Cisco Universal Power Over Ethernet demonstrated on Samsung NC220

Last week at Cisco Live in Las Vegas, Samsung unveiled the world’s first zero client monitor which uses Cisco Universal Power Over Ethernet (UPOE) technology. Cisco UPOE powers and connects individual monitors via the network to a “virtualized” central server that executes all tasks and applications, offering businesses a flexible and convenient cloud computing alternative to the traditional workstation setup.

This easy-to-deploy, easy-to-maintain desktop virtualization system reduces the need for software and security updates which can be deployed in minutes from a centralized location, eliminating the need to service each individual workstation. Additionally, the Cisco UPOE technology is designed to enable that both data and power can be supplied through a single Ethernet cable, allowing easier installation and more flexibility when configuring an office space.

Cisco UPOE uses all the four twisted pairs of conductors within the Ethernet cabling to deliver power (as opposed to two twisted pairs used by other existing PoE technologies), which enable it to reduce the channel losses by half for the same power delivered over UPOE. UPOE can supply up to 60 watts of power (twice as much as existing power-over-Ethernet technologies) and it can be supported over the same standard cabling infrastructures that conform to PoE+ requirements.

Cisco UPOE is being introduced on the Cisco Catalyst 4500E Series Switches, where a WS-X4748-UPOE+E line card can be used to power a maximum of 24 ports simultaneously at 60W. Each port of cards in that series also supports LLDP-based dynamic power negotiation capability that permits the end device to communicate the exact power requirement to the switch, thus enabling smart managment of power. Enterprises can save additional energy by implementing Cisco’s EnergyWise to better manage and monitor the power consumption of IT devices powered and connected to their Cisco network.

Earlier this year, Cisco partnered with various companies to produce devices that are compatible with Cisco UPOE. Samsung came up with the 22-inch NC220 display with their new LED BLU technology, which offers bright and clear pictures, and reduced energy consumption. NC220 consumes a maximum of 51 watts of power with a much lower typical power consumed during the normal course of operation (less than 2.7 watts on stand-by). Combined with Cisco EnergyWise technology, users can set policies to power down the device when it is not being used to enable up to 50 percent of additional energy savings.

“Samsung and Cisco are leading the way in transforming enterprise workspaces”, said Jeong-Hwan Kim, senior vice president of Display Sales & Marketing at Samsung Electronics. “Now every workstation can leverage the power and speed of the company’s centralized server, while reducing energy costs and creating a more beautiful, less cluttered environment.”