Association for Passive Optical LAN Welcomes Former Key Technology Policy-Maker as Ambassador

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Aug 19, 2014) - The Association for Passive Optical LAN (APOLAN) today announced that George Allen, former Governor of Virginia and U.S. Senator, has joined the organization as an ambassador, sponsored by VT Group. Governor Allen will play a key role in carrying out the APOLAN's mission to advocate for the education and global adoption of passive optical networks in the local area network (LAN) industry.

Fiber-based passive optical LAN is the next generation of enterprise LAN infrastructure. It provides the simplicity, scale and bandwidth to address current and future needs, while minimizing costly and disruptive cabling and equipment upgrades. Passive optical LAN delivers substantial capex and opex savings over traditional copper-based LAN, achieving significant savings in almost every aspect of an implementation, including equipment costs, power, cooling, installation and floor space. It is the optimized means to deliver voice, video, data, wireless access, security and high-performance building automation for the federal government and commercial enterprise.

"The potential of passive optical LAN is tremendous and its adoption will grow exponentially because it outperforms copper-based LAN in every way," said Governor Allen. "APOLAN has been at the forefront of leading the shift to passive optical LAN. Through its efforts, I envision all new office buildings, hotels, conference centers, dorms, libraries or any facility with more than 100 users will use passive optical LAN for better and more secure connectivity and to achieve energy-efficient, high-capacity buildings. With passive optical LAN -- the future is now!"

"Governor Allen's forward thinking and dedication to driving technological innovation is a perfect match for the APOLAN," said Dave Cunningham, president of the APOLAN. "Governor Allen joining the Association as ambassador demonstrates the success of our mission and opens the door to new opportunities that will accelerate the institutionalization of passive optical LAN."

During Allen's time in the Senate, he advocated for policies to make America a leader in technology innovation. He served as Chairman of the Senate High Tech Task Force and created the Competitiveness Caucus. He founded the Nanotechnology Caucus with Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), with whom he also co-sponsored the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research & Development Act in 2003 and the Internet Tax Freedom Act in 2004. He also sponsored the Minority Serving Institution Digital and Wireless Technology Opportunity Act of 2005 and introduced a $1,000 per-child Education Opportunity Tax Credit in 2001, a modified version of which was passed later that year. During his time as Governor, he dedicated his time to transforming Virginia into the "Silicon Dominion" as a leader in information technology and semiconductor fabrications.

In 2007, Allen founded George Allen Strategies, which provides companies and individuals with insightful and effective counsel, consulting and strategic advice on a range of issues including energy, technology and business development. He serves on the boards of directors/advisors of several technology companies, including VT Group, Nano Risk Assessment and Armada Hoffler (NYSE: AHH). Allen is also the Reagan Ranch Presidential Scholar for the Young America's Foundation. He is Co-Chair of the Manufacturing Competitiveness Initiative of the National Association of Manufacturers. He holds a B.A. with distinction in history and a law degree from the University of Virginia.

For more information or to apply for membership, visit http://www.apolanglobal.org.

About The Association for Passive Optical LAN (APOLAN)
The Association for Passive Optical LAN is a non-profit organization that is driving adoption, and educating the market about the technical and economic advantages of passive optical LAN technology. Through its members comprised of manufacturers, distributors, integrators and consulting companies actively involved in the marketplace, the Association hopes to help design engineers, architects, building owners, CIOs and IT departments succeed with passive optical LAN. For more information, visit http://www.apolanglobal.org/