The paper, titled Enabling tomorrow’s connected infrastructure for IoT, highlights the requirement for more sophisticated, scalable Power, Light and Data (PLD) networks, which will be needed to manage the increasing data handling and power capabilities of a fully connected infrastructure.
Through the interconnection of communicating devices via the Internet, an IoT-enabled infrastructure is capable of managing and monitoring everything from the lights, to door locks, thermostats and alarms. Existing infrastructure must be ready to handle this connectivity in order to avoid expensive and time consuming re-designs and installations.
The paper highlights several existing data centre technologies that can help to make infrastructure more scalable and IoT-ready. These include Power over Ethernet (PoE) cabling, which uses a direct current to transport both data and power, without the need for bulky wall outlets or AC adapter cables. Described as a “critical building block” for IoT devices, PoE can also reduce heat dissipation, energy usage and component costs.
The paper also discusses the need for high-performance cabling systems, which will enable a high bandwidth as more devices, beyond a laptop or phone, connect to the network. Management of these cabling systems is also important, as it allows an infrastructure to be migrated easily if it outgrows an existing location.
The increasing trend towards decentralised data centre management is also analysed by the paper. A decentralised approach provides fast process times and greater control over security and data management, because the data does not need to be relayed back to an external system in order to be processed.
Rudy Montgelas, Senior Technologist for Data Communications at Legrand, said: “No-one knows what the world will look like in 15 years’ time. That is why we need to plan and prepare effectively now to ensure that infrastructure is flexible and scalable in order to support the latest technological developments as they emerge. The technology needed to achieve this already exists – you just need to know where to look.”
