The Ethernet Alliance (News - Alert), a global consortium dedicated to the continued success and advancement of Ethernet technologies, has launched a Power over Ethernet (PoE) Subcommittee to support the standardization activities and other efforts addressing changing landscape of the Ethernet ecosystem.

Like its parent organization, the Power over Ethernet  subcommittee will work to support the new and ongoing IEEE (News - Alert) 802.3 projects encompassing PoE, 10, 40, and 100 gigabit per second (Gb/s) Ethernet, next generation passive optical networking (EPON), and more.

Precisely, the new subcommittee will help expand IEEE’s growing library of PoE standards and extend the range of applications and devices using the technology. It will help the Ethernet Alliance engage with working groups, taskforces, and other constituencies pursuing new or expanding existing IEEE 802 standards.

The Ethernet Alliance has championed several initiatives, including the proposed PoE standards IEEE P802.3bt and IEEE P802.3bu; IEEE 802.3bj, which addresses 100 Gb/s Ethernet backplane and copper cable operations; IEEE P802.3br, specifying parameters for interspersing express traffic; and IEEE 802.3 next-generation EPON (NGEPON).

According to Scott Kipp, president of the Ethernet Alliance, the principal challenge facing the Ethernet landscape is the need for reliable power. PoE meets this need while delivering measureable cost-savings, and improving safety and reliability, Kipp said.

The 4-Pair PoE, being standardized in IEEE P802.3bt, will deliver at least 49W to thin clients or other new applications, like intelligent building management systems, Kipp explained. The PoE subcommittee aims to address every point in the PoE concept-to-deployment cycle.

John D’Ambrosia, chairman, Ethernet Alliance, said, “As Ethernet continues to expand in new directions, the timely delivery of robust standards will become increasingly critical to its success. The support being provided by the Ethernet Alliance for Ethernet and its related technology standards will help enable a new generation of Ethernet advancements.”