American Power Conversion

APC by Schneider Electric
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Power protection, Data center products
Predecessor	American Power Conversion Corporation
Founded	1981
Founder	Three engineers from MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Fate	Acquired by Schneider Electric in 2007
Area served	Global
Products	Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), electronic peripherals, data center products
Owner	Schneider Electric
Number of employees	12,000 (Critical Power & Cooling Services Business Unit, 2007)
Parent	Schneider Electric

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article American Power Conversion, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 8 August 2025

APC by Schneider Electric—previously known as American Power Conversion Corporation—specializes in manufacturing uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), electronic peripherals, and products designed for data centers.

In 2007, Schneider Electric acquired APC and integrated it with MGE UPS Systems, establishing Schneider Electric's Critical Power & Cooling Services Business Unit. This unit reported revenues of $3.5 billion in 2007 and employed approximately 12,000 individuals globally. Prior to this acquisition, APC was a component of the S&P 500. Schneider Electric itself operated with a workforce of 113,900 employees across 102 countries and achieved $26 billion in sales during 2008.

By the year 2011, APC had transitioned into a dedicated product brand within Schneider Electric’s IT Business Unit.

History

Founded in 1981 by three engineers from MIT Lincoln Laboratory, APC initially concentrated on research and development in solar power. After the cessation of government funding, the company redirected its focus toward power protection solutions, releasing its inaugural UPS product in 1984.

Acquisition by Schneider

On October 30, 2006, Schneider Electric announced plans to acquire APC, finalizing the transaction on February 14, 2007. Shareholders of APC approved the acquisition on January 16, 2007. The European Union granted approval for the merger with the stipulation that Schneider divest the global UPS business under 10kVA formerly held by MGE UPS. Subsequently, Eaton Powerware purchased the MGE Office Protection Systems division from Schneider later that same year.

Product lines

APC serves four primary market segments:

Residential and home office users
Corporate network infrastructures
Access provider networks
Data center facilities and environments

Symmetra

The Symmetra LX series from APC delivers UPS solutions tailored for network and server applications with power capacities ranging between 4 kVA and 16 kVA. Engineered for data center deployment—such as installation in standard 19-inch racks—Symmetra units incorporate features like integrated management capabilities and hot-swappable, user-serviceable power and battery modules to maximize uptime and facilitate maintenance.

Smart-UPS

Smart-UPS models are designed for home and office settings and are offered in both rackmount and floor-standing configurations. With the exception of the Smart-UPS Online series (including SURT and SRT models), these units operate as line-interactive UPS systems that activate their inverters solely during power interruptions to enhance energy efficiency.

PowerChute

PowerChute is APC’s proprietary software for managing UPS devices; it automates server shutdown during prolonged outages while providing monitoring and event logging functions.

The PowerChute Business Edition supports secure shutdown procedures for up to 25 servers connected via serial or USB interfaces to Smart-UPS hardware. Additionally, APC’s UPS Network Management Cards enable direct network connectivity through unique IP addresses, removing dependency on local servers—an ideal solution for wiring closets lacking server infrastructure. When paired with PowerChute Network Shutdown software, these cards facilitate safe network-based shutdowns for compatible Smart-UPS units.