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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fiber Optics LAN Section of TIA Elects New Officers
(Feb. 23, 1999)
Elizabeth Goldsmith
Goldsmith PR
(781) 259-8584
liz@goldsmithpr.com
Arlington, Va., February 23, 1999: The Fiber Optics LAN Section of the Telecommunications Industry Association has announced a new roster of officers for 1999. Now starting its sixth year, the Fiber Optics LAN Section is dedicated to educating users about the benefits that glass optical fiber can bring to the horizontal cabling portion of Local Area Networks. The FOLS serves as a resource for users who would like to learn more about the benefits and application of this medium, providing technical information, resource directories, case histories and information on evolving standards. Information on the FOLS, along with technical, application and standards information can be found on our web site at http://www.fols.org.
The new officers are as follows:
Section Chair: Stephen Stange, Transition Networks
Section Vice Chair: Dan Silver, 3M
Chair, Communications Subcommittee: Louise Bryant, Lucent Technologies
Vice Chair, Communications Subcommittee: Allen Dixon, Siecor
Chair, Membership Committee: John Struhar, Lucent Technologies
Vice Chair, Membership Subcommittee: Vince Ricco, Allied Teleysn International
Chair, Standards Subcommittee: Tony Beam, AMP
Vice Chair, Standards Subcommittee: Ken Hall, AMP
"I'm delighted to welcome Steve as our new chair," said Allen Dixon, who headed the group in 1998. "As a representative from the electronics side of the equation, he is representative of how this organization is expanding beyond suppliers of passive equipment as electronics manufacturers rally behind the use of fiber in the horizontal."
Stephen Stange, Senior Product Manager at Transition Networks and the new FOLS Chair pointed out that the development of a proposed short wavelength Fast Ethernet standard (100BASE-SX) is making optical fiber an even more attractive option for LAN horizontal cabling. "Fiber's performance has never been the issue - it's upgradeability, reliability, security and immunity to interference make it the standard for backbone and riser applications. Now the development of the proposed Short Wavelength Fast Ethernet (100BASE-SX) protocol is addressing the remaining obstacle: cost."
Stange explained that by using 850 nm LED electronics, the 100BASE-SX standard offers network managers a simple and cost-effective migration path from 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps, as well as creating an infrastructure that can support even higher speeds. "Up until now, there was no simple migration path from 10BASE-FL to 1000BASE-FX," said Stange. "The standards use different electronics and there is no autonegotiation. Introducing a short wavelength protocol allows network managers to upgrade their networks incrementally, using proven technology." Several companies already have introduced 100BASE-SX compliant products in anticipation of the standard's ratification.
To help network planners and end users in their decisions concerning transmission media, the FOLS regularly publishes information about glass optical fiber and its increasing use in the horizontal cabling portion of the LAN. Recent documents include a white paper, a directory of market research reports, a Fiber-to-the-Desk Suppliers Guide, profiles of end users, and a brochure that explains the benefits of deploying fiber in the horizontal.
The Fiber Optic LAN Section (FOLS) of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) is a consortium of leading fiber optic cable, component and electronics manufacturers. The FOLS focuses on educating end users and influencers about the technical advantages and affordability that optical transmission brings to local area networks and fiber-to-the-desk applications. Member companies of the FOLS include 3M, AMP, Allied Telesyn, Berk-Tek, Belden Wire & Cable, CommScope Inc., Corning, LANCAST, Lucent Technologies, Siecor, The Siemon Company, SpecTran, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave and Transition Networks.
TIA is a full-service national trade organization with membership of 900 large and small companies that provide communications and information technology products, materials, systems, distribution services and professional services in the United States and around the world. The association's member companies manufacture or supply virtually all of the products used in global communication networks. TIA represents the telecommunications industry with its subsidiary, the MultiMedia Telecommunications Association, in association with the Electronic Industries Alliance. (EIA).
Note: The opinions expressed in this release are those of the Fiber Optics LAN Section of the Telecommunications Industry Association and are not necessarily those of the entire TIA membership.
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