Enterprises are facing increasing security risks every day. Monitored power solutions can help to mitigate vulnerabilities and ensure reliable surveillance, access, and security system operation.

The following four industry trends are changing how power solutions are successfully being used in enterprises today. 

1. IP Devices with High Power and Bandwidth Requirements. In the future, more security devices will be IP-enabled to provide higher levels of security with better overall networked system performance and cost-efficiency, along with analytics and system diagnostics. Advanced media converters and switches allowing the use of copper and fiber cabling provide higher power at longer distances with virtually unlimited bandwidth.

2. Expanding the Range for Power and Data Using IP over Fiber Solutions. Millions of miles of fiber have been stretched under highways and throughout cities across the US for surveillance cameras and other applications. But the costs to implement these devices are expensive given the need for localized power. With the continued evolution of PoE midspans and endspans, new solutions are available to take advantage of the inherent long-range attributes that fiber offers. For example, new injectors, switches, and media converters feature SFP ports that accommodate fiber optic cable to deploy devices at greater distances with faster throughput. This allows the extension of physical IP security and surveillance devices far beyond coax and IP cabling, allowing the installation of surveillance cameras and other security devices in areas where local power supplies don’t exist. In fact, IP cameras and myriad other physical security devices can be deployed at distances over 5,000’ while delivering power and data from the head-end utilizing hybrid single-mode fiber optic cable.

3. Integration Solutions for Access Control That Ensure Compatibility and Reduce Installation Time and Space Requirements. Access control systems are increasingly being integrated with surveillance systems to give end users a comprehensive view of security operations. That integration can sometimes entail complicated setups with high installation and labor costs. New power and access integration solutions can ease the process for integrators by simplifying board layout and wire management with high versatility and scalability. The simple yet pragmatic design employing custom backplanes makes an otherwise cumbersome aspect of integration faster, easier, and extremely cost-efficient – all of which are tangible benefits for both end users and installers.

4. Network Communications to Actively Monitor and Maintain Power and Transmission Devices. Downtime is not an option when it comes to security. When an issue arises, power is often the first point of troubleshooting, but is typically not the source of the problem. Power solutions that report diagnostics can help determine the cause of a system failure. This information can reduce system downtime, eliminate service calls, and provide faster response times to help keep security systems up and running.

As the number of IP-enabled security devices continues to grow, intelligent power and transmission products will be increasingly deployed as the foundation for advanced integrated security systems. Today’s power and data transmission technology provides a comprehensive, cost-efficient and holistic approach to enterprise security and risk mitigation.