Spring to Action and Protect Your Technology!

Every year, I watch a predictable pattern. Storms happen, lightning strikes, power goes out. Computers get fried, people suffer costly downtime, people  spend money on repairs or new equipment, and some people even lose data. I warn my clients every spring to make sure their valuable technology is protected. Yet most don’t ever do anything. So every year I can look forward to frantic calls. The sad part is that with just a little investment, most power-related issues could be avoided, saving time and money. Are you going to wait to do something and risk your equipment and data or are you finally going to do something about it this year?

Power protection comes down to three simple things: surge protection, power conditioning, and backup power. You’ve got to stop surges (more accurately called spikes) from damaging your equipment. Just as importantly, you’ve got to feed your technology clean power. And especially critical during storm season is feeding electricity to your devices when the power goes out.

Most people understand surge protection and they buy surge strips for their technology. Unfortunately, most people buy the cheapest thing possible and don’t pay attention to the quality of the surge protection. Also many people don’t surge protect their phone or cable lines coming into the building, which are just as susceptible to spikes as power lines. Either way, surge protection is not enough. You’ve got to provide power conditioning and backup power as well. The good news is that with a relatively simple and inexpensive purchase, you can provide surge protection, power conditioning, and backup power to your valuable technology. Devices commonly called “battery backups” or “uninterruptible power supplies” (UPS) form the core of your power protection strategy. You can purchase battery backups at almost any store that sells technology, even office supply or department stores.

For relatively simple technology setups, one or two units may be all that is needed. But for more complex setups, and to avoid missing any potential sources of surges, I recommend having a technology expert review your situation and ensure that you purchase all the protection you need. Many people forget the fact that their DVRs, alarm systems, and other devices could benefit from a battery backup device.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions related to power protection or other technology topics.