Structured Cabling Can Save Your Company Money and Time

Written By Steve Bryan

As a business grows and changes, it typically will add new voice and data lines, but this can be a time-consuming and costly process depending on how the office was originally wired. Switching to structured cabling can reduce the long-term expenses involved with upgrading your network.

A standardized approach to cabling
Developed through the efforts of the Electronics Industry Association (EIA) and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), structured cabling is, by definition, a set of standards that can be used when installing network cables.

Using the structured approach, every office in your building or suite is wired the same way, with multiple ports for voice, data and video transmissions. All these cables lead back to a centralized "patch panel," which makes it easy for a technician to repair or replace defective cables and redirect data.

The rise of TIA/EIA 568
In 1991, the two industry organizations released a structured cabling standard, which became known as TIA/EIA 568. Since that time, changing technologies prompted the TIA/EIA to regularly upgrade their standards to meet the needs of the modern business world, including the growing popularity of fiber optics.

Many structured networks these days utilize Category 5 (Cat 5) or Category 5 Enhanced (Cat 5e) cabling for voice and data transmissions. Structured Cat 5 cabling is good for phone systems or a token ring, a tried-and-true network design in which only one computer has control of the network at any one time.

Benefits of structured cabling
Though these cabling standards are not required by law, the structured approach makes good business sense for a number of reasons:

• Future needs: Typically, running new cable involves tearing up walls and floors, which is both costly and messy. Adding standard voice and data ports to every office at one time makes it easy to set up new workstations.
  

  If your company plans to build a new office building, a structured configuration is a wise addition. A standardized network typically has a longer lifespan than one that doesn't adhere to TIA/EIA standards, which reduces your long-term networking costs.

• Standardized equipment: Many manufacturers produce cables and equipment that meet the standards set by the TIA/EIA. If your network adheres to industry standards, you should have little or no trouble finding replacement parts.
• Employee turnover: With a structured network, a new employee who is well-versed in TIA/EIA standards will take less time to adjust to your network.
• Industry support: The Structured Cabling Association (SCA) increases awareness about this type of cabling and can be a good resource when setting up your network.

BuyerZone can connect you to multiple structured cabling providers in your area – just fill out our free, simple price quote request form and you'll be on your way to a successful structured cabling project.