According to a recent study by IBM, the average computer experiences power problems at least 120 times per month. There are several reasons why power problems are so prevalent. One is that the existing electric utility infrastructure was never designed to accommodate the increasing use of sensitive electronics. Deregulation of the electric utilities is expected to only exacerbate the problem. Contingency Planning Power problems can cause glitches as minor as a frozen keyboard to something as serious as a shutdown of the system with data loss and equipment damage.
Sags also reduce the efficiency and lifespan of electrical equipment.
Spikes are dramatic increases in voltage, and can cause catastrophic damage to hardware and loss of data. They can stress delicate computer components and cause premature failure. For instance, after one to two cycles of downtime a desktop computer will reboot, and any unsaved data will be lost. Voss says this can eliminate finger-pointing if there is a power problem. The first step in implementing a UPS is making sure the right team is assembled to do the needs assessment and evaluation.