Wireless turns a greedy eye on PoE Plus

Grinding slow but exceedingly small, the IEEE has, since September 2005, been crafting a standard commonly known as PoE (Power over Ethernet) or, in its most recent official guise, 802.3at. It is a technology that integrates electrical power into a standard LAN infrastructure: it enables power to be provided to the network device (such as an IP phone or a network camera) using the same cable that is used for network connection. As a result, you do not need power outlets at the camera locations, for example, and makes the provision of 24/7 UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) easier.
PoE extends the power directly from the data ports to whatever network devices are connected, using two pairs of conventional Ethernet Category 5 cable. Plus takes PoE to a new level: ostensibly providing sufficient power for WiMax transmitters, pan-tilt-zoom video surveillance cameras, videophones and thin clients. The significance of a workable marriage of PoE and wireless applications is understandably causing a ripple of excitement.