About Cabling Installation & Maintenance

Our mission: Bringing practical business and technical intelligence to today's structured cabling professionals

For more than 30 years, Cabling Installation & Maintenance has provided useful, practical information to professionals responsible for the specification, design, installation and management of structured cabling systems serving enterprise, data center and other environments. These professionals are challenged to stay informed of constantly evolving standards, system-design and installation approaches, product and system capabilities, technologies, as well as applications that rely on high-performance structured cabling systems. Our editors synthesize these complex issues into multiple information products. This portfolio of information products provides concrete detail that improves the efficiency of day-to-day operations, and equips cabling professionals with the perspective that enables strategic planning for networks’ optimum long-term performance.

Throughout our annual magazine, weekly email newsletters and 24/7/365 website, Cabling Installation & Maintenance digs into the essential topics our audience focuses on.

  • Design, Installation and Testing: We explain the bottom-up design of cabling systems, from case histories of actual projects to solutions for specific problems or aspects of the design process. We also look at specific installations using a case-history approach to highlight challenging problems, solutions and unique features. Additionally, we examine evolving test-and-measurement technologies and techniques designed to address the standards-governed and practical-use performance requirements of cabling systems.
  • Technology: We evaluate product innovations and technology trends as they impact a particular product class through interviews with manufacturers, installers and users, as well as contributed articles from subject-matter experts.
  • Data Center: Cabling Installation & Maintenance takes an in-depth look at design and installation workmanship issues as well as the unique technology being deployed specifically for data centers.
  • Physical Security: Focusing on the areas in which security and IT—and the infrastructure for both—interlock and overlap, we pay specific attention to Internet Protocol’s influence over the development of security applications.
  • Standards: Tracking the activities of North American and international standards-making organizations, we provide updates on specifications that are in-progress, looking forward to how they will affect cabling-system design and installation. We also produce articles explaining the practical aspects of designing and installing cabling systems in accordance with the specifications of established standards.

Cabling Installation & Maintenance is published by Endeavor Business Media, a division of EndeavorB2B.

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Best’s Special Report: Use of Life/Annuity Sidecars as Reinsurance Solution Expected to Increase

Strong U.S. annuity sales has led to increased formations of sidecars by insurance companies to manage the growth and maintain risk-based capitalization levels, with ceded reserves increasing threefold in the two-year period to 2023, according to a new AM Best report.

The Best’s Special Report, “Use of Life/Annuity Sidecars as Asset-Intensive Reinsurance Solution Expected to Increase,” states that because of strong premium growth amid rising interest rates, the individual annuity composite has steadily seen its reinsurance leverage (i.e., ceded reserves to capital and surplus) increase by 66% in the most recent five-year period. Additionally, first-year premium surplus relief is the highest it has been in 10 years as companies seek to manage new premium growth. Overall, total ceded reserves to sidecars increased to nearly $55 billion in 2023 from approximately $17 billion in 2021, with Martello Re (Mass Mutual), Ivy Re II (Global Atlantic/KKR), and Prismic Life Re (Prudential/Warbug Pincus) combining to make up nearly three quarters of the amount.

“The vast majority of reserves ceded are covering liabilities for indexed and fixed annuities. We expect this trend to grow much more significantly as more deals closed in 2024 and the environment continues to be conducive for annuity growth,” said Jason Hopper, associate director, Industry Research and Analytics, AM Best.

Sidecars have historically been more prevalent in the property/casualty segment, and AM Best notes that understanding the differences of life/annuity-formed sidecars with liability-driven investment strategies versus ones that have typically been used to fund short-term risks with liquid assets is important. While dependence on sidecars varies among insurers, a disproportionate use could lead to counterparty concentration.

The proliferation of sidecars also has allowed private capital another avenue to enter the L/A business. “Even if asset-manager sponsors maintain their commitment to the long-term nature of life/ annuity insurance business through partial or outright ownership of some companies, the sidecars to which they reinsure a small share of the business may follow a traditional private equity model,” said Hopper.

To access the full copy of this special report, please visit http://www3.ambest.com/bestweek/purchase.asp?record_code=351563.

For a video discussion with Hopper about the report, please visit http://www.ambest.com/v.asp?v=ambsidecars225.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright © 2025 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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