Allow us to present an expanded introduction to Cablinginstall.com's recently producedQ&A Lightning Round! The Lightning Round video's format is this: We of the CI&M masthead ask, editorially, a series of three timely, pertinent, cabling industry-related questions to a distinguished expert in our field. Our expert is then given an opportunity to answer at some length. In the Round's final, "turnabout" segment, the expert is allowed to turn the tables by posing a challenging, industry-related question to us, editorially.

This time, the Lightning Round's distinguished expert is none other than Cabling Installation & Maintenance's chief editor and notable cabling technician's skills contest judge, Patrick McLaughlin. Patrick has covered the cabling industry in detail for the past 15 years as chief editor of CI&M.

The inaugural Lightning Round's questions are as follows:

1. Which cabling standards news from last year will have greater implications for network infrastructure professionals in 2013?

A.The approval of the TIA-606-B data center standard

B.The announcement of the TIA Category 8 designation for the next generation of twisted-pair cabling specifications

Related: Chart defines TIA-606-B identifiers

2.Which IT CEO legend made the following prediction in a nationally known IT technology publicationcirca 1993:

"Wireless computing will flop -- permanently?"

A.Oracle's Larry Ellison
B.Apple's Tim Cook
C.Ethernettechnology founder Bob Metcalfe
D.Cisco's John Chambers

3. What will be the bigger “game-changer” for network cabling deployments in 2013?

A.The preponderance of pre-terminated fiber systems
B.The rise of distributed antenna system (DAS) technologies

-- Matt Vincent, Senior Editor