PoE Smart Applications for Home, Business, Healthcare & Manufacturing

PoE Smart Applications for Home, Business, Healthcare & Manufacturing

Power over Ethernet (PoE) facilitates network deployment wherever a power outlet is absent. PoE is not only economical in enterprises and vertical markets, but the technology also offers benefits in the home and industrial environments.

If you’ve been following our blog for a while, you may be aware of the exciting advances that LED lighting over PoE networks is bringing to the home and workplace. Here are some of our recent posts:

LED lighting is becoming more beautiful, versatile and ultra-low power because of significant gains in popularity over recent years. It’s only going to get better. Manufacturers are prioritizing development of LED technology and the PoE power-and-data solution that supports it.

But PoE lighting installations are only one aspect of smart automation. The sensors and controls that allow the remarkable range of lighting solutions also provide security monitoring and network access to an ever growing range of smart devices.

In this article, we will expand on how PoE applications benefit people in 4 distinct environments: home, business, healthcare, and manufacturing.

Smart Home Automation

Let’s start at the place where the heart is—the home. The term smart home is really another way to describe the network-connected side of where people live. Connected devices help keep families safe in well-lit, comfortable areas so they can live well.

PoE supports a full range of lighting capabilities, but that’s just the beginning.

PoE also allows homeowners the option of placing devices like security cameras and motion sensors at the front door, driveway, backdoor, and in the yard without the need for a power outlet installation.

Voice command devices like Alexa and Google Home can read data from sensors to activate lights and scare off intruders. They can monitor your property on camera and alert you when there is strange activity on your property.

A homeowner can also remotely turn off lights accidentally left on, preventing waste and diminishing their carbon footprint.

The same systems that allow remote lighting control may also be used to lock doors and check room temperatures. Controlling a thermostat may even include remotely closing or opening the louvers of blinds.

The beauty of PoE is that it scales so easily as you add new devices.

One twisted-pair Cat5e or Cat6 cable delivers all the power and data a PoE device needs and power levels are now reaching 90W as Type 4 technology comes online.

Smart meters can also alert homeowners as to how much “juice” they are using each month. That knowledge will allow customers to conserve energy accordingly.

Smart OfficesPoE Smart Office

Similarly, LED lighting systems provide healthier work conditions by introducing natural light to support workers. PoE technology paves the way for better lighting and money-savings on utility bills, but also allow other smart devices within an office to work cohesively.

Again, connected systems allow organizations the ability to precisely control the use of energy and other resources by turning off unnecessary lighting when floors are unoccupied. Some operations are even using that information to prioritize cleaning within large work areas. Spaces that are used more frequently get cleaned more.

Sensors, such as the ones connected to LED lighting systems, have unique IP addresses. IT admins and employees can adjust lighting or temperatures to make their work more comfortable.

Sensors can trigger the shut off of lights and other unnecessary resources during off-peak times.

Commercial PoE Applications

PoE reduces log jams for organizations because it doesn’t take a huge budget to expand needed capabilities. Things like physical entry point to secure areas, expansion of Wi-Fi networks, and the addition of thin clients, can be more easily funded because Power over Ethernet is more cost effective to install and run.

  • Controlling access to rooms and facilities with retinal scanning devices
  • Surveillance door cameras with speakers beef up security in sensitive areas
  • Expanding Wi-Fi networks in lounges and cafes allows people to meet informally in different spaces on campus
  • Monitoring room occupancy and usage helps facilities teams keep data secure
  • VoIP & SIP trunk phone systems save money

Automating these processes by adding controls reduces stress on IT departments so they can focus on other concerns. Installations have never been easier.

Healthcare Environment Applications

A healthcare environment is a highly complex system of connected devices. Energy efficiency is essential to keeping down the rising costs of good healthcare.

This ultra-high device density will increase as healing professionals begin to rely on data and ai to diagnose illnesses and find alternative, better ways to get and keep people healthy. Thin clients attached to platforms link Watson will become standard.

One hospital in Sarasota Florida employs an impressive network of audio speakers in a very unique way. No matter where you are in the hospital when a baby is born, patients, doctors, and visitors all hear the opening strains of Brahms Lullaby. It’s a heartwarming feature, enhanced by the placement of speakers all over the grounds of the multi-building complex.

Industrial PoE Applications

The manufacturing community is turning to digitization to stay competitive. And, manufacturers are taking advantage of incentives and moving manufacturing back to the United States.

The use of robotics on manufacturing floors and heightened online tracking to ensure manufacturers adhere to lean practices means near and remote sensors are being installed in all sorts of areas around facilities. Have the capability to use one twisted pair cable without the need for additional power outlets is enabling manufacturers a simpler, more economical path to get their operations up to speed.

PoE is a key ingredient in the Internet of Things and Versa technology offers high-quality, efficient solutions for your clients or business. Feel free to contact us today.

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