EXPERT SPEAK
The concept of a digital ceiling solution is becoming increasingly relevant in digitally advanced buildings .
The benefits of this convergence of networks are many , fueling continuous industry innovation and end-user adoption . Such , Everything over IP networks , offer significant benefits ranging from savings in power , cost , time for installation , activation , modifications and upgrades of networks .
Such types of networks also reduce the chances of network failures and downtime , and because of their ability to rapidly scale up or down , match today ’ s requirements demanded by agile organisations .
However , all these innovations and transformations are also putting pressure on the design and architecture of networks . These include :
• Mapping the networks to match the functional distribution of workers . In others words , there should be more network points and connectivity , wherever there is more employee activity . Working areas with a high density of people and devices should also have the provision to provide higher network connectivity and power usage
• Creation of active consolidation points to allow networks to scale . Creation of consolidation points allow the network to support an unlimited number of devices in theory . In practice , it means it should be possible to create additional network points on demand
Fibre To The Office ( FTTO ), can be used to boost redundancy and longevity . FTTO is a centralised LAN cabling technology that combines passive fibre cabling with active switches and requires no floor distributors or technical rooms . Combining fibre and copper offers the advantages of a fibre infrastructure , while end-user devices can be connected with a standard copper connection , guaranteeing no changes in usage and comfort for the end-user . The concept of a digital ceiling
solution is becoming increasingly relevant in digitally advanced buildings . The traditional LAN network is now being deployed vertically to support growing installation of ceiling access points , surveillance cameras , motion sensors , indoor atmospherics , among others . A digital ceiling approach combined with an FTTO solution could bring significant benefits in terms of flexibility and scalability to the building ’ s IT network infrastructure . The benefits of such , single converged networks , that support the connectivity requirements of agile organisations , are being realised every day . Hot-desking and smart desking are now logical and functional solutions realised in the office work space . For network administrators , managing a single network for operations , performance and efficiency offers huge time and cost savings . •
INTELLIGENT TECH CHANNELS Issue 43 55