Editorial
Front Page - Monday, February 23, 2009
Advanced Cabling Systems connects technology
Rebecca Brockman
By Rebecca Brockman
When the disastrous ice storms invaded the north part of Arkansas last month, many were left without power and immediately became immobilized. Schools stayed empty for weeks and energy companies from around the area rushed in parade style to help those stranded without light or heat.
The luxury of turning a light switch and powering on a computer were improbable. As people stared at blank screens and dark offices, the thought of electrical and Internet power was given more than the usual fleeting thought.
Yet, Advanced Cabling Systems in North Little Rock realizes the importance of such technology and is striving to establish a new way to harness the ever-changing Internet technology world.
President and part owner of Advanced Cabling Systems, Michael Kennedy acknowledged that Advanced is on the forefront of “smart” technology and bringing something called “connected real estate” to people of the Natural State.
In 2008, the company ranked 11th out of 40 in the Arkansas Business Publishing Group’s list of Largest IT Services Companies in Arkansas.
Kennedy explained that when an owner decides to build a high-rise, multi-story building, that person hires a contractor, who then hires an architect, who then hires many subcontractors to complete the building. Because so many people are involved, “none of their systems talk to each other.”
“Envision this — you have an access control system and the cable for the keyless entry runs from the fifth floor to the basement, then the fourth floor to the basement, third floor, etc.
Then the company has a camera system — that cable runs from the fifth floor to basement, fourth floor to basement, etc. A different computer and system control it all. You start layering all these systems, it’s really a disjointed delivery [system] and it just doesn’t make sense,” said Kennedy.
Advanced realized the need to meet with the owner prior to construction and establish a method that capitalizes on the technology and control within the new building. Kennedy said the company also equips existing buildings, referred to as a ‘retro fit’ with updated cables and software, “if it makes sense.”
Advanced started meeting with like-minded companies in Charlotte and San Diego about a year ago. “We started thinking through this term of ‘Fourth Utility’ (a trademarked phrase). Every building has to have water, gas, and electricity. But now as technology becomes more important, the fourth utility is technology,” stated Kennedy. “Part of this intelligent building design is to make sure it’s Internet based, and make sure that it’s an open system so that multiple people can bid on the project. Multiple people can service the project, so your’re not just tied to one manufacturer.”
The company has partnered with Cisco, the largest network switching company in the world. Kennedy explains that the partnership provides part of the hardware Advanced uses in their smart technology, or as Cisco says, “connected real estate” task.
Meeting with the owner and advocating that all seven or eight systems run through one fiber optic cable, through the spine of the building and connecting to one server is the mission of Advanced. “This is not being done anywhere else in Arkansas,” exclaimed Kennedy.
He also realizes that convincing building owners is sometimes difficult, “It’s a total mind change,” stated Kennedy. “If you get the right owner who is forward thinking, you explain to them how important technology is in their building,” said Kennedy.
Obviously from the growth of the company, which now includes 58 employees and revenue estimated at $8 million this year, the explanation process is the easy part. Advanced has grown 20 percent every year over the last several years and the horizon only seems brighter for the North Little Rock company.
To date, their largest project is taking place at Oaklawn in Hot Springs. According to their monthly newsletter, Advanced is providing a Gamewell-FCI emergency evacuation system and security support for the new gaming expansion, along with over 2,000 new data and voice cables for communication between gaming devices and the Oaklawn staff. Advanced has also worked with HealthPark Hospital in Hot Springs, Delta Dental in Little Rock and Sherwood, Magnolia Regional Medical Center in Columbia County, Bank of the Ozarks headquarters in Little Rock, Heifer International and ChenalWoods, a gated community in west Little Rock, just to name a few.
Kennedy also sighted Conway as a huge “hotbed” of opportunity for the company right now. “We’ve got five to six big projects going on there, [including] Second Baptist Church, the Hendrix Village, and the new technology center at Hendrix and the Satterfield Station.”
Kennedy has also been recognized for his rapid success since he joined Advanced in 1999. He was honored recently by being named to the Arkansas Business “40 Under 40” list in 2008 and is currently one of the five finalists for the 2008 Business Executive of the Year by the Arkansas Business Publishing Group.
Clearly, Advanced Cabling Systems will continue to move forward and will only grow as the “green initiative” spreads and more people understand the benefits of one cable compared to multiple cables. “We have a great, growing business, but we see a better way to do this,” said Kennedy. “I really want us to become the advocates on how buildings need to be built.”
For more information on Advanced Cabling Systems, visit www.advancedcablingsystems.
com.
Contact Rebecca at rebecca@dailydata.com.
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