The basic Standby UPS is an uninterruptible power source that delivers short-term, battery-sourced power during outages. With this category of UPS, hardware receives utility power, under normal conditions, through a direct AC connection. The standby unit and its inverter are essentially on hold until backup power is needed. Depending upon the model, a standby UPS device can also safeguard data and sensitive equipment from surges, spikes, and dips. Compact devices are available for home network protection. A Standby UPS is commonly used to protect computers, modems, VoIP equipment and other hardware. This category of UPS is the least expensive of the three UPS types.