Author
Jason Reasor
I had the opportunity to visit Australia to do a little research on our positioning within the healthcare market there. I learned three important things:
- The Fourth Utility concept is alive and well in Australia
- So is the SYSTIMAX® VisiPatch® 360 system
- Contrary to popular belief, kangaroos and koala bears are NOT in everyone’s backyard
As discussed previously, hospitals have a tremendous need for connectivity in multiple forms—both wired and wireless. When these kinds of connections are discussed, we usually imply an IP-based connectivity. Another part of the Fourth Utility concept is the consolidation of building automation services onto structured cabling—whether the device is IP-based or not. Services that haven’t made the transition to IP but are still supported include security, lighting, HVAC, elevators, etc. This way, the structured cabling can be thought of as a “highway.” This highway is always there and, when appropriate, services can “merge” into their own lane.
The foundation for deploying the Fourth Utility in Australia is often the VisiPatch 360 system. VisiPatch 360 is IDC-based and allows a user to deploy traditional IP (four-pair) applications or extra-low-voltage applications (some less than four-pair) on the same platform. VisiPatch 360 also lends itself very well to a zone-wiring architecture, where consolidation points can be used to provide easy access to connections within a zone. After I returned from Australia, I later learned that Lanec Services, a SYSTIMAX Prestige BusinessPartner, won the NECA Excellence Award 2011 for the Best Voice/Data Project at Sunshine Hospital in Victoria. This project included the installation of VisiPatch 360 to help deploy the hospital’s automated services. Good stuff! A video describing the deployment can be seen here.
Finally, much to my daughter’s chagrin, I didn’t see a single kangaroo or koala bear. Somebody told me that expecting to see either a kangaroo or koala bear would be like a visitor coming to the US and asking, “Where are all the buffalo?” Oh well, there’s always the zoo.
Cheers, mate!
