FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 24, 2009

TIA Moves Forward on New Healthcare Cabling Infrastructure Standards

New Documents in Development Will Support a Wide Range of IP-Based Biomedical Systems and Classify and Define Needs for 'Work Areas' in Health Facilities

Arlington, Va. – The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), a leading global standards development organization (SDO) for the information and communications technology (ICT) industry, has initiated work on new cabling standards that will define requirements for telecommunications infrastructure for healthcare facilities such as hospitals and clinics.

The standard will outline cabling, cabling topologies, and cabling distances requirements as well as pathways, spaces and other ancillary requirements to support a wide range of healthcare facilities and systems.

The document is intended to support a wide range of biomedical systems (RFID, BAS, nurse call, security, access control, pharmaceutical inventory, etc.), particularly those that use or can use IP-based infrastructure.

In particular, with regard to horizontal cabling for healthcare applications, the working group that proposed the new standard recommends that the meaning of the term "work area" must be expanded and a minimum number of required permanent links to provide necessary cabling for each work area must be established.

The work areas to be addressed are divided into the following classifications:

• Patient Services
• Surgery/Procedure/Operating Rooms
• Emergency
• Ambulatory Care
• Women's Health
• Diagnostic and Treatment
• Caregiver
• Service/Support
• Facilities
• Operations
• Critical Care

The new standard will be developed by TIA Engineering Committee TR-42 User Premises Telecommunications Cabling Infrastructure's Subcommittee TR-42.1 Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling.

To participate in the development of this standard, contact Herb Congdon at hvcongdon@tycoelectronics.com.

Listen to a podcast interview with Herb about this standard and other recent important standards work underway in TR-42.

Download TIA's 2008-2009 Standards & Technology Annual Report (STAR). Sign up for TIA RSS news feeds on TIA standards.

TR-42 member companies include: ADC Telecommunications, Inc.; Agilent Technologies, Inc.; Allied Telephone and Data Corp.; Anixter, Inc; AT&T; Avaya; Baxter Enterprises; Beast Cabling Systems; Bechtel Telecom; Bel Stewart Connectors; Belden Networks Division; Berk-Tek; Broadcom Corporation; BTR Netcom Inc; Business Communication Services; C2 Consulting; Chatsworth Products, Inc.; Cisco Systems, Inc.; CommScope Network Solutions; Connectivity Technologies, Inc.; Continental Automated Buildings Association; Corning Inc.; CSI Telecommunications, Inc.; dbi; Defense Information Systems Agency; Defense Supply Center, Columbus; Direct Optical Research Co.; Draka Comteq Optical Fibre; DYMO (RHINO); Emtelle US, Inc; ERICO, Inc.; EXFO E.O. Engineering, Inc.; Experior Photonics, Inc.; FiberSource, Inc.; Fluke Networks; Furukawa Industrial, S.A.; Gemalto INC; General Cable; Graybar; Greenlee Textron, Inc.; Harger, Inc.; HARTING, Inc., of North America; Henkels & McCoy, Inc.; Hitachi Cable, Ltd; Homaco; Hubbell Premise Wiring; Ideal Industries, Inc.; Intertek Testing Services; ITW Linx; J&M Consultants, Inc.; JDSU; JPMorgan Chase & Co.; Kish, Paul; KITCO Fiber Optics; Leviton Network Solutions; MC Communications; Megger; Molex, Inc.; Motorola, Inc.; National Technical Systems (NTS); NetGemini, Inc.; NIES (Nexans Intelligent Enterprise Solutions); Nortel Networks; Northwest Information Services; Noyes Fiber Systems; ODVA Open Devicenet Vendor Association, Inc.; OFS; Ortronics, Inc.; Panasonic Electric Works Laboratory of America; Panduit Corporation; Phoenix Contact; Photon Kinetics, Inc.; PPC; Quabbin Wire & Cable Co., Inc.; RIT Technologies Inc.; RTKL Associates Inc.; the Siemon Company; Signamax Connectivity Systems, Inc.; SMP Data Communications, Inc.; Soapstone Networks; Solvay Solexis; Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Corp; Superior Essex; Surtec America; Telcordia Technologies, Inc.; Tellabs, Inc.; the Fiber Optic Association; Timbercon, Inc.; Tyco Electronics; U.S. Dept. of Commerce; UL Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.; US Conec, LTD; Vanco International; Wiltec Technologies; the Wiremold Company; Xtellus Dynamic Optics; Yazaki N.A., Y-Connect.

About TIA
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) represents the global information and communications technology (ICT) industry through standards development, advocacy, tradeshows, business opportunities, market intelligence and world-wide environmental regulatory analysis. With roots dating back to 1924, TIA enhances the business environment for broadband, mobile wireless, information technology, networks, cable, satellite and unified communications. Members' products and services empower communications in every industry and market, including healthcare, education, security, public safety, transportation, government, the military, the environment and entertainment.

TIA co-owns the SUPERCOMM^® tradeshow  and is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Visit tiaonline.org.

About TIA Standards Development
Thousands of communications leaders work through TIA's standards program to enhance the business environment for telecommunications, broadband, mobile wireless, information technology, networks, cable, satellite, unified communications, emergency communications, vehicular telematics and healthcare ICT.

More than 1,100 subject-matter experts and other industry leaders participate in TIA's 70+ engineering committees, subcommittees, working groups and Technical Advisory Groups (TAGs) and the Third Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2). Their collaborative efforts have produced more than 3,500 standards documents. These invaluable reference tools are used by industry and government entities across the globe to help develop numerous products and services.

TIA's Board of Directors includes senior-level executives from ACS, ADC, ADTRAN, Alcatel-Lucent, ANDA Networks, AttivaCorp, Avaya, Bechtel Communications, Inc., Cisco Systems, Corning Incorporated, Ericsson, Inc., GENBAND, Inc., Graybar, Henkels & McCoy, ILS Technology, Intel Corporation, Intersect, Inc., LGE, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nortel, Openwave, Inc., Panasonic Computer Solutions Co., Powerwave Technologies, Qualcomm, Research In Motion, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Corporation, Tellabs, Tyco Electronics, Ulticom, Inc., and Verari Systems. Advisors to the Board include FAL Associates, Orca Systems and Telcordia Technologies.

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