BEAVERTON, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Ethernet Alliance, a global consortium dedicated to the continued success and advancement of Ethernet technologies, today announced the launch of its Power over Ethernet (PoE) certification program. Enabling swift and easy recognition of interoperable products designed to available IEEE 802.3 PoE standards, the program will elevate the user experience by minimizing market confusion between standards-based and proprietary PoE solutions.
“The growing significance of PoE in networks is undeniable. For example, in campus networks, PoE-enabled port shipments will increase from approximately 35 to greater than 50 percent. Overall, in the next five years, more than 700 million PoE-enabled Ethernet switch ports and 280 million PoE devices like Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, cameras, lighting, and wireless access points, will ship,” said Tam Dell’Oro, president, Dell’Oro Group. “PoE’s impact and importance will continue to increase in the marketplace, and IEEE’s on-going standardization efforts will continue to broaden the breadth of PoE-based products in the industry.”
PoE technology enables the delivery of power to IP network devices via existing Ethernet cables, reducing the need for additional cabling, saving time and money, simplifying network installation, and improving energy management. With total PoE-enabled port and device shipments projected to reach nearly 1 billion by 2021, the Ethernet Alliance’s PoE certification program is expected to attract strong interest from Ethernet ecosystem stakeholders. By streamlining the identification process for standardized PoE products, it will foster better, more productive user experiences, in turn generating tangible benefits for program participants. Furthermore, the program will allow participants to effortlessly find and make connections with potential partners, enabling delivery of total solutions to the industry that include a higher level of confidence in product interoperability.
“The impact of PoE technologies cuts across multiple markets, from enterprise IT, to network operations, to home automation, and this trend looks to continue. IEEE 802.3 standards-based PoE solutions offer predictable power delivery and greater network safety, along with the robust connectivity and interoperability the market has come to expect from Ethernet,” said John D’Ambrosia, chairman, Ethernet Alliance; and senior principal engineer, Huawei. “The presence of the Ethernet Alliance logo will clearly identify products that are IEEE 802.3 standards-based and that provide the performance and interoperability assurance end users want from their PoE investments.”
The certification program is open to the general industry, both Ethernet Alliance members and non-members. Products will be tested against the Ethernet Alliance PoE certification specification, which is based on current IEEE 802.3 PoE standards. Program participants are granted use of the Ethernet Alliance PoE logo upon successfully passing the certification test specification. Certified products will also be added to a public registry, enabling users to quickly research and identify PoE products best suiting their needs. The program, targeted to begin in August 2017, will initially be offered at a reduced cost, with retroactive certification available for select products having undergone previous testing at the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Lab (UNH-IOL), an independent provider of broad-based testing and standards conformance services for the networking industry, from June 2011 forward.