An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is designed to uphold critical and noncritical equipment powered by a continuous flow of energy even if the main power source fails. Any company or individual with substantial electronic equipment that cannot afford a second of downtime must have a UPS in place.

"Computer damage and data loss from lightning strikes cost the United States over $2 billion in yearly economic loss," according to the National Lightning Safety Institute. A power outage and the effects of this fluctuation in current on your computer's systems and data may be devastating.

Blackouts are one of the most common types of power outages. Blackouts occur when the electricity grid completely fails owing to an imbalance between generation and demand. A sweeping blackout may occur in some cases, while in others, a controlled shutdown may be given to a specified region to avoid a complete blackout.

Normally, a Back-UPS can offer backup power for up to 10 minutes. To put it another way, UPS isn't designed to keep your computer equipment operating during a blackout, but it does provide you the option of safely saving your work and correctly shutting things down. Unfortunately, the battery will not last indefinitely, and there are several faults that can shorten the life and usefulness of your UPS.

The cost of UPS seems a fair price for the peace of mind that it can offer. It's a simple yet powerful tool for safeguarding your IT investments. You might lose not just your computer, but also the information it contains. You should always be ready for any power outages, especially blackouts since you never know when they may occur.