The Association for Passive Optical LAN (APOLAN) has released the findings of its APOLAN member survey, showcasing the top three benefits of POL technology adoption.
APOLAN's member survey tabulated collective responses from APOLAN member companies, including top IT vendors, manufacturers, distributors, system integrators and consultants in the networking space. The survey results highlight three primary benefits customers are actively looking for when determining the best LAN networking strategy for their building or campus.
Per APOLAN, these benefits are described as follows:
- 1) Passive Optical LAN synergies with wireless innovations -- "The wireless industry is continuing to grow and change with increasing bandwidth needs and lower latency requirements aiming to exceed the high throughput and connectivity demands of today's mobile environment with the introduction of Wi-Fi 6. No matter what the latest wireless technologies or service offerings might be (i.e. 5G, Wi-Fi, or DAS), the industry is realizing that copper-based LANs can't keep pace with communications and IT demands. Fortunately, investing in fiber infrastructure is undeniably best for all variations of voice, video, data, DAS, Wi-Fi, security, building automation and other network services. Regardless of the innovation, POL is a natural complement to wireless infrastructures. The use of singlemode network fiber cabling inside buildings and across extended campuses delivers optimal synergies with the evolution of wireless standards, networks and innovations."
- 2) Technology capabilities for today and the future -- "Unlike copper-based LANs, POL converges all services on one network while enabling unparalleled speed, performance, reliability and future-proof scalability that can address growth and technology innovation for years to come. In addition to its superior technological capabilities, POL is a secure infrastructure that addresses traditional network points of vulnerability. And, due to its extended network reach, it does not have any of the traditional demarcations of a traditional copper-based network. POL also has the added benefits of centralized network intelligence management, which enables architectural flexibility to optimize software-defined networks."
- 3) Investment protection with lower CAPEX and OPEX -- "There is significant investment protection when implementing POL technologies. When it comes to CAPEX, POL eliminates the need expensive hardware network equipment typically required in traditional copper-based networks. POL also delivers a lifecycle of more than 10 years, limiting the need, and associated expenses, of continuous network upgrades. It also increases OPEX savings with lower maintenance and management requirements, as well as lower energy and cooling needs. On top of these monetary benefits, POL uses very little space, allowing for the conversion of the extra space to more revenue-generating areas."
"APOLAN has tapped into the industry's top networking movers and shakers to provide valuable information on what customers should consider when determining the right network infrastructure to keeping pace with today's ever-changing communications and IT environments," said Matt Miller, AECOM Technology Solutions networks leader and APOLAN chairman. "By providing this valuable insight, we are arming the industry with the information needed to make smart business decisions."
The recent survey was open to all association members to provide insights into the key network and technology trends and topics relevant to today's evolving market. For more information, visit http://www.apolanglobal.org/.