The number of freak storms around the US in the past year has emphasized the need for a backup power system to protect your high tech equipment and be able to do business in the event of a power outage.

Downtime is costly. Some industry estimates believe the U.S. economy loses between $200 billion and $570 billion a year as a result of outages and other disturbances.

Eaton Corporation, industry experts in reliable and efficient backup power, airflow management and power distribution, provides a great site called Power 101 that covers the basics of power protection:

• Why the need for power protection?
• What does a UPS do?
• How do I choose the right UPS?
• What is the difference between a decentralized configuration and a centralized configuration?

The site has a Blackout Tracker where you can explore the causes of power outage and impacts for your state or region. You may be surprised at how vulnerable the U.S. power grid is to power outages!

Eaton also has a mobile app, UPS Tool, that helps you find the best UPS solution for your application and power needs - without being tied to your desk.

Have a question about power backup, distribution or management? You can ask their team of experts or read through questions other IT pros have asked.

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