From the article, the motherboard only requires one 12V input only, instead of the usual array of voltages (+-5, +-12, +3.3, etc). Having charging circuitry to

From the article, the motherboard only requires one 12V input only, instead of the usual array of voltages (+-5, +-12, +3.3, etc). Having charging circuitry to keep the battery operational (trickle charge) and being able to provide power to the motherboard when mains power fails is mostly straightforward and cheaper in this case. Not much different from what you would find on a regular UPS, but removes a few conversion steps - (DC 12V) ->(110/220V AC)-> DC - improving efficiency and reliability.