Modularity for Network Simplicity

When I was younger, I enjoyed playing Tetris® on the Nintendo® Entertainment System (NES). It was a compelling exercise in manipulating simple shapes to create what seemed to be an infinite number of combinations to create a solid line (remember, a straight 4 earns bonus points)! The more I played, the faster I was at creating the lines. I easily learned what shapes I had available and could begin to anticipate my next move, or series of moves, using simple shapes to manage increasingly complex challenges.

I never thought childhood Tetris skills would be particularly relevant to my career. However, I recently remembered the tile-matching video game when thinking about how multiple network solutions can be created by various combinations of CommScope fiber panels, cassettes, splice cassettes, adapters and modules.

CLICK TO TWEET:  CommScope’s Jennifer Duits explains what the game Tetris and the G2 portfolio have in common.

Satisfy your data center needs

When looking at fiber panel options, there seems to be an infinite number of ways to create a fiber network to satisfy your client’s campus or data center needs. You could use a combination of fiber panels, dedicated splice panels (or splice wallets), different modules, adapters, and splice cassettes to create the solution which best fits your customer. If you are designing a new network, you can easily consider your options and choose what works best for your client today while planning for future scaling of the network. You buy it, ship it and it is there when you need it.

What about when you are onsite and a quick add, change or replacement is needed? Do you go out to your van, grab whatever you find, and piece it together? Whether it is finding a panel with the correct density, the most appropriate splicing option to work with the current panels, or the right cassettes, it can be challenging with only the inventory you have on hand.

So, here’s where Tetris-inspired thinking comes to the rescue. Simplicity must be the starting place and modularity is the key to meeting an almost infinite range of complex challenges. For you, that means the ability to deliver faster solutions, better productivity and happier clients.

Modifying your existing network

CommScope’s extensive portfolio of fiber panels, cassettes, splice cassettes, modules and adapters are designed as modular components. This gives you the freedom to expertly use simple solutions to address complex challenges. As added bonus points, they support in-panel splicing where you don’t need a dedicated splice panel, and offer multiple options for density, polarity and fiber count. This make it easier when modifying an existing network. Moreover, imagine if the network was based on these modular components – and you were able to anticipate and stock what you needed in the future.

The secret to Tetris is knowing the piece shapes and how they lock most efficiently to meet a goal. In real life, when working with adds, changes or replacements, the same rules apply when you have a modular set of panels, cassettes, splice cassettes, modules and adapters that enable you to complete the job quickly and dependably, so you can move on to the next project.

For additional information about a portfolio of products designed for modularity with the goal of minimizing complexity, click here to learn more about our G2 Portfolio. CommScope’s portfolio of panels, cassettes, splice cassettes, modules and adapters are designed to work together to create solutions for multiple applications. They offer a wide-range of options for density, polarity and fiber count, as well as in-panel splicing. It is the simple, adaptable, solution for data centers and campus environments.

”Tetris” is a registered mark of The Tetris Company, LLC (TTC). "Nintendo" is a registered trademark of Nintendo of America Inc.