open, integrated smart building systems. For example, data in a spreadsheet can
easily be imported or exported to an ODBC-compliant database.
Power over Ethernet
When the first wave VoIP telephones and WAPs were installed they required
two cables—one telecommunications cable to connect to the data network
and another cable to a local power outlet. Older telephone systems never
required local power for telephones because they were powered from a central
telephone system, typically a private branch exchange (PBX). Many locations
for VoIP telephones and wireless access points did not have local power avail-
able and power had to be installed at considerable cost. So the need for electric
power for the first VoIP telephones and WAPs undercut the attractiveness and
cost effectiveness of those technologies.
Application (e.g.,
spreadsheet, data access
interface) that passes SQL
statements to and receives
data from driver manager
Loads the drivers for the
application
Application
Driver Manager
Driver
Database
Receives ODBC commands
from Driver Manager,
submits SQL requests to
Database, and returns
results to Application
Database Management
Systems with associated
operating system
Figure 2.10 ODBC configuration.
The Foundations of a Smart Building 27