TINLEY PARK, Ill. — (February 10, 2025) — Panduit Corp. and Cisco announce an Engineering Alliance to accelerate the path to intelligent and sustainable workplaces. This collaboration harnesses the energy efficiencies of DC power distribution by leveraging Panduit Fault Managed Power System (FMPS) as a high voltage power backhaul for Cisco Catalyst Power over Ethernet (PoE) infrastructure. By integrating Panduit FMPS with Cisco Catalyst PoE, customers can create a more connected building while lowering energy consumption and costs through a safe, touch-friendly, and intelligent end-to-end DC microgrid solution.
“We are excited to catalyze customers’ digital strategies and energy efficiency goals through DC power distribution,” said Brett Lane, Panduit Chief Technology Officer. “As the first UL-certified FMP solution, Panduit is committed to ensuring customers can confidently deploy safe Class 4 power. We continue this commitment through our collaboration with Cisco to develop a long-term roadmap of validated end-to-end solutions and architectures.”
FMP, also referred to as Class 4 power systems in Article 726 of the 2023 National Electric Code, is a new power distribution technology that was standardized by UL Solutions through collaboration with Panduit, Cisco, and other industry leaders. This new category of power addresses the challenges of delivering higher power loads safely over extended distances, building upon the principles established by PoE technology.
“Technology ecosystems are key to accelerating innovation," said Fabio Gori, Vice President of Engineering Alliances at Cisco. "By bringing together some of the most advanced technologies across industries, we're solving complex challenges across industries, from the campus to the data center. Our Engineering Alliances program transforms these partnerships into solutions that customers can deploy with confidence, accelerating time-to-value and simplifying adoption.”
Electrification is impacting many economic sectors including buildings, which consume 74% of US electricity, equivalent to $370B in annual cost (US Dept. of Energy). Compared to traditional AC infrastructure, DC power distribution systems provide potential energy savings of up to 15% and enhanced digital power control capabilities. DC power distribution aligns naturally with renewable energy sources and energy storage systems, which inherently generate or store DC power. The synergy between DC power distribution and clean energy sources is set to transform how we power and manage modern commercial buildings. With Panduit leading in network and electrical infrastructure, and Cisco at the forefront of enterprise networks, the collaboration is uniquely positioned to address the increasing demand for digital connectivity and electrification of smart buildings while helping organizations reach their net-zero goals.
For more information about Panduit Cisco Engineering Alliance and Panduit FMPS, please visit
www.panduit.com/cisco.
