APC

American Power Conversion, incorporated in March 1981, was founded by three electronic power engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. At the time, the research and development efforts of these three men were focused on solar electricity. Over the next few years, government funding and incentives in the solar arena began to dry up. In response, APC shifted its focus to power protection, introducing its first UPS in 1984, the 750.

The need for capital to support this growing business was satisfied in July 1988 when APC became a publicly traded company. The stock, trading under the symbol "APCC," was priced at $.125 per share when adjusted for stock splits. During this time, it was well known that computer systems required back-up power solutions. It was quite common for a mainframe computer to have a large uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and generator installed in tandem. APC came at the market from a different perspective. Industry trends involving the personal computer made APC management realise that smaller UPSs were necessary for the market that included personal computers, PC servers and their networks.

Over the years, APC has developed a global, end-to-end, product offering targeted at four strategic application areas: home/small office; business networks; access providers and data centres & facilities. Internal product development has been augmented with strategic acquisitions to form an industry leading product portfolio. Throughout the world, the APC brand has become synonymous with quality power back-up and management solutions. Today, APC is a leader in its industry, employing over 5,000 people worldwide, and is listed among the prestigious Fortune 1000, Forbes 500, Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 rankings.

On February 14, 2007, Schneider Electric acquired APC and formed the Critical Power & Cooling Services (CPCS) Business Unit, which includes the APC and MGE UPS Systems brands.