When not closely managed, cabling can get out of control fast. Without rigid discipline, what may have started out tightly organized can quickly resemble vines taking over an ancient city.

It's hard to keep up, especially with your business moving at the speed of IT. But if your cable closets or server room has gotten a bit messy, you need to get things organized. Messy cabling doesn’t just look bad; it can have a negative impact on your business:

• Signal interference slows down applications and productivity
• Pinched cabling causes connections to malfunction and break
• Troubleshooting network problems becomes a more complex task
• Upgrades become more difficult when technicians have to sort through the chaos
• Worker safety is jeopardized by cable clutter and entanglement

Your technology partner should have experience designing, installing and supporting structured cabling infrastructure for voice and data within commercial and government environments. Cabling solutions should include:

• Physical network planning and design
• Cabling between floors and from demarcation points or computer rooms to equipment closets
• Horizontal cabling to the desktop
• Wi-Fi Networks providing In-building and campus coverage
• Cable labeling and documentation

If you are expanding office space or moving to a new location, the best time to engage the cabling services of your technology partner is before your building plans are finalized. Your partner should be able to work with your facilities professionals to ensure that all your infrastructure requirements are properly addressed so your employees can be productive without skipping a beat.

Jeff Nolte is President and CEO of CTS, a leading Voice and IT services provider based in Millersville, Maryland. He may be reached at (800) 787-4848 or jnolte@ctsmd.us. Visit: www.ctsmd.us.