Findings of the SD USERS’ SATISFACTION SURVEY 2007 suggest that today's customer is not only price conscious, but is also quality conscious. He wants good value for money and thinks UPS to be an integral part of the computing system. The survey shows that power protection equipment customers in India primarily evaluate product reliability, maintenance and service capabilities while selecting power protection equipment.

In the enterprise segment, suppliers need to actively anticipate the customer needs and offer pioneering solutions and assured services. Manufacturers that leverage this opportunity to distinguish themselves from other participants are likely to gain a strong competitive advantage. Today most corporate are willing to pay a premium for a truly reliable product rather than take the risk of suffering outrages by compromising on quality. It is pretty much like paying somewhat more for an insurance policy where you are sure that you are truly covered in the event of a mishap.

Softdisk believes, Power continuity & Quality still are the key mantra for success of a Power Electronic Equipment albeit it is the Energy saving capability of the equipment which will turn the tide in its favor.

This is one area which manufacturers need to address "Manufacturers will need to be more creative and proactive in identifying and grasping presently unexploited opportunities in the field of energy saving. With all suppliers already providing high value to their clients and competition being intense, differentiation - although very difficult to achieve - will be key to accessing new market potential."

With increasing value of space, there is an increased focus amongst the new age customers to incorporate higher wattage per cubic inch and demand high power factor for higher efficiency. This is where the Indian manufacturers have lost the plot to the Chinese & Taiwanese companies. With rack mounted version even the high end UPSs are coming with small foot print. However Softdisk believes that the increasing cost of batteries will bring in new equations in to play, especially at the higher end. Here the innovative technologies like flywheel may create a paradigm shift the way UPSs are looked into especially at places where UPSs are used along with quick start gensets.

Continued trend of manufacturers possessing high brand awareness and recognition favored by end-users. And it is here that the biggies get bigger while smallies (smaller companies) perish.

New vendors who want to position themselves in the Indian Power Conditioners and transient voltage surge suppressors markets are taking the easy way out of R&D and now even the established once need to enhance their capabilities by going the Chinese way. However it is seen that reputation and previous experience strongly influence customers' equipment purchasing decisions.

Softdisk has always been trying its level best to educate the end-users. We have always maintained that it is for the manufacturers who have to idebntify the user need and provide with cost effective, long term solutions to address them. No wonders, our readers (the end-users) have positioned us as Power Quality Consultants. Our mission is to forge partnerships between Power Protection Equipment manufacturers and end users.

Softdisk sent over 10000 direct mailers. The result of the survey are based on 6477 responses received to our elaborate questionnaire. The questionnaire in poll format was made available at www.sdawards.in, effforts were not limited here Our executives visited over 200 installations across various locations through out India, and also over 425 clients were touched thru tele-calling. 

This year the survey findings were analyzed more analytically by firstly bifurcating Online & Offline/Inline UPS manufacturers separately. Online UPS manufacturer were further classified in to Three Phase and Single Phase products in to various kVA catagories, measured separately on Quality, After Sales Service, Pre Sales Education, Technology advantage vis-à-vis Cost effectiveness which Softdisk considers a must. The manufacturer must be able to identify the need of the end user and feed them with requisite information that will enable them to decide from the plethora of products available in the market, to actually have a quality product at a good enough price.

The Offline/Inline UPS systems were not categorized at this level. This limits by not allowing us to compare APC with say Emerson or DB. As APC vigorously promotes line interactive technology even to the enterprise segment. However it is still the online parallel redundant dual conversion technology which rules the roost when it comes to high end mission critical applications. The highlight of this years survey was the updating of SD Ratings which serves as a benchmark for quality and price-worthiness. May this survey auger allows the end-users to take correct decisions, which hold good for their company in long run. As usual an effort by SOFTDISK to educate the masses.

As the above chart indicates DB Power, Eaton and Socomec Numeric JV emerged with top honors securing 94% satisfaction ratings. DB & Socomec Numeric were adjudged best in product quality. Emerson which was adjudged best in After Sales Service & Pre Sales End User Education came a close second with 93% satisfaction rating along with Delta which was having the best product quality.

Aplab & APC MGE were just 1 percentage point behind, clinching the 3rd spot in the above 60 kVA ratings in the 3 Phase category. However APC MGE were adjudged best in Pre Sales End User Education along with Eaton & Emerson. Close on the heels was the Kolkatta base Hita Technologies which narrowly missed the 3rd spot by 0.5% points, having to satisfy itself with the 4th spot.

Powerone Micro Systems, Bangalore with over 80, 100 kVA plus installations clinched the spot in the above 60 kVA ratings in the 3 Phase category.

As the above chart indicates DB Power, Emerson and Socomec Numeric JV emerged with top honors securing 93% satisfaction ratings. There product Harmony 3300, Masterys & Liebert NX were adjudged best in product quality while Emerson & Socomec Numeric were adjudged best in After Sales Service.

Delta Energy Systems NT Series & APC MGE’s Galaxy 5000 came a close second with 92.5 satisfaction ratings.

Close on the heels were the Everest Series from APLAB and ALP Series from HITA Technologies having a satisfaction rating of 92%.

Uniline with a satisfaction rating of 91.5 was adjudged the fourth best, While Powerone’s Megapower II grabbed the 5th spot with a satisfaction rating of 91%.

As the above chart indicates Numeric, DB Power and Emerson emerged with top honors securing 94% satisfaction ratings. There product HPE Series, Synergy 330 and Liebert 7400 S were adjudged the best in product quality while Numeric along with Microtek and Uniline was adjudged best in After Sales Service. Uniline, Delta Energy Systems and BPE’s Ablerex range came a close second with 93% satisfaction ratings. Close on the heels were the DSP PRO Series from APLAB and Megaline Series from Consul having a satisfaction rating of 92% and Product quality came a close second with 92% satisfaction rating.

Next in the line was Powerone’s Mega Power I with a satisfaction rating of 91.5 followed by Powernet Solution in the 5th spot with a satisfaction rating of 91%. Powerone had the distinction of having Cost effective technology advantage.

As the above chart indicates Numeric, DB Power and Delta emerged with top honors securing 94% satisfaction ratings. HPE Series from Numeric, TECH UPS from TECHSER, AHA SERIES from HITA, APC SURT from APC MGE were adjudged best in terms of Power Quality. Uniline Energy Systems, Powerone Micro systems, Techser Power and BPE India with 93% satisfaction rating clinched the second spot in the Users’ Satisfaction Survey, 2007.

Numeric, Uniline along with Microtek was adjudged best in After Sales Service.

APC MGE which has best record in Pre Sales End User Education & along with consul and Aplab clinched the 3rd spot in this category with 92% satisfaction level. Close on the heels were Microtek & Tiny Tritron from Tritronics India which managed to clinch 91.5% satisfaction ratings clinching the fourth spot. Vangaurd from Asia Powercom and AHA series from Hita with 91 % satisfaction level clinched the 5th spot in this category.

As the above chart indicates Numeric, Delta and Uniline emerged with top honors securing 94% satisfaction ratings. HP Series from Numeric, TECH UPS from TECHSER, AHA SERIES from HITA were adjudged best in terms of Power Quality.

Powerone Micro Systems, Techser Power and BPE India with 93% satisfaction rating clinched the second spot in the Users’ Satisfaction Survey, 2007.

Numeric, Uniline along with Microtek was adjudged best in After Sales Service.

Aplab and Microtek clinched the 3rd spot in this category with 92% satisfaction level. Close on the heels were Tiny Tritron from Tritronics India and AHA series from Hita which managed to clinch 91.5% satisfaction ratings clinching the fourth spot. Vangaurd from Asia Powercom with 91 % satisfaction level clinched the 5th spot in this category.

As the above chart indicates APC’s Back UPS, HP Series from Numeric & eMerge from WeP Peripherals clinched the top slot in the Over all rating with 94% satisfaction level, these product were also adjudged having the Best product quality. Next in line were Ablerex from BPE and Uniline clinching the 2nd spot with 93% satisfaction level. However it was Numeric, Microtek, Uniline and Nexus which emerged as the best in terms of After Sales Service. IND from Asia Powercom and Tuff Power from Microtek with 92% satisfaction level came 3rd. Nexus Power Systems having one of best service network clinched the fourth spot with 91% satisfaction level for their NX series.

Elent made mark in UPS this time with its PRO Series clinching 90% satisfaction level to clinch the 5th spot.