BICSI, the international association supporting the information technology systems (ITS) industry with information, education and knowledge assessment, has announced that president Jerry Bowman presented on research and activities of the Communications Cable and Connectivity Association (CCCA) in fighting counterfeiting and substandard cabling at Europol’s Awareness and Knowledge Building Conference on Counterfeit Household Products and Fake Automotive Parts.

Held November 4-6, 2013, in Alicante, Spain, the conference included speakers from the European Union (EU), world law enforcement and customs officials such as Europol, Interpol, and World Customs Organisation, as well as private sector experts from major household, industry and automotive brands.

“All ITS industry stakeholders are affected by counterfeit and substandard product,” Jerry says.

“Everyone in the supply chain has a duty of care to ensure that the product they are purchasing or installing conforms with safety and quality standards and regulations. When a counterfeit product is installed it’s more than a performance issue—it can threaten the safety of the workplace and put the consumer at risk. CCCA has made significant strides in educating the ITS consumer and US law enforcement in order to ensure the consumer is not deceived into buying cabling that is counterfeit or does not meet advertised standards. While the work of CCCA is outside of BICSI’s charter, CCCA member cabling manufacturers and distributors have banded together to serve as the industry watchdog for these quality and safety issues. I am proud to have represented both organisations in educating the European law enforcement and customs officials about the roles of BICSI and CCCA in ensuring safety and quality of the ITS infrastructure.”

CCCA executive director Frank Peri says, “This is an excellent example of CCCA and BICSI leadership working together to educate international law enforcement on counterfeit cables that threaten a global industry and risk public safety. When the layers of protection to assure that cables meet essential transmission and fire safety requirements are circumvented by counterfeits, end users and the entire supply chain suffer. We are proud to collaborate with BICSI in an ongoing effort to protect legitimate brands, quality cable and connectivity products and public safety.”