Networks/Telecoms
buildings had grown and their uses service requirements from the outset.
changed over Imperial’s impressive The result is that no new project can
100 year history. be contemplated without taking the
network infrastructure requirements
As Barbosa explained, “this organic into consideration first - a major step
network development – common forward. As a result, Barbosa and his
throughout both academia and team now have a full overview of all of
industry – was fine in its time. Now, the College’s building and
however, with ICT being a critical refurbishment projects that have
operational resource rather than the network infrastructure implications. At
background tool that it was in the time of writing there are an painstakingly measure and re-route
previous times we needed to amazing 60 such projects underway. cables Barbosa and his team decided
implement a far more strategic that the quickest solution was to
approach to this mission-critical Imperial College has grown up over implement a wireless network to cover
infrastructure in order to give the years and now boasts nine the penthouse suites. “The network is
bandwidth-hungry research and campus sites across London and the something that is completely
academic users the 24*7*365 service South East ranging from Charing overlooked, until it’s not there,” says
essential to their experiments and Cross to its central campus in South Barbosa. “And only then do people
studies. Kensington and North to Harrow. realise exactly how much they have
“Not only do we have the challenge of come to depend on it.”
Historically, ICT has not been part of routing cabling around some very old
the planning process of new buildings buildings, but we also have issues The majority of cable installed in
nor indeed refurbishments. Barbosa with legacy and inherited recent years had been Brand-Rex, but
promoted the thinking that the ICT installations,” says Barbosa. Barbosa and his team decided that a
infrastructure should be thought of in review was necessary and
exactly the same way as ‘utilities’ like Even new buildings have not been appropriate.
electricity, water, gas and drainage – without their problems for Barbosa
all of which are planned in at the and his team. The network installed For technical reasons – particularly to
architect’s initial building design stage. by the builders and its contractors in a avoid potential difficulties with mixing
This is a philosophy which Imperial prestigious new South Kensington cable brands and for the operational
now enthusiastically applies and building that was to be used to house reason that it is far easier and also
which is already paying dividends. visiting lecturers was found to be cheaper to only have to support a
causing problems. As Barbosa and his single make of cabling technology –
When the College implemented colleagues discovered, “the builder’s Barbosa wanted to establish a single
Prince2 project management contractors, when installing the cable, make of structured cabling for both
methodologies Barbosa’s team and had completely disregarded the 90m copper and fibre. He also strongly
the Estates team, which manages the maximum length specification and believed that The College would
refurbishment and building gone far beyond that with the result benefit from standardising because
programmes, were able to collaborate that the channels didn’t work. this would then allow the network
on revising the role of stakeholders to Therefore when a distinguished guest team to establish a direct relationship
better represent the network user was having problems we had to come with the manufacturer giving them
‘clients’. As a result, all College up with a solution fast.” With no time access to the highest levels of
projects now specify infrastructure to call back the builders to technical support and advice. It would
Historically, ICT has not been part of the planning process of new
buildings nor indeed refurbishments. Barbosa promoted the
thinking that the ICT infrastructure should be thought of in exactly
the same way as ‘utilities’ like electricity, water, gas and drainage
September 2008 www.datacentresols.com | DATA CENTRE SOLUTIONS | 39
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