Just wanted to follow up on the earlier thread...  APC's SNMP box, like
Deltec's is also lacking from a security standpoint (it doesn't do MD5
authentication...  anyone can snoop the network and then send commands
to the UPS to have it turn off output power, or whatever.  This is
somewhat nonoptimal...).  Their tech support guy was very helpful,
though, and put up with my endless stream of stupid questions :-)

APC does license their serial protocol, though.  The process was
inexpensive and painless, and the documentation I got was clear and
comprehensive.  In fact, APC was great all around.  All the UPS vendors
seem to send out fancy marketing packets, but APC took the cake -- a 1"
binder packed with marketing info, tables of VA requirements for all
sorts of differnet machines, etc.  The sent it by Fedex, even...  [this
caused some confusion with my office mate...  "The UPS info came.  The
sent it by Fedex.", I told him.  "Why didn't they deliver it
themselves?", he said, looking confused...  we proceeded to play "who's
on first" for about a minute and a half until I figured out he thought I
was talking about information from UPS, the shipping company (we have a
UPS shipping account, and they occaisionally send updated info
packets)].  Anyway, they were also nice to deal with on the protocol
information.  If you want to get it, the person you need to talk to is
Debbie Grey.  She was very helpful. 

The license terms mean I can't distribute anything based on the
document, even binaries.  But, if you can work something with APC and
get their permission, I would be happy to share whatever I come up with. 
If you sign the agreement and pay the (reasonable, really!) fee, I don't
see why they wouldn't agree...

So far I'm really happy with APC, and if you need a UPS that you can
fully control from NetBSD, I'd say talk to them first.

Now if only the UPS itself would show up, I'd be all set.  It should
have come Monday or today, but as I didn't by direct from APC, I can't
blame them...  [leading to another confusing moment today: "UPS come?"
"I, er...  Yes.  Well, no...  er, both...  er, that is, I mean UPS came,
but the UPS didn't come".  It was of like trying to answer "have you
stopped beating your wife yet?", but in reverse.  What's he opposite of
"mu", anyway?]