Power Protection FEATURED ARTICLE

Blackouts and brownouts can wreak havoc on companies, resulting in economic and operational setbacks. A recent study conducted by J.D. Power & Associates found that the average business experiences 5.7 outages per year. Without protection, business cannot be conducted during those 5.7 times per year.

The Electric Power Research Institute found that, on average, a one second power outage costs a business $1,477, and the tab for a one hour outage comes to $7,795. Overall, this costs the U.S. economy between $104 and $164 billion annually.

By turning to power protection products, such as uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), companies can save thousands that would otherwise go down the drain when a power outage, sag/brownout, surge or spike occurs.  A UPS is a device that sits between an A/C outlet (i.e. a wall outlet or power strip) and an electronic device (such as a computer, server, or phone equipment) to prevent power disturbances (outages, sags, surges, spikes, noise, etc.) from affecting the performance and life of the electronic device and vital data.

Power protection products can be used for a variety of company devices including computers, servers, peripherals, voice and data communication systems, security systems and other mission-critical equipment.

Recently, the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) market experienced a surge in popularity, particularly as companies look to protect their infrastructure and prevent cost prohibitive power incidents. Reports indicate that global revenues for the fourth quarter of 2010 were 10.8 percent higher than that same period in 2009 for UPSs. The statistics indicate that not only is the UPS market recovering from the economic downturn, but also companies are recognizing the importance of using UPS’s as a form of power protection to safeguard their data and protection against power outages and brownouts.

Other statistics show that the power protection products have generated the most revenue from Asia, at an annualized rate of 15 to 20 percent; that sales of large three-phase UPS for enterprise data-centers spiked in quarter four for 2010, and that after-sales UPS service was worth an additional $2.5 billion in 2010.