Among the select 35 companies to be feted by internationally-renowned research leader Frost & Sullivan at its annual Excellence in Best Practices Awards event was RSL Fiber Systems (IM, February 2011, p4). The East Hartford, Connecticut-based developer of advanced lighting solutions and illumination systems for commercial and military applications was the recipient of its 2010 North American Technology Innovation of the Year Award in Remote Source Lighting. The company was chosen for the prestigious award based upon an extensive and independent analysis by Frost & Sullivan researchers of today’s remote source lighting market.
RSL Director of Marketing Peter Gladis accepted the award on RSL’s behalf. “Nine years ago, RSL was founded on the premise of “what if?” said Gladis following acceptance of the award from Frost & Sullivan President of North American Operations Art Robbins. “What if there was an illumination system with light fixtures that would never burn out? What if such a lighting system could save lives by eliminating spark, shock, and electrocution risks? What if such a system could dramatically reduce maintenance and downtime?
“These ‘what ifs’ and the manner in which our talented, dedicated team of engineers has addressed them is resulting in new, exciting technology and unprecedented growth,” Gladis continued. “On behalf of all of my colleagues, I am proud to accept this award.”
These annual awards are presented to companies that are predicted to encourage significant growth in their industries, have identified emerging trends before they became the standard in the marketplace, and have created advanced technologies that will catalyse and transform industries in the near future. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, independent analysis and extensive secondary research.
RSL Fiber Systems’ proprietary version of remote source lighting technology using optical fibre was considered by Frost & Sullivan against the competition based upon five key criteria: uniqueness of the technology; impact on new products/applications; impact on functionality; impact on customer value; and relevance of innovation to industry. In an extensive white paper analysis, Frost & Sullivan senior international technology research analyst Jakub Kwapisz notes that traditional remote source lighting systems based on plastic optical fibre often suffer from limited efficiency due to fiber transmission loss and light discolourisation.
“RSL Fiber Systems has overcome these challenges with a unique remote source lighting system design that utilizes high-performance proprietary optical fibre cable combined with advanced light coupling technology to give effective light drive distances up to 15 times longer than traditional plastic optical fiber systems,” wrote Kwapisz.
Further, Kwapisz pointed out that while remote source lighting has been in existence for many years, “RSL Fiber Systems’ remote source lighting solution is unique in that it is not based on any single technology, but rather on its research and product development of the total illumination system design….RSL Fiber Systems has designed and developed a series of proprietary components, light coupling technologies and optical fiber designs, while also optimizing manufacturing processes in order to integrate and assemble these unique systems.”