"Anyone who has a computer with business information—even financial information at home—needs the protection afforded by a UPS," says Doug Summers, vice president of sales and marketing at uninterruptible power supply manufacturer CyberPower. Indeed, while a good power supply will function well when supplied with clean power and maybe even resist a drop in voltage, there's nothing it can do during a blackout to prevent data loss.

UPS 101

One of the principal concerns that your customers might have about buying into battery backup is the perceived cost. "That's an unfounded worry," says Patrick Donovan, project manager at APC. "An entry-level UPS for your average workstation runs anywhere from $40 to $200. And those pricier units provide automatic voltage regulation, too."

In fact, there are several different types of battery backup systems that come in at different price points and with various features. The most basic (and least expensive) is the standby UPS. Designed to accept filtered AC input as the primary power source, a switch within the UPS trips in the event of a failure and transfers the load onto the battery. An inverter converts that DC current to usable AC power. Quality standby units are also able to protect against power surges through the primary AC source and filter out unwanted noise (EMI and RFI). Diminutive size, efficiency, and low cost characterize these mainstream battery backup solutions.

When it comes to protecting higher-end workstations or small business servers, sophisticated conditioning, increased reliability, and battery capacity overshadow the somewhat higher prices imposed by line interactive UPS systems.

Extra protection is afforded by keeping the power inverter on at all times instead of in standby mode. So, when input power fails and the transfer switch opens, there's less transient voltage and better filtering.

Line interactive designs are particularly important in environments susceptible to brownouts, a condition whereby incoming voltage drops to a subnormal level, potentially damaging connected devices. Although a standby UPS protects against these conditions by switching over to battery power, frequent battery usage will cause premature failure, making voltage regulation an important feature for correcting line conditions and prolonging UPS life.

Home Office Powerhouse: Sixty bucks buys you 750VA of battery backup and data line protection with Tripplite's Internet Office 750U.

The double conversion on-line UPS is the third most common design, primarily used in mission-critical environments. Loftier price aside, it's actually somewhat similar to the mainstream standby topography, except that the primary power path is the inverter, not the primary AC input. That means the AC line is constantly charging the battery, which feeds the inverter. When power fails, there is no transfer switch to shift loads. The battery simply stops receiving AC input and runs until discharged.

Because the double conversion on-line UPS converts and reconditions the entire flow of power, it isn't as efficient, and it generates a lot more heat. Although output performance is about as good as you could ever hope for, a shorter life span is the side effect incurred by constant wear on the internal components.

Picking The Right UPS

When you choose or recommend a battery backup system, it's important to determine the capacity needed to keep a server or workstation running. That capacity is measured in VA (Volt-amps). Of course, when you see an 850VA unit with 510W capacity, you aren't learning much about what that UPS does or how long it lasts. In fact, deciphering the difference between wattage, amperage, and voltage can be a confusing proposition for anyone without an extensive background in electronics. Bear with me, though. Being able to properly size a UPS ensures that you're selling a product with value without overshooting and wasting resources.

A volt-amp, the unit by which most UPS systems are rated, is referred to as apparent power. It's the product of voltage (120V here in the States) times the current drawn by your equipment. On the other hand, wattage is real power drawn by that equipment, reflected in what your utility company charges each month. According to APC (American Power Conversion), the Watt and VA ratings for many electrical loads are identical. But when it comes to computer equipment, the two often differ significantly, with VA always equal to or greater than Watts.

Server Uptime: When it comes to keeping a server up and running, APC's XS 1500 boasts plenty of capacity under $300.

Each device that you plug in to a UPS will have an electronic switching power supply, of which there are two basic types. PFC, or power factor corrected, supplies operate such that the Watt and VA ratings are equal. Capacitor input supplies are characterized by wattage ratings roughly .55 to .75 times the VA rating. Smaller devices generally employ the latter type, while larger equipment manufactured since the mid-‘90s uses PFC technology. Unfortunately, it's hard to identify each component's power supply through physical inspection.

However, you can add up the power requirements of each device to be protected by a UPS. Begin by finding the VA or wattage rating for each of the devices using the input field on attached nameplates or stickers. My 21" LCD, for example, is rated for 1.5A, or 90W continuous. My VoIP adapter is half an amp, or 60VA. But because it uses a smaller power supply assumed to be of the capacitor input variety, you can multiply that number by a .6 power factor, yielding 36W instead. Computer power supplies are a little trickier. Many high-end units use PFC technology, while others don't. A power supply with a 10A input would indicate the need for 1,200VA of protection if you were running it at full tilt. Although that isn't likely, be sure that the UPS is at least capable of supporting 80 to 90 percent of the system's power supply output.

When you make a UPS recommendation, be sure that neither the VA nor the Watt rating of connected equipment is higher than that of the UPS. A combined 900VA load may fall within the bounds of a 1000VA UPS. Unfortunately, if you know that one 700VA device has a PFC supply, and consequentially a 700W rating, then you're probably overloading the UPS, which is likely rated at 600W maximum (a .6 power factor). Keep both specifications in mind when it comes to sizing, increasing the VA rating when necessary to compensate for devices with higher wattages.

Making UPS Manufacturers Work For You

One of the coolest value-adds that improves UPS functionality is custom software. APC offers a couple of different applications with its battery backup systems. PowerChute Personal Edition makes it possible to gracefully shut down Windows or Mac OS X automatically in case your customer is away during a blackout. PowerChute Business Edition adds the ability to monitor multiple UPS systems over a network configured with Windows, Linux, or a Novell OS. Moreover, the Business Edition reports problems and recommends actions to better guide untrained employees. It also allows a specific shutdown sequence in the unfortunate event that a server is taken offline.

CyberPower's PowerPanel Plus application isn't as comprehensive with operating system support. However, it does include a feature that will automatically save and close open files before shutting a system down during prolonged outages. That's a valuable feature, particularly for always-on customers with server equipment that can't always be attended to.

Powerware's LanSafe utility goes a step further by saving all open documents, gracefully shutting down, and alerting you through an email or mobile message. It'll run in a stealth mode on client systems, deliver power status information, calculate the cost savings tied to using monitoring software, and automatically detect regional settings.

All of those software suites are available free of charge from each manufacturer. The Deluxe version of APC's PowerChute Business Edition is an exception at nearly $300, but that's for managing more than five battery backup systems at a time--unlikely in most small businesses or home offices.

Extensive warranties protect the top UPS products. APC and Eaton Powerware both provide two years of coverage on batteries and cores, while CyberPower guarantees its products for three years. They all have equipment protection policies too, which ensure devices connected to a UPS aren't damaged by power problems. Policies range from the lifetime $50,000 coverage on APC's $40 Back-UPS ES 350 to $150,000 on CyberPower's midrange OP850 and up. That connected equipment guarantee is a good indication of a manufacturer's confidence in its products.

And then there are the reseller programs. As it stands, CyberPower and APC already play in the retail market. But with nobody to detail the benefits of adopting UPS or guiding the proper sizing measurements at the local CompUSA or Best Buy, both companies are instead looking to the reseller community to champion their cause.

Workstation Solution: With 1000VA and 670W output, the APC Smart-UPS is good enough for any dual-processor workstation.

CyberPower is partnering with D&H for its 2005 Partners in Profit program. Qualified resellers get access to 50 percent discounts on demo units, a priority support line, 24-hour RMA cross-shipping, sales tools, and training. If you sell $1,500 quarterly in product--UPS, surge suppressors, power strips, and cables--D&H gives you a three percent pass-through discount. Selling $3,000 earns a six percent discount and $5,000 in sales is good for 10 percent. Plus, your first purchase is subject to an addition five percent off. "We're looking to provide the same high-quality you'd expect from any other big name power company, but at prices 25 to 30 percent lower than the competition," says Doug Summers, vice president of sales and marketing at CyberPower. "Not only are your customers getting a fantastic value by buying our products, but the reseller community is being rewarded as well through the Partners in Profit program."

APC also has a program to turn sales around into cash back, which it calls PayBaX. The rewards aren't as ambitious, but you still have an opportunity to earn up to five percent. The Reliability Provider program is another reseller incentive that delivers leads, provides access to a 24-hour support line, and supplies discounts to various third-party training centers. An Authorized Reliability Provider program adds benefits related to APC's InfraStruXure lineup, a modular design intended for higher-end applications.

Rather than focus on rebates, Eaton Powerware directs attention to enabling a more comprehensive line of power products, from 300VA units up to 750kVA backup solutions. Its PowerAlliance program does provide for MDF, reseller training, and occasional incentive programs centering on a password-protected online portal.

In Retrospect

Battery backup is hot right now, according to Robert Jacobs, director of distribution and sales in the United States for Eaton Powerware. "We're seeing the most potential for the next five years in small racks at around 10kVA, which are being driven by blade server sales." Those are high-end solutions more suited for medium-sized business, though. Smaller customers will probably be looking to preserve a server or two, necessitating roughly 1kVA battery backup systems.

Manufacturers recognize that selling UPS product at retail requires customers with plenty of knowledge and an ability to size their own configurations. But resellers have a distinct advantage in that they communicate with their customers and can explain why a UPS is imperative or how to buy the right one. Perhaps that's why the smart manufacturers are pursuing the reseller community so aggressively today. Do your customers a favor by protecting their valuable information. Do yourself a favor by jumping on what promises to be a lucrative partnership between resellers and UPS manufacturers.