2018 Year in Review: Plenty of Reminders of the Need for Battery Backup

It’s time to reflect on the year that was: 2018 brought plenty of reminders of a world in transition. Advancements in the areas of the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI) and edge computing made it clear there is no turning back. The future is connected, and organizations are clamoring for certainty in this new connected world with battery backup.

Battery Backup is Mission Critical 

The year started with a clear reminder of the need for certainty at the annual CES trade show in Last Vegas. A power outage silenced the show for about two hours, highlighting the importance of electricity. Without power and reliable backup, the technologies of the connected future cannot function, so as companies make their digital investments, they must keep that in mind.

Power outages aren’t just a problem for trade shows. They affect businesses and homes where keeping connectivity is absolutely critical to run routers, modems, applications and a myriad of devices. When you think about it, a live connection is more important than even keeping a PC running. Even a relatively short outage can have long-lasting effects by interrupting work and causing data loss. In 2018, Mother Nature delivered plenty of intense storms that knocked out power. Whether in the office or at home, valuable equipment can be damaged if not properly protected. Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) solutions protect data and investments at home and the office by protecting computing systems, printers, smart devices, appliances and gaming equipment.

Edge Computing Asserts Itself

Battery backup is needed everywhere, and it will play a critical role at the edge. If there had been any doubts, it became clear in 2018 that edge computing is integral to IoT implementations. IDC predicted that 43% of IoT data by 2020 will be processed at the edge. This confirms the pendulum is definitely swinging back from the centralized model of cloud computing to a distributed model. As the IoT gains traction, we will see a combination of cloud, regional data centers and localized edge computing working harmoniously to produce business outcomes. While the cloud is not going away, edge computing is asserting itself and becoming an essential piece of the overall puzzle.

The Edge Needs Resilience

A key revelation over the past year was the need for resilience at the edge. While the average data center experiences 30 minutes of downtime yearly, edge computing sites suffer 29 hours – or 1,740 minutes – of downtime. Multiplied by hundreds or thousands of sites, this adds up, and hinders operations where critical automation, AI and IoT applications are housed. To improve resilience at the edge, organizations need robust remote site management solutions, physical security and standardized, redundant deployment.

Cloud-based DCIM Makes a Mark

With edge deployments, comes the obvious need for remote management; companies can’t staff hundreds or thousands of locations on the edge. Cloud-based DCIM or DMaaS (Data Management as a Service) is an effective way to address this need. DMaaS is an integrated hardware and software solution that monitors and manages physical infrastructure at the edge, data centers and enterprise. Learn how the Bainbridge Island School System in Washington is enjoying DMaaS benefits such as improved IT visibility and management.

Lithium-ion Batteries Help ROI

As technology users, both at home and in the office, seek to protect their investments with power backups, one solution that gained traction in 2018 was Lithium-Ion batteries, which can be found in some APC Smart-UPS systems. Taking into account the total cost of ownership (TCO), these batteries deliver more value because they last longer, typically as long as the UPS systems themselves (about 10 years). As investments in IoT increase in the near future, having long-lasting battery life for power backups will be a real plus.

Privacy Takes Center Stage

2018 was notable not only for technology advances in IoT, AI and edge technologies but also for new regulations. The European Union passed a privacy and disclosure law, the General Data Privacy Regulation (GDPR), which regulates how companies use and store personal data of European residents. As we look ahead, more regulatory action is sure to follow, not only in Europe but also in Asia and North America.

More technology advances are just around the corner that are reliant on Certainty in a Connected World and edge computing solutions that support a digital transformation. Be ready for the next wave and have a great new year!