Cree’s new SmartCast is a power-over-Ethernet (PoE)-based lighting platform that is being combined with Cisco’s Digital Ceiling framework. It is, according to the Cree press release, the first LED lighting platform that is ready for mass deployment with the Cisco platform.

SmartCast enables the Internet of Things (IoT) to be put to use in improving lighting and otherwise improving the comfort and conditions in a building. The use of PoE, according to the release, means that the technology can deliver 70 percent savings than standard LED lighting. PoE is based on the ability to deliver enough electricity over Ethernet cables to make an independent power source unnecessary.

PoE is conceivably a more important addition to the LED tool chest than the IoT. Together, the three – LED, the IoT and PoE – have significant potential.