Structured cabling system (SCS) - what is it?

Many modern Russian enterprises are actively introducing structured cabling systems as an element of modernization of the digital infrastructure. SCS is considered by business participants as a tool to improve the efficiency of production processes and profitability of the enterprise. What is the specificity of such infrastructure solutions?

Definition of term

What is a "structured cabling system" (SCS)? Under this term, modern IT professionals understand the format of the organization of the technological infrastructure of the corporation, which involves the integration into a single system of information services provided at various sites of the manufacturing process in the company.

These can be local computer networks, telephone lines, security systems. The structured cabling system (SCS) in a modern enterprise is often considered, as we noted above, as the most important factor in the efficiency of production and business competitiveness.

Specificity of SCS

The main feature of SCS is the hierarchical structure of its subsystems. It can contain cables for various purposes, made of different materials - coaxial, copper, fiber optic, etc. Also in the structure of SCS can be various auxiliary components - jacks, sockets, connectors. Anyway, they all come in one system.

How can a typical structured cabling system look like? A photo of one of the modules of the corresponding large-scale solution is presented below.

We see that in the SCS, support for a variety of cable types can be realized.

Standards of cable systems

We learned about the specifics of SCS, what it is. Let us now consider some aspects related to the practical introduction of structured cabling systems into the technological infrastructure of Russian companies. Now 3 basic standards are distributed, according to which the principles of combining digital resources in SCS at enterprises are defined:

- EIA / TIA (popular in the US);

- CENELEC EN 50173 (common in Europe);

- ISO / IEC IS 11801 (it is in demand all over the world).

Another criterion for standardization of structured cabling systems is the characteristic of the capacity of digital communication lines. There are 7 main categories of cables, each of which is designed to solve specific problems. So, for example, 1 category is used when building telephone lines. Cables 5, 6 and 7 categories are used to organize data exchange with high speed.

Depending on a particular standard, on the basis of which a structured cabling system functions, optimal technologies and devices are used to solve specific problems. For example, as fiber-optic standards for data transmission spread, many enterprises needed to upgrade their network equipment. If it is not produced, then the competitiveness of business can significantly decrease.

Standardization is an important factor in the functionality of structured cabling systems. The alignment of the technological infrastructure at the enterprise in accordance with the algorithms approved at the level of a certain industry or in international norms predetermines the broad possibilities for subsequent modular upgrading of the SCS components.

Certification

Another aspect that is important for many enterprises that set the task of building a structured cabling system is certification. In principle, it can be considered in the general context of standardization. It complements it in terms of formally fixing the enterprise's criteria for the compliance of digital infrastructure with certain standards.

A structured cabling system that has the appropriate certification is generally characterized by increased reliability, as well as greater opportunities for upgrading individual infrastructure components. It can be noted that many brands of network equipment manufacturers provide a guarantee only if the SCS is certified in accordance with the established procedure.

Structuring criteria

Based on what criteria can be attributed this or that cable system to SCS? What are these specific features that can characterize the digital infrastructure of an enterprise as structured? In the practice of building a cable network of the appropriate type, the following set of criteria has developed in Russia.

First of all, a structured cabling system (SCS) is an infrastructure that Russian IT specialists believe is adapted to the ergonomics of production facilities. In particular, in this aspect, as the location of the connectors.

Conventional cable systems, not characterized as structured, suggest a simpler scheme for placing the appropriate type of network elements, in which the main criterion is the location of employee workplaces. In structured networks, as a rule, the density of connectors is several times higher than in conventional networks. This predetermines in most cases a significant increase in the efficiency of the digital infrastructure of the enterprise.

The next criterion, according to which a particular network is defined as a structured cabling system is the universality of the elements. For example, workplaces (in the event that an enterprise has SCS installed) can be equipped not with a single type of connectors (for example, for twisted pairs), but also with additional slots, for example, fiber optic.

Another aspect of universality is the uniformity of the types of cables used in the installation of various sections of the SCS. This facilitates the possible replacement of the relevant components, optimizes the costs that can be associated with the installation of a complex infrastructure, such as a structured cabling system (SCS). Accounting at many enterprises shows that the construction of SCS is accompanied by significant costs, and therefore the design of appropriate networks should be effective, with an emphasis on early return on investment.

Another important criterion for assigning cable networks to structured ones is the separation of their individual sections into subsystems. So, in Russian practice the scheme of division of subsystems into 3 types is extended: those that are mounted on the floor, on the highway of the whole building, as well as those that cover the elements of the complex consisting of several structures. This classification predetermines the high efficiency of SCS management.

What for to SCS enterprise?

What is the economic feasibility of implementing such an infrastructure component as a structured cabling system? The cost estimate, as we noted above, may involve the investment of significant financial resources in the construction of SCS. The benefits of such investments can be traced in the following main aspects:

• First, the main advantage of SCS is, as a rule, higher speed of data exchange between computers of employees of the enterprise. It is achieved through the optimal use of cables of appropriate classes, as well as through effective schemes for their placement in specific areas of buildings.
• Secondly, structured cabling systems in most cases predetermine a safer data exchange in the enterprise. As a rule, SCS includes various integrated mechanisms of protection against external penetrations into the corporate network, access control means - both hardware and software.
• Thirdly, the use of structured cable networks can increase the mobility of jobs in the company. Universality as one of the criteria for assigning a digital infrastructure to the SCS assumes that employees, regardless of specific positions, have the same access to the network resources of the organization. It does not matter which room a person works in - he can connect to the corporate network at any time.

The structured cabling system of buildings in most cases is easier to repair than the traditional network infrastructure. So, to replace a cable, there is no need to disassemble large areas on which communication lines are laid. The SCS components of the individual infrastructure components are usually not too large, besides they are designed taking into account the possible replacement in advance.

SCS is much easier to scale than traditional networks. The modularity of the schemes involved in the design of structured cabling systems assumes that at any time additional computers can be connected to the corresponding infrastructure.

Together, all the noted advantages of SCS allow us to talk about increasing the efficiency of the company's expenses in terms of building digital networks. This can be traced both in terms of purchasing the necessary materials, and in terms of remuneration of specialists who exercise control over the operation of structured cabling systems.

We can draw a conclusion about the economic feasibility of building SCS, which is a tool to increase the profitability of the enterprise. Of course, it will work in practice with the appropriate quality of installation of cable systems and provided that highly skilled specialists work with it.

Prospects

Will SCS be in demand in the Russian market? What is it - a temporary trend or a promising standard for the IT industry, compliance with which will be an important factor in the competitiveness of the business? According to modern IT experts, Russian enterprises show a strong interest in equipping the relevant production sites with high-performance components of the digital infrastructure. Structured cabling systems are fully capable of meeting these business needs, therefore their introduction is characterized by growing dynamics in many sectors of the Russian economy .

Specialists note that the interest of enterprises in building SCS as a key element of the company's digital infrastructure can be traced not only in the largest Russian cities, but also in remote regions. This may indicate that firms, despite the high cost of solving the tasks of building SCS, see in these systems as an effective tool to improve business performance. We can note a fairly high degree of awareness of the management of enterprises about the benefits of SCS. Managers of large businesses, as a rule, are well acquainted with the essence of such a powerful solution as a structured cabling system, what it is - they are quite representative.

Fiber-optic technologies as a demand factor for SCS

Experts consider the dynamic growth rate of fiber-optic technologies to be a significant driver of SCS market growth. This communication standard can potentially increase the efficiency of enterprises. First of all, this will be facilitated by the very high data transfer speed that optical fiber provides (several times higher than when using the channels of previous generations).

If some time ago many doubted whether or not to introduce fiber-optic lines (still the cost of building the corresponding infrastructure is much higher than when laying traditional channels), now the enthusiasm for a new high-tech communication standard acquires the character of a stable trend among Russian enterprises. The corresponding dynamics is supported by the development of fiber optic networking technologies (in favor of reducing the cost of corresponding solutions), as well as by improving and reducing the price of equipment necessary for building communication channels.

Nuances of Accounting

Some discussion in the business environment (in particular, in accountancy communities) may be caused by the criteria for classifying SCS for certain types of fixed assets: this is important from the point of view of the correct conduct of accounting. The fact is that such an element, as a structured cabling system, OKOF (all-Russian classifier of fixed assets) does not include. This is not a problem if you assign the appropriate type of infrastructure, for example, to ordinary local networks. But, as we have defined above, a significant difference can be traced between them and SCS. As some experts believe, it will not be a legal mistake to classify SCS as ordinary LANs when implementing accounting procedures. In addition, several approaches to accounting for structured cabling systems - as separate objects and as elements of the structure of a building - are possible. Both options are legally correct.

SCS and "smart buildings"

The concept of "smart building" is another possible stimulus for the further spread of solutions such as a structured cabling system. What it is? "Smart building" is a collective name for technologies that involve the introduction of various digital components into elements of corporate premises and, in some cases, residential buildings, allowing to significantly improve the comfort of people staying in them. In the case of corporations - to increase the efficiency of consumption of certain resources, for example, electricity.

The components of a "smart building" can be, for example, air conditioners, video cameras, access control systems operating in different production areas running automated program algorithms. The effectiveness of the concept in question directly depends on whether the firm has a quality digital infrastructure. In the case of SCS, the corresponding criterion will be met in full, and all the work of IT professionals in the direction of the "smart building" concept can be realized at the optimal costs of the enterprise.