By Jim Pilgrim

In economics there are a couple of policies the government uses to try to stabilize the economy; Fiscal and Monetary policy. Fiscal Policy includes the size of the deficit, tax policy, and government spending. Monetary Policy seeks to control the value of currency through interest rates and the amount of money in circulation. (Currently, the US is printing it and throwing it out of helicopters). Most economists agree that monetary policies set by the Federal Reserve are nothing more than a blunt tool…ineffective, and can do more damage than good. It’s kind of like using a crowbar to perform heart surgery. This reminds me of some products I have seen in fiber management.

My boss always says “Keep it simple, make it scalable, modular across multiple platforms, and priced right.” Why pay for a fancy zero-gravity pen, when a pencil will work. He designed and developed Clearfield’s Clearview Cassette and xPak. Both work across all network points and platforms (Inside Plant, Outside Plant, and Access – Fiber Panels, Cabinets, Peds, Wall Boxes). Both building blocks are designed with the protection built into their unique lowest common denominator or granularity – 12 and 6 fibers respectively vs. others who build their fiber protection around the “box” or highest common denominator, which leads to different methods and varying degrees of effectiveness. AKA: a Blunt Tool.

So a scalpel or a crow bar? I know which tool I want my doctor to use.