Abstract
Advantages of Rehauling the Entire UPS System to Avail Monitoring Services Outweighs Cost
Considerations
Enterprise end users stand to benefit immensely by rehauling their entire power backup systems,
the main gain being the availability of monitoring services. They are beginning to look past the
cost issue due to the obvious advantages of having a centralized monitoring system for remote and
uninterrupted power supply (UPS). This system provides multiple-level displays of geographical areas
and building plans as well as multi-user access with various levels of security. The last feature is
particularly appealing since alarm notification for disturbances in operations is a crucial element
of remote monitoring. All these benefits are expected to hike demand for remote monitoring of UPS
systems.
This Frost & Sullivan research service provides an overview of the North American remote
monitoring market for UPS systems. It segments the market by monitoring application into
single/multiple UPS and enterprise monitoring. It also provides information on the growth trends,
competitive structure, and market opportunities, thereby enabling companies to align their
positioning strategies to benefit from the changing market and obtain maximum return on investment.
Customer Education on Remote Monitoring to Improve Market Prospects
Most IT and facility departments have already installed management devices for specific
applications such as enterprise and building management systems. For instance, enterprise management
devices monitor networking equipment, servers, and storage; while building management systems are
used for building power, air, temperature, and security. In such cases, it would seem redundant to
adopt remote monitoring for UPS.
Despite the numerous product and technology developments in the UPS market, the lack of awareness
about them hinders end users from upgrading their equipment and implementing remote monitoring.
"Vendors have to increase customer awareness, especially about the benefits of backup power,
which in turn, is expected to create interest in remote monitoring equipment," says the analyst
of this research service. Since the IT industry is in a transitional phase with increased service
offerings and market reach, there is likely to be greater demand for UPS to ensure steady power
supply.
Remote Monitoring Equipment that Offer Security to Find Greater Uptake
UPS vendors have to stay abreast of end users constantly changing preferences to adjust their
products according to these needs. One such crucial requirement is security of remote, unmanned
operations, especially for digital applications. Apart from guarding against unauthorized users,
remote monitoring also offers control over the route of the information. This means that a network
manager can track information being passed from a remote location to a centralized site, throughout
the network. This can be done even if the network is spread all over the country.
"In 2004, the $75.0 million North American remote monitoring market for UPS grew at 10.3
percent over 2003," notes the analyst. "This improvement has been heavily influenced by an
increase in the number of security system upgrades, more control over information passage to end
users, and monitoring of operations." |