“It is always difficult to improve upon a network setup beyond the initial plan. For this reason, Schneider Electric’s Actassi range of networking and connectivity infrastructure solutions for buildings and data centres includes everything a customer needs, from enclosures and patch panels, to cables and connectors.
“All are easily integrated with our products to improve network accessibility,” says Riaan Herbst, business development manager: Network Connectivity at Schneider Electric South Africa.
For many years, the global specialist in energy management partnered with leading brands such as LexCom, Infraplus, Clipsal Datacomms, Sarel and Himel. Today, the best features of these brands and ranges are merged into one, complete Schneider Electric global system, known as Actassi.
Actassi consists of the following comprehensive set of products:
* Connectors for Cat 5e, Cat 6 and Cat 6A performance;
* Cross-connect panels;
* Copper and fibre optic LAN cables;
* Patch cords and connecting hardware; and
* Telecommunication enclosures.
“All products are designed to give superior usability and performance, such as the new one-piece RJ45 connectors, Actassi S-One. The connectors exceed the most advanced international standards, such as ISO/ IEC 11801 and 2:2010.
“All S-One connectors are manufactured to provide exceptional CAT 5e, CAT 6 and CAT 6A performance for shielded and unshielded data networks. They are also fully integrated with a wide range of Schneider Electric products, like wiring devices and installation systems including trunking, poles, posts and floor boxes,” says Herbst.
He adds that the main benefit of Actassi is that it offers seamless end-to-end network connectivity.
“A further advantage is that it is a comprehensive product offer encompassing copper and fibre optic connectors, copper and fibre LAN cables and patch cords, cross-connect panels, networking and telecommunication enclosures.
“A bonus is that it also offers superior usability, as it is easy to specify, easy to install, easy to use and easy to upgrade. Added to this is that it is future-proof, which means that customers have no problems with retrofitting. Importantly, its performance exceeds international standards,” he says.
Herbst highlights that Actassi is built on intuitive installation technology, making the likelihood for failure very low. It also holds independent laboratory verification and certification for compliance and performance and it has a global warranty programmes.
Actassi’s firm focus on the environment differentiates it from competitors. Herbst explains that environmental responsibility lies at the core of Schneider Electric culture and strategy.
“We strive to reduce the environmental impact of our products throughout their entire life-cycle, particularly through eco-design and eco-production,” he says.
As such, Actassi is compliant with Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), the REACH European directives and Product Environmental Profile (PEP) Eco passport.
Herbst elaborates, “The European Union enacted an Energy using Products (EuP) framework directive, that is, a directive on the eco-design of products eight years ago which seeks to promote eco-design approaches in priority sectors, or even to specify the aims of impacts for some products.
“Although Schneider Electric’s supply is outside of the EuP target, it generalises the eco-design approach to all its developmental activities and undertakes to communicate the environmental features of its products through PEPs.
“For each product Schneider Electric undertakes to publish a PEP. It provides customers with information on their environmental performances during their life cycle as well as the best treatment solutions at the end of their life.
“To ensure transparency and the validity of the data, it complies with ISO 14025 in an inter-professional programme which sets shared calculation and drafting rules for publishing the environmental impacts of products.”
Designed to perfectly fit to other Schneider Electric products and solutions, it is part of the Schneider Electric Total Office Performance (TOP) system for buildings and software tools facilitate the design of complete infrastructures.
“All TOP components are designed to work as one, from power and data distribution, to safety systems and life space controls. TOP is built on the same strong and committed Actassi values of easy installation, reliability, flexibility and efficiency while delivering performance and functionality,” concludes Herbst.