Businesses are more reliant on technology and devices than ever before, which means a power outage – even for a short time – can have big consequences. This is why uninterruptable power supplies are becoming more important, which presents opportunities for resellers.
With many businesses increasingly dependent on digital platforms, connected devices and always on services, a power outage can seriously impact operations – and it is something that businesses must guard against as incidences of outages are rising.
Mike Barron, UK managing director of SYNAXON, notes that according to Utility Bidder, there were 18,398 power outages in the UK in 2024, a rise of 4.7% on the previous year and by the end of July 2025, the UK had already experienced 14,500 unplanned outages.
“The expectation is that the increased incidence of heavy rainfall, flooding and storms will put more pressure on the UK’s power network,” Mike adds. “This makes it more crucial than ever for businesses to protect their systems and networks from an unexpected loss of power.”
Arturo Di Filippi, global offering director for large power at Vertiv, says even short interruptions can have a serious impact. “Brief outages or unstable power can disrupt operations, corrupt data, damage sensitive equipment and interrupt customer facing services. In highly automated or data driven applications, minutes of downtime can quickly translate into lost revenue, reputational damage and costly recovery efforts,” he says.
Andrew Keith, division director at Power Prove, agrees that power outages occur more often than many organisations expect and have far-reaching consequences. “In sectors such as healthcare or data centres where systems must remain live at all times, the consequences of a power failure can be catastrophic to operations,” he says.
“An uninterruptable power supply (UPS) provides immediate backup power, giving systems time to either keep functioning smoothly or shut down in a controlled way so that data is safe and equipment remains unharmed.”
Trends
This means UPS are becoming ever-more important. But increasingly, customer expectations of it are increasing. Arturo says the market is evolving from basic backup toward active power management. “Customers still expect efficiency, reliability and scalability, but they are also demanding smarter control capabilities,” he says.
“There is growing focus on solutions that can handle AI-driven fluctuating loads, support the grid through voltage and frequency ride-through capabilities, extend battery life, protect upstream infrastructure and provide better visibility into system performance. Flexibility is critical, as customers want UPS systems that can support new technologies and future growth without major infrastructure changes.”
Andrew agrees that customers want UPS solutions that go beyond basic backup power. “They are looking for systems that provide consistent performance and protect equipment from not only outages but also surges and voltage fluctuations,” he adds.
“Businesses with critical infrastructure are also looking for ways to test and verify how their UPS and backup power systems will perform in real conditions. This is where technologies such as real load testing come into play. Specialists in load bank technology allow organisations to simulate real power loads on generators or UPS systems so that weaknesses can be identified before an actual outage happens. This focus on testing and maintenance reflects a wider trend among businesses towards proactive risk management and ensuring that backup systems will work when they need them.”
Shravan Govindaraj, product marketing manager at XP Power, says as a result of customers demanding more from their power solutions, leading power suppliers are starting to offer benefits such as real-time diagnostics, predictive alerts and detailed analytics that give control and visibility over performance.
AI
AI is also having an impact on the market. “We’re seeing AI play a growing role, enabling smarter monitoring, predictive maintenance and more responsive systems,” says Sharavan. “Looking ahead, the market is moving toward intelligent, connected power solutions that provide not just energy, but insight to help businesses operate safely and efficiently while reducing risk.”
James Reed, managing director – Endpoint Solutions, UK and Ireland, TD SYNNEX, adds that AI is making data centres and IT systems even more critical to organisations. “This means it’s even more important to safeguard against the possibly of a power glitch or outage causing problems and rendering systems unavailable,” he says.
Arturo notes that modern AI data centres, particularly those using GPU clusters, can shift from idle to full load in milliseconds. “These rapid power swings place stress on batteries, generators and grid connections,” he says. “Advanced UPS capabilities such as input power smoothing and battery shield help address this challenge by using the UPS and batteries as an active buffer. This stabilises the power drawn from the grid or generator while still responding instantly to load changes, enabling reliable AI deployments without over engineering the entire power chain.
“As rack power increases, national grid operators are requiring data centre operators to comply with new fault ride-through requirements to prevent large load disconnections that could seriously undermine grid stability. UPS systems are key to achieving this.”
Reseller focus
As UPS becomes more important, the way resellers approach sales conversations about it with customers should evolve to reflect this. James says that for businesses that depend in their IT network or infrastructure, USP solutions are essential. “Outages are rare, but they do happen and having power protection will prevent a glitch or loss of power causing unplanned downtime,” he says.
Arturo adds that resellers should move the conversation beyond runtime and backup duration. “Key topics include power quality, support for high-density and AI workloads, fault ride through, scalability, and reduced stress on upstream electrical assets. Positioning UPS systems as strategic infrastructure investments helps customers understand long-term value and resilience.”
Resellers should always make sure that their customers understand the potential impact a sudden power loss could have on their business and put good options from trusted brands in front of them, notes Mike. “By doing that, they will be genuinely helping their customers and expanding their own sales potential at the same time,” he says.
“In my view, this is an area of that market that does not get the attention it deserves. While UPS are quite simple devices, they are essential to any critical system or network. Every reseller should emphasise their importance to customers. No one would think of leaving their systems unprotected from cyberattacks today. It’s much easier but just as important to protect them from power outages.”
Future
Resellers can also look forward to growth in this market in the coming years. Arturo says that over the next 12–18 months, global experts anticipate strong growth in demand for intelligent, software-driven UPS solutions that can actively manage power in dynamic, digital and AI-driven workloads. “This is being driven by several key factors. AI applications require advanced dynamic power management to enable stability and efficiency,” he says.
“At the same time, rack power densities continue to rise sharply. In addition, UPS interaction with the grid will become increasingly critical. Essential features include power smoothing to handle load fluctuations, fault ride-through capabilities that enable data centres to remain connected and flexibility to integrate seamlessly with on-site power generation sources such as batteries, generators or renewable energy sources.”
Andrew adds that expectations around reliability will rise as businesses recognise the cost of even brief outages. “There will be greater demand for systems that can be tested and monitored in real time and suppliers will be expected to support customers with advice and maintenance options rather than just selling hardware,” he says.
“Resellers and managed service providers will play an increasingly strategic role in helping businesses choose the right UPS solution for their operational needs and in making sure that these systems remain ready to operate. This will be especially true for critical facilities where having confidence in UPS and generator performance is essential for uninterrupted operation.”
James says it is expected that the biggest growth will be in the SMB market. “Many smaller firms won’t have used power protection in the past, but with great dependency comes a need for greater responsibility,” he says. “There are affordable options to suit every size and scale of organisation and offering UPSs is a good and uncomplicated way for partners to add value for customers and grow their sales.”
