The IEEE 802.3af standard has been approved on June 12, 2003, by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE).

The IEEE 802.3af standard defines the specifications to deliver power over standard Ethernet cables, and in particular the following issues:

• Legacy Installation - Power over Ethernet ensures safe delivery of power to existing legacy devices as well as power-enabled terminals.
• Preservation of Cabling Infrastructure - PoE avoids altering existing wiring and does not damage cabling infrastructure already in place.
• Data Integrity - Power delivery over Ethernet cables does not cause data degradation or loss of data integrity.

PowerDsine and IEEE 802.3af

PowerDsine has been a major contributor to the 802.3af Task Force, and participated in the First and Second Calls for Interest in the 802.3 Working Group in 1999. PowerDsine has also pioneered a service to Ethernet device manufacturers and switch vendors to test conformance with the provisional standard. To date, over one hundred terminal devices have been compliance tested by PowerDsine, including most of the leading Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones, wireless LAN access points and security cameras.

Power over Ethernet in the Market

Power over Ethernet is already widely adopted in the market, particularly in the VoIP, wireless LAN and IP Security market where it saves up to 50% of the overall installation costs by eliminating the need to install separate electrical wiring and power outlets. Its other major advantage, particularly for IP telephony and surveillance camera users, is the ability to offer continuous operation even in the event of a power failure by delivering battery-backed-up uninterrupted power via the local area network (LAN).