The modern data center is remarkably sophisticated, outfitted with the world's most advanced and intelligent technologies, and almost elegant in its operation. It supports countless critical applications that keep the world spinning. Yet, for backup power, it still mostly relies on what amounts to a stack of car batteries.

The traditional flooded wet cell and valve-regulated lead acid (VRLA) batteries that back up most UPS systems have always been a necessary but clunky addendum to the data center story, and the industry has been working to replace them for years. Lithium-ion technologies have made some inroads over the past decade, but the threat of fire with those batteries and the associated onerous transportation and storage restrictions make them imperfect alternatives.