Why Do I Need Structured Cabling?

In most office settings, people generally pay little attention to what goes on “behind the scenes.” Why? Usually it’s because they don’t understand or have no interest. Think about it, have you really ever wondered how your phone rings or how your computer works? You don’t, your main focus is that they work.

The reason why is actually pretty simple, cabling; more specifically, structured cabling. And though you don’t need to understand exactly how it works; it is necessary to know why it’s so important.

A History Lesson

Let’s first take a brief step back in time and look at where digital communication came from. Believe it or not, this concept celebrated its 173rd birthday this year. In 1844 the Telegraph was invented by Samuel Morse who used it to send a message from Washington to Baltimore, 37 miles away (i.e. Morse Code). This device could transmit about 2-3 dots or dashes per second, and though it may seem mundane compared to today’s technology, the idea remains the same.

In the 1970’s the Zerox Corporation developed the Ethernet and standardized the system with DEC and Intel in 1979, allowing everyone to use it. In 1980 they created the ‘DIX Standard,” a 10 MB per second system. (10,000,000 1’s and 0’s per second). Today’s technology allows us to communicate over 1,000,000,000 different 1’s and 0’s literally every second.

Now you know a little bit about where digital communication came from. But why should you care, right? Well, the fact that you’re reading this either on a computer or phone is a one reason. Somewhere a cable is being used to power the Wi-Fi you’re using. In some room in the back of your office, a data rack full of ports and cables all plugged in systematically is the reason your business is running so smoothly.

Structured cabling is essentially the “digital plumbing” to your home or office. It’s what keeps things organized and functioning properly. With an unorganized system, it is incredibly easy for mistakes to be made.

Think of it as a puzzle, each piece fits into a certain place to form the picture. You form the image by looking at the colors or shapes on each piece. But what if every piece was blank, could you solve the puzzle? Without organization (structured cabling) how would you know which cable or port belongs to which device?

The Benefits

 1. Management with Ease

Without structured cabling your IT room can become one jumbled, out-of-control mess. If your system is organized, changes can be made easily and quickly, causing little to no disruption to the organization as a whole. When there’s a problem, you’ll be able to find which system is faulty, faster.

2. Unification is Key

Structured cabling unifies your IT network for multiple platforms, data, voice, and even video. This reduces the need for constant updates and in the long run will drastically lower any maintenance costs.

3. Expansion Capabilities

A higher bandwidth goes hand-in-hand with structured cabling, meaning future applications can be easily supported. If your company adds video conferencing down the road, your system won’t be interrupted, and this change will vertically go unnoticed.

4. Aesthetics Matter

Regardless of how you feel about organization, the opinion of your customer's matter. Structured cabling creates a cleaner and less cluttered look allowing you to focus on what really matters, your business.