SMEs see the light

Power management has not generally been high on the list of priorities for small businesses, but the landscape has changed in South Africa, and today most recognise the importance of consistent power supply. As such, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units have proven to be a popular choice for SMEs serious about business continuity.

Working off its own battery supply, a UPS offers an alternative source of power that automatically kicks in as soon as the power goes out. This makes it an invaluable back-up - even if you have a generator - as it bridges that critical gap between the power going out and the generator starting up, during which you could lose any unsaved data.

Instead of scrambling to make up lost time when the lights come back on, you can just continue where you left off - with the peace of mind that your equipment hasn't been damaged in any way as a result of the power failure.

As the size of the UPS relates directly to the equipment you want it to support, one of your first considerations when shopping for a UPS should be what you are going to use it for. So, the first question you need to ask is: “Which equipment/applications are mission-critical to my business?”

The longer the back-up time on the UPS, the longer it will take you to recharge the batteries, so instead of getting one large UPS, it may be more practical to split your load onto two smaller units. The lifespan of UPS batteries is also an important factor. With a large percentage of the cost of the UPS relating to the batteries, budgeting becomes imperative.

The good news for first-time buyers is that selecting the right UPS is probably the most challenging part of the exercise. Beyond that, it's simply a case of plugging in and staying powered up. The cost of the right UPS remains dependent on your business needs and you can expect to pay between R1 000 and R40 000 for the ideal SME solution.