Companies should consider the changing and future demands that will be placed on their networks when making fibre optics and copper cabling procurement decisions to ensure that their networks are able support new data-heavy functionality, says fibre optics and copper cabling manufacturer Brand-Rex Africa regional manager Tony Redden.

South African electronics distribution company Mustek is in partnership with Brand-Rex, in South Africa, and expects good and sustained growth in demand for fibre optics cabling and related products, says Mustek MD Hein Engelbrecht.

“The copper and fibre optics products and, crucially, the network infrastructure expertise that Brand-Rex brings mean that we can save our customers up to 30% in installation costs while ensuring that they have infrastructure in place for future demands on their businesses.”

Appropriate infrastructure and networks enable companies to use their existing equipment more effectively and productively, which will help to stem any erosion of their profit margins by enabling modern functionality, as well as providing control over the network and associated costs.

Companies rely on high-speed and large-volume networks to compete effectively in their industry and this trend is only expected to increase, says Redden.

“Not only individual companies but also whole supply chains are being integrated through better connectivity to enable various members to compete more effectively. Companies with visibility of their supply chains can, [for example], effectively manage customer expectations and service delivery deadlines, as well as cooperate with suppliers to improve responsiveness to customers or reduce overstocking,” he says.

All these strategies and initiatives rely on high-speed connectivity within and among businesses.

“While South African companies have to deal with economic headwinds, they must still position themselves to meet future market demands, which include building or upgrading infrastructure and networks.

“The complexity of modern networks and the issues that must be considered when upgrading infrastructure mean that companies should use a trusted adviser to ensure that it considers the various trends and best practices.

“We urge companies to use their trusted advisory partners, often their integrators, when upgrading portions of their networks to ensure that they install equipment that will be able to meet future needs,” he emphasises.

Brand-Rex manufactures carbon-neutral fibre optics and copper networking cables at its UK manufacturing facilities, anticipating environment-conscious procurement and supply chain demands from businesses.

“With the addition of Brand-Rex, Mustek supplies the holistic range of networking and computing equipment. Thus, in keeping with our strategy of delivering customised solutions for customers, Mustek can provide the specific range of products each customer requires, based on their needs and the scope of the project,” says Engelbrecht.

A company must consider whether its infrastructure is able to cope with growth in applications, servers and data, especially in light of the emergence of e-commerce and online, on-demand services.

“Companies must plan for expansions and, even if there is a limited budget, this will enable them to match their infrastructure renewal to their cash flow while ensuring that they build infrastructure that is able to meet future requirements,” emphasises Engelbrecht.

Engineering News toured Mustek’s equipment assembly line, in Midrand, in November, where the company demonstrated how it assembles computing equipment with customer-specific hardware, operating systems and software for its many private- and public-sector customers.