The end of a year always offers the chance to reflect and look forward to what’s ahead. If you’re anything like me, 2024 will have gone in a flash and plans for 2025 will be well underway.

So back to business. 2024 has been a positive year for the industry with artificial intelligence (AI) reshaping things and a greater awareness of the role of data centres in society. To sum up the last 12 months and look forward to the year ahead, in this issue’s Question Time we’ve asked a panel of experts from different sectors to pick their highlights and suggest what the future has in store.

When it comes to the industry’s unsung heroes, cable management and labelling are certainly amongst them and in this issue we have two excellent articles that will redress the balance. In the first, R&M’s Matthias Gerber shares some insights into best cable management practices and he’s followed by Richard Cann of Mayflex, who explains why getting the labelling of cabling right first time is increasingly vital.

We also take an in-depth look at what’s happening in the world of connectors and connectivity. Manja Thessin of AFL examines the role of advanced connectors in shaping the evolution of AI and high-performance computing (HPC), Piers Benjamin of Corning Optical Communications explains what’s involved in establishing a long-reach flexible cabling infrastructure, and Aginode’s Rachid Ait Ben Ali looks at how sustainability demands are shaping connector selection and usage.

Rob Shepherd
Editor