It's A Power-Over-Ethernet Play

PowerDsine, an Israel-based vendor that supplies power-over-Ethernet solutions to networking vendors, said it will begin offering its gear to solution providers this week through an agreement with distributor Westcon Group.

The rise in IP telephony and wireless solutions has created a growing need for power-over-Ethernet solutions, said Amir Lehr, vice president of marketing and strategy at PowerDsine.

Power-over-Ethernet solutions provide power for IP phones, wireless LAN access points, IP surveillance cameras and other equipment over Category 5 cable, Lehr said.

>> Power-over-Ethernet solutions provide power for IP phones, wireless LAN access points and more.

Solution providers will have access to PowerDsine's 6000 series midspans, which sit between a switch and patch panel. The vendor offers the product in one-, six-, 12- and 24-port versions, Casas said.

The ability to power IP phones and wireless LAN access points over Ethernet cable opens up numerous opportunities for solution providers, said Anthony Daley, general manager of the Westcon division of Tarrytown, N.Y.-based Westcon Group.

"There are a number of customers who want to implement these solutions, but they don't want to replace their infrastructure to do it," he said. "These solutions protect customers' infrastructure investments and minimize the cost to move toward convergence."

Power-over-Ethernet also saves time for solution providers, which otherwise likely would have to wait for an electrician to install a power outlet, he added.

Glenn Conley, president and CEO of Metropark Communications, St. Louis, said he already has access to the 12- and 24-port PowerDsine solutions through 3Com, but he also sees a need for the lower-density solutions. "Sometimes you have a customer who just needs three or four phones in a branch office. This way they don't have to pay for twice as much as they need."

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