The pandemic has forever changed the education landscape with the hybrid learning method, which combines face-to-face learning with digital resources to meet the needs of students to stay relevant in education.
Vertiv Philippines has released its Lithium-ion Technology that would enable students to have an interruptible hybrid or blended learning in response to Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte’s order to all private and public schools to revert to face-to-face classes, with the exemptions of specific areas.
The latest innovation from Vertiv comes as the Philippines’ education sector is slowly transitioning back to in-person classes after over two years of blended and full-distance learning, three years since the Covid 19 pandemic.
Citing Department of Education pronouncements, institutions would be given ample time to shift gradually through blended learning setups.
Among these setups is the “HyFlex” model, a term coined from the words “Hybrid” and “Flexible.”
Through this hybrid and flexible learning setup, students may have three days of in-person classes and two days of distance learning or four days of in-person classes and a day of distance education.
Now more than ever, these changes require significant demands on the institutions’ IT infrastructure and personnel to maintain it.
That is why the Vertiv team expressed that having an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is necessary for every school and university to adapt competently and adjust to today’s new normal — unveiling its Vertiv Lithium-ion batteries come charge-ready to support schools in the HyFlex setup.
Cost-efficient option
According to Jason Lim, country manager, Vertiv Philippines, when reinforcing new technologies in their system, the cost usually is a huge question mark for everyone.
“The initial cost of Vertiv Lithium-ion Technology may be higher. However, lithium-ion batteries now provide a lower total cost of ownership in as little as five years. Over the typical service life of a UPS, it is estimated that a lithium-ion battery system can provide a total cost of ownership savings of 40 percent or more,” he said in a statement.
Also, he maintained that having Vertiv Lithium-ion Technology comes in hassle-free transportation and installation, as Lithium-ion batteries weigh about 60 percent less and are 70 percent more compact, making them easier to transport and install.
“This feature saves space in any on-site or remote facility, allowing you to reconfigure your deployment to increase available rack space for IT (Information Technology) servers and networking equipment,” he added.
Durable lifespan
He bared that Lithium-ion batteries last two to three times longer than traditional batteries.
With this, schools will significantly benefit from fewer battery replacements, less maintenance, and lower human labor cost.
“Lithium-ion batteries typically have a design life of eight to 10 years, which means they should have the same lifespan as a single-phase UPS. Furthermore, lithium-ion batteries charge only two to four hours to full capacity. Longer running time means a better IT system for students,” according to Lim.