What is an Integrated Cabling Environment (ICE)?

Integrated Cabling Environment simply means one type of cabling for everything which would carry data and voice transmissions between devices like a PC or telephones to your data switch and telephone system.  It simplifies the effort and process for connec ting I.T. devices to your network.

The ICE cabling conforms to a common standard whereby equipment makers can provide uniform interconnection between devices using the same connector style (which is referred to as RJ45 – Registered Jack type 45).  This connection style makes it very simple to move devices around your office network, a sort of ‘plug and play’ capability. In the past we had separate physical cabling infrastructures for Data devices, and another separate physical cabling infrastructure for telephones and fax machines, answering machines and modem devices like EFPOS etc (referred to in technical terms as as ‘CAT3’ cabling – it’s cream coloured cable) each had their own products used to form them, take up more space have different standards of connection, performance, installation practices- routing of cables and maintenance.

The goal with an ICE is simple,  only  a single cable network infrastructure is needed for all your devices – PC’s Switches Routers, Telephones Fax Machines, EFTPOS etc,  everything you need to connect into your data and voice network is carried by the one cable network. A proper and well installed Integrated Cabling Environment should provide the fastest transmission speeds and lowest error rate possible for data flow and the mechanical connection properties required by voice and telephone systems and other analogue devices.

ICE’s are formed using CAT5/CAT6/CAT7 and Optical Fibre cables which support very high speed data transmission typically 100Mbps up to 1 Gbps and beyond.  The difference between CAT5 and CAT6 and CAT 7  cables is the rate of transmission speed possible, and to assure a higher speed rate on cabling the cable manufacturer demands their cabling products like wall outlets and patch panels and patch leads and fly leads are used and match the cable. They also have installation standards above that of the regulated minimum cabling installation practices.

When cabling and cabling products are  installed to the manufacturers specification and fully tested and certified,  a warranty (typically 25 years) can be provided and backed up by the cabling manufacturer as proof of reliable, fast and error free performance possible for the life of the cabling.

MCT can provide the cables and cabling products and install internal network cabling of CAT5e or CAT6 or CAT7 or Optical Fibre and fully test and certify it and maintain it for you.