The Future of Connected Lighting

January 13, 2017

Only a few major innovations have led to truly radical changes in the lighting industry. Edison’s filament improvements allowed for the commercialization of the light bulb and the CFL jump-started the move toward energy savings. Today, LEDs are working with Power over Ethernet (PoE) software to start the next revolution of energy efficiency. The evolution toward universal PoE software has happened only recently, and now gives commercial operators an easy decision to make. The lighting industry is coming on board, and the era of PoE-powered LEDs is beginning to take shape.

Advances in LEDs have allowed for the rise of PoE to become a viable power and control system for connected lighting and other electric devices. As PoE connected lighting is a part of the Internet of Things (IoT), it brings the total number of potential devices in the IoT cloud well into the billions. However, for smart lighting and other connected devices to become a reality, they need a universal ability to speak with each other.

For commercial operations, PoE technology software platforms – such as  – allow for universal adaptability. Igor’s software demonstrates that it is possible to have an open, non-proprietary ‘plug and play’ PoE system. This allows for lower upfront costs, decreased installation and retrofitting costs, and ongoing savings via lowered maintenance requirements and energy usage controls. For retrofits of existing structures, such as schools, retail buildings, offices, and healthcare facilities, universal adaptability is absolutely necessary to realize the benefits of connected lighting.

The future for PoE lighting is bright. Because interoperability is a reality, commercial customers demand universal capabilities from their PoE software system. The positive returns on investments demonstrate that PoE technology can stand on its own merits – leading to further adoption. Businesses have tremendous pressure to remain competitive in a global economy and improve the bottom line, so even during uncertain times they have the mandate necessary to invest in systems that provide long-term solutions to managing expenditures. Meanwhile, the world benefits as PoE helps provide energy stability and a smaller carbon footprint to an increasingly energy-dependent world.

Read about a real-world example of how Igor’s PoE Connected System benefits businesses here.