When a device stops working on a college campus, the technology team has to step up to figure out why. Is there an issue with the device or the network … or with the local power supply?
In most cases, answering this question takes time. Once device and network problems are ruled out, a technician needs to find the device’s outlet or power supply, confirm whether it’s receiving power, and continue to trace the issue to identify the problem: a failed power supply, a tripped circuit, an issue in the building’s electrical infrastructure, etc.
This often requires teams to gain access to multiple spaces and involve several teams. A wireless access point might be located in a classroom, while the telecom closet or electrical panel that supports it sits elsewhere in the building (or in another part of campus). IT might be responsible for the device and network connection, but facilities management handles power. Different people are needed to investigate separate parts of the infrastructure and determine who’s responsible for fixing the issue.
As campuses rely on more technology in more places, each new deployment adds another power arrangement that teams have to manage. Digital Electricity® gives campuses a more centralized, consistent way to deliver power so technology is easier to support and manage.
Why Distributed Power Makes Technology Hard to Manage
Traditional power distribution can’t provide a centralized view of the power that serves all the devices spread across residence halls, classrooms, the library, athletic complexes, and outdoor spaces.
The technology team may know a device is offline, but they don’t often have a clear view of the path that powers it. The outlet, local power supply, circuit, and electrical panel it depends on may be hard to identify.
This visibility challenge becomes even more pronounced when technology is deployed in places that weren’t originally planned to support it:
- A new wireless access point is installed in an atrium that wasn’t designed to accommodate power infrastructure
- A camera is added along a campus walkway to improve visibility and support safety, even though no convenient power source is available
- A digital display is placed at a building entrance despite the space not being designed to support always-on technology
In these cases, power has to be extended to or adapted for the device as an additional requirement on top of planning and coordination to connect each device to the network,
When it comes time to maintain and troubleshoot these systems, technology teams are left to support a range of local power arrangements that differ from one device location to the next. This makes it difficult to establish a consistent, campus-wide support model. Device outages take longer to resolve, leaving students, faculty, and staff without the services they need until the problem is identified and fixed—and adding to the workloads of teams that are already stretched thin.
Digital Electricity Makes Campus Tech Easier to Support
Digital Electricity® gives campuses a reliable way to deliver power, making it consistent with how distributed technology is planned, deployed, and supported.
Creates a Consistent Power Model for Every Deployment
Rather than placing a separate outlet and local power supply at every device location, Digital Electricity extends power from a centralized transmitter to a receiver near the device that needs it.
With this centralized power architecture, Digital Electricity helps teams establish and follow a repeatable approach for technology deployment and management. When a device goes offline or a new device is deployed, there’s a standard process to follow (and it could look something like this):
- Confirm which endpoint is affected and where it’s located
- Review the managed power path
- Determine whether the issue is power-related
- Get the right people involved based on what the issue requires
Gives Teams a Clearer Starting Point for Troubleshooting
With traditional distribution, a device can appear offline, but staff may still have to go onsite to determine whether power is the cause.
With Digital Electricity, teams can check the centrally managed power system first. Instead of locating and physically testing local power components, they can determine whether the managed power circuit is operating and whether a fault has occurred.
This can shorten the time spent deciding who needs to respond and where they need to go. Before requesting access to an occupied classroom, residence hall, or restricted space, teams can determine whether an onsite visit is even necessary instead of sending staff across campus simply to rule out a power issue.
Enables Simultaneous Power and Data Planning
Rather than treating power as a separate requirement to address after a device location is selected, teams can plan it alongside the fiber connection that carries data to the device. Digital Electricity can be run with fiber in the same pathway, extending power and connectivity from the same central location.
This gives teams one infrastructure plan to maintain rather than separate plans for connectivity and local power. When a new device is added, teams can account for network connectivity and power in the same deployment rather than tackling power requirements after the network connection is installed.
A Better Way to Support Connected Campus Systems
Digital Electricity brings power closer to the centralized management model campuses already use for networked technology. Instead of building each deployment around power availability at specific locations, teams can apply the same managed power approach across appropriate systems and locations.
For campuses with a mix of older buildings, newer facilities, and constantly changing technology needs, this consistency makes connected systems easier to manage so teams can spend their time on making sure the technology and services people rely on are available and working as expected.
Learn more: https://go.voltserver.com/higher-education
