Busting Myths and Shaping Future with PoE Consortium

Instead , it's a network of brilliant minds who are collaborating on one single objective , and that's advancing power over ethernet , and they are known as the POE consortium . Welcome to the show where we tackle the tough questions submitted by installers , project managers , estimators , it personnel and even customers .

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This week we're taking our exploration to the heart of PoE , the PoE Consortium .

I've invited two guests on the show today to help us discuss who is the PoE Consortium , how can organizations advance the PoE technology , how can they help resolve misconceptions about PoE , how they are involved with industry stakeholders to drive innovation , and a bunch of other questions . So let's bring them on the show .

Let's welcome to the show Tyler Andrews and Kim Johnson . Welcome to let's Talk , katelyn guys . Hey , chuck .

So really in the early days I worked for a company called Igor for some time . I'm currently with MHT Technologies . We do PoE , a PoE backbone technology , software , hardware to help enable , you know , the PoE lighting that we all are very familiar with , and then everything that starts to go beyond just PoE lighting . So I have that at date .

By day , I'm chief marketing officer at MHT Technologies . By night , you know , I kind of have this , this additional role of president of the PoE Consortium .

I was one of the lucky few that Kim called early on and said hey , tyler , we're thinking about doing something exciting , interested in being a part of it , and I said yes , with a nice H at the beginning of that and been very excited to see the work that Consortium is doing and participating in what it's been doing at PoE Texas . We've done PoE since 2011 .

Power over Ethernet is what we know through and through , so we're big proponents of what the Consortium does .

This was when I was at a different company and , even though we were direct competitors at the time , we were both talking about the challenges we were facing with this PoE technology . We understood the benefits and value .

We were having a hard time reaching the audiences we thought we needed to reach to share this message and so , even though there was a lot of opportunity , we weren't seeing the market traction taking off in the same way that we were All of us are expecting at the time , and this was several years ago .

So , as that went on , it started off you know our conversations start off as a joint white paper and then it started talking about we want to be even stronger if we brought in more competitors you know having a unified voice and then we brought in as we brought in more people that brought in more ideas .

So , as we were bringing in Tyler and some of the other early founding members of this organization . Everyone contributed more ideas on how this could grow . And so , in order to realize we probably actually needed a formal organization .

And the concept is that , even if we compete day to day , the reality is the potential of what PoE has to offer is so great that we might actually be better off working together to get the word out .

And you know , if you look at each individual company , we could each do our own individual marketing efforts and we still do but if we combine our resources and our mental power , we could potentially go further together . So I think that's the theme , is the idea of further together . Let the pie grow .

And then , you know , once we're a very mature and established organization and the industry's taken off in that way that we really expect , you know , let us get get ruthlessly competitive . Then , and at this point in time we're just trying to get the word out .

We're trying to unify to allow people to understand this technology , collaborate on training and maybe even standardize a little bit of how we approach the terminology and things like that , which I know we'll get into more .

So there's a synergy in doing that and I applaud you guys for doing it , because there are some people out there , some business owners , that they don't want to talk to competitors because they're afraid for whatever reason . And it's okay to be kind of .

Competition is healthy , it's absolutely healthy , but as an industry , when you , when we all come together , you can shift an industry towards more advancement . Todd , do you have anything to add on to that , to what she said ?

And the reason I want to ask that one is because I had an electrician out here on the property on Friday because I'm wiring up the new studio and I told him I want to run a cable up to the studio , I'm putting in some quads and some duplexes and he goes you're not putting anything in for lights . I said no , I'm doing PoE . I might have been .

I should have just been out in the middle of the field with a flashlight shining at the light in the eyes of a deer . He's like what , what ? He had no idea what I was even talking about . So can you talk about those benefits of doing PoE and couple that with what is the PoE consortium doing to advance PoE as an option ?

So you reduce your carbon footprint and you get the added benefit and energy savings of a controlled lighting system . So you're making a big win on the sustainability . Owners love that . That's been their number one . Hey , we really want to know about that . Number two affordability .

Our studies have shown that Power Over Ethernet on average saves 30% over traditional AC equivalent projects , whether you're doing cameras , wi-fi access points , white phones or lighting and automation . So you're saving 30% . Three interoperability . Because POE runs on the same network infrastructure as the internet , we can integrate anything that lives on the network .

You can ask anybody in the POE consortium . They're integrating things like cameras into their systems , a wide variety of sensors and basically the IOT revolution lives on the internet . So POE is that backbone . Fourth is safety .

Poe is touch safe power , which is why you don't need to have a licensed electrician in most restrictions to install it and interestingly enough , chuck , it is the only universally accepted power standard worldwide . In any country you go to , you can use Power Over Ethernet . You can't do that with AC power .

And then the big last one that I always tell people about is big data . Since POE runs on the internet , it can do the same thing that Facebook and Google have done for this little thing that sits in your back pocket 90% of the day , but now it's for your entire building , all your spaces , all that data .

If you look around , you can see how much data you're generating every day With POE . That big data is your data and it's not getting just lost to the environment . So those are the two big things and the big methods that the POE consortium is using to really promote those advantages and ideas is getting the word out there .

Going to big events as a group it's exciting . You can ask Kim about us going to a big developer event .

We went as a group , we represented as a group , we presented as a group , and it adds more weight to that technology not to hear one lone voice in the world and it's calling out saying POE is good , but seeing a group of professionals and competitors coming together and saying , yes , this really is the best choice .

It really resonates for people to hear that and to hear different experiences and different advantages that different companies have and to see what that means . So that's really how events , trainings , industry standards , being out in the market and communicating through our website and emails it's really how we're getting the word out there .

I don't even know if I want to put exact percentages , but I have noticed a trend In electrical engineering firms starting to add low voltage specialties , or at least starting to add that 1 or 2 person groups that will start to form the foundation of their future low voltage arm or Getting more involved in projects , because I think there's certainly potentially a

fear from the electrical engineering side or installer side that this is going to replace them , when in fact it doesn't necessarily have to . It could be something that they add on a specialty they could get involved with .

But low voltage contractors do have an advantage because of the history and knowledge of low voltage that they already have from all of their experience . So it'll be interesting to see how it develops .

I think , as you notice , there are at the range on the electrical side it's huge from people who have maybe never heard of anyone installing Pee Wee before , which we're trying to change All the way to companies that are starting to add or expand their low voltage division so that they don't lose out on those business opportunities .

Right so maybe like oh yeah oh yeah , absolutely , and saves the customer money and that's , that's just a win , win , win all the way around , right ? So let's follow up with you , kim . What are some of the biggest misconceptions , or maybe misunderstandings , about Pee Wee , and how is the consortium helping to get rid of those ?

And what we're trying to do as a group is essentially come together and say look at all the options you have . This is a growing organization . You don't have to fear that . This is such a new technology that no one knows how to do it . There's actually a lot of expertise out there . So we're trying to do risk this concept .

We don't think it's risky anyways , right , there's technical safety benefits to Pee Wee , in addition to the fact that power over ethernet technology used in buildings in this way , such as for lighting , has been implemented . For at this point , you know , tyler , what do you think the oldest Pee Wee lighting installation is ?

I mean , we're talking more than a decade , probably since some of the initial ones and Pee Wee itself . This ethernet cable has been around longer than that and has been standardized and you've got this whole infrastructure of low voltage installers and expertise and the backbone and the manufacturers out there .

So that's the message we're trying to get out to people who look at this because they haven't seen it or they haven't heard of it , they assume it's risky or assume it's new . So we're trying to overcome that and show that we're an established technology that can support large scale smart building project implementations .

There's also some concerns about cost and what we're finding I think , at least anecdotally amongst members is that a lot of times this comes from not comparing apples to apples . You know , you might compare the you know line voltage side of a project to the low voltage side , but are you actually comparing functionally ?

You know , when you're submitting these quotes , are you comparing apples to apples ? Is it truly all the lighting ? You know ? Look what else Pee Wee is mainly covering . Maybe the shades are included in it , maybe there's all these sensors and it can add to what can be perceived to be a more expensive project .

But the reality is , if you're actually trying to compare appropriately , they're going to come in typically very similar , if not sometimes cheaper , because , as Tyler mentioned , you know you're reducing a lot of the raw materials , which is a huge issue , as today , the cost of these products are .

Often , you know they've remained high , even if they're off their peak right of steel , of copper , they're still very high . The expense is there for traditional builds . So we're trying to tackle that ROI , talking about the value , putting hard numbers behind it .

As an organization , we're trying to prove that this is not a risky technology and that , you know , it's been around for a while and it's scalable . You can put it in a 33 story building in New Jersey and be just fine , for example .

You have to somehow convince your IT technology team to implement this . To get that advantage . We like to explain to people no , just put it on its own network . It becomes an operational technology network and it doesn't even have to interfere with the IT world . It can if you'd like , but it doesn't have to .

So we want to try and bring down that misconception that you have to be some magical computer tech ways to make these lights work . They work like a traditional lighting system . They just happen to run a network cable and be a hell of a lot smarter .

So you know , the digital backbone there has certainly pushed the industry forward as well , because it shows as possible and that the value is beyond . You know , just one one part of the line items on your on your balance sheet .

So how is the Pee Wee Consortium taking the industry stakeholders , you know , like manufacturers , integrators and stuff , to help drive both that innovation and its standardization ?

It's not an exclusive club of just a few people and we say no to everybody else Membership . I think , kim , we're up to 30-plus members right now , and everybody from cable manufacturers to device manufacturers to lighting manufacturers and systems , to installers , to designers it's a big pool , and so we're inviting people to come in and participate .

So , as long as you're willing to support POE as a technology , you're welcome to join the consortium and help drive the future of innovation and standardization for the next 20 years .

We think there's value in having a run from hardware manufacturers to installers and integrators , and we do have multiple levels so you can join at a level that really pushes the mission forward , which , of course , we always encourage patron and member level applications , but also to be a part of the conversation .

We have more accessible observer level memberships as well .

So it's not for just one particular manufacturer , about just their system . This is about a broader understanding of the concepts , down to actual technical understanding of how there are different ways of installing or managing the systems . So the training committee has a training that will be live at Bixie Fall , for example .

So they're starting to take the training that they've been developing , putting it in front of people , with the potential for some online learnings to come next . So I'd love to actually have Tyler . I specifically would like to have Tyler add more because he's really been key in helping make this happen .

So we're working aggressively on it . We've got a team of 20 different individuals working every month to try and put together a training program . We're planning on our first training program to go live through our website in Q4 .

So stay tuned , be ready for it , and we're going to be doing that and , as well , we're really working hard in an outreach to the installers and the professionals who are doing this hopefully your customer or your audience , chuck to help better educate each other and build that community . So in many ways , this is like a call out to your audience .

Are you ready to come help at the training committee ? Make these trainings better , make it more accurate and true to life so that , as an industry , we'll all benefit .

That's one of the reasons why I've had you on the show several times and that's why I sought you out at the Nica Bixie Summit and you've got me to stick my finger in the light bulb outlet at this time . You couldn't do it in the fall conference .

So I know that it's safe and I think training is going to certainly help break down those walls of the electrical contractors who are kind of shying away from it . So interoperability let's cover that . There's all different kinds of different types of devices and different types of parameters that people got to put the cabling in store .

How is the consortium addressing that ?

Challenges have been raised about trainings , specifically the hands on installation that we just covered , and really understanding how to put it into the market and into facilities , but then also a conversation around trying to standardize to some degree . Right , each company is going to have its unique offerings .

There are going to be things that are that differ between mht technologies and pe , texas versus Genesis , lighting versus molex and all of that right there , there will always be differences , but we have identified some opportunities to standardize . We can standardize some of our language .

We can standardize the symbols we use on Designs so that we're referencing the same things with the designs , making the language interoperable , first so that we can really talk and speak the same language , and then also we've been on the longer term roadmap this is a bigger lift and when it's a call up to people to help , certainly some conversation around trying

to create an interoperable API so that we have the same developer language , at least for integrations as well

. so I saw a moment there . What were ?

Because they had the next conversation , because once you got a big , using the same , like you said , the same Symbols on your , on your present , using the same acronyms are in your love acronyms , right , and then you can easily start migrating into other Other facets of the pewe world . That will bring everybody on board .

Do you have anything you want to add that , taylor ? I do , I do .

So when we say standardization , the communication , transport protocol , the wiring , the power , that's already standardized . So Just by forming the pewe consortium we've got more than half of the load behind us . Compared to a lot of the lighting and lighting controls industry out there today , we're already speaking the same language .

We're already , instead of us trying to figure out how to even like Talk to each other in terms of physically , can we communicate ? We're down to the , we're down , we're already covered A huge part of that . So now we're just saying , okay , how do I say the right words in the right way between different manufacturers ?

So we make sure we're recognizing the fact that we chose power ethernet as the transport layer . Physically and architecturally . It's meant that we're much further along in the industry for lighting and automation is ever been before , just with the organization of the consortium .

And now we just have that last 10 to 20% and it may feel like a big 10 to 20% , but man , there's just so much water already passed under that bridge .

We've done so much in terms of standardization Because power ethernet and ethernet communication has been around for 20 , 30 years and there's a lot of documented Protocols how you do things , how to be A huge win for the POE consortium , just right out of the gate .

We're not going to try and get into the business of telling ANSI how to do cabling they know much better than we do Just like we're not going to tell ETL or we're not going to tell you , well , how to do their testing . We're not going to try and tell IEEE how to do the communication standards .

That's all we're actually building on the shoulders of huge giants and there's no reason to reinvent the wheel , so all of that will still be there you can certainly tie it in .

All of that knowledge will only add to your ability to participate in this .

You have to have like a five year goal , a 10 year goal , right ?

You know we've come through all the are a lot of early R&D development , highs , lows , and we're at a point of probably the most stability we've ever seen in this industry , the most potential for growth and the most activities are . Members are becoming very active .

I personally and and I've advocated , you know , as president of the P we consortium I would like us to look by maybe it's more like 10 years out where P O E is considered the default , or it is considered . If you're not doing P O E , you're not putting in the best practice for your facility . So I think that is possible .

I think it's possible at least in certain markets where we're really developing and activating now . And ultimately , I'd like to see this become an international organization . We've got that perk of building on international standards already , so we already have a way of translating this into international markets . We're focused on the North American market this year .

We do have some international members , but we have not put a concerted effort behind it . So I would say that that's where we're really looking to grow as an organization and then also as an industry From there . So , tyler , do you want to add anything else to that , that vision ? Well , before you answer that , before I tell you , let me let me .

And I kept telling them it's not , it's neither it is P O E . And it took a little while for them to finally wrap their head around the idea that the standard , that the idea of the standards and all the power , conflicts and transformers and everything just goes away . And so it is .

It is the same everywhere in the world and I would probably propose we're probably closer to getting Mars than anybody else in the industry .

So if you're excited by what we've talked about today , or if you have opinions on what we've talked about today , what better way to make your voice heard than by joining the P O E consortium , which you can find us at P O E consortiumcom .

You can also obviously connect with Tyler and I you know , maybe LinkedIn , something like that with any questions , and you know we're there's energy behind this and we're excited about what the future holds . I'm excited about what the future holds and what we've accomplished already as an all volunteer organization .

There are very few times where you could stand up and and make a choice in your career to support something that will have such a big run and have so much power behind it . Because P O E has been around for 20 years , you is not going away . Whether it's tomorrow or the next day , it is going to be where the future will be in one form or fashion .

So stand up , take advantage of the opportunity we're making . Call out to each one of you out there who's watching this , trying to decide whether to get involved . Do it , try it out . Join a meeting , participate , see what we're doing and really make your market industry by participating now , because we're open and we can accept membership now .

Who knows , in 20 years or five years or two years , we may have so many voices already supporting it that you won't make as big a difference . It'll always make a difference . Make a difference today . Don't hesitate to join today and get involved .

I want to be a part of it , but I don't want to be promoting one over the other , so I've already joined it . So if I'm joined it , you know you should join it as well . Until next time , knowledge is power .