Picking an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) can be a tricky endeavour, with the sheer amount of choice making any decision difficult. What factors should you take into account when approaching this important decision for your business?
Protection Prognosis
With a UPS, you can protect various types of equipment in the event of a power outage, so the system you choose will be partly based on the devices you want to keep safe.
Some businesses may want to focus solely on avoiding data loss, in which case choosing a UPS that will keep individual servers or an entire data centre up and running is sensible.
Others may have sensitive, costly kit that might be physically compromised by dips and surges in voltage or require a specific shutdown sequence. This will also impact the system you select, with the Eaton UPS solutions sold by sites like http://www.cppsales.com/ suiting a variety of circumstances.
Time Constraints
A UPS is generally not expected to act as a long-term power solution in the event of disruption to the mains supply, but there are still differences in performance levels depending on the specifications and storage type used.
You may need just a few minutes of uninterrupted power when an outage occurs, or you might want to ensure continuity with a longer backup supply availability. Major businesses that suffer downtime due to power problems can face costs that spiral into the tens of millions of pounds, so determining your tolerance for outages is important.
Balancing Costs
The more complex and capable the UPS system, the more expensive it will be to procure. Your decision will come down to what you can afford and how much you value the ability to keep your organisation operational in an emergency.
A high-end online UPS will be able to kick in instantaneously if mains power is cut and will provide a stable supply for extensive IT resources. A mid-tier line interactive system will help with the regulation of voltage and avoid damage caused by surges against valuable equipment and devices. An inexpensive offline system is ideal for small businesses and home users, acting as a backup in the event of an outage and ensuring that one or two devices can remain active even if there is service disruption for whatever reason.