Press information To download a text file of this release, a 250 pixel wide low-res RGB image for web use or a 300dpi CMYK print quality image, go to www.parkfield.co.uk The IMnet family, network-optimised enclosures Released 21 March 2001 The IMnet family from APW Electronics is the first range of networking cabinets to recognise the crucial differences between a cabling enclosure and a server housing. Consisting of the IMnet and IMserv floor-standing cabinets and the IMnet 310 and 410 wall mounted enclosures, the family is the first to be designed exclusively for the networking market. In the floor-standing cabinets, cables can be laid into the cabinet through three separate apertures in the top, completely doing away with the need to thread cables through frames. Cable runs can be positioned first, with the cabinet then being offered up and the breakouts into the cabinet connected, giving a huge saving in installation time. From the installer's perspective, ease of entry, cable guidance and routing, all round accessibility and the overall space available for cable runs are the most important requirements. The rack itself is lightweight, making transport and manoeuvring on site relatively easy. From the network managers' viewpoint, proper cable management is critical in ensuring that high bandwidth systems can perform to their design parameters. On the other hand, the enclosure housing the servers, routers, hubs, UPS and other active equipment must address a separate set of needs. Multi-vendor capability, enabling users to switch suppliers with out mechanical interoperability problems, thermal management, power distribution, the ability to support large, heavy battery packs and to cater for the increasingly deep equipment are pre-requisites. Space for cable runs is maximised and, in bayed suites, cables can run vertically between cabinets, breaking out into the enclosure as required. The front verticals are recessed, enabling simple front patching between cabinets. All verticals accept both ETSI and 19" panel mountings; the 19" versions provide a 50mm wide segmented cable channel on one side of the 19" area in a 600mm wide unit. In an 800mm wide rack, there are 125mm wide cable management areas on both sides of the 19" rack mounting. Additional external 100mm cable housings can be mounted on one or both sides of the cabinet for heavy cabling density applications, and all accessories and cross members feature cable management facilities, rounded tops for cable guidance and clip into place without tools. In bayed suites, cables can be run between racks in front of the recessed verticals, and again, the inter-rack cables can be laid into the enclosures. High air throughputs can be achieved in IMserv, ensuring reliable server operation. IMserv can also be fitted with its own fire protection and extinguishing unit and enhanced electronic and electro-mechanical security features. The two wall-mounted enclosures are suitable for use as a breakout or distribution cabinets in larger systems. Supplied flat packed, the IMnet 310 can be transformed from a set of component parts in a carton to a finished unit on the wall ready to accept equipment or cables, in under ten minutes by one man. The units can be bayed together side by side or one above the other to allow for future system expansions. The latest addition to the family is the ready-assembled IMnet 410, offering an additional depth over the flat packed IMnet. In both models, the panel mountings are inset, giving space for patch cords in front of the panels and space on both sides for front-to-back cable runs and cable entry is through the rear of the top and the base. *** Ends: body copy 570 words *** Notes to Editors. For further information: APW Electronics contact: Stephen Goddard APW Electronics Electron Way, Chandlers Ford, Hampshire, SO53 4ZR tel: + 44 (0)23 8026 6300 fax:+ 44 (0)23 8025 3012 steve.goddard@apw.com www.apw.com Agency contact: Nigel May Parkfield Parkfield House, Damerham, Hants, SP6 3HQ tel: + 44 (0)1725 518321 fax: + 44 (0)1725 518378 Nigel_May@parkfield.co.uk www.parkfield.co.uk APW Electronics (formerly VERO Electronics) is part of the $2bn APW Corporation. It has facilities in France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, the UK and the USA, as well as a world-wide network of distributors and sales offices. The company designs, manufactures and markets of a comprehensive range of floor-standing and wall-mounted enclosures, thermal management and cable control products for the worldwide data and voice distribution network marketplaces.