Data loss and downtime are a huge undesirable factor in business in Australia. It’s reported that ‘data loss and downtime costs enterprises $1.7 trillion1 per year,’ (2014).
Even a prominent government organisation lost one petabyte of data during a crash last year, demonstrating that no one organisation is immune from data loss.
It plays a huge part in productivity and output in business, all which greatly affect the bottom line. ‘The average Australian business experienced more than three working days (27 hours) of unexpected downtime in the last 12 months.’
Unplanned power outages are known to play a major role in unexpected data loss and it’s obvious that mains born disturbances contribute significantly to this downtime and severely impede business undertakings but what about other facets of power resources? And where does an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) come in to play with these issues?
UPS Benefits
Whilst outages can be costly and damaging— not just for the time that the power is out but also for the recovery time— a UPS also provides protection against spikes, brownouts and surges and safeguards data, software, hardware and other equipment and devices, all whilst ensuring continuity of operation.
A UPS unit also preserves equipment against the damaging effects of lightning strikes, severe weather and broken powerlines. These power anomalies can permanently damage hardware, cause data corruption and loss and severely impact a data centre or organisation’s reputation.
Electrical equipment in Australia is generally designed to be used at 240 volts, so when power is supplied at a lower or higher rate (a supplier can often distribute between 216 and 253 volts) it can instigate what is known as “spikes”. Spikes have the potential to cause damage to equipment and devices and additionally this process means that power usage is not fully optimised. A UPS can adjust voltage accordingly to keep within safe levels of use and protect against inconsistencies of supply which helps prevent unwanted harm and fully capitalises on using power effectively.
Fluctuations in power voltage are frequent, particularly in industrial areas, zones and organisations where a lot of machinery and equipment are used and exposure to surges can unwittingly cause appliances to overheat and fail, which is dangerous as well as interruptive. A quality UPS will detect any fluctuations and “kick in” accordingly, supplying the ideal amount of power to run equipment and machinery that is needed.
A UPS modifies the quality of power and can easily be thought of as an “insurance policy” for your business. Not only are they are a reliable preventative system but they are a cost effective way to ensure peace of mind and to be prepared.
But don’t just take our word for it. Take a look at one of our case studies with The Barossa Council for a true to life example.
‘With a consistent and reliable backup power supply available when they need it, they are able to focus on the job at hand with confidence, ensuring that operations are never compromised. Having a backup power supply also prevents data loss and interruptions to their IT department.’
For the most part, UPS units are eco friendly and run on batteries that can last up to five years, which are disposed of in an eco conscious way. Furthermore, UPS can be managed remotely so they don’t use up unnecessary power when not required.
If you would like to know more about UPS benefits and how an Uninterruptible Power Supply can protect your assets, please contact us today.
