From a development and property management company like Danburg Properties of Boca Raton, to every one of our commercial, warehouse and industrial tenants – and thousands of small businesses across South Florida – power is a consumer staple that fuels their operations. Without it, business often grinds to a halt. It’s even true if power ceases for seconds – or less.

In storm-prone areas, deluges and lightning strikes can bring power outages in the form of black-outs, where power is lost completely, and “brown-outs,” where power is lost momentarily. Though it could go down for a matter of seconds – or milliseconds, that loss of power is enough to shut down the PC and a host of other peripherals.

Anyone who’s lost a millisecond of power – enough to shut down devices – knows frustration mounts with each moment of recovery.

Such frustration can stem from any number of sources. Many workers today use laptops almost exclusively for their computing needs. Not too much need for battery back up there. But what else is on the desktop that could flounder or fail should power be lost?

As some of our desks, we have telephones and headsets plugged into outlets. Nearby, the modem and router ensure we’re connected to the digital world beyond our walls. Loss of power to any one of these could cobble the business, or worker productivity, at least until power is restored and the devices have rebooted.

So, ensuring productivity – through the simplest means possible – is vital to business continuity.

Enter the APC Back-UPS Pro 1300. While at least one vendor has used this device in his office for years, it’s ideal for the corporate office, the cubicle, even the tech room where the modem and router hum.

The 1300 is a pretty powerful piece of insurance. It has 780 Watts / 1300 VA of power on an Input / Output of 120V. It also comes with APC’s PowerChute software, which automatically and safely powers down the desktop in case a power outage occurs and no one’s there to shut tech down.

The device also provides voltage regulation for power coming out of the outlet, and in case of an outage, how much power is left on the battery. On the back, the 1300 offers five surge-protected outlets and an input/output for the cable modem or DSL line. (Just remember, battery back-ups are not meant for powering printers or fax machines).

Its narrow design means it fits neatly in tight spaces – on, under or near the desk.

So this narrow space saver powers up many of the smaller peripherals – modems, routers, phones, headsets, essentially anything that draws little to no power. The next time a black-out or brown-out strike, you can work in confidence – and ensure productivity marches on.