The days of keeping comprehensive paper records are long gone, with computers now holding our important information. This allows huge volumes of information to be retained without requiring acres of filing cabinets, but the downside is that digital information can easily become lost or corrupted.
The Impact Of Interruptions to the Power Supply
According to The Register, British Airways is one of the latest organisations to experience the chaos that occurs when a power surge damages sensitive digital information. Passengers travelling with the airline in May of this year experienced frustrating delays brought about by an issue with the power supply, which caused a global failure to the airline’s IT systems.
For most of us, a power outage or disruption may not create so much havoc, but the ramifications of any interruptions to the electrical supply can affect any one of us, whether that event takes place in the home or at work. Loss of data can be anything from a minor inconvenience to a major event affecting thousands of people around the world.
Power Supply Problems
The government has warned that our power supplies will run out within the next ten years or so, creating widespread chaos throughout the UK as electricity power stations are forced to implement brownouts, or sudden drops in power, as demand exceeds supply. The country has already experienced numerous blackouts, or power cuts, when the electricity supply fails for a period of time. Any sudden drop, failure or surge in power can affect computer data, so this is a problem which needs to be addressed.
Ideally, everybody with a home computer, and every business with computer workstations, should invest in a UPS, otherwise known as an Uninterruptible Power Supply or Uninterruptible Power Source. You can see some examples of the hardware at the website of Eaton UPS systems – http://www.cppsales.com/Eaton_UPS_Systems___Accessories-catid17.
From small units that sit discreetly on a desktop to larger models which are capable of supporting an entire data centre, these UPS systems work quietly in the background, charging up their on-board batteries. Within milliseconds of an interruption to the power supply, the unit kicks in automatically, providing sufficient power for the user to save their work and shut down their equipment.
Unlike generators, the UPS goes to work instantly, saving your data from corruption and also saving you time and money.