Tips & News - Jan. 2016

COMMUNICATIONS

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YOU’RE NEW TO HPS. WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND, AND HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN THE COMMUNICATIONS BUSINESS? Growing up with grandparents overseas, I was always fasci- nated by the technology that facilitated the long distance calls to Germany when I was a kid. I’ve always been interested in what goes into connecting people over long distances. Since graduating from college with an engineering degree almost 20 years ago, I’ve been in the communications industry in a variety of roles from field and applications engineering to sales, mainly in the optical fiber cable business. I’ve spent a lot of time around OSP networks and over the years built a good understanding of what customers face when they deploy them. People have never been as connected as we are now, and demands on our networks are pushing them to the limits. Over the last decade there’s been a significant uptick in network construction as new fiber networks replace legacy copper networks. Service providers are upgrading and expanding their networks rapidly to meet the requirements of today’s communication technology, and there is no shortage of opportunity. The real challenge is developing infrastructure products to allow for more efficient installation and maintenance of these networks without sacrificing reliability, which is where HPS excels. HOW DO YOU SEE THE COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY CHANGING OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS, AND HOW DOES HPS PLAN TO STAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE? Everyone is on the internet, and as internet speeds grow, new applications spring up to use every bit of it. Now we have 4K televisions at home and smart phones in our pockets. It takes a robust network to support these kinds of technologies, and the legacy networks simply cannot handle the demand. This is why we’re seeing more and more fiber to the home (FTTH) deployments and fiber backhaul to cell sites, which will continue for years to come as unserved areas get service. At HPS, we’re focusing on meeting the demands for existing products and working on new ones to support the growth in new, cost-efficient ways, especially as installation methods evolve. WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE COMMUNICATIONS MARKET NOW, AND HOW IS HPS PARTICIPATING?

WHERE DO YOU GET IDEAS FOR NEW PRODUCTS? HOW DO YOU TURN THEM INTO REALITY?

Our skilled and experienced sales team serves as our eyes and ears and has great relationships with our customers. They are constantly on the lookout for the challenges customers face in their jobs. With PLM, we evaluate those ideas for fit and pull in engineering to start creating a solution. HPS is good at involving the customer in the design stage so that the customer ends up with exactly what they’re looking for. For example, right now we’re working with another manufacturer of FTTH equipment to create a solution to streamline processes in the field. We’ve been in frequent communication with them as ideas come together from both sides. In the end, we’ll have a new product that will benefit both HPS and our customer. AS THE NEW BDM, WHAT IS YOUR ROLE TO GROW OUR BUSINESS IN THE COMMUNICATIONS MARKET? My job is to keep an eye on the big picture to ensure HPS stays ahead of what customers need. I spend a significant amount of time reading industry trade publications, industry standard committee notes, and talking with parallel industry suppliers about what’s next. A big part of my responsibility is orchestrating teams including Sales, PLM, and Engineering at our various business units to ensure we’re in sync to devel- op products needed in today’s market. I also seek acquisition opportunities that fit our strategic goals to grow in this area. Our internal product development and acquisition related activities are focused on helping HPS build our product portfolio so we can offer the market relevant products that are needed for building next generation networks.

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WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING WHEN YOU’RE NOT WORKING?

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In my off time I enjoy spending time with my wife and daughter and I can really get into home projects. I’m still an engineer and I love working with my hands when I have the time.

HUBBELL POWER SYSTEMS |

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