Beyond the obvious frustrations of cold showers and cold food (in winter nogal), South Africa’s protracted energy crisis and its effect on the ICT industry has serious implications for the country’s overall economy. Foreign investors are less likely to put their money into markets that can’t operate optimally, not to mention the loss of productivity in the manufacturing sector or even in your humble office reliant on computers for data processing, storage and communication.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. There is a sector that is currently benefiting from the power shortages and one that should be mandatory for every business – no matter the size. Driven by necessity, Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) are growing in popularity – for home office use as well as enterprise. Power Management Software provides vital monitoring and control over data and computer operations and are now a growing sector within the overall IT industry.
Know your power lingo:
Blackout – no electricity
Brownout – electricity voltage dips
Power Surge – when an electrical appliance receives more power than was intended (lasting longer than three nanoseconds)
Power Spike – Anything less than the prolonged three nanoseconds
Load-Shedding – exhausted and the last resort = the dark ages.
Did you know?
The country’s current number one ‘download’ is the Eskom Load Shedding schedule. No surprise there, but while planned power outages are all well and good and we can shut down computers and devote our time to filing and administrative tasks or increasing the voting population of the country, it is the unexpected that causes risk. With continued power supply issues on the cards for time to come, it is highly recommended that all plugs on all electrical appliances, most especially computers, laptops, tablets and mobile phones contain the appropriate fuses to assuage devices having shortened lifespans and even causing fires – one of the biggest insurance claims in recent times. Are you covered?