Uninterrupted, but Different: Changes in the Russian UPS Market

Date: December 4, 2024
Edition: IT ChannelNews
Author: Maxim Belous

According to ITResearch data provided by the company's director, Vasily Mochar, in Q3 2024, 387,000 AC UPS units were sold in Russia, totaling $113 million. This is a 3.3% decrease in quantity compared to the same period last year, but a 2.3% increase in monetary terms. Experts explain the observed dynamics by a shift in customer demand towards the infrastructure segment. The IT Channel News article discusses how UPS vendors continuing to operate in Russia are responding to new challenges. Among the experts interviewed is Vigel Antonov, a spokesperson for Merlion.

"Over the past 2-3 years, the lineup of vendors in the Russian UPS market has significantly changed. Have the manufacturers of this equipment that continue to operate in the country been able to fully meet the needs of Russian customers for UPS of all possible types and capacities? Or are there still certain tasks that require finding roundabout ways to import equipment from brands that have left?" — ITChannelNews.

The Director of Merlion's technical center believes that the products of Russian vendors manufacturing UPS systems currently address nearly all "regular" tasks for powering IT systems of any size, from personal computers to large data centers: "However, it's important to note that while Russian UPS systems possess all the necessary technical characteristics and reliability, they may not be as compact as some Western solutions."

"How have the requirements of Russian customers for UPS systems changed over the past 2-3 years—both in the market as a whole and specifically in the data center segment? Is it accurate to say that the feedback loop between clients and vendors has strengthened, allowing the former to more fully and clearly communicate their needs to the latter?" — ITChannelNews.

Vigel Antonov confirmed that customers' main requirements for UPS remain unchanged: "They value equipment reliability, high-quality service support, a clear pricing policy, and a development strategy. The more critical the systems for the business that the UPS supports, the stricter the customer's requirements become. Accordingly, the increased use of Russian UPS systems in critical systems leads to higher requirements for them. Certainly, over time, the dialogue between customers and vendors becomes more productive. Both sides begin to better understand the 'rules of the game'; expertise grows—both technical and soft skills, such as the ability to ask the right questions and formulate responses correctly. Sometimes, we communicate through a distributor—especially at the early stages, when it's necessary to verify the UPS's capabilities and see it in action, for example, on a demonstration stand."

Source: https://www.novostiitkanala.ru/news/detail.php?ID=181554