New ethernet standard

The US Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) has approved the 802.3af-2003 standard, which defines the specifications to deliver power over standard ethernet cables.

Steve Carlson, Chair of the 802.3af Task Force, says, "Thousands of new and innovative products will emerge to take advantage of having the proven robustness and reliability of ethernet along with power on the same connector."

ARC Senior Analyst Harry Forbes notes that, "ARC predicted in 2002 that this new standard will have significant impact in areas where power wiring is a significant cost consideration for ethernet deployment. Besides the original target of Voice-over-IP (VoIP) systems, many other products in the commercial and consumer sector will take advantage of the ability to provide both device power and networking through a single connection.

"Additionally," Forbes says, "this capability can reduce bill-of-material cost of many types of products, but more importantly for manufacturers, it can significantly reduce the complexity and installation cost of deploying networks of ethernet devices. The need for separate power and signal wiring has been a cost advantage enjoyed by some industrial device networks."