Understanding the Link Between PoE and Machine Learning (ML)

Machine learning has become an increasingly important element of business across industries. Artificial intelligence, data collection, and machine learning technologies continue to take off, making it more critical than ever that businesses have the power and connectivity needed to utilize those advances. Many businesses, however, are finding that those technologies come with their own sets of challenges, including the need to manage the power and data necessary to fully utilize them. Fortunately, PoE and machine learning technology can help achieve those critical goals. 

What is PoE?

Power over Ethernet technology utilizes the copper wiring used for network connectivity within your building to transfer electricity as well as data. It is a highly convenient, flexible option that can take power places that it would not normally have the capacity to go, which means you can install devices in locations that might otherwise be inconvenient without needing to add separate wiring and power outlets. As a result, you can more easily collect needed data from end users.

What is Machine Learning?

Machine learning is an umbrella term that covers the processes by which machines develop their own algorithms and “solutions” to problems: in effect, “learning” by machine. Machine learning solutions are often used to cover issues that would be inefficient or cost-prohibitive for humans to program or create algorithms for on their own.

Typically, machine learning involves providing computers with large datasets reinforced by programmer input. Those datasets are then analyzed for further information. Machines can analyze information considerably faster than humans, since they can view the full dataset without interruption. Furthermore, they can look at large datasets for similarities and changes and quickly predict future shifts, all of which can prove invaluable to human users.

How is Machine Learning Used in IT Networking?

Machine learning is a powerful tool frequently used in networking. It can:

• Provide greater insight into traffic flows, which can help determine when the network is most utilized and whether it is currently at capacity. 
• Monitor network health. Often, over time, networks face increasing challenges, including poor performance, increased device usage, and more. With machine learning solutions incorporated into the network, the IT team can get a better feel for how the network is running and what changes it needs in order to operate at peak efficiency. 
• Improve security. Network security has become of increasing concern for many businesses, especially as cyber threats continue to rise. With machine learning, IT professionals can more easily identify threats to the network and boost security where needed.

As machine learning’s capability expands, so will its use across networks. Putting the infrastructure in place now will help ensure that businesses are prepared for those future demands.

Unleashing Machine Learning and PoE Potential

Technology is changing dramatically and continues to grow. In the near future, machine learning algorithms will have the capacity to analyze vast datasets in real time, delivering actionable insights as quickly as the data comes in. Unfortunately, this often brings with it a set of challenges: powering and managing the hardware that go along with those connected solutions. That’s where PoE technology proves invaluable: it offers a single, streamlined solution for both power and data distribution, allowing you to more effectively launch and maintain those new systems. 

The Benefits of PoE for Machine Learning

PoE makes machine learning more adaptive to your business and your environment. It’s easy to scale according to your needs, which means that it can grow along with your network and expand along with your business. As a result, your business will be more likely to thrive. 

Streamlined Infrastructure

With PoE, you’ll use one cable for both power and data. You don’t need an electrician to come in and add outlets, so you can more easily take power to your connected devices where you need it most–all without needing to substantially change the building’s existing infrastructure. Using a single cable to power your data and electricity needs also speeds deployment of machine learning within your network, allowing you to more quickly and effectively launch a new platform or expand it. 

Flexible Placement

When you’re reliant on the placement of electrical outlets to determine where you can put your devices, you may be limited on that final placement. With PoE, on the other hand, you can place those devices anywhere your Ethernet cables can go. As a result, you will have greater access to machine learning technology across your network. Flexible placement also means increased data capture and harnessing capabilities, giving you access to more of the information you need to expand your business and increase customer satisfaction. 

Environmental Monitoring

PoE-powered sensors can facilitate data collection for a variety of systems, including environmental monitoring. As a result, you can institute applications like predictive maintenance and anomaly detection more easily. Monitoring your environment can provide you with critical insights into customer or employee behaviors as well as providing more information about things like the equipment you use most often or the areas of your building that see the most traffic. 

Security Enhancements

PoE systems often include security features that safeguard against disruptions and potential cyber threats, ensuring the integrity of the machine learning processes and keeping your data secure. This higher level of protection can also help provide greater security to your network as a whole by ensuring that your machine learning applications are not one of the weak links in your security. 

PoE: Taking Your Machine Learning to the Next Level

If you’ve been on the fence about the use of PoE or struggling to determine how you will provide the infrastructure needed to fully utilize machine learning within your business, Versatek can help. Our PoE solutions can help streamline your data and energy use, allowing you the freedom to collect and analyze more data and expand your business more effectively. Contact us today to discuss the ideal solution for your business’s needs.