IT Business Continuity

IT business continuity goes beyond backing up your critical data and applications. It is a disaster recovery plan that includes provisions for having your critical IT infrastructure up and running as soon as possible, often at an onsite location. The first phase is a consultancy in which your needs are assessed. The second phase is designing the most cost-effective and timely IT solution. And the final phase involves setting up that plan.

Virtualization is a tremendous asset to IT business continuity because it enables employees to work at any Wi-Fi enabled location in a kind of virtual office. Communication between staff is maintained and so is critical workflow. Virtualized “desktops” are the same workspace employees are used to dealing with under routine circumstances, so no learning curve is involved. Virtualization can be combined rented recovery work areas with  to be consistent with the needs of financial services firms, insurance agencies, and others which have data leak concerns.

Cloud computing is useful in IT business continuity, but depends on the cloud provider to ensure service is maintained. Companies which host much of their software applications in clouds need to ensure their cloud provider has adequate continuity plans in place. This is something we at ComputerPro take very seriously and we provide these audits as part of our managed cloud and software-as-service services.

Social platforms such as Facebook provide a forum for employes to connect following a major business disruption, but measures also need to be in place to prevent the propagation of rumors and disinformation.

Mobile devices add another layer to IT business continuity planning. These devices need to access the software and services that allow them to function, but Wi-Fi access may be limited following a widespread catastrophic event. Disaster planning has to take into account that there may not be online access to data and applications following such an event, something we are well aware of in hurricane-prone South Florida.