Power Protection FEATURED ARTICLE

According to the U.S. National Weather Service, the chance of being struck by lightning at some point while you roam this Earth is about one in 5,000. However, the odds of your organization being struck by lightning are greatly increased. Because most business operations these days require a reliable source of power to work, a power protection plan is now key to every corporate environment’s long-term success. With such a strategy in place, your organization would no longer be susceptible to the negative effects that can be caused due to network downtime or even a cyber attack.

Like my mother always said, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” In order to protect two of your most important assets—your company and your home—a recent article revealed that two vital elements of any power-protection tactic that can safeguard you from lightning are a lightning rod system and a surge protector.

A lightning rod system is a solution that can be traced back to the days of Benjamin Franklin. Basically, it sits on the roof of the building and is then connected to either a large piece of copper or aluminum wire that is also integrated with a conductive grid that is buried in the ground in close proximity. If lightning does happen to strike, the product will immediately redirect the strong electrical current away from the targeted facility. A bonus of this offering is that many insurance companies will reduce your policy fees after implementing a certified lightning protection system.

Just as important, however, in shielding an enterprise from the consequences caused by lightning is a robust surge protector, similar to the suite “powered’ (pun intended) by Minuteman UPS/Para Systems (News - Alert). Boasting a diverse range of features, higher joule rating and more than one mounting option, these surge protectors set themselves apart from others in the space primarily because of their ultra-high level of protection and cost-effectiveness. In fact, a typical direct strike of lightning can come in measuring at least 2,000 joules, so a heavy-duty surge protector is your best bet.

According to the power protection provider’s website, “One of the most distinctive features on several products from Minuteman is rotating receptacles. This provides unmatched flexibility and allows use of all receptacles on the surge strip, even when numerous power transformers must be plugged in. Minuteman also incorporates higher joule ratings than competitive units, providing greater protection for your attached equipment.”