enabling the next generation of server and switching technology that produces a heat load too high to be effectively cooled by air cooling methods. The cable distribution topology to tanks instead of racks is significantly different than a top of rack or end of row configuration. This presentation will provide insight into the different LIC technologies, the challenges of cabling within a liquid and the advantages to immersion cooling when considering the best technology for a data center.

• Track 3 – ICT Professional Development/New & Emerging Applications

  “ICT: From an Owners Perspective” Vili Antic, RCDD – Vancouver Airport Authority – Richmond, British Columbia, Canada   The main goal of this presentation is to provide guidance to architects, designer consultants, general contractors, and applicable subtrades/ ICT contractors on what an owner of a large campus facility would need from each team as ICT continues to grow and change. As technology continues to evolve owners have their work cut out for them as they need to continually align their business needs with applicable current and future ICT solutions. An airport environment and its operation as well as the airport business will be the main foundation of this presentation. There will be opportunity for aligning various ICT solutions directly to airport operations however, the approach as to why and when solutions will be needed will be explained. The plan is to go through a typical project cycle as one would experience at an airport while articulating and illustrating valid information to the noted audience.

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  “Six ‘Pretty’ Easy ‘Cybersecurity’ Pieces” Jim Walters, RCDD, DCDC, OSP, RTPM, CISSP, Net+, Sec+, PMP – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Louisville, Kentucky, USA   You design or deploy electronic security systems, IoT appliances, building automation systems, and many other systems critical to your client’s success. You will leave with a plan of attack to reduce you and your client’s exposure to cyber security issues by looking at the six pretty easy cybersecurity pieces including: IoT appliances / endpoints and devices, computers - host and servers, network equipment - switches routers firewalls, boundaries, physical layer transport and physical security.

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  “Introduction to Class 4 – Fault Managed Power Systems, Cables and Listings” Paul Vanderlaan – UL, LLC – Melville, New York, USA Anthony Tassone – UL, LLC – Melville, New York, USA Kenneth McKinney, Jr. – UL, LLC – Melville, New York, USA   Class 4, fault managed power, is a newly specified, intelligent energy distribution in the NFPA 70®, National Electric Code®Article 726. Instead of the traditional method of limiting power to equipment, this new technology limits the fault power in the circuit by monitoring for faults and controlling the power transmitted into the fault based upon risks associated with electric shock and fire hazards. Fault managed power systems allow for the delivery of significant power, 1000 – 2000 Watts over thousands of feet without reverting to Chapter 3 Wiring methods.  This presentation introduces Class 4 systems with a discussion of the concept and the associated applications, followed by the types of specified cables and the additional requirements placed upon the cabling due to the higher operating voltages. Finally, the parameters of Class 4 systems operation and various testing requirements that are needed to enable safe and reliable transmission are discussed.

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  “All About Next-Generation Singlemode Applications and the Need for Designing with Ultra-Low-Loss Cabling Systems” Gary Bernstein, RCDD, CDCD – The Siemon Company – Watertown, Connecticut, USA   New shorter-reach 500- and 2000-meter singlemode applications offer cost and power benefits for today’s data center fiber links. Unfortunately, these applications also come with significantly reduced insertion loss budgets and some return loss considerations. This presentation will review short-reach singlemode applications, their benefits, tighter loss budgets, and the impact of reflectance. It will also highlight the benefits of using ultra-low-loss singlemode cabling systems, with real-life channel configurations and loss budget comparisons.

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  “Key Highlights to Successfully Understanding and Navigating Current US$75 Billion Federal Technology and Broadband Funding Opportunities” Cynthia Schultz – Broadband Law Group – Washington, DC, USA   This presentation will focus on the current US$75 billion in federal technology and broadband funding opportunities through NTIA, FCC, and Treasury. This session will focus on the on the various sources of funding for the different ICT technologies, strategies for successfully navigating the funding opportunities, and understanding the intersection of the state and federal roles in this historic and unprecedented round of funding. It will also touch on the National Supply Chain Order and current cybersecurity funding initiatives.

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  “Top Legal Issues in IT Contracts” David Adler – Adler Law Group – Riverwoods, Illinois, USA   It is easier to identify contractual protections than to obtain them. No matter the type of services, vendor IT contracts have a number of provisions that can make or break the deal. Not surprisingly, service providers are resistant to agreeing to contractual commitments that could result in substantial liability to their enterprise. In addition, a customer’s ability to secure these commitments will be a function of its negotiating leverage. Experienced or not, today’s IT executives need to know the provisions that should trigger greater scrutiny and how to adjust these provisions to account for different types of business risks. This presentation will cover the top legal issues in IT vendor agreements.

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  “TIA TR-60 ICT Lifecycle Management: An Industry-Driven Standard for Reducing Cost and Risk” Jerry Bowman, RCDD, NTS, RTPM – Telecommunications Industry Association – Bethel, Ohio, USA   Lifecycle Management, or LCM, is a strategic integrated business concept rooted in achieving effective management of products, services, or systems throughout their lifetime—from “cradle to grave.” To maximize profit and reduce cost, manufacturers have long used the concept to manage the lifecycle of products as they move through stages of introduction, growth, maturity, and ultimately decline. TIA’s TR-60 Engineering Committee is defining both performance objectives and methods for the management of technology in the modern enterprise. This presentation will provide an overview of the business drivers, performance objectives and structure of this game-changing standard.

• Track 4 – Audiovisual

  “Next-Gen Buildings: Smart, Collaborative and Needing Good AV, Oh My!” Frank Straka – Panduit Corporation – Tinley Park, Illinois Roger Takacs – Atlona – San Jose, California, USA   A next generation building has many basic requirements to be met. The building must be sustainable, secure, safe, and smart – all while being constructed using standardized products. However, these elements are only what is needed for people to consider coming back to the office. These next generation buildings should also be enticing people to come back through encouraging collaboration, simplifying their lives, and enabling new elements like hybrid meetings. A strong collaborative AV system is critical to enticing people to want to come back into the office. This presentation will cover both the basic requirements for a next generation building needs and then will go into depth about what is needed for an AV system that will make people want to come back to the office.

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  “Twisted Theater” Eric Marshall – E.R.I.C. Low Voltage Services – Modesto, California, USA   Piedmont High School theater was built in 2021. Originally, it was designed with a traditional AV system, but they were way over budget. Ultimately, we changed the entire AV system to IP. I call it Twisted Theater because the entire building besides some speaker cabling and 1 mic cable was cabled with Category 6 cabling. In this seminar we will look at the original design and contrast the changes we made and the benefits of moving the AV to IP. We will share practical advice that you can use on other AV projects.

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  “AV System Standards – Concept to Commissioning” Glenn Collinge – FSR Inc. – Woodland Park, New Jersey, USA   Modern environments such as classrooms, collaboration, meeting, and boardrooms have seen a transformation in how they are being utilized, post pandemic. Low voltage systems; ICT, AV, and building management systems in the past were standalone systems and this should no longer be true. Audiovisual and data applications in various spaces will be covered and the connectivity requirements associated with them for onsite and remote applications. This presentation will discuss the infrastructure devices required in new & existing facilities to maximize the requirements for today and future low voltage systems such as digital signage, presentation spaces, POE lighting nodes, POE switches, and other devices. Cable management is also discussed, as well as how the devices need to meet UL®, NEC®, and local jurisdiction requirements and be aesthetically pleasing to interior designers and architects.

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  “Elevating AV Infrastructure Designs for Esports in Education” Karl Rosenberg – Extron – Anaheim, California, USA   Esports continues to enjoy increased popularity and rapid adoption among schools, universities, and many organizations. Whether using an existing space for an esports program or developing a dedicated venue, a well-designed AV system and solid infrastructure are critical. This session will cover structured cabling and ways to set up the AV infrastructure so that it is robust enough to accommodate the signals sent throughout the facility and distribute AV uncompressed. Learn how to leverage signal transport technologies like CATx, copper, and fiber to maintain unaltered, end-to-end signal paths. We will also look at considerations for wiring and installing the cameras and streaming devices for capturing the in-game experience. Together, we will explore techniques for switching and distributing high resolution video with pristine quality and zero latency. Lastly, we will look at designing for the future, ensuring the AV system keeps up with the evolving demands of gaming technology and equipment.

• Track 5 – Optical Fiber & PON

  “Powering Passive Optical Networks” Jerry Hogan – Solara Technical Sales – Spearfish, South Dakota, USA   Optical networks, by their very nature, do not conduct electricity. So, how do we power the electronics needed at each end of the network? Both main methods are presented, along with the pros and cons of each. Fuel cells will also be discussed.

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  “10G Optical Distribution Architectures” Steven Harris – SCTE, a subsidiary of CableLabs – Exton, Pennsylvania, USA   As the cable industry moves toward 10G, operators are ensuring HFC networks are future ready, capable of delivering the broadband services consumer demand today and well into the future. Join SCTE’s Steve Harris for a deep dive on 10G Passive Optical Network (PON) deployments. Learn key standards and technologies and different ways to deploy PON, including 10G Ethernet passive optical network (EPON) and XGS-PON, and why GAP is important to PON with DAA (distributing) out to the network and fiber to the home (FTTH).

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  “When to Use an OTDR and How to Use it Correctly” Jim Davis – Fluke Networks – Everett, Washington, USA   We have all heard what a great tool an Optical Time Domain Reflectometer is for troubleshooting fiber, but when do I have to use one? This presentation will first look at alternatives to solving fiber issues without using this tool. Did you know that fiber will transmit sunlight nicely? Do you have a window in your data center? For those situations where you must use an OTDR, the fiber seems to be cut somewhere or you have a contractual obligation to deliver Tier II testing, what are the key steps to capturing a good trace? You may not even be the one who has to interpret the trace, but these tips will assure that you capture what you need while you are out in the field the first time and do not have to go back.

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  “A New Angle on Fiber Connectivity: APC Multimode Connectors” Dr. Earl Parsons – CommScope – Richardson, Texas, USA   Does your data center need to use angle multimode fiber connectors? Some of the largest data center operators in the world have started using angled multimode connectors to support 200G and 400G signaling. This presentation will share experimental results demonstrating when angled connectors are needed. The benefits and challenges of angled and flat connectors will be reviewed. Finally, an update from standards organizations will be shared.

• Track 6 – Wireless & Distributed Antenna Systems

  “5G, Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E – The Fierce Battle of Enterprise Wireless Technologies” Jussi Kiviniemi – Hamina Wireless – Helsinki, Finland Joel Crane – Consultancy H. – Helsinki, Finland   In this fun and educational presentation, the "Wireless Janitor" will dive into the practical differences of the leading wireless technologies: Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E and Private 5G. The fundamentals of each technology, the pros and cons, deployment considerations, cost differences, and the ideal use cases for each will be discussed. The impact to factors beyond wireless, such as switching, cabling and power considerations will also be discussed.

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  “The Big Shift: Implications of a Smartphone Driven Public Safety Communications” Dennis Burns – Advanced RF Technologies, Inc. – Burbank, California, USA   One of the most significant public safety trends over the last half-decade has been the slow shift from land mobile radios (LMR) to smartphones, which will have a major impact on the future of the industry in terms of ERCES system deployments and innovation.  The presentation will educate audience members on the move from LMR to LTE-based public safety communication and its implications on the industry. It will also cover the key code changes for IFC and NFPA in 2022, as well as the UL 2524, second edition mandate and how system integrators, OEMs, and building owners can adapt to these changes and work in concert with authority having jurisdictions (AHJs) for seamless public safety wireless communication practices.

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  “Wireless Implementation in the New World” Scott Wells, RCDD, WD – Vision Technologies – Glen Burnie, Maryland, USA   This presentation will discuss the complexities of implementing Cell DAS including 5G uplifts in conjunction with existing public safety systems and how this all fits into our modern infrastructure with all IoT devices used into today’s smart buildings.

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  “Avoiding the Pitfalls of Wireless Installations” Jason Hallenbeck – Bae Systems Inc. – Chesapeake, Virginia, USA   Wireless installations are becoming a requirement across the board for facilities, and with that new requirement comes a whole world of potential pitfalls.  We will be looking at what are the most common mistakes made during a new install or augmenting an existing wireless solution. This information will help guide past these mistakes reducing cost of installations and building better solutions in the enterprise.

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  “The Impact of 5G on Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) Solutions” Rajakrishnan Radjassamy – ABB Power Conversion – Plano, Texas, USA   This presentation looks at 5G private networks as an alternative to DAS and explores the pros and cons of such implementations with focus on power infrastructure.