Structured cabling, often referred to as structured network cabling, is the process of organizing an infrastructure of cables made up of small, standardized elements. It helps to simplify and organize a business’s cabling system to help support rapid advancements in technology. This can be used for a number of purposes including large-scale projects such as structuring the physical layer of a data center or a smaller scale project such as organizing various cables in a conference room. 

Businesses all shapes and sizes can benefit from this type of service. You may have heard this term before but you’ve likely thought “how does this really benefit me, and are the benefits worth the investment?” Today, we are going to discover just that. In this article, we will help you understand structured cabling better by discussing the benefits it brings and what it means for businesses. 

6 Major Benefits of Structured Cabling

Structured cabling is extremely important to a business’s technology infrastructure. It allows for growth and keeps the physical layer of the technological infrastructure from descending into chaos.  

While every organization is different, there are a number of reasons ways they can benefit from structured cabling:

Makes systems easier to manage

Businesses have a number of technologies that require the use of cabling. Oftentimes, these different technologies are set up one at a time over time as an organization’s technological needs grow. This creates a number of different setup designs, cables start to become disorganized and determining how each system has been set up gets confusing over time. 

By utilizing structured cabling, an organization has an easier time managing all its systems because they are all organized in the same matter. This causes less frustration and tech changes become easier to manage.

Adaptable

In today’s competitive business environment, an organization needs to easily adapt to technological changes. Structured cabling helps organizations to future proof their technology investments by making it easier to upgrade or add technology. 

Structured cabling systems provide very high bandwidth for technology and also make implementing changes a snap. This means that when an organization needs to implement newer technology, such as improved video conferencing, their systems will already be equipped to handle the implementation with little change required. 

Flexible

Much like it’s ability to improve adaptability, the structured system provides flexibility due to its ease of management. This makes it easier to accommodate new changes and upgrades.

With the speed of technological changes, many businesses need IT systems that are easily scalable. They also need to react quickly and easily. Creating a completely new design or running cables through ceilings every time a new device gets added is inefficient. For organizations who need the ease and flexibility of adding, or changing technology quickly, structured cabling helps.  

Limits downtime

With an unorganized design, IT professionals can take a long time to identify the source of an issue, troubleshoot and fix it. They will need to sort through a mess of cables and take additional time organizing cables before they even can begin resolving issues.  It can also lead to confusion and mistakes in the initial setup process. 

With structured cabling, an IT professional can more quickly troubleshoot and fix issues. This means less time spent fixing issues and less time spent by employees waiting around for problems to get fixed.

Cost-effective

Structured cabling is not just affordable, but it saves money for diagnostic issues, servicing, repairs, upgrades and new installations. When an IT technician can get to the root cause of an issue sooner or can install new technology faster, it saves the organization time and money spent on tech support services.

Keeps areas cleaner and organized

One of the biggest overlooked benefits of structured cabling is the ability to keep an organization’s cables neat and tidy. Instead of having cables sprawled across the floor, hanging out of open spaces or randomly strung up on the ceiling, structured cabling organizes cables together and in most cases hides them from site. This allows a business to maintain its professional look but it also prevents cables from being damaged. 

From corporate organizations to school campuses and even retail shops, many can benefit structured cabling.

Who does Structured Cabling Benefit?

When it comes to structured cabling, there are various business types with different technological needs that can benefit. Corporate work environments, medical facilities, entertainment venues, industrial facilities, retail establishments, schools, and the list of who can benefit goes on in on.

Essentially, anything with cables and modern technology can utilize structured cabling. Here are a few examples:

• Conference rooms
• Data centers
• Security systems
• Audiovisual setups
• Telecommunications
• Wifi and wireless network systems

If cables are run through it, then it can potentially be a situation for structured cabling. If you have a question in mind or wondering if structured cabling is right for you then make sure to connect with a structured cabling company like us here at Systcom.

Taking security measures such as installing security cameras is crucial now more than ever for businesses. Not only does it help protect the business and its employees but it also provides the ability to access footage if something were to happen. A business’s security decisions should not be done haphazardly, which is why we want to help businesses ensure the proper installation of security cameras and systems. 

Choosing the Security Camera Features That Best Fit Your Needs

Modern technology has given us the ability to provide more than a simple camera setup. As a business owner, you have access to a number of features and camera systems that allow you the best protection necessary. 

• Closed-circuit (CCTV)
• Remote Monitoring
• 360-degree fisheye (i.e. no blindspots)
• Full-color display
• HD imaging
• Cloud storage
• Motion sensor capabilities
• Intrusion detection
• Mobile alerts
• Unattended baggage detection
• Wireless options
• Waterproof cameras

All these various technologies have been designed because of the various needs businesses have. This is why it’s important to think about what your business truly needs.

Do you want to deter intruders? Is employee theft a potential issue? Does your organization want to provide safety for everyone across the campus grounds? When a business knows what they hope to gain by installing security cameras, it makes the decision of choosing which security features a much easier one. 

Of course, when you work with a professional installation company, you will also have the expertise of trained technicians to help design the security setup or give insights into features your business would benefit the most from.

Why CCTV Cameras are so Popular

A quick note on the popularity of CCTV camera systems. Security cameras have seen many innovations over the years so many business owners ask about the relevance of CCTV security cameras. With the advancements in technology, CCTV security cameras are still amongst the most popular form of surveillance. These types of cameras are installed far more often than any type of system. And here’s why:

• Reliable
• Viewed on a monitor and also is recorded
• Runs all the time, not just when motion detected
• Uses a closed-loop system that doesn’t require an internet connection (internet connections can lead to vulnerabilities)

CCTV camera systems for business are simple, reliable and because they have been around for so long, generally come with everything necessary to protect your business day and night.

Think Beyond the Security Camera

When it comes to protecting your business, you should think in terms of fully integrated security, not just having security cameras installed. Security cameras themselves only offer surveillance. This is great for deterring potential intruders or reviewing footage in case something happens but in and of themselves they are not the most efficient way to protect your business.

An integrated security system provides improved security in a number of ways:

• Better security
• More control
• Better access and monitoring capabilities
• Improved ease of use

Traditionally, security systems parts were isolated and would function independently. With an integrated security system, each component “talks” to the others allowing them to function together. This means if one system identifies an issue, the rest of the systems will be notified. It also means businesses have the ability to monitor any and all their systems wherever they are.

When there is an intruder, managers and ownership want to be notified immediately. When something happens while the business is closed, they want remote access. Some businesses have areas where access control via keycard or biometrics makes better sense than lock and key. These are the things an integrated system will allow for.

An integrated security system gives businesses more protection but it also gives them the ability to stop issues in real-time. 

Why Businesses Should Choose a Professional Installer

Nearly everything is available for purchase on the internet. Especially with the rise in connected devices, many businesses debate the merits of hiring a professional installer vs installing a simple security system themselves. 

With technological skills and help from Youtube, it is possible to install security cameras in your own business. However, it’s not the wisest business practice as you could leave your business vulnerable in a number of ways:

• Blind spots for intruders to bypass
• Shotty imaging makes it hard to identify suspects
• Lack of integration leaving the systems inefficient
• Untested systems leading to later vulnerabilities

A business may save a little bit of money upfront with a DIY install job, but if an incident were to occur, the money and time lost would far outweigh any financial benefits gained. 

Proper installation from an experienced technician, on the other hand, comes with many benefits:

• Improved Security with the right systems in place
• Less likely chance of blind spots with proper design
• Ease of use and excellent functionality with proper integration
• Cleaner looks and smoother updates with structured cabling
• Knowledge and expertise

A professional can design the system to ensure there are no blind spots and the systems being installed make sense for the business’s needs. They ensure proper installation and run tests to make sure. And they are also there to help service the systems later or make themselves available if the business has questions. 

Not only is it oftentimes more beneficial financially in the long run to hire a professional but it can also save a business many headaches and a lot of time. 

As a business seeks to protect itself and its employees it should ensure they have the right features, a properly integrated system and that the job is done by a professional who will do it right.