Preface

Power The heartbeat of any integrated security and life safety system. LifeSafety Power® Inc., Mundelein, Ill., is a perpetual innovator in the power and networking category. We understand how the market is changing and the role that proactive alerts, health statuses and other managed power solutions lend in providing critical uptime to access control, video and other physical security devices riding on the network. Now, managed power creates greater system uptime. This white paper: “Why Specify Managed Power Solutions?” has been written to provide an in-depth look at the critical need, and benefits, of including managed power in every integrated security specification. Our second white paper: “The Compelling ROI of Managed Power Solutions,” provides real-world job costs and calculations for a managed versus non-managed system approach and the actual cost savings from managed power. For more information on LifeSafety Power, visit www.lifesafetypower.com. 

Introduction

The movement of security devices to networks, along with the growing Internet of Things, has given rise to a host of issues and opportunities that not only enable these devices to work together to provide more effective security but also allow them to be monitored and supervised to ensure their continuing operation, and the increase of average uptime for the system. Increasingly, we humans are presented with an array of devices which help us monitor our own bodily performance - pulse, heart, skin temperature, light exposure and noise levels, for example. Of these and others, cardiovascular functions are arguably the most important. While the network may be compared to the body’s nervous system, it is the power system that bears closest resemblance to the heart. The power supply is the heart of any system, for without power, there is no system. Monitoring and managing the current flows through the system can lead to increased longevity and performance, as well as avoidance of unexpected surprises in the form of device failures. The concept of power monitoring and management is not new. For decades, electrical utilities have employed intelligent systems to maintain a continual flow of energy to their customers, constantly balancing the energy supply against user demand and rerouting flows when problems arise. 

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