Phihong USA (Fremont, CA) announced that it has joined the new IEEE 802.3 task force, which was formed to create an improved Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) standard. Building on the original IEEE 802.3af standard, the new IEEE 802.3at initiative, designated PoEPlus, will more than double the wattage available to powered devices. If implemented as a standard, PoEPlus will allow at least 30 W of power and potentially up to 45 W. Phihong has developed many products that deliver high-power PoE, but it believes that most customers would prefer a common industry standard for all devices on the market.
"Many people want to take advantage of PoE, but 12.9 W maximum of 'af' just isn't enough power," said Phihong USA Vice President of Marketing Keith Hopwood. "If accepted as a new IEEE standard, PoEPlus will allow increased power to many more devices, enhancing their capabilities, such as those used for streaming video VoIP, IP security applications, and Broadband wireless access points."
Additional applications that will benefit from the IEEE 802.3at initiative include Phihong's wireless multi-radio access points, Pan Tilt Zoom security cameras, and IP phones with streaming video displays. Power-over-Ethernet allows both power and data to be carried over a single Ethernet cable, enabling a device to operate entirely from the power it receives through the data cable. This eliminates the need for additional wall outlets, so phones can be moved around offices without costly and time-consuming rewiring. Having already developed many higher power solutions, as well as various power 802.3af products, Phihong is a natural fit for this task force.
