Introduction A UPS, or Uninterruptible Power Supply, is designed to provide protected electrical power to connected equipment during power disturbances and outages. For businesses operating computers, network infrastructure, medical equipment, industrial electronics or other sensitive loads, a UPS can form an important part of an overall power-protection strategy. What Does a UPS Do? A UPS can help protect connected equipment from: Online UPS systems take power protection a step further by continuously converting incoming power before supplying the connected load. Why Is This Important? An unexpected power interruption can cause equipment shutdown, interrupted operations, and potential data or equipment problems. For critical environments, maintaining protected power can be an important operational consideration. Final takeaway The right UPS depends on the equipment, electrical load, required runtime, and operating environment.