General Electric (
GE
) has launched a new series of Uninterruptible Power Supply (
UPS
) systems called the VH series. The single phase UPS is a high
performance device targeted at business critical applications,
particularly servers in the IT industry that suffer from data loss
in case of repeated power surges. The new UPS claims to be a true
Voltage and Frequency Independent (VFI) UPS capable of handling
power disturbances and frequency fluctuations of a much higher
degree compared to previous technologies. In addition, it is also
capable of rapid switch overs, is much smaller in
size, requires less than one minute in replacing batteries,
thus virtually eliminating downtime, and has a long warranty period
of three years. These features of the device are suited for
applications like IT servers, sensitive electric loads, MRI
machines etc. where truly uninterrupted and clean sine waves are
critical.
The device replaces GE's previous version, the GT series, and on
account of its high performance will add to growth in sales at GE's
energy business division.
We currently have
a stock price estimate of $20 for the company
, roughly in line with its current market price.
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High performance to lower risk of data loss in
servers
According to a report by Boston Computing Network, 6% of PCs in
Europe suffer from data loss in a given year - an estimated 1.7
million incidents. Of these, approximately 42% are on account of
hardware failures caused in part by repeated power surges. It is
here that VH series UPS, utilizing VFI technology, can deliver
clean sine waves to protect sensitive electric equipment against
power disturbances.
Riccardo Rutili, the product leader for power quality at GE's
Digital Energy business said, "What voltage may be okay for
a light bulb or refrigerator, in terms of utility performance, is
not acceptable in today's digitized world. GE's VH Series UPS is
designed to meet the high performance power delivery needs of
both the IT industry and the ever-increasing list of power-hungry
systems such as MRI machines, critical servers and sensitive,
critical electrical loads."
In addition, the device offers several other advantages that
will appeal to the industry. First, the UPS is capable of rapid
switch-overs as it uses a static switch instead of a relay. Second,
the time required for replacing the batteries is less than a minute
which effectively eliminates downtime, ensuring that the load has a
back-up at all times. Third, superior battery management and laser
printed mode prevents battery damage and allows the company to
offer a three-year warranty on both the UPS and battery. And
fourth, the size of UPS is much smaller in comparison to the GT
series and, hence, will occupy less space.
All advantages combined, the VH series offers high performance
to industries with electrically sensitive loads, and so we expect
the new improved product to drive growth in sales for GE's digital
energy business.
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