In a modern company’s ecosystem, inter-connectivity between various devices, such as conferencing systems, video surveillance systems, building access control and Wi-Fi, is important. And to ensure that, cabling needs to be well-planned and structured. For instance, Wi-Fi connectivity highly depends upon structured cabling to connect wireless access points to the main network.
Today, in this blog, we’ll learn what structured cabling is and why it is important.
What is structured cabling?
In simple terms, structured cabling is a type of infrastructure that enhances the performance of a company’s cabling system. It can be described as the glue that helps to bind all the devices within the business together. It gives reliable and adaptable solutions for meeting the communication of a company.
The Telecommunication Industry Association (TIA) and Electronic Industries Association (EIA) have set certain standards for commercial telecommunication cabling. These standards state the technical criteria required for the design, installation and documentation of the cabling plant.
According to the standards, the cabling plant is divided into six subsystems comprising of:
- Entrance Facility: It is the building interface with the outside world. This is where your internet service provider will install their cabling.
- Server Room: This is a place where all your company’s networking and data processing needs are dealt with. It consists of racks with the server, routers, firewalls and other equipment.
- Telecommunication Room: This is a place where all your networking and telecommunication devices are cross-connected with each other.
- Backbone Cabling: This is a key link that connects the entrance facility, server rooms and telecommunication rooms.
- Horizontal Cabling: It connects the telecommunication rooms with the work area.
- Work Area: This is where multiple network outlets are set up to support printers, computers and other devices.
Importance Of Structured Cabling:
- Smooth Business Operations
For any business, financial stability is important. Thus, it refrains to splurge any exorbitant amount of money on anything. A structured cabling system is a cost-effective solution that makes all the business operations smoother. Whatever number of inflows and outflows of network traffic it might be, structured cabling makes it scalable with its flexible network. As a result, it boosts the productivity and drive of any business. It is a simple solution to reduce power and maintenance costs, and it also saves time with easy rectification of any issues.
- IT System Management
A structured cabling system works on the above-mentioned standards. Thus, it makes the networking solution simple and straightforward for any business. It achieves that by implementing a well-defined plan for establishing a networking ecosystem. An office environment comprises several devices such as computers, routers, servers, etc. It eliminates the complexity involved with Wi-Fi or antenna installation, which involves multiple wiring infrastructures. For example, if a problem occurs, it is far easier to identify the issue and solve it with structured network cabling
- Reliable Foundation for Business Growth
The most significant benefit that a structured cabling system brings to the table is the high bandwidth. It makes a building infrastructure more stable and reliable to conduct various business operations. Thus, it contributes to business growth. In today’s time, where information is the biggest asset and a company’s edge is measured in terms of its IT adaptability, structured cabling plays a vital role. The data centre has become a must to retain customers and for acquiring new ones. And structured cabling helps in the process of development and deployment of new services via data centres. With structured cabling in place, your network infrastructure will never become outdated.
- Reduces Risk of Downtime
A business can’t afford any unnecessary downtime. These downtimes can affect the profit and loss of the company. Now, a human error can be made if the cabling is done in an unorganized manner. This can result in workflow disruptions and network downtime. And in a world where e-commerce is at its peak, network downtime can be costly. With a structured cabling system in place, you can avoid such human errors caused by unorganized cabling. It’s easier to identify and rectify faults quickly.
- Allows You to Easily Make Changes to the IT System
A network system needs to be flexible enough for any future upgrades in its system. A structured cabling system helps in achieving such flexibility which helps in improving the performance and business growth. With structured cabling, you can add changes without worrying about the installation time. It ensures the optimum adaptability level for incorporating any network infrastructure changes.
Thus, with a structured cabling system in place, a company can achieve reliability, cost-efficiency and flexibility to meet business demands. So, make sure you have structured cabling for your business.
