Intelligent motor control and drives have evolved from providing safe and flexible motor control to acting as smart energy managers. They perform critical protective, diagnostic, and troubleshooting functions to improve productivity and minimize downtime, especially in applications where even short periods of downtime can be costly. The document discusses a survey of electrical power system end users that found most operate systems 11-30 years old. While many exceed equipment suppliers' stated obsolescence dates, practices for justifying upgrades focus on lost production, failure costs, and failure frequency. Condition assessments before upgrades help prevent future downtime.