The author of this blog, Pete Klanian was recently recognized by CRN for the third consecutive year as a 2023 Top 50 Most Influential Channel Chief. This list spotlights top IT executives who execute effective channel partner programs and strategies.
As a leader of channel programs for more than 25 years, I am more excited than ever this year about the innovative solutions we are offering to our channel partners and their customers – especially through our uninterruptible power supply (UPS) lithium-ion (li-ion) portfolio, which has grown considerably in recent years.
Anticipating Channel Partner Needs in the Network Edge Market
We understand our partners need solutions that will:
- Meet customer challenges
- Be easy to specify and order
- Offer fast, in-stock delivery
- Provide a strong warranty
- Deliver outstanding customer support
- Provide a competitive price point
- Guarantee in-region field sales support nationwide
Our channel partners have customers across industries that encounter similar challenges when deploying IT storage and compute, among other needs, at the edge, where IT support is limited. Vertiv has long maintained market leadership through our complete data center infrastructure and services portfolio for systems of every size. Li-ion batteries have emerged as a natural fit for deployments in mission-critical environments at the edge of the network.
The Vertiv™ Liebert® GXT5 Lithium-Ion UPS and the Vertiv™ Liebert® PSI5 Lithium-Ion UPS headline a portfolio that continues to evolve and expand to meet needs of our partners and their customers. We now have the industry’s most comprehensive portfolio of Li-ion UPS solutions.
In fact, Vertiv won a 2022 CRN Product of the Year award for the Liebert® GXT5 Lithium-Ion UPS, a testament to our innovative, leading-edge products, specifically our expansive single-phase UPS Li-ion product portfolio. I’m also excited to share we now have the only TAA-compliant Li-ion UPS for U.S federal customers, the Vertiv™ Liebert® PSI5 Lithium-Ion TAA UPS system.
Closing the Gap: Lithium-Ion UPS Battery Benefits vs. VRLA
Greater adoption of Li-ion comes as the industry continues to value the greater power density, improved performance at higher operating temperatures, and longer life of Li-ion technologies. Li-ion batteries are smaller and lighter than valve-regulated lead acid (VRLA) battery technologies, and last up to three times as long. It all adds up to as much as a 50% reduction in the cost of ownership over the lifetime of the UPS, with increased runtime in the same amount of space. Vertiv’s batteries, which carry a five-year warranty, are easier to install and have fewer maintenance requirements.
Learn more: 6 Benefits of Lithium-ion Technology for UPS Systems
Continuing Partner Momentum With Lithium-ion UPS Solutions
In January, we announced the Vertiv™ Liebert® Power-UPS Lithium, a compact, ENERGY STAR certified UPS designed to support retail point-of-sale, workstations, and other electronics in North America, and in February, we expanded the Vertiv Liebert GXT5 Lithium-Ion family to include new single-phase, mixed-voltage output 5kVA to 10kVA models for critical edge deployments in North America.
As more digital applications move to the edge of the network, Li-ion batteries are critical to meeting the power protection needs in those environments. Vertiv continues to invest in our Li-Ion UPS portfolio, because we see the technology representing the future of edge and data center infrastructure.
While it’s gratifying to receive recognitions, like being named an STL 100 edge companies to watch in 2023, we never lose sight that of the primary reason we invest in our inventory: to help partners deliver for their customers.
