Understanding that many weather- and equipment-related events – lightning, fallen trees, short circuits and more – can impact the power being fed to computers, automated systems, and any hardware connected. As we progress into the new millennium, headlines in the media continually point out the growing network economy is increasingly dependent upon reliable energy – not only in sources, but also in delivery. As businesses become increasingly reliant on electronics, they become more susceptible to the problems that exist in the production, generation and transmission of electricity.

Today, reliability is everything. If you or your customers are not able to access mission-critical applications due to power problems, you lose both revenue and credibility. The simple truth of a fast-paced economy is that if you are not available, you lose customers to the competition.

Pima meets the availability needs and offers solutions with APC power products so that your connected equipment stays up and running. Pima offers its services to companies of all sizes, designs and installs the appropriate solutions. One of the most important is the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system.

UPS systems protect sensitive electronics from power disturbances – and prevent costly downtime and repairs. It provides power conditioning and back-up power to protect sensitive electronics; UPS systems help to ensure that critical processes stay online. Depending on the type of equipment selected, a UPS:

	Can offer protection from transients; provide voltage regulation or perform total power conditioning.
	Can allow uninterrupted operations during momentary service interruptions and voltage fluctuations.
	Can provide enough time for operators to save data, close files and shut down computers, in the event of a long
	Can allow integration of a back-up or standby generator for continued operations during an extended interruption.

Any facility concerned with keeping critical operations up and running should utilize the protective power of today’s UPS systems for:

	Individual computers and small workstations
	Larger workstations
	LANs and WANs
	Data storage equipment
	Electronic phone systems
	Industrial processes
	Security systems and other automated building controls
	Complete facility protection

Essentially, all UPS systems fall into one of three categories: offline, line interactive or online double conversion. As with other technologies, UPS devices have continued to evolve. Some systems, for instance, utilize maintenance-free batteries which can significantly reduce future labor costs. Or a flywheel or motor generator may be used as an on board power source, in addition to (or in place of) a battery bank. Pima can work with your staff to ensure that they understand how to operate, maintain and make the most of the system you choose to install.

	Recommended for non-critical workstations only.
	During normal operations, utility power is supplied directly to the connected equipment. If voltage drops, on-board batteries switch on to provide power.
	Switching may affect connected equipment, and use with back-up/standby generation is not possible. Provides surge protection only. Batteries discharge frequently and battery life is short. Maintenance disrupts load.

	Recommended for non-critical workstations, servers and phone systems.
	During normal operations, utility power is supplied through a transformer to the connected equipment. If voltage drops, on-board batteries switch on to provide power.
	Switching may affect connected equipment, and use with back-up/standby generation is not recommended. Provides surge protection and voltage regulation. Maintenance disrupts load.

	Recommended for critical workstations, servers, data centers, switchboards, digital controls, and industrial process controls or entire facilities. For process protection, units up to 480 KVA may be installed, typically inside the plant. For total facility protection, units up to 4.8 MW may be installed in parallel, usually in a stand-alone service entrance facility
	Under normal operations, power to the load is supplied by a rectifier/inverter. If the utility voltage drops, a battery supplies the inverter without switching.
	No switching is needed, longer battery times are possible, and systems are compatible with backup/ standby generation. Provides total, full-time power protection. Maintenance can be performed without disrupting load.