Quality Infrastructure

Traditional commercial clocks use either battery or AC power. Battery-operated units require regular battery replacement and in a large organization this becomes a significant expense. Batteries contain acids and heavy metals so should be recycled, which incurs an additional fee, rather than thrown in the trash. AC powered clocks require a nearby outlet and often locations providing the best clock visibility are also farthest from electrical outlets. This means hiring an electrician to come in and install a new outlet, and that can easily come to hundreds of dollars.

Ethernet clocks don't need a separate power connection as they draw electricity from the network through PoE (Power over Ethernet) technology. Since Ethernet is low voltage, if a new network port is required it doesn't require the services of an electrician. PoE devices use less energy than standard AC-powered devices.

Less Maintenance

As mentioned above, commercial clocks that run on batteries require regular battery changes. This not only incurs the cost of the battery but also associated personnel expenses. Staff has to take the time to order batteries, maintain an internal inventory, and actually spend the time going to each unit and replacing the power source.

AC-powered clocks have to be reset after a power failure, often even a split-second power hiccup. Every clock in the building starts blinking 12:00 and has to be reset. Both battery and AC commercial clocks have to be changed twice a year as we go on and off daylight savings time. These activities mean lost work and though the loss may seem minor, it can actually have significant effects on productivity. Ethernet clocks automatically synchronize to a central time signal. A centralized UPS unit ensures all units continue to function even during power failures.

Synchronized Time

One of the most underappreciated advantages of commercial clocks using Ethernet connections is the company-wide time synchronization. Everyone in the organization is operating on the same time. When a meeting is at 10am that means the same thing to everyone. No longer will people trickle in according to what their little corner of the universe considered 10 am.

Efficient integrated workflows require all departments go on and off shift at the same time. If Department A ends their day ten minutes early because that's when their clocks say the day is over, everyone else has ten minutes of dead time they can't do anything that depends on Department A. Then when Department A shows up 10 minutes early in the morning, they can't get their day started until all the other departments show up. Ethernet-synchronized clocks eliminate productivity lost due to overlapping shift changes.