In late January and early February, BICSI (www.bicsi.org) released two manuals-one a groundbreaking security-design reference and the other an update to its network-design manual.
The Electronic Safety and Security Design Reference Manual (ESSDRM) , introduced January 20, is the first comprehensive manual to address electronic safety and security (ESS) industry design. It contains all the background information necessary to plan, design, and implement a wide spectrum of safety and security design projects.
The ESSDRM includes a number of significant firsts. It is the first BICSI manual to include legal aspects of being a designer in the converging ESS and information-transport system (ITS) industries; it is also the first to include discussions of convergent technologies and their impact on the ITS industry and security infrastructure. Additionally, the manual details "best practices" in the ESS industry and is the first BICSI manual to include select color illustrations.
"The need for this manual was driven by the reality of the marketplace," said BICSI North-Central Region Director Jerry Bowman, RCDD/NTS Specialist, who is North American director of ACE and advanced technologies with Systimax Solutions (www.systimax.com) and chair of the ESSDRM project. "The fastest growing segment of low-voltage systems that is integrating into the enterprise network is security. This is probably the most requested value-add that you can bring to a basic structured cabling system design," said Bowman.
The intended audience for the ESSDRM ranges from the end-user or design professional who works with security professionals through those readers who actively design systems and need a design reference manual. Readers will find both fundamental explanations of the concepts, methods, and technology behind ESS systems as well as best practices for design and integration of the various systems.
On February 6, BICSI released the 6th edition of the Network Design Reference Manual (NDRM), continuing its tradition of providing vendor-neutral descriptions of current networking technologies and design guidelines. The newly released edition is a fresh approach for BICSI manuals that better serves BICSI members, according to Chris Scharrer, RCDD/NTS/OSP Specialist, division vice president and CIO for The Benham Companies (www.benham.com) and the subject-matter expert team leader for the NDRM.
"The 6th edition of the NDRM has been rewritten from the ground up. The edition was developed and written as a true designer's guide," said Scharrer. "It's based on the philosophy that technology will continue to evolve and that network designers need to understand where the standards, codes, and regulations come from, how to apply them, and what design principles and best practices are most applicable for their current requirements."
The NDRM is the basis for BICSI's RCDD/NTS Specialty. The new manual covers the fundamentals of network architecture, connectivity, communications, and administration. Design examples are also provided for departmental, backbone, wide area, and remote access networking. The NDRM gives a unique perspective on networking as related to the ITS industry. The manual should be used as a reference tool and is required for the NTS Specialty classes. BICSI will also release the NDRM 6th edition flashcard set this month. The set, designed to be a supplemental study aid for the NTS exam, will have more than 800 questions to supplement students' knowledge.