IPPS™ Revolution [ White Paper ]

July 9, 1997

"A Breakthrough in UPS Technology" Computer Reseller News
"a power revolution" Computer Dealer News
By Mishaal Naik

Imagine holding a UPS and power supply, both, in the palm of your hand.

Amsdell Inc. of Richmond Hill, Ontario has made it possible. They have steamrolled into the UPS market by developing a true on-line uninterruptible power supply that can be merged with any conventional switching power supply and fit inside a computer. Amsdell calls it the Integrated Power Protection System (IPPS™ -patent pending). It will be available at January 1999 for US$100.

The company held a conference at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Canada, in June to officially release the product. Industry heavy-hitters such as APC, MGE UPS Systems, Tripp Lite, and Astec all attended the event. Compaq USA was also in the crowd.

The development of an integrated power supply and UPS has been a long time coming. John Messer, director of Research and Development at Exide, indicates that his company is not presently working on anything similar. "At some future time, we will look at it," he said in an article published in Electronic Engineering Times. But Amsdell believes in the present, in making things happen now.

UPSs have traditionally been used for critical equipment in industry and business, while only 7.5 % of desktops are protected by a UPS. Consumers do not realize the great need for this protection. Many problems that occur with a computer are actually power-related. In fact, an IBM study has shown that a typical computer is subjected to 120 power-related problems per month. Effects range from keyboard lockups to complete losses of data. It is both costly and time consuming to re-enter or try and recover the data. A study by Best Power has shown that having clean, regulated power, reduces these problems up to 80 %.

On the flip side, dealers often have problems selling a UPS to consumers who are reluctant to buy something extra, external, and expensive. IPPS™ will change this with its integrated, internal design. And dealers who sell IPPS™ in their systems will undoubtedly have an advantage over the competition.

The weight of the IPPS™ does not differ greatly from current power supplies. Because some components have been eliminated, both the power supply and the computer are more reliable and efficient, and less likely to break down.

There are a few additional features that make IPPS™ unique. It has surge protection, conforms to dual voltage standards (110/220V), as well as 60/50 Hz cycles, and has a built-in microprocessor, features that are uncommon among external UPSs because they are considered too expensive to implement. Using the IPPS™ Commander software, developed by Amsdell, IPPS™ also acts as a power monitoring system. It provides the user with information regarding input voltage, temperature, and battery usage. Amsdell has also included an interactive voice feature, something no other UPS on the market has. In the event of power failure, this voice tells the user how many minutes of battery power are left. IPPS™ will automatically save open files and shut down the system. And although the IPPS™ is small, it still provides the user with an average of 7 minutes runtime using a Pentium CPU and 14 inch monitor. Without monitor, the runtime jumps to 40 minutes.

Because IPPS™ is generations ahead of other UPSs on the market, many people in the industry are skeptical that a device such as IPPS™ has finally been produced. The key to its minute size and cost lies in the inverter (patent pending) it uses. The inverter uses SCRs (Silicon Control Rectifiers) instead of MOSFETs or other transistors, and has eliminated the bulky, heavy transformer replacing it with a minute transformer. IPPS™ is not dependent on the battery and any lead acid type can be used. IPPS™ can be customized to meet a client's needs.

An external line of IPPS™ will also be available with capacities ranging from 300VA-10KVA. With the entrance of Amsdell into the external UPS market, prices will tumble. Amsdell is also developing a true on-line 1U rack mount UPS (1KVA), the first of its kind in the world.

"Now you don't have to pay a premium to get excellent power protection," said Amsdell CEO Raymond Kwan.

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