Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1414667
October/November/December 2021 I 63 Latin American Program at the Wilson Center 8 proposes using U.S. domestic economic policies to improve cooper- ation between U.S. businesses and the Greater Caribbean Community (GCC), which includes Central America. This spells promise for PoE's acceptance and adoption, something Jimenez believes is much simpler when working with tech-forward project leaders. PROPOSALS, IMPLEMENTATIONS SMOOTHER WITH TECH-FORWARD CLIENTS With Codisa, Jimenez says, "Proposing PoE was easy given the company's knowledge of and comfort with networking. They know about the power of technology, which is why they are inclined to adopt PoE. Everything from proposal to install was simple, and we've had no issues. The solution has been working well." Neil Corradine, managing partner of the project's IoT consulting company, recalls a similar response. "As soon as we brought up PoE with Codisa, they loved the story. They got all their engineers together to learn more and ultimately chose to go with PoE. The main driver was innovation. They want to show their customers they have the latest, the best across every product or tool. That's the impression they give every customer they take through the space." "PoE is following the same trajectory as VoIP," Hybrid configurations should ultimately be viewed as a bridge to a full PoE model. Hybrid projects are great for creating familiarity and comfort with using PoE as a backbone for a smart lighting or building project but will hamper the overall return on investment (ROI) of a project. Today, most PoE projects in the United States are now fully PoE. ECONOMIC POLICIES AND SUSTAINABILITY GOALS ADVANCE ACCEPTANCE Jimenez believes Costa Rica's burgeoning commitment to sustainability, as well as the influx of multinational high-tech companies like HP, IBM, and Intel to the region will soon turn the tide of PoE adoption. High energy costs in Costa Rica have accelerated the country's focus on renewable energy. In the last four years, the country has generated more than 98 percent of its electricity from renewable sources and aims to be carbon-neutral by the end of 2021. 6 Guanacaste, which is known as Costa Rica's "capital of renewable energy," has taken on a number of wind, solar and geothermal energy projects. 7 Regarding the relocation of high-tech companies to the area, the trend is expected to continue, particularly with the pandemic's influence on remote labor and changes to U.S. policy. A recent report released by the Jimenez continues. "It took ten years before people understood that was the way to go and were willing to make the investment. Faster and wider adoption will take comfort, education, patience, and time. But for those willing to make the invest- ment, there's a lot of potential, especially in Costa Rica. We have a lot of very important projects taking place." Corradine again concurs. "Costa Rica is a very open econ- omy that is friendly to foreign investors. There is also a high value placed on ingenuity." UPDATED! BICSI'S FLAGSHIP RCDD ® PROGRAM FOR ICT DESIGNERS Begin your journey to elite BICSI RCDD certification. Visit bicsi.org/rcdd for details.