Electronics’ AMP NETCONNECT business unit has announced the general availability of its reduced diameter MRJ21 Ultra Slim Gigabit Ethernet cabling system. The new MRJ21 Ultra Slim cable assembly is .36 inches in diameter, about the size of a number two pencil. It weighs 40 percent less than comparable four-pair cabling systems, occupies 45 percent less rack space, requires 25 percent less power per port and helps reduce data center operating costs.

The MRJ21 Ultra Slim cable assembly is suited especially for data center customers who are seeking to optimize space in the rack, on the floor, and throughout cable pathways.

“Our MRJ21 Ultra Slim cabling system is the thinnest copper Gigabit Ethernet solution available from Tyco Electronics (News - Alert),” stated Paul Woods, AMP NETCONNECT business unit’s global director, Marketing.

“We’re excited to bring this innovative cabling technology to our customers and to the marketplace. It’s the perfect solution for today’s server-crowded data centers where space is a premium. Tighter IT budgets coupled with escalating power costs are driving technology selection; the design of our MRJ21 Ultra Slim cable improves airflow, dissipates heat more efficiently and reduces overall power consumption,”  Woods said.

“Tyco Electronics MRJ21 Ultra Slim cable for IP networking connectivity affords our customers greater flexibility when building out high density data center designs,” explains Martin Skagen, senior director and chief architect at Brocade (News - Alert) Communication Systems, Inc. “This new solution allows customers to streamline their cabling requirements, resulting in lower cost, simplified cable management, and greater energy efficiency within their data center environment.”

High-density MRJ21 Ultra Slim modular cabling takes the complexity out of reducing power consumption in the data center. It improves airflow and requires approximately 25 percent less power per port than four-pair cabling. In addition, it also gives improved airflow and reduced heat output, which helps control HVAC costs. Engineered to support more ports per rack, the lean MRJ21 Ultra Slim cabling system supports six ports of Gigabit Ethernet interface, which increases the number of ports customers can include in a single rack. Traditional four-pair cable bundles add weight.