Structured cabling is such an arrangement that supports the performance of an organization's cabling framework or network. It is a bond that ties all PCs, communication devices, and different gadgets utilized inside the business together, giving an efficient and productive solution for a wide scope of network needs. The benefits of structured cabling systems can vary for each type of business and organization, but overall, these systems are easy to manage, provide an efficient and reliable network, and cut the cost of maintaining network infrastructure during the service and support.
This article explores in depth the importance and benefits of structured networks, and what you should consider while planning and designing such networks.
Why Structured Cabling is Important for your Business
Technology is continually developing and shifting, now and then quicker than you would actually figure it out. Since the introduction of desktop computers, the technology went through the penetration of laptops, video calling systems, and many other communication and data gadgets in businesses.
The new systems and gadgets can make organizations more efficient, safer, and connected. Be that as it may, the latest devices and systems need an organized network to connect them. Standardized and smaller parts are used to build structured cabling networks. So, these can be installed in any commercial and private building and provide readily support for any new incoming technology.
Contrary to this, in the past, each hardware used its own cables or point-to-point cabling to connect with the network. This results in a tangled mess of data cables and supply wires that are hard to manage and can trip accidentally. Apart from that, unstructured cabling raises safety hazards. Instead, structured cabling solves all these issues and provides a faster and reliable network for any business. It makes the organizations capable of adopting future technologies so they can get rid of periodic technical up-gradation and just focus on business growth.
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Benefits of Structured Cabling
The best part of structured cabling is that it is an investment for the future. Its high bandwidth can support business growth by making the new IT solutions adaptable and scalable quickly in the competitive world. With structured cabling, it is easy to deploy new services in a business, and the company’s network never outdated with the business’s growth.
Such networks are simple and organized. Structured cabling systems eliminates the complexity of junk wiring infrastructure in the office environment. The simple wiring arrangements facilitate quick troubleshooting and easy solutions that saves time during the support services.
Structured cabling cuts the costs in the long-term through the smooth running of your business without any noticeable shutdowns. Also, the high scalability provided with such networks reduces the cost of technology adaptation and new installation of devices. Similarly, it enhances flexibility and helps to improve productivity during business growth by accommodating the transformations in less time and cost.
Organized cabling networks reduce safety hazards and downtime. Thus, a well-planned structured cabling system improves the workflow and makes it easier to identify and rectify faults in an organization.
Considerations for Planning, Design, and Implementation
A structured cabling system can be deployed to support all forms of communication in an organization, including voice, data, VoIP, PoE, multimedia, security devices, and even wireless devices. It is an important part of the organization; thus, proper planning, design, implementation, and service of this network is vital to run the daily business operations smoothly.
But, installing a structured cabling network is a complex process as it involves the integration of different technologies and cabling types that must project future capacity requirements and ensure smooth as well as reliable system operations. For this purpose, professionals smartly design the networks and plan carefully for the implementation. Apart from the detailed specific design requirements, some general considerations are part of any structured cabling system.
The first thing is the life span. You must consider how long the structured cabling system should serve you before going for an up-gradation. Usually, the structured cabling systems are planned for 10-20 years, depending on the business type. Though cables are not much expensive, changing them requires extensive labor and high installation expenditures. So, cable’s quality should meet to serve more than the required life span of your structured cabling system. On the other hand, components other than cabling serve on average for 5 years, but they are easy to replace. Speed and bandwidth capacities also depend on cables. Considering that re-cabling is an expensive process, consider the maximum bandwidth during the planning that you are going to need in the future as per your business type. Cable’s media is key to speed. Choose the combination of Fiber and Copper cables according to your applications, architecture, and environment. While doing so, keep in mind the future as you will migrate to the fast internet. So, the cheapest cables are not the most economical in long-terms.
Another important factor while planning and design is the location and number of users. Consider the maximum number of users you could add to your business over the next 10 -20 years. Outlook for their positions according to your building space and architecture.
The design and planning for the structured cabling should be according to the usage type. The networks in corporate buildings are far different from educational institutes and hospital buildings due to their peak usage hours, usage type, number of ports, security, and many other factors. In this regard, it is a good practice to follow specific standards like ANSI/TIA.
Conclusion
Connectivity is the most significant contributor to long-term business success. Connectivity depends on the networks as they are the backbone of running systems. It is the type of network, that could make or break a business. Structured cabling is vital for the modern-day high-tech competitive world. The advanced and organized cabling networks develop the capacity for transformation and growth by deploying advanced assets easily and quickly. Proper consideration is required for all physical and digital factors during the planning, design, and implementation of such networks. A properly defined structured cabling system can assist your business growth for many years.