[LONG CRENDON, UK, 1st October, 2018]
Deployable, high-capacity fibre reels for outside broadcast and touring
Argosy, a leading international supplier of broadcast and AV cables and infrastructure products, has signed a VAR agreement with OCC, the world-leading supplier of deployable, armoured fibre cable assemblies. OCC will supply bulk cable to Argosy, which has the facilities to add connectors and tailor cables to the specific requirements of broadcasters and touring show production companies.
OCC has been a leader in tactical fibre cables for more than 30 years, starting out as a supplier to the US military. The requirements of military applications – the ability to run cables out over difficult terrain, high data capacity and resistance to eavesdropping – are remarkably similar to those of outside broadcast productions or touring shows. Both companies identified this synergy and set up the value-added relationship.
OCC will supply multi-channel cables, with as many as 48 fibres in a flexible but extremely rugged jacket. Argosy, which includes extensive clean room facilities, will cut the cable to length and add environmentally protective connectors and cable reels. The resulting assemblies can be quickly run out on location and provide a high degree of resilience to the elements and to heavy vehicles driving over the cables as is typical in OB environments.
“OCC is an American manufacturer, and we needed a European partner that was close to the broadcast market and had the competence in-house to deliver complete solutions,” said Paul Thomas, European sales manager at OCC. “The broadcast market is one of the harshest environments for any cable, and its users are also the most demanding as they tend to require the equipment quickly.
“Argosy has the right outlook, and its clean rooms are second to none,” he added. “They are the perfect company for us to partner with.”
Josh Simons, co-owner and director at Argosy, added “OCC is the best-know, most respected name in harsh environment tactical fibre products. Their cables already have a great name in the broadcast industry: they are probably the de facto fibre supplier. We are in a position to buy OCC’s cables and ruggedised connectors, and build reels precisely to our customers’ requirements.
“All the big names in outside broadcast and touring productions are already using OCC tactical fibre, and we look forward to supplying many more assemblies in the future.”
At IBC2018 OCC and Argosy introduced a new harsh environment MT fibre connector. This allows between 12 and 48 fibres to be securely connected in a very small footprint. These connectors are bonded to the cable in Argosy’s clean room.
Argosy completed an MBO from its former parent company in August 2018, and is now owned by directors Chris Smeeton and Josh Simons.
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About Argosy
Established in 1984, Argosy is recognised as a leading international distributor of critical infrastructure products for the broadcast, media and AV industries. Its specialist staff provide advice and professional services as well as rapid deliveries of products including cables and connectors; racking, patching and cable management; KVM and connectivity solutions; and distribution and video processing devices. Argosy has an international reputation and serves leading businesses around the world, providing a one-stop shop for systems integrators and end users alike. For more information, please go to www.argosycable.com
