Protect Home Office Tech With Power Tools

By Jeff Zbar 
www.chiefhomeofficer.com

Power: Abundant, it drives the home office. Limited, unreliable or “unclean,” it can bring the wheels of business to a halt. APC has come out with the Power-Saving SurgeArrest. This surge protector provides home computer systems guaranteed protection from damaging surges and spikes — and saves electricity.

The device features new master/controlled outlets, which work to reduce energy consumption by automatically shutting down power to unused peripherals, such as printers, scanners and speakers when the computer is in sleep mode. Pretty cool — especially for home officers who are so dependent on their tech, but often overlook the little details.

Here’s how it works: When the computer goes into standby, hibernation or is turned off, the controlled outlets are automatically powered off to prevent connected peripherals from continuing to draw power. When the computer is then turned back on or wakes up, power is automatically restored to the controlled outlets. By cutting power to these “dark loads,” the APC Power-Saving SurgeArrest can provide a combined savings of $25 per year on average as compared with competitors’ models.

The SurgeArrest features a six-foot extension power cord, a building wiring fault indicator, and seven outlets along with telephone/fax/modem protection to prevent surges traveling over data lines from reaching connected equipment. Additionally, the APC Power-Saving SurgeArrest comes with APC’s $25,000 Equipment Protection policy for connected equipment. And this isn’t just about the home office: What did that 42-inch plasma cost you? Or the kids’ new PS3? (that is the kids’ console, right?). Or the home theater unit? Any electrical device in the home that would set you back a bit to replace should be on a surge suppressor…

Since the '80s, Jeff Zbar has been a writer, speaker and spokesman on all facets of working from home and entrepreneurship. His columns and blogs have appeared via Entrepreneur, Success Magazine, Home Office Computing and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and he has been a small business expert on national television and radio. Learn more at www.chiefhomeofficer.com.