Vertical Cable is heading to CEDIA Expo 2026 with an expanded portfolio designed to support integrators across networking, fiber, security, audio and other connected systems. At Booth C714, the company will showcase new infrastructure solutions, highlight its growing fiber and access control offerings, and bring back its popular I-Punch Speed Tournament. In an interview with COO Mahsa Sattarzadeh, the company previewed its CEDIA Expo 2026 plans and channel strategy.
CE Pro: What is Vertical Cable bringing to CEDIA Expo 2026, and what do you most want integrators to see or experience at the booth?
Mahsa Sattarzadeh: This year, we want integrators to recognize how Vertical Cable has evolved. Focusing on new partnerships within the industry & of course, new products.
This year at our Booth (C714) we’ll be showcasing our CAT6 and CAT6A cabling and connectivity, fiber solutions, patch panels, keystone jacks, patch cords, installation tools, racks and cabinets, cable management, audio and security products, and other infrastructure solutions.
One product we’re excited to showcase is our state-of-the-art rack solution. It’s the kind of product that immediately captures attention — due to its functionality and installer-friendly design. We believe infrastructure can be extremely functional and still look clean, organized, and professional.
We also appreciate the human component that comes from exhibiting at events like CEDIA. We provide a chance for attendees to have hands-on experience with our products rather than just viewing them on display. That’s why the I-Punch Speed Tournament is returning!
In addition, CEDIA is full of talented technicians who know what they need and when they need it. We have seen that when a product makes their job easier, is when the technicians are ready to make the switch to a new manufacturer.
CE Pro: As integrators take on more networking, security, access control, lighting and other connected systems, how are their infrastructure needs changing?
Mahsa Sattarzadeh: The world we live in today is constantly evolving. Consumers dictate the market trends, and it is our job to keep up with those changes. As a private family owned and operated business, we have the ability to make decisions directly with and for our customers. We have a multitude of solutions from OEM capabilities to container programs that allow us to meet the integrators specifications at competitive price points.
We also rely heavily on our talented Account Managers that do a great job in collecting market feedback from existing customers, which results in an up-to-date product portfolio. More recently, in our space we have seen an increase of request in fiber products. Therefore, we have been able to pivot and add to our existing product line that has traditionally comprised copper-related products.
CE Pro: Vertical Cable is best known by many integrators for CAT6, CAT6A and structured cabling. How has the company expanded its portfolio to support more of the infrastructure behind today’s residential and light-commercial projects?
Mahsa Sattarzadeh: In our current portfolio, CAT6 and CAT6A continue being part of our everyday, core items. However, we have a dedicated team of personnel that are constantly monitoring the market specifically for new products. This strategy has allowed us to keep up with market trends and has been conducive to staying ahead of our competition.
Today, Vertical Cable is a much more versatile company. We have expanded into different product categories which allow for competitive advantage. Specifically, fiber products, connectivity, patch panels, keystone jacks, patch cords, racks and cabinets, cable management, installation tools, audio cable, and security cable.
Our philosophy has been to provide the full solution for the integrations to source cable from one company. A One-Stop Shop for Everything Copper and Fiber — from the cable itself to connectivity, racks, tools, fiber solutions and the infrastructure around them. Opposed to relying on multiple manufacturers for all the installation components that may be necessary.
CE Pro: Where are you seeing the greatest demand today across CAT6/CAT6A, fiber, audio and security, and what should integrators be thinking about when specifying cable for increasingly connected projects?
Mahsa Sattarzadeh: CAT6 continues to be the standard, while CAT6A becomes increasingly important where integrators need additional performance, higher bandwidth, and greater PoE capability.
Simultaneously, fiber is becoming much more sought after. We see fiber as an integral part of all installations in the future. We are seeing a higher demand for fiber related products and are actively preparing to add more fiber products to our portfolio.
As bandwidth requirements grow and networks become more sophisticated, fiber is becoming increasingly relevant for backbones, longer-distance connections and high-performance residential and light-commercial infrastructure.
Security and audio products also remain important as the scope of the integrator continues to expand. One thing we encourage integrators to think about is this: don’t build the infrastructure only for the equipment going into the project today. Fast forward to what the world will be like in the next five years.
In today’s world with artificial intelligence and the many advancements in technology, change is constant.
CE Pro: You’re preparing to expand into OSDP/access control cable and LED/lighting cable. What’s driving Vertical Cable into those categories, and what opportunities do you see for integrators there?
Mahsa Sattarzadeh: Integrators drive the market. We follow what the integrators want and need. If we have product gaps, we risk the integrator finding the product elsewhere. Finding the products and solutions that best fit the integrators’ offerings is crucial.
The lines between networking, security, access control, lighting, A/V, and automation continue to disappear. Increasingly, the same integrator is being asked to understand and support several of those systems.
For us, expanding into OSDP/access control cable and LED/lighting cable is a very natural next step. Our new OSDP cable is expected to be in stock in September, so this isn’t a distant roadmap item — it’s a category we’re actively bringing to market in the near future.
Additionally, access control cable is becoming more sophisticated, and integrators need cabling designed around modern access-control communication and installation requirements.
Lighting is undergoing its own transformation as control, automation and low-voltage technologies become a larger part of the connected environment.
For integrators, that creates an opportunity to expand the value they bring to a project, and our job is to make sure they have the right products when they decide to do that.
CEDIA Expo is also a great opportunity for us to start that conversation as access control, lighting and other connected systems become a bigger part of the integrator’s world.
CE Pro: What are the practical advantages for an integrator of sourcing more of their networking, A/V, security, access control and lighting infrastructure from a single manufacturer?
Mahsa Sattarzadeh: The word is in the question itself, practicality— and on a busy jobsite, practicality has real value. Keeping it simple is the key to success in our industry. Seamless service from start to finish is what makes us different from our competition. Integrators already manage enough variables. If they consolidate more of the infrastructure with one manufacturer they trust, it simplifies everything.
And of course, familiarity helps bolster relationships. Brand familiarity is how well consumers know a brand and how comfortable they feel with it after repeated exposure. Our goal is for the entire team from installers to purchasers to have familiarity with who we are and all that we offer at Vertical Cable.
CE Pro: You’re bringing the I-Punch Speed Tournament back to CEDIA Expo after a successful debut last year. What can attendees expect from the competition, and what does it demonstrate about the importance of speed and ease of installation on the jobsite?
Mahsa Sattarzadeh: The I-Punch Speed Tournament has been a huge success for us. Like the abovementioned, we appreciate the chance to connect with attendees to showcase our products in real time, with real people with real demonstrations. The attendees have taken time away from their day to day and deserve the chance to have these types of hands-on interactions.
The challenge itself sounds simple: terminate a keystone jack using our I-Punch tool as quickly and accurately as possible. Then the competitiveness kicks in. We time every contestant, keep a live leaderboard and let technicians challenge one another throughout the show.
Last year, we witnessed people watching someone put up a great time and immediately saying: “I can beat that.” And that’s exactly what makes it such a great demonstration.
Last year’s CEDIA champion completed the termination in only 23 seconds, and the fastest time we have ever recorded is an incredible 18 seconds. Eighteen seconds! The important part is what those numbers represent.
If the I Punch Down tool could save even a small amount of time on every termination, multiply that across 50, 100 or several hundred jacks, and suddenly you’re talking about meaningful labor savings. And it isn’t only about speed. A great tool should make the process fast, repeatable, and consistent.
That’s why we call I-Punch a time-saver. It lets the technician focus less on the repetitive mechanics of termination and more on getting the project completed correctly and efficiently.
And if anyone believes they can beat 18 seconds, come see us at Booth #C714. We’ll have the clock ready!
