TIA Member Spotlight:

Chatsworth Products, Inc. (CPI) is a leading manufacturer of systems designed to organize, store and secure IT infrastructure equipment. As an industry leader, CPI Products set the benchmark by providing superior structural support that exceeds customer expectations through innovation, function and performance. Unequalled customer service and technical support, as well as a global network of industry-leading distributors, assures our customers that CPI is dedicated to delivering IT infrastructure solutions designed to meet their needs.

Chatsworth President, Larry Renaud spoke with PULSE Online staff about the history of his company, the products and solutions it offers and the value of TIA membership.

1. Please give us a brief history of Chatsworth Products, Inc. and tell our readers about your typical clientele.

CPI was founded in July 1991, when 90 employees joined together and bought out the Dracon Division of Harris Corporation using an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Responding to the deregulation in the telecommunications industry and technological innovation in voice and data equipment, CPI decided to focus on the explosive needs of the information technology market to manage IT infrastructure equipment.

CPI has a wide variety of clientele ranging from the CIO, Senior Level IT, Network and Communication Professionals to Engineers, Contractors, Architects, Project Managers and Installers and Technicians. The major markets that we serve include; banking and financial services, telecommunications, government (federal, state and local), pharmaceutical and biotech, consulting and business services, healthcare and medical, insurance, media and entertainment and retail and education.

2. Give us an overview of CPI's products and tell us how CPI is an industry leader in providing structural support systems used to organize, store and secure valuable computer, data and communications equipment.

CPI is an industry leader because we are devoted to delivering superior structural support that exceeds customer expectations through innovation, function and performance. We are proud to embrace change through continuous evolution to exceed the demands of an ever-changing market and are committed to being a company of the highest quality. Our extensive line of products includes:

• Rack Systems-Advanced space-saving support featuring RMU markings for simplified equipment installation and re-organization
• Cabinet & Enclosure Systems-Industry-leading support with adjustable mounting rails, RMU markings and thermal innovations
• Thermal Management Solutions-Innovative solutions to overcome thermal issues resulting from increasing equipment densities; including CPI's Passive Cooling™ Solutions which require no liquid or active systems
• Zone Cabling & Wireless Enclosure Systems-State-of-the-art consolidations points, horizontal cross connects and wireless access points for the open office, commercial space or data center
• Wall-Mount Systems-Superior open and enclosed support systems used outside of the data center or in areas with limited space
• Cable Management Products-Attractively and efficiently organizes cables and cords throughout the network while simplifying network maintenance
• Cable Runway & Tray Products-Superior cable support from data center to workstations with horizontal, vertical and backbone pathways
• Power Management Products-Provide safe, efficient distribution of electrical power to support active equipment
• Electronics, Monitoring & Security Systems-Patented technology providing monitoring, safety and security to vital data center equipment
• Grounding & Bonding Products- Comprehensive line of UL® Listed products to prevent transient voltage from damaging sensitive electronic equipment
• Seismic Protection Systems-Protect and prevent equipment damage during seismic events

3. Chatsworth Products Inc. works with various distributors to develop mutually beneficial/distributor relationships to maximize value for its customers. How important is this to your overall business?

CPI distributors serve as an essential part of our business function. Not only do our distributors provide added value by locally stocking the majority of CPI's product line, but they keep customers aware of new developments and changes in the fast-paced world of communications technology. Overall, our distributors make it possible for CPI to reach so many customers and we truly value these relationships.

4. Tell us about CPI's new TeraFrame Cabinet System and the various options and accessories available and how the system solves thermal issues in the data center and lessens the need for expensive cooling equipment.

CPI's TeraFrame™ Cabinet System was designed to solve thermal issues in the data center and lessen the need for expensive cooling equipment. The TeraFrame incorporates an innovative passive cooling technique that allows customers to achieve 2-20+ kW of cooling by reclaiming control over airflow so that it can be directed where it is needed. Only offered by CPI, this innovative technique called CPI Passive Cooling Solutions eliminates bypass and re-circulation of hot exhaust air and the formation of hot spots.

CPI Passive Cooling Solutions offer a variety of options and accessories that allow customers to achieve their desired cooling results including:

• Snap-In Filler Panels to block airflow through open RMU spaces and reduce the amount of hot air that is re-circulated from the back to the front of the cabinet.
• Air Dam Kit to prevent hot air from going around the sides, top and bottom of equipment mounting spaces.
• KoldLok® Raised Floor Grommet to increase the amount of cold air entering the cabinet by sealing cable access holes located under the cabinet.
• Internal Air Duct (use instead of Air Dam Kit in medium-density applications) to dam rear-to-front re-circulation of hot air and channel cool air to the upper one-third of the cabinet.
• Vertical Exhaust Duct System attaches to the top of the cabinet to channel hot air out of the cabinet and into a drop ceiling plenum or high point in the room.

5. How does the new RIM-600 system work to provide the ability to remotely monitor, record and analyze environmental conditions in a data center and equipment room?

CPI's Remote Infrastructure Management (RIM-600) System is a very cost-effective solution for multiple site monitoring applications. The system includes internal sensors and offers external sensors that provide IT remote monitoring, logging and reporting. Based on programmed thresholds, this fault-tolerant system will examine important environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, power and sound. The RIM-600 will keep equipment secure with network cameras, motion detectors, door switches and contact sensors. In addition, the RIM-600 will maintain equipment and personnel safety by monitoring and reporting fire, smoke and water leakage. If both power and network capabilities are lost, the RIM-600 will continue to operate with the internal battery backup, non-volatile data storage and phone connection so monitoring abilities are never lost.

6. How do the technical support center and the online support system that have an abundant number of resources such as a product configurator, design tools, and product documentation bring value to your customers?

CPI's support and service is the benchmark in the industry and one of the top reasons customers choose to do business with us. We have highly trained technical support specialists and customer service representatives. Our technical support specialists work with customers to answer product specific question and offer assistance with the design and layout of their data center. cpi customer service representatives offer valuable assistance by locating distributors for individual customers while also working closely with our distributors to maintain product availability, ultimately helping to preserve customer project scheduling requirements.

We also offer a variety of value added online tools to help our customers achieve their objectives and find the information that they require. For example, CPI's Product Configurator allows customers to create customized products and solutions for their specific data center and generates a total list price, BOM, rendered drawings and a selection of distributors or global resellers for the configured product or solution.

7. As the newly appointed President of CPI, what are your long-term strategic goals in solving the ongoing need of your customers to organize, store, and secure technology equipment?

Although I became the new President of CPI in August 2006, I am not new to the foundation and values of the company. I have had the pleasure of serving this amazing company for over seven years and look forward to the future global growth and expansion we will achieve together. Some of our long-term strategic goals include re-investing in the company to help with continuous manufacturing and logistic process improvements. We also plan on continuing to research and stay abreast of the changing marketplace, future technology and evolving standards and proactively respond to those changes. We have recently made a heavier push to expand our sales offices, regional supply capability and distributor relations internationally so that CPI Products are more readily available to customers all over the world.

8. Tell us the value you gain from your TIA membership.

TIA is recognized as one of the top-tier standards organizations in our industry. Becoming a TIA member has provided CPI with an enhanced visibility in cutting edge technologies, industry best practices and evolving standards. Our membership serves as an opportunity to network with a broad cross section of global customers, suppliers and consultants on critical issues impacting our industry. In addition the ability to drive global standards development, determine policy agenda and access comprehensive TIA technical, standards and market research library publications is a great value to CPI.

*Product/Service descriptions have been provided by Chatsworth Products Inc., and TIA presents the information without any responsibility as to its accuracy.

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