Author Archives: Ant Bullock

PoE, Power over Ethernet, enables the enterprise network to become the platform that powers, manages and measures the modern workplace.

PoE – the next evolution of the digital workplace

Voice. Video. Wireless. CCTV. IoT sensors. Lighting. One by one, technologies such as this that once relied on dedicated infrastructure have converged onto the enterprise network, simplifying deployment while creating smarter, more connected buildings.

Every technology that converges onto the network becomes another intelligent endpoint, powered, managed and monitored through the network, while generating the operational data needed to continually optimise the workplace.

PoE (Power over Ethernet) isn’t new, but it is changing how buildings are designed. As more technologies converge, organisations are beginning to replace fragmented electrical infrastructure with a single intelligent platform capable of powering, managing and measuring the workplace.

Why organisations are looking at PoE-powered workspaces

The demand for PoE-powered workspaces isn’t being driven by manufacturers, it’s being driven by changing business priorities.

• Lower infrastructure and fit-out costs
• Faster workplace reconfiguration with minimal disruption
• Reduced energy consumption and improved sustainability reporting
• A future-ready workplace built around a converged network

“Instead of  asking “How many power circuits do we need?” you can start asking “How much of the workplace can the network power?” That shift fundamentally changes how modern offices are designed.

Hybrid working changed how organisations think about office space. Workplaces are expected to be more flexible, more sustainable and easier to adapt than ever before. Office layouts change regularly, teams move frequently, and every square metre of space is expected to work harder. Traditional electrical infrastructure wasn’t designed with that level of flexibility in mind.

A PoE-powered workspace takes a completely different approach: By delivering both power and connectivity through structured network cabling, entire workspaces become managed devices rather than standalone electrical installations. Workplace moves become simpler, infrastructure costs reduce and organisations gain a level of operational flexibility that traditional office design simply cannot achieve.

From showcase to reality

PoE-powered workspaces have been largely confined to technology showcase environments, proving what was technically possible but rarely being deployed in live customer environments.

Ideal recently designed and delivered the UK’s first commercial PoE-powered workspace deployment outside of a vendor demo facility, bringing together enterprise networking, structured cabling, intelligent workplace technology and Power over Ethernet into a single converged solution.

Delivering a PoE-powered workspace requires expertise across networking, structured cabling, workplace technology and power distribution, bringing together disciplines that have traditionally operated independently.

Working alongside leading technology partners, we created a fully integrated workspace for a leading global charity in London, where our PoE installation, all powered by a single network conection, included:

• Height-adjustable desks
• Task lighting
• Monitors
• Collaboration devices
• IP telephony
• User-charging facilities

Using just a small number of structured Ethernet connections, the workspace becomes another intelligent endpoint within the enterprise infrastructure, reducing reliance on traditional electrical installations while maintaining the flexibility expected from a modern office.

PoE enables Ideal’s Seymour Telemetry Solution to immediately analyse device usage, energy usage and much more. Integrated with other analytics tools, Seymour can transform smart decision-making.

Why this matters to your next office fit-out

The practical benefits quickly became clear, instead of separate electrical installations and multiple specialist trades, power and data are delivered through the same structured cabling infrastructure already managed by the IT team.

• Office moves became significantly easier
• Facilities teams reduce reliance on costly electrical alterations, while IT teams gain centralised visibility and control through the existing network infrastructure.
• Power can be centrally managed and monitored
• Entire floors can be powered down outside working hours through policy rather than manual intervention.

As more technologies move onto the network, organisations gain a consistent approach to deployment, management and lifecycle support across their buildings.

For organisations already investing in PoE lighting, intelligent sensors, room booking systems, environmental monitoring and connected workplace technology, PoE-powered workspaces represent a natural next step rather than a standalone innovation. For the first time, IT and Facilities are working from the same infrastructure rather than managing separate technology and electrical estates.

Beyond PoE: the future is Fault Managed Power (FMP)

While PoE is changing today’s workplace, Fault Managed Power (FMP) will extend that same converged approach to an even broader range of higher-powered workplace technologies, accelerating the transition towards fully network-powered buildings.

FMP enables significantly higher levels of power to be delivered safely over structured cabling, opening the door to an even broader range of workplace technologies operating from the network. As standards continue to mature and adoption increases, FMP will enable organisations to extend the same converged approach beyond desks to technologies that have traditionally relied on dedicated electrical infrastructure.

We believe that PoE workspaces represent an important stepping stone towards that future.

By designing workplace infrastructure around the network today, organisations will be perfectly positioned to take advantage of the additional capabilities FMP will unlock tomorrow.

At Ideal, we’re already working alongside leading technology partners to understand how these emerging standards can be incorporated into future Smart Building designs, ensuring customers invest in infrastructure that evolves alongside the market.

More than an office desk – a smarter workplace

Powering the workspace is only part of the story; understanding how that workspace performs is where the real value lies.

As businesses continue to focus on sustainability, operational efficiency and ESG reporting, knowing how much energy is being consumed, and where, becomes just as important as reducing consumption in the first place.

By moving workplace power onto the network, organisations don’t simply simplify infrastructure, they create the opportunity to understand, manage and optimise energy consumption in ways that traditional electrical installations simply cannot.

Browsers may be your greatest security vulnerability, and your weakest point of control. In our webinar this week, Palo Alto Networks presented the solution – the Prisma Browser – specifically built for security in the era of Agentic AI.

A breakthrough in secure access

The browser is where 85% of most workers’ day is spent and yet it’s been one of the hardest attack surfaces to secure. Until now.

You need your people to work seamlessly with cloud-based apps, but you may not have have visibility over what they are doing. You’re happy for them to use Agentic AI to shortcut workflows and creativity, but you don’t want them inadvertently sharing sensitive corporate information with Large Language Models or unauthorised people outside your organisation. Allowing bring your own devices (BYOD) means faster onboarding with interfaces that suit each individual, but each device represents a potential vulnerability for your security posture.

Palo Alto’s Prisma Browser Platform addresses these issues and more, with no need for infrastructure changes or VPNs, targeting three core areas.

A secure browser, purpose built for enterprise

Prisma Browser is the industry’s first SASE-native secure browser. It embeds advanced security mechanisms directly into a familiar Chromium-based browser to provide safe access to SaaS, web, and private applications – without requiring admin privileges to install. 

A simple solution with far-reaching benefits, Prisma Browser delivers:

• Secure BYOD & Contractor Access: Grant instant, secure access to sensitive apps for staff, contractors, and third-party partners without shipping laptops or relying on clunky, expensive VDIs. 

• Safe GenAI Adoption: Gain granular visibility into AI usage and enforce last-mile data controls (like blocking copy/paste or file uploads) to prevent sensitive data from leaking into public AI models. 

• Extend Zero Trust to the Last Mile: Apply consistent Zero Trust enforcement across both managed and unmanaged devices with real-time monitoring and policy enforcement. 

• Built-in Threat Prevention: Browse bravely with native threat isolation, phishing protection, and AI-powered threat detection built directly into the workspace. 

• Simplified Operations: Reduce operational risk and IT complexity with centralised policy control in the cloud—eliminating the need for VPNs or complex agents. 

Free browser risk assessment

If you would like to understand the threats your organisation faces, we’re offering a complimentary assessment using the Prisma Browser Extension (PBX). We’ll provide you with a customised Executive Snapshot that reveals exactly where your risk lives, including:​

• Shadow IT Discovery: SaaS apps being accessed outside your corporate SSO.​
• Data Movement: Tracking sensitive data leaving via personal WhatsApp, Gmail, or GenAI tools.​
• The “Forensic Ten Minutes”: A deep-dive timeline of what users actually do around a malicious event.

If you would like to request a free risk assessment, please do get in touch.

Exhibiting at Digital Health Rewired 2026, the UK’s biggest digital health expo, with our partners UMA, there were three core questions about Smart Buildings in Healthcare that came up time and again. 

All eyes on digitalisation 

With the government-funded New Hospital Programme (NHP) in England firmly underway, all eyes in the healthcare sector are on digitalisation and what it can deliver. 

The NHP aims to build or upgrade over 40 hospitals by the 2030s-2040s using standardised designs to enhance efficiency, sustainability, and patient care. One of its stated goals is to incorporate sustainable, digitally advanced designs to create flexible, future-proof health facilities.  

Hundreds of conversations 

Over two days at the NEC in Birmingham, we met all kinds of professionals involved in the programme, from estate managers and appointed development contractors to hospital administrators and patient-facing clinical staff.  

As the UK’s leading converged network systems (CNS) provider for Smart Building digital services, and a founder of the Intelligent Ready Buildings blueprint that provides a proven formula for success, we had hundreds of stimulating conversations.  

In our wash-up session we found that three core themes ran through many of them. 

It’s all about the foundation

Richard Evans, Chief Solutions Officer, says that the network foundation is key to success. 

“As with any innovation, its sustainable success over many years is only as good as the foundation you build it on. You can’t build a Smart Hospital without robust, secure digital infrastructure. AI, RPM, automation and realtime data only succeed if the layer supporting them is properly designed and supported.” 

Meghan Edwards, one of the Ideal team who manned the Ideal UMA stand for both days, reflected on her experience: 

“It was inspiring to see the passion across the NHS for improving patient experience, easing staff burden and modernising care environments. If you visited our stand, thank you. If you’d like to continue the conversation, I’d love to chat.”