“I am a photographer based in Miami, Florida, specializing in destination wedding photography in some of the most remote locations in the world. I have shot wedding and bridal fashion photography in spectacular places around the world, including the Caribbean, Europe, Central America, and South America.

“Living in south Florida presents some challenges, as the power system tends to flicker. Frequent power surges are normal, especially during summer thunderstorms. My main priority is ensuring consistent, conditioned power and surge suppression to my workstations and my RAID systems, where all my client images are stored. One power surge could destroy all the contents, and the images are irreplaceable—as a wedding day is a once-in-a-lifetime moment.

“A total loss of data could cost in excess of $100,000 per wedding. That’s why I’ve had APC protecting all my critical hardware for over ten years. I am a firm believer in using ‘nothing but the best,’ like my Nikon cameras.

“Right now I have APC UPSs and surge protection on three Apple workstations, three RAID systems, three printers, a 50" plasma display, Cisco IP/PBX phones via PoE switch, cable Internet router, HD DVR, and more. I also have an APC Universal Power Inverter that goes with me everywhere to charge my laptop and camera equipment in my car.

“Following Hurricane Katrina, we lost power for eight days. I was able to secure a generator, but it was not rated for computer equipment and the power generated was inconsistent at best. Fortunately my APC units reconditioned the power and I was back in business with minimal disruption.

“My APC equipment has been one of the most reliable elements in my network. The one time I needed assistance, the customer service was superb. One of my Back-UPS® XS 1000 was having trouble, and the agent sent me a replacement via next-day delivery.

“I would say the units paid for themselves with the first thunderstorm or with the first power surge. APC’s biggest value is my peace of mind. I plug them in and forget about them; that’s all I can ask for.”