Organizations across all verticals are investing in distributed and edge computing environments to support automation efforts and deliver a superior customer experience. Automation helps businesses streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance customer service.
But managing edge infrastructure presents a significant challenge as edge networks grow into hundreds and thousands of sites. Hardly any company, large or small, has the resources and budgets to monitor and manage the servers, storage, security solutions, and UPSs that support mission-critical applications at the edge.
And the challenge is growing by the day. Consider that 75% of enterprise-generated data in 2025 is expected to be created and processed outside traditional centralized data centers or clouds, according to Gartner. That’s up from 10% in 2018. And as of 2022, IDC estimates that at least 40% of cloud rollouts had an edge component.
What this growth of edge computing means
As businesses increasingly rely on edge infrastructure, they must address the following:
Most edge computing sites are unstaffed but must be monitored and managed to avoid downtime.
Expanding edge infrastructure increases resource consumption, so companies need ways to reduce their carbon footprint and meet sustainability goals.
One way to address these challenges involves the management of the UPS fleet. Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPSs) are an essential component of any edge computing site, providing protection against power fluctuations that can potentially damage equipment. During power outages, UPSs keep the infrastructure running for a period of time, allowing for a graceful shutdown if needed.
Predicting in unpredictable times
In this context, simplification is key to facilitate the already challenging mission of managing a dispersed IT architecture, and the solution might be a next-generation service plan which might include:
- A hands-off approach to UPS management at the edge
- Transferring monitoring responsibilities to an experienced services provider who keeps an eye on the infrastructure around the clock, including troubleshooting, either remote or on-site
- Recommendations to improve maintenance and insights into their operations
- Faster response times or SLA to help ensure quick remediation of potentially mission-critical issues
- Spare parts coverage for any component of the UPS that would ever need replacement, including the battery
- Access to specialized and flexible training from a trusted provider to empower their team and develop their skills
- Full visibility of their physical UPS systems inventory
At Schneider Electric, we recently launched this kind of next-generation service plan, EcoCare for Single-Phase UPS, which introduces predictive maintenance. By leveraging data analytics, remote experts track battery usage and health to extend its lifecycle. Issues such as premature wear can be traced to conditions such as high temperatures, which, when corrected, help extend the life of a battery. When these issues emerge, Schneider’s experts work with customers to rectify them.
Know more about our products-ups.