Alliance Between Anixter and Leading Manufacturers Seeks Improved Network Performance

Business Wire, April 18, 2000

Business Editors

SKOKIE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 18, 2000

Dramatic new tests conducted at Anixter's Levels Lab in Mt. Prospect, IL, have resulted in a totally new performance specification for network cabling and components called Levels XP.

Anixter, a leading global provider of communications equipment and cabling products, has worked closely with Lucent Technologies and other industry manufacturers to develop the new specification, which will revolutionize the way the industry views network performance and efficiency.

According to Tom McNeil, Senior Manager of SYSTIMAX(R) SCS, Offer Management for Lucent Technologies, "Our participation in Anixter's Levels XP program continues a long-standing partnership between the two companies and highlights the leadership of the respective companies in the structured cabling industry. With Lucent's SYSTIMAX SCS solutions exceeding the requirements of the Levels XP specifications, Anixter offers premier solutions for its customer's ever-expanding network performance needs."

Pete Lockhart, Anixter's Vice President of Technology and Product Design, says the new performance specification standardizes the quality of data as it travels through a network system. "Our research, for the very first time, provides a glimpse into how real installed cabling systems, real transmitters and real receivers interact and transfer data from the server to the PC. These findings show the direct correlation between cross-talk, impedance, mismatched network components and network inefficiencies," he explained.

"Current industry standards reflect minimum requirements," Lockhart pointed out, "and therefore insure only minimal performance. Our new specification will optimally meet the ever-burgeoning demands of today's information systems."

The results of the landmark research will be formally unveiled at the BICSI conference to be held in Ft. Worth, TX, beginning on May 8th. In addition to Lucent, the other manufacturers that participated in the research and development with Anixter are: Belden, Berk-Tek, CommScope, KRONE, Ortronics, Panduit and Siemon.

To receive a free copy of the Anixter Levels Lab report on Return Loss and Its Effect on Network Performance, or other related lab reports, visit Anixter's web site at www.anixter.com, or call 1-800-ANIXTER.