HP Launches Powerwise family of Uninterruptible Power Supplies for Europe; 600-VA and 900-VA Units for Entry-level Servers Available in Europe and the United States

Business Wire, March 6, 1995

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 6, 1995 -- Hewlett-Packard Company today introduced its first full line of uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) for the European market, featuring preemptive power protection and powerful ease-of-use management software. The HP PowerWise UPS are available in 600-VA, 900-VA, 1000-VA and 2100-VA models. They provide reliable, flexible and easy-to-manage power protection for users and offer a full range of choices for protecting their network nodes, servers, applications and data against fluctuations in or loss of power, including surges, sags, spikes, brownouts and catastrophic outages.

The PowerWise 600-VA and 900-VA UPS also will be available in the United States. The new models extend the PowerWise family, which includes the 1000-VA and 2100-VA models announced in the United States, October 1994. The PowerWise L600 and L900 UPS are designed for use with entry-level PC servers.

All PowerWise UPS provide continuous monitoring and correction of power fluctuations and disturbances. HP PowerWise Assistant power-management software constantly monitors network power and provides automatic, orderly and unattended shutdown of all network applications and operations, eliminating the chance for data loss during an outage. PowerWise Assistant software also provides a graphical view of UPS operation and power statistics.

"To limit the impact of power fluctuations and failures, it's critical to contain these disruptions and isolate all nodes, servers and applications from the problem," said John Page, program manager at HP's New Jersey Division. "Our PowerWise family has been designed to be the most effective, easy-to-manage and most intuitive power-protection product available."

For mission-critical environments, the 1000-VA and 2100-VA models use an on-line topology, which offers the greatest protection against data loss and equipment damage. This approach also provides maximum line conditioning and eliminates any delay in switching to backup power supplies. Constant line conditioning filters power surges and spikes and prevents voltage dropout and other "dirty" power hazards, providing servers with clean sinewave power input, and avoiding stress on critical computer components.

The 600-VA and 900-VA models use an advanced line interactive topology that ensures power protection against data loss and equipment damage by regulating power voltage. This automatic adjustment of power ensures that power remains strong during brownouts, but protects against dangerous spikes and surges when they occur.

INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT AND EASE OF INSTALLATION

The 1000-VA and 2100-VA PowerWise UPS come with an internal SNMP slot for integrated management and network connectivity. These devices can be managed over the network with the optional SNMP card, which remains active during power outages and network shutdowns. There is a direct serial connection to the server, so the user doesn't have to rely on the network itself to ensure safe, unattended server shutdown. Automatic, self-test scheduling also ensures that critical components are working. Programmable shutdown and restart features conserve power, as does the UPS' sleep mode.

The 1000-VA and 2100-VA models provide users with an option for extended runtimes over the typical 5- to 10-minute window supplied by most unextendable units today.

HP's PowerWise UPS can be installed with menu-driven software that makes configuration and monitoring simple and fast. A battery advisor predicts when battery power is about to run out and alerts the user in advance that batteries need replacing. Built-in diagnostics and power-monitoring software also will identify potential powerline problems.

HP POWERWISE ASSISTANT POWER-MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

All HP PowerWise UPS offer optional power-management software that gives the user unattended, orderly shutdown and a real-time graphical view of power quality, utility power, load usage, battery charge and more. Graphical versions of this data enable users to more quickly identify and resolve problems when they occur. It also alerts users of problems through the user's NOS, and can refer alerts via phone or pager. The HP PowerWise Assistant software also ensures uptime by providing scheduled self-test, shutdown and restart.

The HP PowerWise Assistant for Novell NetWare also integrates with HP OpenView for Windows(TM) and NetServer Assistant software, allowing the UPS to be managed as a component of the server. The power-management software is for leading network operating systems, including Novell Inc.'s NetWare and UNIXWare, MS Windows NT, IBM's LAN Server, SCO UNIX, Sun Solaris and HP-UX.(1)

QUALITY HP SERVICE AND SUPPORT

HP's PowerWise UPS are covered by HP's proven tradition of comprehensive service and support, including worldwide customer support and easy access to technical information. All of the HP PowerWise models come standard with a two-year, next-business-day replacement policy, with service available from HP or service-authorized resellers in the United States.