Why Do I Need An Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)?
There’s no denying that technological advancements have made doing business more straightforward. However, as beneficial as IT may be, it certainly has its problems. What happens if you suddenly lose power while working with sensitive data? At best, the loss of power will be frustrating, but at worst, it could be disastrous. Fortunately, you can eliminate the risk of such a problem arising by investing in an uninterruptible power supply for computers from UPS Solutions.
Data is growing and over the next decade the amount of information managed by data centres will grow by a factor of 50. The resulting aggregate electricity use for data centres continues to grow, leaving mission critical facilities in a state of vulnerability. In order to be in line with the current trends in data, there is an ever-increasing pressure to achieve near-perfect power availability and efficiency. Today’s UPS power technology offers many tools to help you stay up to date.
How UPS works (and how it can benefit your business)
The cost of power outages can be significant for any business. To reduce the risk of data loss, downtime and increased costs, it is important to have a UPS power supply, generators and power management software solutions that can deliver backup power during outages.
A UPS continually regulates incoming voltage and provides battery backup in the event of a power failure. UPS uninterrupted power provides power for enough time to last the glitch of short power outages. But also protects in the event of longer outages by enabling the opportunity of a proper orderly shutdown of equipment. This means computers can continue running, there is no loss of data, no unexpected downtime and equipment is protected.
A UPS System commonly consists of a battery pack, a battery charger, an inverter system, a control system all contained within a casing. All the parts of the UPS System are critical to its correct operation and should be maintained for effective functioning.
The internal batteries of a UPS provide guaranteed continuous power while continually conditioning incoming power. Most UPS Systems commonly consist of a battery pack, a battery charger, an inverter system, a control system all contained within a casing. All the parts of the UPS System are critical to its correct operation and should be maintained for effective functioning.
In general, UPS power supply protects your business from costly downtime by protecting your critical equipment from problems that plague electrical supply. Ensuring business-critical applications are always on.
A UPS performs three basic functions:
Overcome the most common (and disruptive) power issues
There are various power issues that a UPS will correct depending on topology and functionality incorporated by the manufacturer. Without UPS power, critical equipment can easily be damaged from all, or some, of the 10 main power issues that affect mains power, otherwise known as, dirty power. In many cases, power issues can be undetectable and cause gradual damage to circuits and other components which is a major cause of premature equipment failure. Many power quality problems are missed and go unresolved.
The high-tech IT equipment and control units of today are more sensitive to electrical disturbances. They are also more important to the critical functions of many businesses than they were in the past. This results in power quality problems that are more frequent and much costlier than ever before. An uninterruptible power supply for servers protects your business from common power issues including the ones that go unnoticed so risk of lost revenue and data loss is reduced.
Leaving IT assets unprotected is a risk no company can afford, here are just a few reasons why protection from power issues is so important:
- Power outages can translate to substantial losses for the company affected, 33 percent of companies lose between $26,000-$595,000 AUD, 20 percent lose between $595,000-$2,600,000 AUD and 15 percent lose more than $2,600,000 AUD.
- Utility power isn’t clean. Electrical power can vary widely enough to cause significant problems for IT equipment.
- Utility power isn’t 100 percent reliable, with the number of power outages up 19 percent in Australia last year.
- The problems and risks are intensifying as today’s storage systems, servers and network devices use components that can falter and fail under power conditions.
- Generators aren’t enough as they take time to startup and provide no protection from power spikes and other electrical disturbances.
- Surge Protection isn’t enough as it can only protect from power spikes, not with other problems such as power loss, under-voltage and brownout conditions.
- Availability is everything these days. When IT systems are down, core business processes quickly come to a standstill.
Power problems are not just restricted to larger organisations. PC’s, servers and networks are just as critical to your business as a data centre is to a larger enterprise.
The cost of downtime is high with hardware, software, reputation and potential loss of goodwill. Recovery time for a business following an outage can also be significant and costly considering the inevitable delays that occur when rebooting locked-up equipment, restoring damaged files and re-running processes that were interrupted. A sound power protection strategy like an uninterruptible power supply for servers provides cost-effective insurance.
As generators will not protect equipment against power problems, you will often need UPS uninterrupted power in order to guarantee that equipment stays running until the generator kicks in, which can often take several minutes. In addition to this protection UPS power also improves the quality of the power produced by generators.
UPS Solutions are now one of the longest established, and nationally recognised, Power Solutions providers in Australia. Our long term vision is to design and constantly improve the Australian economy with more efficient power quality.
UPS Solutions offers a comprehensive range of services and products designed to serve the needs of a wide range of industries. Whether you’re a small business, medium sized company or large enterprise, it is essential to know the basics of UPS Systems in order to ensure your business-critical applications are always on.
Learn more about uninterruptible power supply for computers
Invest in a UPS, and you can secure peace of mind that your work and data will remain safe and secure in the event of a power failure. At UPS Solutions, we’re one of Australia’s most trusted providers of uninterruptible power supply solutions for computers, serving businesses in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane. If you need any advice or want to know about the industries we service, feel free to call us for a chat. Already convinced? Buy your UPS now.
Frequently asked questions
What is a UPS for computers?
An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is a type of electrical device that stores power, which you can use to power your computer if you experience any issues with your normal power. Most UPS solutions for computers have internal batteries, perfect for individual devices. However, if you need a source of backup power for a network of computers, you might be better off with a system that uses a generator.
What does an uninterruptible power supply do?
In the event of a power cut, your uninterruptible power supply for computers will take over the job of powering your equipment, giving you enough time to save your data and turn off your PC correctly. Find out exactly these innovative devices work by reading our FAQs.
Do I need a UPS for my pc?
A UPS is almost like an insurance policy for your computers, protecting you against power failures that could result in lost work and data. You may not experience power failures very often, but when they occur, the consequences can be detrimental to your business.
Because power outages and brown-outs are impossible to predict, investing in computer uninterruptible power supply is crucial for just about any business.
In fact, many people purchase a UPS for their home system. If you’d like to find out how UPS devices have helped many businesses just like yours, read about our recent projects.
What UPS do I need?
So, now that we’ve answered questions such as “what is a UPS power supply? “and what does an uninterruptible power supply do?”, you’re probably wondering which type of solution will best suit your unique requirements. The length of time your UPS will provide power to your computer largely depends on the storage capabilities of the device’s battery.
For home use, you might be fine with a relatively small UPS device that provides just 10 to 15 minutes of emergency power. However, if running a business, you’ll be better off with a device that can provide emergency power to your network of computers for much longer. It all depends on what kind of work you do and how long you’d realistically need the emergency power to last in the event of a power failure. If you want to find out more about uninterruptible power supply and the options available, don’t hesitate to call us.
Is uninterrupted power supply necessary?
While there is no written law or requirement that states every business must have an uninterrupted power supply installed, if you wish to protect your day to day operations from any eventuality, then a UPS is necessary.
Particularly if your premises are located in a region that is at higher risk of disruptive weather events such as earthquakes and hurricanes, having a UPS installed will ensure that you can continue to work despite a potential power outage.
This is even more important if you provide a service that your customers depend on. If in the event that there is a power outage in your region and you are not secured with a UPS, your business and reputation will suffer as a result. On the other hand, if you have UPS systems in place and you can continue to service your customers even in the unfortunate event of a power outage or electrical surge, retaining the loyalty of your customers will be far more likely.
So, while an uninterrupted power supply isn’t technically ‘necessary’, the irrefutable benefits that they can offer your business certainly make it a no brainer.
Do we still need a UPS for a PC?
Again, you do not necessarily ‘need’ a UPS for a PC, however, the advantages that it can offer you make it entirely worthwhile – whether using the PC for recreational purposes or for your home office.
For example, if you play games professionally and stream daily using platforms like Twitch to make an income, having a UPS in place is highly recommended. If you do not have a UPS in place and regularly experience power outages, you will have difficulty maintaining a following as you will invariably develop a reputation for being unreliable – thus negatively impacting your ability to make a living.
In the same breath, a UPS can protect your computer, router, and other connected equipment from power surges and any other power-related issues that may result in costly damage.
Ultimately, you can think of having an uninterrupted power supply as a form of insurance. Only, rather than having a policy to replace any damaged equipment, you can instead prevent the damage from occurring in the first place.
When is a UPS not needed?
There is no scenario in which a UPS cannot offer you immense value, whether for your business or personal equipment at home. The fact is, a UPS can protect you from the following:
- Power surges can burn your power supply unit.
- Your hard disk can suffer tremendously.
- All unsaved work can be lost forever.
- You can lose all your valuable data.
- It can have a devastating blow on your wallet.
A UPS is ‘not needed’ in the same way that you have the freedom to leave your house without an umbrella or rain coat on a day that has been forecast for a likely downpour. You might get lucky. However, there’s always a good chance that you will get caught in the rain, ruin your expensive suede shoes and damage your phone irreparably.
As the saying goes: “It’s better to have one and not need it than to need one and not have it.”
What are the different types of UPS?
UPS systems are divided into three main types:
- Standby UPS.
- Line-Interactive UPS.
- Online, Double Conversions UPS.
However, they do come in all shapes and sizes – and for a wide variety of applications. For example:
- Military ruggedized outdoor UPS systems (an industrialised system with robust components and materials for with impressive durability).
- UPS systems for server rooms and data centre facilities (high-efficiency power protection for mission-critical applications e.g., healthcare / government facilities).
- Compact UPS for small to medium-sized businesses (excellent functionality and protection for growing businesses).
Simply put, there are many different types of UPS system available (with many next-gen innovations on the way), each with their own pros and cons. If you are interested in having a UPS installed but you have no idea where to begin, please feel free to contact us today. We will gladly advise you on the most appropriate system for your requirements and available budget.
Additionally, we offer installation and maintenance services to ensure that there is a seamless transition and that your new UPS systems continue to work optimally all year round.
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Isaac Prakash
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