1) What are the advantages of an intelligent network interface device (NID) over traditional NIDs?
2) How can service providers bring Triple Play services – broadband, cable, and telephony – into homes with legacy coax/twisted pair wiring?
3) If a customer wants to keep their old number in a cable VoIP telephony installation, the delay in number porting usually means either two truck rolls or delayed installation. Is there a way to solve this problem?
4) How does tii’s HomePlug solution differ from other similar solutions?
5) How does Tii customize products and solutions to meet the needs of a wide variety of telco and cable customers?
6) Why does Tii manufacture its components in China and how do you ensure quality management?
7) Isn’t all surge protection the same?

1. What are the advantages of an intelligent network interface device (NID) over traditional NIDs?
Unlike traditional NIDs, intelligent devices give providers the capability to perform remote diagnostics and to turn on services remotely, thus reducing truck rolls. Installing intelligent NIDs can be very appealing even before customers begin looking for Triple Play services because they can make the upgrade process pain-free both for the customer and the provider, allowing for non- invasive installations, easy accessibility, and fast turnaround.
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2. How can service providers bring Triple Play services – broadband, cable, and telephony – into homes with legacy coax/twisted pair wiring?
tii’s OutRigger Media Access Portal can make retrofitting homes for advanced telecommunications infrastructure faster and easier. Like a conventional NID or utility meter, OutRigger is designed for installation on the home’s exterior, permanently locating the Triple Play enabler outside the home where service provider premise wiring typically terminates. The device then connects to the home’s existing wiring for whole-home connectivity, allowing every RJ-11 and cable F connector jack in the home to receive high speed Internet, digital telephone, video-over-broadband, and whole home networking, all with no new wiring. This removes a major obstacle to converting legacy analog customer to the digital world. Like a home power meter, devices like OutRigger stay with the home, ready for the next user.
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3. If a customer wants to keep their old number in a cable VoIP telephony installation, the delay in number porting usually means either two truck rolls or delayed installation. Is there a way to solve this problem?
Cable companies can simplify the porting process by separating the customer premises installation from the back office porting operation. The solution is a voltage-controlled switch that automatically transfers service from the incumbent when porting is complete. The Tii Switchable Voice NID allows the multi-system operator (MSO) to complete a Triple Play installation on the first truck roll. The unit will continue to pass signals from the incumbent phone provider until the time that number is ported. After the phone number has been ported, the MSO will provision the Embedded Multimedia Terminal Adapter (EMTA) and make a courtesy phone call to that number. The Switchable Voice NID will recognize the ringing voltage presence from the MSO side and will automatically switch from the incumbent telco to the MSO voice service.
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4. How does tii’s HomePlug solution differ from other similar solutions?
Traditional surge protectors can cause noise and interference. tii’s HomePlug embedded surge strips and wall adaptors are not only fully HomePlug compatible, they incorporate proprietary protection and filtering technologies that eliminate interference and allow maximum data rate transfer. Our solution is so effective that a national satellite television company recently selected us to provide HomePlug technology to deliver plug-and-play video and broadband to consumers where they want it, when they want it, and without a complicated or costly installation.
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5. How does Tii customize products and solutions to meet the needs of a wide variety of telco and cable customers?
Tii has a philosophy of addressing changing needs through innovation. Our state-of-the-art research and development center is at the heart of these efforts and enable us to simulate real-world conditions in a test environment. Everything our products will face outside of our labs can be simulated in them — from extreme weather and lightning to prolonged exposure to salt and moisture. Our testing capabilities include:

• Environmental chambers for creating extreme ambient temperature/humidity cycles
• A salt fog/temperature cycling chamber for testing harsh outside network environments
• A power cross room that can simulate high voltage/high current situations
• A simulator capable of generating 10,000 volts/40,000 amps peak lightning surge

We’ve also aligned our speed of delivery to the critical needs of our customers. Our cutting edge 3-D Systems rapid prototype modeler produces high-definition plastic working models and prototypes, rendered directly from 3-D data. This allows us to deliver concept developments and design validations cost effectively using quickly fabricated working models, while our in-house manufacturing capabilities ensure timely production.
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6. Why does Tii manufacture its components in China and how do you ensure quality management?
A lower cost of operation and a highly qualified labor force make manufacturing in China a strategic economic move for Tii. We maintain offices there that include a laboratory testing facility that recently won ISO 9000 certification. The facility is staffed by technical experts who are fluent both in English and local dialects. This operation reports into New York via our Director of Quality who is highly experienced in Asian manufacturing and international quality control operations.

The Dong Guan (China) test facility constantly monitors production and seeks product quality improvement through weekly Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) testing. By performing this testing in China rather than in the United States, the company gains a significant time savings in the approval cycle (reduced from 10 days to 2 days). Because Tii no longer has to ship test samples, and is able to use China’s less expensive, but highly qualified labor, there is a substantial cost savings.

Most importantly, and key to the early identification and resolution of potential quality issues, is the rapid communication this test facility provides to our manufacturing partners in China and Malaysia. Any problems that are found can be instantly reviewed and resolved on site in conjunction with our manufacturing partners.
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7. Isn’t all surge protection the same?
While there are several surge protection solutions on the market, only Tii has delivered unparalleled surge and lightning protection for over 40 years. Our wide range of protection products continue to be engineered to meet the most demanding requirements for ensuring safety and reliability. In fact, while many companies boast that their products meet Telcordia requirements, our sealed station protectors exceed Telcordia surge and environmental requirements.

The heart of our overvoltage surge protection technology is our proprietary two or three electrode gas tube. This heavy-duty product delivers more current handling capacity and lasts longer than almost any other two or three electrode tube.

tii’s modular station protectors are configured to meet a customer's individual requirements. Our sealed Insulation Displacement Connector (IDC) “tool-less” connections reduce costly installation time and increase service reliability.

tii’s AC Powerline/Dataline Protectors for personal computers and home entertainment systems combine powerline protection technology with our proprietary protection for the telephone, DSL, Ethernet, Universal Serial Bus (USB), satellite, and coax lines. The low capacitance qualities of these protectors make them ideal for HomePlug applications.
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