Schneider Electric, introduced APC Smart-UPS Ultra, the industry’s first 3kW 1U single-phase Uninterruptable Power Supply.  Designed to deliver more power, flexibility, and intelligent monitoring in the smallest footprint, the Smart-UPS Ultra enables IT professionals and solution providers to address many of the challenges with deploying IT infrastructure in distributed environments and at the edge. 

The global edge computing market is facing massive growth, growing at 12.5% annually to an estimated $250.6 billion in 2024, according to IDC. The proliferation of digital technologies and smart applications is driving the need for compute, network, and storage resources that are localized and in close proximity to enable business critical processes and experiences that rely on network connectivity to the cloud. Yet, configuring, deploying, and maintaining the supporting IT infrastructure for multiple, geographically dispersed sites comes with unique challenges.

With the Smart-UPS Ultra, Schneider Electric is bringing to market its smallest, most advanced single-phase UPS that provides the flexibility to install anywhere and save on total cost of ownership (TCO) without compromising businesses’ power protection needs.

More power, more IT space 

In distributed IT and edge environments there are often significant physical space considerations, with a premium placed on maximizing square footage and operating the space efficiently to optimize IT systems and improve the bottom line. 

The Smart-UPS Ultra’scompact design delivers more power while taking up less IT space, providing the installation flexibility and power density you need for today and into the future. The UPS’s compact design is up to 50% smaller and lighter than comparable UPS solutions on the market today. The Smart-UPS Ultra offers flexible mounting options including rack, tower or wall/ceiling mounts, so it can be placed out of the way to allow for more space for IT in the rack. 

Lower TCO over 10 years

Effective power management is critical for any IT environment, but regular and effective maintenance of power protection equipment such as UPSs, especially across multiple distributed sites, can require costly ongoing opex investment. 

The Smart-UPS Ultra’s Lithium-ion battery lasts up to three times longer than a traditional valve regulated lead acid (VRLA) powered UPS and will not need to be replaced under normal operating conditions. This helps to eliminate costly battery replacement, labor and service fees over the life of the UPS. The Smart-UPS Ultra saves up to 15% on TCO over 10 years and comes with a 5-year warranty.

Better visibility anytime, anywhere

Being understaffed or lacking onsite staff makes managing maintenance and service activities – inspecting equipment, replacing batteries, swapping out failed equipment, etc. – very burdensome, particularly if assets are highly distributed and geographically dispersed.

Smart-UPS Ultra is EcoStruxure Ready which allows cloud-based monitoring, delivers data-driven recommendations to optimize performance, and enables wherever-you-go visibility across multiple UPS devices. Connectivity is available via Ethernet Port or embedded network port, and the EcoStruxure Ready Smart-UPS web portal provides automated, customizable alerts regarding the health of your UPS to make preventative maintenance simpler in order to reduce downtime and lower mean time to repair.

The APC Smart-UPS Ultra is currently available in North America and availability for additional global markets will be announced later in the year.

Source: Schneider Electric