If your servers are knocked out, how much unplanned downtime can your business sustain? Think about it. Data loss can cripple a business. Downtime results in:
- lost competitive advantage
- lost revenue and productivity
- long-term erosion of customer retention
- strained relations with strategic partners
- damage to corporate reputation
As a business owner myself, I might also add that it leads to business owner STRESS. Did you know that, sadly, one in four businesses forced to close for at least 24 hours following a disaster simply never reopens? Unquestionably, as we move further into Atlantic hurricane season, U.S. businesses and governments should protect their sensitive data and applications by implementing a solid, IT disaster recovery plan.
Businesses should think critically about ensuring business continuity by evaluating their IT infrastructure, preparing for potential data loss, and outlining the critical steps needed to recover that data. First, identify the risks associated with natural and man-made disasters, and then create a plan for action should disaster strike. By keeping those plans updated, you can help ensure the survival of your business.
This summer, AISN has launched a new disaster recovery promotional campaign, which we hope will promote awareness about the importance of IT disaster planning and show how some of the latest Microsoft technologies on the market are making disaster recovery easier and more cost-effective.
Entitled, “Are You Ready?”, AISN’s campaign underscores a compelling need for organizations to ensure that they are fully prepared to protect their sensitive data and applications in the event of a disaster. In fact, in today’s highly regulated environment, businesses that must meet stringent compliance standards are expected to have an IT disaster plan in addition to a secure backup and recovery solution.
Our message to all businesses is clear: Don’t wait until you start hearing the weather predictions for hurricanes, tropical storms, floods and tornadoes. In the aftermath of a disaster, employees are typically struggling to do business in the face of lost communications, power outages, transportation failures and impassable roads. It’s imperative to protect your business now – before disaster strikes.
We are also advising that good business continuity planning should always include an IT disaster recovery plan that covers data loss and recovery. Your disaster recovery procedures should be planned and tested meticulously. And then, businesses should be ready to take proactive measures whenever local, state or federal disaster warnings are issued.
Stay tuned for more tips on secure online backup and disaster recovery planning as well as how the cloud can enhance your disaster recovery efforts. We’ll be blogging about it here.
By Laurie Head, AIS Network Vice President