Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
the work area telecommunications outlet/connector.
1
The outlet is presumed to be
permanently mounted in or on an office wall, and is expected to be within a relatively
short distance from the actual workstation device (such as a computer).
This presents several difficult issues with regard to modern modular offices.
These office environments use modular furniture designs and modular walls to form
cubicles with built-in work desks. They effectively replace both fixed-wall offices and
totally open desk “pools.” The arrangements are popular, because they make much
more effective use of office area by eliminating closed-in offices, and they afford a
measure of privacy and personalization that is unavailable in the open room with a
“desk array.” Modular furniture systems typically place power and communications
cables in narrow pathways within the panels of the modules (Fig. 10.2).
The modules must be fully assembled before the cable can be inserted, which
makes the process of providing home-run cables to the telecommunications room
very cumbersome. This means that portions of the data and telephone cabling
process must be postponed until the modular furniture has been assembled. At this
stage in an office buildout, the ceiling tiles are already in, the walls are finished, the
carpet is laid, and there is modular furniture all over the place. Placing ladders to
FIGURE 10.2
Cable channel in modular furniture.
1
This is commonly referred to as the work area outlet or the workstation outlet.
