CASE STUDY
LanTroVision Adopts the Versiv™ DSX-5000 CableAnalyzer™ to Cut Network Testing Time in Half and Improve Project Management
Download PDF
At a Glance
Customer: LanTroVision
Industry: Cable Installation and Testing
Location: Singapore
Challenge:
LanTroVision is a Singapore-based structured cabling and IT network installation company with subsidiaries and alliance partnerships across Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe, and South America. With annual revenue exceeding $106.8 million USD (S$133.54 million), LanTroVision is focused on continual growth by providing evolving product and service lines that meet or exceed customer expectations. The company has established a legacy of providing best-in-class network and cable infrastructure services, but maintaining this legacy grows more-and-more challenging as customer expectations increase despite shrinking budgets and project schedules. The company is constantly asked to do more with less.
Result:
Migrating from the Fluke Networks DTX-1800 CableAnalyzer to the new Versiv DSX-5000 product line was caused less by a challenge and more by an opportunity to adopt a next-generation technology that leveled the playing field against shrinking budgets and project schedules. The Versiv DSX-5000 helps LanTroVision complete cable installation jobs to customer specifications in half the time. It allows them to test all kinds of cables used on the job and maintain maximum uptime in customer networks, all with little-to-no technician training. In addition, the DTX and DSX platforms are interoperable, allowing LanTroVision to make the most of their investments and migrate technologies as their budget and schedule allows.
Product:
On This Page
Overview
LanTroVision is a Singapore-based structured cabling and IT network installation company with subsidiaries and alliance partnerships across Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe, and South America. The company supplies and installs computer cabling to meet customer information and telecommunication network requirements. This is done across consultation, site survey, design, implementation, testing, and commissioning, as well as provisioning of maintenance and support services.
With annual revenue exceeding $106.8 million USD, LanTroVision is focused on continual growth by providing evolving product and service lines that meet or exceed customer expectations. It continues to strengthen its global brand by expanding product offerings that are complementary to its IT cabling infrastructure business – namely services surrounding IT infrastructure and power management, software for data center and enterprise communication rooms, security surveillance products, active and passive data center equipment and accessories, and cable routing support systems.
Challenges
LanTroVision has established a legacy of providing best-in-class network and cable infrastructure services. Maintaining this legacy grows more-and-more challenging as customer expectations grow despite shrinking budgets and project schedules. The company is constantly asked to do more with less.
“LanTroVision customers expect the very best in cable installation quality, but today’s economic landscape has them asking us to deliver more with less time and budget,” said Eric Ang, head of training and development for LanTroVision. “Meeting expectations requires a fine balancing act since we test each and every node we install to ensure performance levels.”
LanTroVision trains and equips its technicians with the latest technologies to gain an advantage and perform effectively with the utmost quality. In the past, this toolset included the DTX-1800 CableAnalyzer from Fluke Networks. But the challenge of continuously shrinking budgets and project schedules demanded a next-generation solution.
“The DTX is an outstanding product and got us to where we are now,” explained Ang. “But, we need to constantly evaluate our technologies and operating standards to make sure we stay above our competitors.”
“LanTroVision customers expect the very best in cable installation quality, but today’s economic landscape has them asking us to deliver more with less time and budget. Meeting expectations requires a fine balancing act since we test each and every node we install to ensure performance levels. We were blown away by the DSX capabilities and performance. Migrating to the new product line is seen as an opportunity for our technicians to perform with more speed and versatility, while providing better project management.”
Eric Ang, head of training and development for LanTroVision
Solution
Fluke Networks launched the Versiv DSX-5000 CableAnalyzer in June 2013, providing increased performance and functionality over the successful DTX CableAnalyzer product line. The DSX improves the efficiency of copper certification with unmatched testing speed while meeting the most stringent accuracy requirements. It also supports modules for fiber testing, Wi-Fi analysis, and Ethernet troubleshooting. The platform is easily upgradable to support future standards, protecting investments now and into the future.
“Training for the DSX is almost non-existent,” said Ang. “The product is so user friendly that our technicians just pick it up and go. They don’t want or need training since they are already familiar with Fluke Networks and the DTX product line. For our last project, the technicians simply turned on the Versiv devices and started working with no delays or production stops.”
The Versiv DSX-5000’s Taptive™ user interface allows LanTroVision technicians to troubleshoot faults faster with touchscreen operations similar to modern mobile phones and tablets. It graphically displays the source of failure, including crosstalk, return loss, and shield faults. The DSX-5000 also features ProjX™ Management System capabilities to ensure jobs are done correctly and on time from setup to systems acceptance. LanTroVision leverages ProjX to set test limits and naming conventions for different sites under the same project name. From there, technicians can pull out site information and status updates as needed for better project management.
Results
As longtime customers of Fluke Networks, LanTroVision adopted and rolled out the Versiv DSX-5000 CableAnalyzers just a few months after the product launch. To Ang, the biggest benefit is the product’s ease-of-use. The Taptive touchscreen interface provides functionality in a format that almost everyone is now familiar and comfortable with using.
“Training for the DSX is almost non-existent,” said Ang. “The product is so user friendly that our technicians just pick it up and go. They don’t want or need training since they are already familiar with Fluke Networks and the DTX product line. For our last project, the technicians simply turned on the Versiv devices and started working with no delays or production stops.”
In just a few months of use, the DSX-5000 is already generating results for LanTroVision on a variety of high-profile projects. It was indispensible in meeting schedule requirements for a major technology company’s data center expansion in Asia.
“The DSX provides fast port identification and testing, cutting the time needed to test installed cables by as much as 50 percent,” said Ang. “It was our secret weapon for winning and completing this particular data center job.”
LanTroVision is also seeing streamlined testing operations thanks to the DSX-5000. It offers near-instantaneous set reference and provides the losses for added test reference cords (TRCs), which were rarely verified before the DSX adoption. This information is very important as it impacts the pass/fail analysis of the eventual fiber test.
“Not only is the time required halved,” said Ang, “but it eliminates all of the troubleshooting frustration when the fault lies with the TRC.”
LanTroVision also benefits from the DSX ProjX Management System. The company uses the project management capabilities to set up and track progress for large projects that span multiple locations. It allows Ang to gain visibility into project status and projected completion times.
The Versiv DSX-5000 from Fluke Networks helps LanTroVision complete cable installation jobs to customer specifications in half the time. It allows them to test all kinds of cables used on the job and maintain maximum uptime in customer networks all with little-to-no technician training. What’s more, the DTX and DSX platforms are interoperable, allowing LanTroVision to make the most of their investments and migrate technologies as their budget and schedule relies. The company currently relies on a mix of DTX and DSX products depending on project requirements. The DSX units are used in major projects with short turnaround times for testing.
«We’ll gradually roll over our entire inventory to the new Versiv DSX-5000 platform,” said Ang. “Our customers will be very, very happy with the results.”
