What is the difference between cycle use and standby use?

Standby (float) use: the battery sits fully charged on a charger and discharges rarely, UPS, telecom reserve, substation tripping supply. Life is governed by calendar ageing, temperature and float voltage. Cycle use: the battery is discharged and recharged regularly, solar, off-grid, SAPS. Life is governed by cycle count and depth of discharge. The same battery is not optimal for both, and the most common specification error in this market is buying a standby product for a cycling duty.