What is a UPS?
An uninterruptable power supply, or a “UPS”, protects your business IT infrastructure during moments downtime. Businesses invest in this product primarily because unforeseen power cuts can stop business operations, lead to data loss, and damage hardware.
UPS’s serve not only businesses but also gamers and individuals working at home who can benefit from reliable backup when issues arise.
Benefits
As touched on above, UPS units are beneficial to businesses, gamers, and at home workers because they keep things going as usual and dodge any issues with work or data loss. Below is a list of the benefits of owning a UPS unit.
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Voltage regulation
Voltage refers to the force that pushes electric charges through a conductor, like a wire. Irregular voltage to devices can cause damage, and so a UPS unit ensures that voltage is regulated for each device. For example, voltage that is below the standard can cause devices to flicker or malfunction, having a knock-on effect on the wider business, like slowing down work or interrupting uploads, etc.
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Protection from power surges
Power surges can be caused by lightning strikes, power grid issues, or switching on/off devices and can cause damage or failure to IT hardware. A UPS ensures that during events like these, devices can be kept up and running with enough time to shutdown properly and avoid damage or failure.
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Remote management
Users need to monitor and ensure that a UPS unit is performing accordingly. However, a UPS is usually kept in a server room, which means coming into work or deploying others to do this for you, which, with permissions, keys, and security, can be a hassle. Now, most UPS’s offer a form of remote management. Now you can check a live UPS dashboard to check battery levels, power status, and even troubleshoot issues.
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Improved productivity
By keeping the power on through critical events, productivity is improved and time is not lost. Work and data are not lost and restarted at a later time, and work can be continued quicker when the power restarts. This not only goes for business use but also for gaming. A gaming UPS is a great piece of kit to introduce to your long sessions and ensure that your games are saved and up-to-date and your equipment stays in good condition.
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Cost-effective ownership
In relation to all the benefits listed above, owning a UPS can save your business money. Without a UPS, for example, a power cut might cause a setback on company deadlines, costing money and a dent in your business reputation as punctual and organised. Data loss can potentially cause a breach in GDPR compliance, which can also be a costly consequence of not using a UPS.
Considerations
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Lifetime
UPS units have a lifetime of up to 3-5 years and will need replacing based on their age and how well they are looked after.
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Battery Replacement
UPS’s need for battery replacements can be judged by how healthy the battery is. For example, if the battery loses its charge quickly or the UPS fails to provide back-up power, then this might be a sign to replace. As back up power is the purpose of a UPS, replacing it when needed is imperative to the success of using a UPS unit in the first place.
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Capacity Load
When buying a UPS, consider the load capacity and devices you’ll need to connect to it. You want to be able to comfortably have back-up power for the devices in your business.
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Topology
Topology refers to the type of UPS units available. For example, Standby, Line-Interactive, Online Double conversion, and more. Each topology will offer different protection levels and features, so ensure you choose the one that fits your unique business needs.
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Form Factor
UPS’s come in different shapes and sizes, so be sure to choose one that will integrate seamlessly into your existing IT infrastructure. For example, APC’s gaming UPS’s are purposefully smaller to fit into a gaming set-up.
Here are some of our recommendations:
APC BX500MI Back-UPS 500VA, 230V, AVR, IEC Sockets
Cost-effective power protection solution for home and home office environments.
APC BX2200MI 2200VA Back-UPS, 230V, AVR, IEC Sockets
Perfect for home and business office environments.
APC BR650MI Back-UPS Pro 650VA
Suited for keep your home and office powered. The Pro series is designed to power medium to large businesses with higher power demands.
Conclusion
Overall, owning a UPS comes with many benefits that will encourage the success of your business by keeping it protected and up and running. Now that you know what to consider when buying a UPS, check out the APC range at Comms Express. APC offers UPS’s specifically for business, at home working, and gaming UPS’s to tailor to your needs.
Shop now at Comms Express.
