Powering Your Business Disaster Planning

In today's connected world, companies and organizations rely on a complex and interdependent set of tools including computers, servers, telephone systems, and even physical and online security systems. All these advanced systems still depend on a technology that's more than a century old – electric power. Electrical power and business operations are so tightly interwoven that any power delivery or quality problem cuts directly into a company's mission-critical systems. Failure of this infrastructure can create operational and financial havoc.

The stakes have never been higher. When power is out or compromised, business operations cease to work unless the systems are backed up by a reliable alternative source of power. Companies run the risk of lapsing into the business equivalent of a coma if contingency plans and systems are not in place, no matter what size the business.

Power failures can strike at any time for many reasons; the travails that Mother Nature dishes out, unexpected construction accidents, a utility pole taken out by a careless driver, equipment failure or even sabotage by a disgruntled employee or outside group. No matter the cause, businesses must be ready when disaster strikes.

This paper examines how to avert a power-related disaster with a variety of uninterruptible power supply (UPS) options and approaches, including extended runtime battery backup power on all mission-critical devices. During lengthy power outages of more than a few minutes, companies often employ a UPS with external battery packs. These devices provide a cost-effective solution to extend the time equipment, systems - and their business - can stay up and running.