Were it not for a UPS, Shinnick would not have had to brave the expressway in a thunderstorm. Although products differ in how they work, the general function of a UPS is to extend power to computer equipment, letting users conduct a safe shutdown. With huge, mission-critical files such as CAD building and lighting designs, the company relies heavily on its network infrastructure. Most product lines are distinguished on the basis of the equipment they are intended to protect. Because most UPSes consist primarily of a basic battery pack and power modules, vendors compete by offering more sophisticated levels of protection and management software.
Software bundlings are another way to differentiate products.
As UPSes proliferate in the server closet, vendors are offering software that can help manage those units and provide information about the status of the servers that the UPSes support. In states where the electric utility industry has been or is being deregulated, there is further concern about service declining as new competition spurs falling prices. There's a feeling that if prices start coming down, quality of service and quality of power will start coming down too. Space savers Increasing pressure on those network managers to protect each and every device on a network is quickly eating up space in server closets. This has encouraged the development of rack-mounted UPSes from many vendors.