Demand for smart, connected devices of all kinds is at an all-time high, writes Camilla Kirkham, pictured, Director of Sales, Security and AV, Nimans.
IoT products such as video doorbells, smart lighting systems and intelligent audio systems are becoming commonplace in many households. In business premises, VoIP phones, intercom systems, security cameras and wireless access points are all being glued together through IP networks.
But while new technology can often be a great way to solve business problems, new devices always need electrical power, and depending on the job, that can present practical restrictions that may mean having to compromise on where that device is placed, how it is used and how effective it is.
There are some obvious examples. A hotelโs safety policy may require CCTV monitoring on each floor, but positioning the camera in an optimal location such as a ceiling position for the widest field of view may be difficult or even impossible if thereโs no way to feed wires round to that point. In listed buildings it may be prohibited to drill into walls to extend wires, while in other old buildings it could even be too dangerous.
These problems can often be overcome by an experienced installer of course. But now they can be neatly sidestepped thanks to evolving Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology โ from manufacturers such as Netgear – which carries both power and data through a single twisted-pair ethernet cable. They let you place devices around a building without having to worry about how far the device is from the electrical supply.
Itโs a safe low-voltage solution, and without the need to ever worry about working with mains wiring it can make installation quicker and easier, ultimately letting you pass those efficiency savings to your customers. Thereโs zero down time, it requires less training and in many business premises, ethernet cables are already installed.
The three components of a PoE system are quite simple: a PoE switch that supports power output via its ethernet ports, Cat 6/6+/7 cable, and PoE endpoint devices that can be powered in this way. There are three different PoE standards that define how much power can be delivered, and therefore the kind of device that can be powered via a PoE network.
The first PoE specification is 802.3af, which provides 15.4w power per port, perfect for simple gadgets like IP phones. The next standard up is PoE+, or 802.3at, which doubles the power output by providing 30w of power per port.
With the arrival of the new 802.3bt standard and up to 90W available power, the potential of Power over Ethernet (PoE) goes far beyond the powering of devices for which it is already used.
Increased power matters, because it means that more devices with higher power requirements can be supported by PoE, for instance: increasingly advanced cameras with tilt-and-zoom and other features that depend on motors; outdoor equipment with heating and cooling; cloud-based video phones that require support for both sound and vision; PoE-powered video screens, which may need 60W or more; and sensor-based building management systems.
Consider all these benefits and itโs clear that PoE has considerable potential to be a disruptive force in IT infrastructure โ based on less downtime, more flexibility and better functioning IT infrastructure.
