I hope your electrical contractor is well versed in telecom (especially Data Communications). Electrical contractors will install to NEC code which has little bearing on Data Transmission.
They will also install it to size for the project, not usually for future needs unless you spec it out.
I would say your initial costs/grading of cabling will depend on the probable leased time for your site, with that: the near future speed expectation of your applications & hardware (Check with those vendors)along with your telephone vendor.
Tough decision since there are so many variables & the costs are significant. Bfox statement "Think of it as a highway,your only as fast as your smallest link" is probably the most important thing to keep in mind.
What would you need to do to upgrade in the future while you will be occupying the site?
If upgrading later, cabling distribution is outside labor expensive & most companies that are occupied want the cabling work performed after hours. Most hardware & software upgrades are handled inhouse by the IT Group.
If you ran CAT6 for voice that will give you another Data grade device outlet for future if you went with VOIP down the road.
If you mainly deal with commercial accounts compared to consumers you will probably be entering into VOIP in the future(it will not go away & will get better, & if your company will be at the site for at least 6-10 years, think about the more expensive front end costs.
Good Luck
Steve
tele-dataservices.com
