With A Backup & Disaster Recovery Plan Your Company Will Have The Business Continuity You Need
Depending on the location of your business, your operations may be vulnerable to storms that down trees and power lines. No matter where you are, a simple accidental deletion of data by one of your employees can put your services on hold. And don’t forget about the continually increasing cyber attacks that hold business data for a ransom. For all these reasons and more, you need a Business Continuity Solution.
What Is A Business Continuity Solution?
Some IT support companies call this a Business Continuity Plan, and some call it a Backup & Disaster Recovery Plan. No matter what you call it, it will keep your data safe and accessible if you experience a manmade or natural disaster.
This solution provides you with a robust set of tools to give your business the best chance to stay open and recover quickly, and with as little damage as possible to your operations and reputation.
Your IT services company will map out a plan and devise strategies to ensure business continuity. Your plan will:
- Protect your IT systems from significant disruptions.
- Get your business back up and running in the event of a disaster.
- Test your backups and recovery regularly as part of routine site maintenance.
- Perform backups hourly to a secure remote data center without human intervention – with logging and alerting that notifies you not just about failures, but on the absence of success – a fundamental distinction.
- Recover files and complete systems for time periods going back days, weeks, and months.
- Take backup one step further; your IT service company will show you how to leverage the full power of the Cloud so that your staff can continue working from anywhere they can access the Internet.
Other options to consider in your Business Continuity Solution include:
- A Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone system to communicate when phone lines are down.
- An Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) to transmit data including orders and payments from one company to another.
- Approved laptops and wireless devices to create, process, manage, and communicate information electronically.
What Are The Top 10 Benefits Of Having A Business Continuity Solution?
1. With a business continuity solution, your Information Technology will be protected, and your staff will be ready and productive in the event of a disaster. Employees will be informed and rehearsed, and they’ll know what actions to take. This could save your business a lot of downtime and money.
2. It will protect the image, brand, and reputation of your business. If you’re able to continue functioning despite a disaster, your customers will see you as dependable, and your reputation will be enhanced as a result.
3. Your customers will feel confident doing business with you; you’ll be able to keep your commitments and ensure the continuing quality of the services you deliver.
4. It shows your investors that you take your business seriously; that you’re prepared and ready to maintain productivity.
5. Your insurance company could view your business more favorably knowing that you’ve done everything you can do to protect it from a disaster.
6. Your staff will gain an awareness of business operations that they didn’t have before. Business Continuity Planning can often provide your personnel with useful insights into improving the way they handle tasks, even in areas that hadn’t been previously considered.
7. If a disaster does occur, the cost of disruptions will be significantly reduced with a Business Continuity Solution in place.
8. There won’t be disruptions to services. Your competitive position will be maintained, even improved because you’ll be able to meet your customers’ expectations, where other businesses that aren’t protected won’t.
9. Business operations will be enhanced when you identify areas of inefficiency or risk during the analysis part of your Business Continuity Planning.
10. The best benefit of a Backup & Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Plan is your ability to deliver services regardless of any business disruptions.
What Should You Do Now?
Contact your IT support company in California. Ask them to:
- Identify Your Potential Risks. Weather can be unpredictable, and manmade disasters are always a risk. Mistakes by employees, vandalism, and data theft are threats to consider as well.
- Assess Your Operations and Level of Preparedness. Look for flaws in your operations. Do you have a work-at-home plan for management-level employees if they can’t get into your office? How will you communicate and collaborate with them? This is when a VoIP phone system and cloud computing can really help. Ask your IT support company about these and other technology solutions that will keep you working and connected.
- Don’t Go At It Alone. You need an expert who’s trained in business continuity preparation and execution. This will give you the peace of mind knowing that no matter the disaster, they will be there for you.
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What Is Backup & Disaster Recovery?