Plug and Play UPS vs. Bespoke UPS: Which Does Your Business Need?

You’re halfway there. You’re switched onto the need for an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) – protecting everything from your data, time and resources, to your revenue and reputation. Now, to decide which kind of UPS you need. It’s a choice of two, but one that’s important to get right.

On one hand, there’s a plug-and-play UPS: small, generic, typically purchased without much planning. On the other, there’s a bespoke UPS: a system tailored to your business’s specifications, whatever they may be.

SMEs in particular may wonder if a plug-and-play UPS could be a quick-fix solution to their power-protection needs. They may believe that they simply don’t have the infrastructure or power demands to warrant anything more sophisticated.

Could your business skip the consultation stage when choosing its new UPS solution? Or is a fully planned and expert-installed UPS system a must? Here’s how to know for sure which kind of UPS back-up your business needs.

Is a plug-and-play UPS right for my business?

A plug-and-play UPS can seem the easy, simple, fuss-free option: something that’ll do the job right out of the box. You simply set it up on-site and more-or-less forget about it. At least, that’s the general idea.

However, this can backfire right from the start, when it transpires the UPS you’ve purchased is actually impossible to install in your space. By necessity, UPSs tend to be fairly large pieces of equipment, in order to accommodate the bulky batteries required to temporarily power an entire business. Many SMEs find, upon delivery of their shiny new plug-and-play UPS, that they simply don’t have anywhere to put it.

Even if the equipment’s footprint is compatible with your site, the UPS will offer standardised, one-size-fits-all protection, rather than the exact kind of protection your business needs. And that can prove more than a minor inconvenience.

If your UPS is underpowered, it won’t offer the rock-solid reliability you need when the lights go out. Overpowered, and there’s a risk of malfunction and damage to valuable equipment. (Plus, you’ve also shelled out for more power than you actually need.)

In both cases, a plug-and-play is a false economy. What seems like the hassle-free option is more likely to bring you hassle at the very moment you should be able to depend on it. It’s a back-up that may, ultimately, let you down.

Is a bespoke UPS best for my business?

If you want to purchase a UPS system with the right specifications for your business, and ensure the equipment can be installed seamlessly on your site, it’s best to go bespoke.

This is not just so that your new UPS fits snugly and neatly into your building. The consultation process will also take into account your site’s environment, so that your UPS equipment has adequate ventilation to minimise the risk of destructive overheating.

Your UPS will, of course, also be tailored to your business’s specific power needs – today and tomorrow.

Getting this peace of mind isn’t as complicated as you might think.

The Carter Sullivan consultation process involves a free site survey, used to inform our design and quote. We’ll share diagrams so you can see exactly what you’re getting and how it meets your needs, in a stripped-back and easy-to-understand format. From there, we’ll schedule the installation at the right time for you. So it’s not just the UPS system itself that’s wrapped around your business’s needs, but the process of delivering it, too.

“The free site survey is essential,” says Luke Andrews, Carter Sullivan’s Sales Manager. “It’s vital to understand the customer’s needs, to review their current setup, and to ensure the system we propose will do what the client needs it to do, without compromise.”

But to really make a difference, a bespoke UPS system needs a maintenance plan in place. (Conversely, plug-and-play UPSs tend to be treated in a set-and-forget manner – which leads to degraded batteries and dust-clogged, combustible equipment.) A Future-Proof Protection subscription from Carter Sullivan has maintenance and aftercare covered. Instead of worrying about or being blindsided by equipment emergencies and their CapEx implications down the line, we look after repairs and necessary upgrades for a small, fixed monthly fee.

This further negates the need to see a plug-and-play UPS as your business’s only or best option – even if you’re an SME.

Our mission is to democratise UPS systems. Our future-proofing subscription is the first of its kind in the industry, and we’re excited to be blazing these new trails.

Speak to us about a Future-Proof Protection subscription