Draka’s new data centre cable range eases migration to next generation IT infrastructures

Amsterdam, May 20, 2009 -- Draka Communications, a global leader in the cable and optical fiber industry, today announces a comprehensive new program of cables for data center designers that will meet current cable packing density needs while helping prepare the foundations for migration to advanced fibre optic solutions for impending 40/100 Gigabit Ethernet requirements. Named the UC-Future (UC^FUTURE™) program Draka offers everything data center designers need to plan a coherent migration path to next-generation data centre infrastructures.

As a key element of its new UC-Future program Draka offers optimized copper cable designs for channels of 20m to 60m average distances. Maximize the utilization of available pathways, racks and spaces rather than using the maximum permissible channel length is Draka’s approach for the server level of highly concentrated data center networks

Draka’s Slim cable designs based on existing work area cable standards are ideal for zone cabling in data centers They allow up to 100% higher packing density in cable trays, are fully compliant with established cable standards, use a PIMF design to eliminate cross talk interference and give full 10GBase-T performance over a channel distance of 60m.

At client level, bulky cabling forms a serious barrier to air ventilation, one of the hot topics in data centers due to the growing packing density in server racks and the need to offload the high amount of heat dissipated by all the electronics.

The advantages of Draka’s new cable design can be leveraged with suitable slim-design connectivity products which give new opportunities for extended customer specific service concepts.

The minimum required transmission performance of cable and cabling is Cat.6A and / or Class EA in order to ensure easy migration of services to 10GBase-T. Data centers strongly support the choice of future proof PIMF cable design to give users high transmission performance with immunity against Alien-Xtalk .

Using 10Gigabit Ethernet at the Client level, a data centre core network turns into a real bottleneck. Despite the fact that copper data cable is usable for distances up to 100m at 10Gbit/s, Draka’s recommendation is to take laser optimized multimode fibre with OM3 specification. This is the only short link technology that is part of the 40 Gigabit Ethernet as well as the 100 GbE development program. A data centre backbone in OM3 can be easily expanded to NextGen Ethernet and secures investments with a longer pack-off time.

Draka’s patented PCVD fibre manufacturing technology enables high-precision refractive index profiles which are the key to laser high-speed links. This makes the difference between MaxCap300, greatly exceeding OM3 specifications, and traditional multimode fibres such as OM1 and OM2.

MPO-style optical fibre connector requires small cables to fit the planar structure of its fibre management as well as its outer dimensions. Draka’s specially designed MPO cable is made for the interconnects of 40GBase-SR4 channels, one of the next options of a data center’s future infrastructure.

Draka (Euronext Amsterdam: DRAK), headquartered in Amsterdam, has around 9500 employees in countries worldwide and a 2008 annual turnover of € 2.7 billion. Draka has 68 subsidiaries in 30 countries in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia. Draka’s activities are divided into three groups: Energy & Infrastructure, Industry & Speciality and Communications. Draka Communications with its two business units, Telecom Solutions and Multimedia Specials, is a global market leader for the development, production and sales of fibers, cables and advanced network solutions.

More information at www.draka.com