News in the Channel - issue #38

UNINTERRUPTIBLE POWER SUPPLIES

With many businesses increasingly dependent on digital platforms, connected devices and always on services, a power outage can seriously impact operations – and it is something that businesses must guard against as incidences of outages are rising. Mike Barron, UK managing director of SYNAXON, notes that according to Utility Bidder, there were 18,398 power outages in the UK in 2024, a rise of 4.7% on the previous year and by the end of July 2025, the UK had already experienced 14,500 unplanned outages. “The expectation is that the increased incidence of heavy rainfall, flooding and storms will put more pressure on the UK’s power network,” Mike adds. “This makes it more crucial than ever for businesses to protect their systems and networks from an unexpected loss of power.” Arturo Di Filippi, global offering director for large power at Vertiv, says even short interruptions can have a serious impact. “Brief outages or unstable power can disrupt operations, corrupt data, damage sensitive equipment and interrupt customer facing services. In highly automated or data driven applications, minutes of downtime can quickly translate into lost revenue, reputational damage and costly recovery efforts,” he says. Andrew Keith, division director at Power Prove, agrees that power outages occur more often than many organisations expect and have far-

reaching consequences. “In sectors such as healthcare or data centres where systems must remain live at all times, the consequences of a power failure can be catastrophic to operations,” he says. “An uninterruptable power supply (UPS) provides immediate backup power, giving systems time to either keep functioning smoothly or shut down in a controlled way so that data is safe and equipment remains unharmed.” Trends This means UPS are becoming ever-more important. But increasingly, customer expectations of it are increasing. Arturo says the market is evolving from basic backup toward active power management. “Customers still expect efficiency, reliability and scalability, but they are also demanding smarter control capabilities,” he says. “There is growing focus on solutions that can handle AI-driven fluctuating loads, support the grid through voltage and frequency ride-through capabilities, extend battery life, protect upstream infrastructure and provide better visibility into system performance. Flexibility is critical, as customers want UPS systems that can support new technologies and future growth without major infrastructure changes.” Andrew agrees that customers want UPS solutions that go beyond basic backup power. “They are looking

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There is growing focus on solutions that can handle AI-driven fluctuating loads, support the grid through voltage and frequency ride-through capabilities, extend battery life, protect upstream infrastructure, and provide better visibility into system performance.

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