A few short years ago choices in power supplies were pretty straightforward; often it came down to price. Linear power switches worked very well and power supplies were a necessary item that wasn’t given too much thought. Like much of the security industry recently, however, that has changed with the advent of lower-powered IP devices, Power over Ethernet (PoE), more IT influence in security, and a shift to more intelligence in all devices — including power supplies — that can actually help the security integrator increase his recurring revenue.
“For years the lowly power supply section of the industry has been almost a commodity product,” says Joseph Holland, vice president of engineering, Life Safety Power (LSP), Mundelein, Ill. “The [past the past six years] signify real change in the industry and a snapshot of what is coming down the road.”