A little under 15 million ports of Power over Ethernet (PoE) equipment are being shipped a year. That number does not match the hype created a few years back. The issues seem to go beyond standards (IEEE 802.3af, IEEE 802.3at). The main problem is that network owners are concerned with speed of their networks right now rather than the utilization of that network. Utilization aspect has taken a back seat for a while. Another major problem is the orientation of PoE market. It is an application driven market.

PoE is used only in very specific applications where its benefits are really seen and tangible to the market … for instance VoIP. It is the largest driver of PoE. Vendors have been able to push their IP Phones with the help of PoEs. Similarly WiFi and WiMAX are the other areas where PoE is getting traction.

But vendors see plenty of opportunities ahead such as the ability to power laptops. Segment leader Microsemi which holds over two-thirds of the market shipping about 10 million ports in 2006 expects its shipments to grow 50% annually. According to Microsemi, 80% to 90% of ethernet switch ports should be using PoE in years to come.