New Industry Products

Phihong PoE Offers Switches, Splitters and Midspans for Security and Surveillance

March 29, 2010 by Jeff Shepard

Phihong USA announced that it is providing its PoE midspans, splitters and extenders to organizations seeking to implement or expand security and surveillance systems.

"Midspans offer an easy, fast and cost-effective solution for supplying power to network security products such as cameras, access control, biometrics and alarms without the need to install power outlets and electrical cabling," said Keith Hopwood, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Phihong USA. "With cameras traditionally installed in high open places where ac electrical outlets are not readily available, use of midspans can optimize cost savings by allowing these devices to be installed without incurring expensive labor costs for an electrician to install ac sockets."

Using midspans to power end devices such as full-function IP video cameras is a natural evolution of applying PoE midspan technology, which integrates power and data over an Ethernet cable, providing more flexibility for today’s increasingly sophisticated security requirements.

By integrating power into a standard cabling infrastructure, PoE technology enables power to be supplied to security network devices, such as network cameras and wireless access points. As a result, when combined with a single UPS, sites are ensured continuous operation of and access to all aspects of their security and surveillance, even those locations that are remote. With the ability to install virtually anywhere, PoE technology allows for a scalable and flexible security infrastructure to easily meet growth needs.

Phihong’s midspans’ plug-and-play technology provides power and data over a single Ethernet cable eliminating the need for expensive electrical wiring, which can result in a cost reduction up to 90 percent by eliminating separate power outlets and connections for security cameras and access controls. Some PoE solutions, such as splitters, allow multiple devices, such as illuminators and heaters, to be powered off a single midspan, offering further versatility to the system layout. This also allows security system designers the flexibility of placing cameras, sensors, and other equipment in the areas where they are most useful and needed regardless of the existence of existing power sources.

This capability is further enhanced by the fact that utilizing PoE in these circumstances allows for increased maintenance efficiency because cameras and other security devices can be shut down or reset remotely without requiring maintenance workers to be on-site near the equipment. Any device can be reset by recycling the power remotely through the camera’s midspan port. Another advantage is that with a UPS backup for the security network, the entire camera network can continue operation during a power outage.