What PoE Consortium does

The PoE Consortium is a membership-based industry organization that promotes the adoption of Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology in smart building applications. Founded as a joint initiative by leading PoE companies including Cisco, Molex, and Legrand, the consortium serves a member base of more than 30 companies spanning cabling, connectors, networking, lighting, controls, AV, and electrical contracting. It operates as a standards-promotion and education body, providing resources that help designers, integrators, and building owners specify and deploy PoE-powered systems for lighting, shading, and other low-voltage loads.

The consortium's core deliverables include a Resource Library, a Design Library, and a PoE Calculator tool that supports system specification. It also publishes case studies (notably the Mouser Electronics Class 4 PoE lighting deployment) and develops position statements on evolving standards such as Class 4 PoE. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors (most recently elected in February 2025) and operates under a formal Code of Ethics approved in November 2022.

The business model is built on tiered annual membership dues: Patron Members pay $5,000, General Members pay $1,000, and Observers pay $250, with additional revenue from sponsor contributions, training programs, and educational events. Members include major OEMs (Cisco, Molex, Legrand, Somfy, Southwire, Lantronix, Mecho), integrators (CDI Technologies, Innovative Light), trade organizations (NECA, IBEW 520, Electrical Training Alliance), and media/community partners (Let's Talk Cabling Podcast).

Name

PoE Consortium

Legal name

PoE Consortium

Website

https://poeconsortium.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PoE Consortium is a membership-based industry organization, founded by Cisco, Molex, and Legrand, that promotes Power over Ethernet adoption in smart buildings through standards work, educational resources, and design tools for a 30+ member ecosystem of OEMs, integrators, and trade organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Smart Building Industry Consortium

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Power over Ethernet (PoE) Switching (HDAFAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Power over Ethernet (PoE) Cabling & Connectivity Components (HDAFALAJ), Industrial PoE Switching (PoE/PoE+/PoE++) (HDAFAJAC)

Keywords

• Power over ethernet
• Smart building consortium
• PoE lighting education
• Building automation advocacy
• PoE standards resources

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues collected at three tiers: Patron Member ($5,000/year), General Member ($1,000/year), and Observer ($250/year). Membership benefits include voting rights, committee participation, logo display on website, and discounts on educational materials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The PoE Consortium is an industry membership organization that provides a collaborative platform for owners, designers, and contractors to access education, design resources, and best practices for Power over Ethernet lighting and automation in smart buildings. Its core offering is a tiered annual membership program (Patron, General, Observer) bundled with online resource libraries, design tools, case studies, and standards-aligned guidance built around IEEE 802.3af/at/bt PoE.

Product overview

PoE Consortium is an industry organization (a joint venture by leading Power over Ethernet companies) that provides a collaborative platform for education, advocacy, and best practice sharing rather than a commercial product. Its offerings include a Resource Library of educational content (articles, case studies, webinars), a Design Library of standardized building design elements, the PoE Calculator and PoE Specifier's Guide tools, a tiered membership program, and planned training courses for installers and integrators. The organization focuses on promoting PoE technology adoption in smart buildings through awareness, education, and industry collaboration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PoE Consortium Membership Program Tiered annual membership program with three levels - Patron Member ($5,000/year), General Member ($1,000/year), and Observer ($250/year), plus free Student Observer tier - offering voting rights, committee participation, website logo placement, event invitations, and discounts on educational materials. Available to companies and individuals in the PoE smart building industry, with board approval required for Patron and General levels.
• PoE Calculator Online tool that estimates power budget, cable loss, and assists in troubleshooting PoE installations based on the chosen PoE standard (IEEE 802.3af, 802.3at, 802.3bt), cable type (Cat-5e, Cat-6, Cat-7), voltage, and distance. Targeted at building designers, contractors, and integrators planning PoE deployments.
• PoE Specifier's Guide Downloadable workbook and guide that helps users select the right Power over Ethernet equipment for their specific application requirements, including PSE and PD selection guidance across IEEE 802.3af, 802.3at, and 802.3bt standards. Targeted at specifiers, designers, and integrators.

Quantifiable outcome

• PoE can save 30% on projects where separate power infrastructure would otherwise require licensed electrician permits
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Mecho (MechoShade)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner and board member contributing PoE-enabled shading solutions. David Robinson from Mecho serves as President of the consortium. Mecho collaborated with Cisco on ground-breaking PoE work at One Penn Plaza.
• CiscocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatron member and board participant. Bob Cicero serves as Cisco Americas Smart Building Leader and board member. Cisco collaborated with Mecho on PENN 1 office deployment and hosts smart building expert panel discussions.
• MolexcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatron member contributing digital enterprise and IoT solutions. Giovanni Frezza serves as Director of Digital Enterprise and IoT Solutions. Board member representation through Cory Souders.
• LantronixmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember company providing PoE++ switches. Partnered with Sinclair Digital to power Mouser Electronics' warehouse with the world's largest DC-Powered warehouse using Class 4 PoE lighting.
• Sinclair DigitalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember company providing smart building solutions. Luis Suau serves on board of directors. Partnered on Mouser Electronics warehouse project and Sinclair Hotel all-digital hotel deployment.
• SomfymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember company providing motorized shading solutions. Powers PoE-enabled shades and draperies in the first all-digital hotel (Sinclair Hotel) demonstrating smart building integration.
• Electrical Training AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember company providing industry training. Jim Simpson serves as Secretary on the leadership team. Involved in consortium's educational initiatives and training programs.
• LegrandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember company providing electrical and network infrastructure solutions for smart buildings.
• NECA (National Electrical Contractors Association)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization connecting consortium with electrical contractors. Joint efforts on webinars about PoE adoption for building owners and contractors.
• Let's Talk Cabling PodcastminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPodcast platform where David Robinson discusses PoE technology, standards, education and membership. Observer-level supporter.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• CABA (Continental Automated Buildings Association): Member-funded industry association advancing intelligent/smart buildings across North America. Most direct functional peer to the PoE Consortium because it is also a multi-stakeholder trade group that produces research, education, and events for the smart-building ecosystem.
• Ethernet Alliance: Industry alliance promoting Ethernet technology evolution. Comparable because PoE is delivered over Ethernet, and the two organizations operate in the same standards-promotion lane for the underlying physical layer.
• LonMark International: Standards-based industry association promoting open systems for building automation. Closely comparable in mission, structure, and member-base profile to the PoE Consortium, though focused on a competing building-automation protocol.
• BACnet International: Industry trade group that promotes a specific building-automation protocol (BACnet). Structurally comparable to the PoE Consortium: a vendor-led association that educates the market, runs a member program, and advocates for a specific standard in smart buildings.

Broad incumbents

• NECA (National Electrical Contractors Association): Larger trade association representing electrical contractors, including those deploying PoE systems. The PoE Consortium is already a NECA member; NECA is the broader incumbent peer because it covers all electrical contracting rather than specializing in PoE.
• Illuminating Engineering Society (IES): Recognized authority on illumination and lighting standards. Comparable because PoE lighting deployments require IES-aligned lighting design practice, and IES represents the broader incumbent in the lighting-education space the PoE Consortium increasingly addresses.
• BICSI: Global professional association for ICT infrastructure design and installation, including cabling and low-voltage systems that overlap directly with PoE deployment. Comparable because it provides installer credentials, standards-based education, and a similar member dues model aimed at contractors and integrators.
• Wi-Fi Alliance: Global non-profit that certifies and promotes Wi-Fi standards. Comparable as a large, mature, membership-funded standards body whose model and certification mechanics (testing, branding, member tiers) the PoE Consortium could plausibly scale toward.
• ASHRAE: Global professional society for HVAC&R and smart building systems. Relevant incumbent peer because PoE increasingly powers HVAC controls and ASHRAE sets overlapping building-performance standards that PoE-enabled smart buildings must satisfy.
• Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA / Zigbee Alliance): Industry alliance driving open standards for IoT including Matter, Zigbee, and Thread. Comparable as a membership-funded standards body, and a competitive peer because Matter/Thread devices overlap with low-power endpoints PoE also targets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/poe-consortium

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PoE Consortium