Filed under: KingsBridge Disaster Recovery | Tags: business continuity, Continuity of Operations, COOP, disaster, disaster preparation, disaster recovery, disaster recovery software, disruption, KingsBridge Disaster Recovery, Phoenix software
Each year as winter gets closer our customers start to think about winter weather and how it will impact their business (if you are one of the lucky ones in the south, pray for a warm winter and no snow!). We are asked the same thing every year “How can we protect our business better?”. While this is a valid question, there are lots of other factors to take into account. First and foremost what is a disaster? Second, How does it differ from a disruption?
Every self respecting Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Planning website shows varying levels of Armageddon with large-scale fires, earthquakes, hurricanes and the like. While those threats are all reasonable ones to plan for, don’t get hung up on trying to plan for something that isn’t “likely” to impact your business. A 2010 Gartner/Disaster Recovery Journal survey shows that 7 other threats are more likely (Power Failure, IT Hardware Failure, Network Failure, Winter Storm, Human Error, Flood, IT Software Failure) to impact your business. Notice anything about most of these? None of them start as disasters, they start as disruptions!
So when you are doing your planning, why are you planning for something that has a 6% likelihood (Fire in the same survey), when you should be planning for something with a 44% likelihood (Power Failure)? It would seem that we are blinded by “the big one” and don’t notice the real threats to our business.
What the big deal with disruptions turning into disasters? Each disruption could have been stopped at that point with a proper Recovery Plan, unfortunately they weren’t prepared and the disruption ruined your business. Don’t let a coffee being spilt into your exchange server ruin your business, have a plan that stops your disruption at a disruption before it turns into a disaster!
About KingsBridge
KingsBridge offers private businesses and government organizations a unique combination of industry knowledge and cost-effective disaster recovery / business continuity solutions. KingsBridge products and seminars provide the tools to assess possible threats and create tailored plans which mitigate risks and minimize losses in the event of a disruption to business. Kingsbridge is headquartered in Ogdensburg, New York, with an office in Ottawa, Canada. For more information visit us at www.DisasterRecovery.com.
Filed under: Knowledge, Software | Tags: British Colombia, business continuity software, business disaster, business impact analysis, disaster, disaster preparation, disaster recovery software, DRJ Sprin World, earthquakes, Florida, KingsBridge Disaster Recovery, Learning Tree International, natural disasters, Orlando
On Wednesday, the province of British Colombia lead by example. Over 420,000 people participated in a province-wide earthquake drill.
At 10 a.m., radio stations through-out the province sounded an alarm and students, office workers, clergy, and church-goers, dove under desks, tables and other stable and sturdy pieces of furniture and hung on for a minute to simulate what to do when the expected big earthquake hits British Colombia.
The purpose of this province-wide drill was to create awareness amongst citizens of what to do when an earthquake hits. The main goal being to emphasize that leaving a shaking building is the worst thing to do. Called “The Great British Colombia Shakeout”, this drill on Wednesday highlights how important it is to be prepared and aware of what to do when disaster strikes.
In addition to this drill, the province has also ensured that public buildings are safer and better designed to withstand the effects of an earthquake. British Colombia is located in a geographical zone that is prone to earthquakes.
So, what can we learn from British Colombia? Essentially, there is no time like the present to identify the threats to your home, business, schools and community as a whole and then the next step is to determine how to prepare yourself to respond to these threats. Imagine if all provinces in Canada followed British Colombia’s lead – Alberta could prepare for the inevitable winter cold snap, Saskatchewan could determine how best to respond to a drought, Manitoba could be ready for the flooding of the Red River, Ontario could be ready for the next ice storm, Quebec could prepare for the springtime floods, New Brunswick could be ready for the early winter storms, Nova Scotia could respond to the high winds, Newfoundland could be ready to face the winter storms, Prince Edward Island could face the high winds and flooding, and Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut could be ready to face the severe cold of the winter.
Sometime to think about it isn’t. Every year we are impacted by the effects of natural disasters – make 2011 the year that you’re ready to respond.
(To read more about the initiatives in British Colombia, follow these links: CBC News, earthquake drills, and earthquake facts.)
P.S. This the perfect reason to register for our 1.5 day course at the DRJ Spring World show in Orlando, Florida. Learn the essentials of disaster recovery planning from us – leading experts with more than 25 years of hands-on experience.
About KingsBridge
KingsBridge offers private businesses and government organizations a unique combination of industry knowledge and cost-effective disaster recovery / business continuity solutions. KingsBridge products and seminars provide the tools to assess possible threats and create tailored plans which mitigate risks and minimize losses in the event of a disruption to business. Kingsbridge is headquartered in Ogdensburg, New York, with offices in Ottawa, Canada and Burlington, Vermont. For more information visit us at http://www.DisasterRecovery.com.
Filed under: KingsBridge Train | Tags: business continuity, COOP, disaster, disaster recovery, fatcyclist, KingsBridge, Movember, Nevada cancer, prostate cancer, recovery
As you might know, everyone here at KingsBridge is always up for a good cause. We are supporters of the Nevada Cancer Institute through our +3 fund raising, we run 10Ks to support local hospitals and we support the Fat Cyclist in his constant battle with cancer. So when the opportunity came around to support prostate cancer, we took up the charge and are doing our part!
The best thing about the prostate cancer fundraiser is that it is participating in Movember! That isn’t a typo, it actually is Movember. What does this fund raiser require? It means that we all grow mustaches for the month of November and all donations go to prostate cancer research. This month is not popular with any of our wives or girlfriends, but they realize that it is for a good cause and agree that they can live with it for a month. Needless to say, the razors are sharpened for December 1st!
So, check back often to see our facial growth!
We will have links posted to our Movember page where you can donate if the feeling moves you. You can also check out our FaceBook Page for updates as well!
Filed under: Knowledge | Tags: business continuity, business continuity software, business disaster, business impact analysis, Continuity of Operations, disaster, disaster preparation, disaster recovery, disaster recovery software, iPad, iPhone, KingsBridge Disaster Recovery, National Preparedness Month, national security, Phoenix Mobile iPhone App, Phoenix software
On August, 27, President Obama declared that September is National Preparedness Month. In this proclamation, President Obama stated “we stress the importance of strengthening the security and resiliency of our Nation through systematic preparation for the full range of hazards threatening the United States in the 21st century, including natural disasters, cyber attacks, pandemic disease, and acts of terrorism. “
At first glance as a business owner you most likely see the relevancy and immediacy of the situation. Being aware of the need for your business to be prepared in times of disasters and threats such as terrorism attacks, natural disasters, and the like has become a necessity rather than a “nice-to-have”. So as you read about National Preparedness Month, you might be wondering – okay, well I’m already prepared:
- I’ve done my due diligence with a Threat Risk Analysis
- I know what the biggest risks to my business are thanks to the Business Impact Analysis
- thanks to the knowledge of industry-leading consultants and disaster recovery/business continuity experts I have a plan
- all of my employees are on board with the plan and we’ve thoroughly tested it
- I even have a free iPhone/iPad application, Phoenix Mobile, that lets me be protected wherever I am
All this leads to the question – why should you care about National Preparedness Month? Well, the simple answer is – look around you. Your business is protected – but what about your home? How about the business down the street? What about your suppliers? Have you thought to ask your customers if they’re ready to face a disaster or threat?
Exactly, being protected in times of disaster and emergency, goes beyond your office and employees. We need to focus on getting everyone on board with disaster recovery and business continuity. Remember threats and disasters don’t have to be large to be a problem. A leak in the water system at your child’s school, a school bus that gets lost or is late on the way home from school, your home WiFi network goes down and you can’t stay in touch with your family members, or what if your biggest client experiences a flood. These are all things that can and will ultimately affect your bottom line and more importantly the quality of your life.
So what can you do to get others on board with National Preparedness Month? First of all, visit the two websites referenced in President Obama’s proclamation:
- http://www.ready.gov/america/index.html – this site has excellent information for individuals and businesses
- http://citizencorps.gov/ – excellent resource to learn what you can do as an individual citizen
The next thing you can do, is poke around this blog - we’ve done our best to explain to you what the impacts of not being prepared are. Read about our experiences – both professional and personal and how we at KingsBridge are ensuring that we’re ready to face disasters and threats head on.
Finally, spread the word. Forward this post to your colleagues, your partners, your competitors, your family members, your neighbors. Work together to truly get America protected. There is a hurricane broiling off the East Coast right now – think of all those people who aren’t ready at home or at work… Really, it is up to us to embrace this proclamation and do what we can to be prepared.
If it’s happened once – it can happen again….
Filed under: Knowledge, Software | Tags: business continuity, business continuity software, business disaster, business impact analysis, Continuity of Operations, COOP, disaster, disaster preparation, disaster recovery, disaster recovery software, KingsBridge Disaster Recovery, phoenix foundation, Phoenix software, sharepoint, Software
When you think of disaster what do you think of? Chances are you put flood, massive power outage, fire, and pandemic at the top of your list. These are all events that really we can’t control – the hurricanes are going to happen, the power does go out, fires happen sometimes due to human error, and health crisis are still one of the large mysteries of life. So for these events that may or may not happen, you understand the need to have a disaster recovery and business continuity plan. Since you’re reading this blog post, I assume you have such a DR/BCP in place to keep your business working efficiently when “disaster” strikes.
But what about smaller seemingly less risk business interruptions? One that comes to mind and is in the news again – disrupted travel plans. The impact from the April 13 eruption of a volcano on Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull glacier was felt worldwide. We all know someone, perhaps even you, who had to shuffle travel plans or worse yet was stranded in an airport with no chance of making it home or to that all-important business meeting. For the first few days of airport closures, people were taking things in stride, you adjusted your meetings pushing them ahead a few days, convinced that you’d be on your way soon enough.
Then the delays continued. Airports through-out Europe remained closed. You or your business partners were trapped. Slowly but surely, things are getting a bit stressful. Meetings have been canceled. Potential business deals are falling through. There is only so much business you can conduct over Skype and with your laptop in an airport…
So after considering this, would you now add airport closures and flight delays to your list of disasters? The impacts are pretty darn similar to a hurricane or fire – you can’t travel, you’ve missed meetings, business deals are getting pushed aside, there is a slight level of chaos in you office. All this to say that when you think about DR/BCP you need to think beyond the big picture. You need to really look at your business – how do you make your money? What technologies (yes air travel is part of the technology sphere) do you rely on? How are you going to keep running making money and closing deals when these technologies are impaired?
All this to say that when it comes time to do your semi-annual analysis of your DR/BCP strategy – be sure to remember April and May 2010. The lessons learned during these two months can come in very handy when making adjustments to your plans and working with qualified DR/BCP consultants to ensure that when disaster strikes, you’re ready.
About KingsBridge
KingsBridge offers private businesses and government organizations a unique combination of industry knowledge and cost-effective disaster recovery / business continuity solutions. KingsBridge products and seminars provide the tools to assess possible threats and create tailored plans which mitigate risks and minimize losses in the event of a disruption to business. Kingsbridge is headquartered in Ogdensburg, New York, with offices in Ottawa, Canada and Burlington, Vermont. For more information visit us at www.DisasterRecovery.com
Filed under: Knowledge | Tags: business, business continuity, business continuity software, business disaster, business impact analysis, Continuity of Operations, COOP, disaster, disaster preparation, disaster recovery, disaster recovery software, KingsBridge Disaster Recovery, Phoenix software
Earlier this morning as I was having my morning coffee with some colleagues from work I received a phone call. I noticed that it was my wife that was calling me. As I picked up the phone I noticed right away a bizarre tone in her voice, she seemed lazy, almost sleepy. After asking her about it she told me that she was bored! She then tells me that she and her entire office floor have had no power for the last two hours! As a result, she and her co-workers have had no computer access, which means that they have been sitting idle for that entire time waiting for the power to come back on.
What surprised me the most? She didn’t seem bothered in the slightest about this.
I hung up the phone a couple minutes later and sat at my desk asking myself how would such a conversation be possible. Being in the disaster recovery and business continuity industry this type of scenario seemed absolutely absurd. How could an entire floor of 70 plus people that work for a Federal Government agency sit essentially being useless for hours on end without any thing to do? As I know my wife’s salary and can make an educated guess of the total salary of all 70 plus workers, I find it completely ridiculous that all that money is being lost and there does not seem to be any sense of urgency among her or her peers.
Unfortunately most people view the field of disaster recovery and business continuity as one that deals with only the fire and brimstone of earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes and overlook power outages as being a normal acceptable occurrence. A lack of power does not necessarily mean lack of productivity. A simple recovery plan would of outlined alternate tasks that could have been completed by my wife and her colleagues while they wait for the lights to come back on. This would only be one of many options that would certainly provide a much better business outcome compared to a floor full of people twirling there thumbs waiting for power.
Navigate to www.disasterrecovery.com/roi and discover how much money your business losses during each hour of downtime!
Filed under: Knowledge, Software | Tags: business, business continuity, business continuity software, business disaster, Continuity of Operations, COOP, disaster, disaster recovery software, H1N1, KingsBridge Disaster Recovery, swine flu
An interesting story went by yesterday in the news and it underlines the importance of Media control in the event of a disaster.
How this relates to Recovery Planning. When we do any Disaster Recovery or Business Continuity planning for our customers we underline the importance of getting the right message out to the customers. If you let the media build the emergency, they will make it seem much worse than it really is, as they have to fill time on their programming and lets face it, sensational news sells!
So, the scenario… On Sunday a passenger train was returning to Ottawa and had a mechanical fire about 40 minutes south of town. The article filed by the reporter, who happened to be on the train, makes the entire evacuation process absolutely terrifying. A couple things to keep in mind when you read the article; first, nobody was injured and second, there hasn’t been any sort of rebuttal from VIA rail (the train company).
Here is the article:http://www.cbc.ca/news/citizenbytes/2009/08/train_trouble_a_passenger_on_a_1.html
How does this impact my business recovery planning?
One of the key pieces of either Disaster Recovery or Business Continuity Planning is minimizing the impact on your customer base (current or future). In this case VIA should have had press releases plastered all over the news feeds about their fast response in having busses and trucks to evacuate people. Instead we hear nothing. Unfortunately, all we take away from this are the passengers had to walk down tracks in the dark while fending off bugs.
I haven’t taken a train for more than 15 years and this story doesn’t make me want to rush out and take one anytime soon! I realize that I might not be the majority, but in the constant market share war for new customers, VIA missed an excellent opportunity to highlight their fast response and possibly gain new customers. I guess I’ll continue to fly!
KingsBridge is a Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity company specializing in Software, Seminars and Consulting. If you are looking for a Microsoft Office integrated recovery planning tool, Phoenix is not only an excellent tool, but the only completely integrated planning tool. Our seminars (online and in-house) are some of the longest running seminars in the recovery business. KingsBridge uses turn-key consulting for those who need the plan done, right the first time. For more information about KingsBridge, checkoutwww.disasterrecovery.com
Filed under: Knowledge, Software | Tags: business, business continuity, business continuity software, business disaster, Continuity of Operations, COOP, disaster, disaster preparation, disaster recovery, KingsBridge Disaster Recovery
In May, Google suffered a service outage that led to worldwide Internet slowdowns and left millions with limited or no access to critical business functions like email. The real story, though, is not the outage, but why a company controlling almost two-thirds of the world’s Internet search traffic didn’t have a better disaster plan in place, and how you can learn from their mistakes. We live in interesting times right now… Everyone expects complete 100% “uptime”, but nobody has the budget to support those kinds of expectations. In Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery, there would be contingency plans put in place, but with today’s market it is tough to find the financing to have the redundant systems in place.
The job of a good Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery specialist is to build a plan (both recovery and project) that allows the plan to maximize its effectiveness when there is money and sustain it when there isn’t. Keep reading and we’ll examine how each of these questions are the foundation for your project and can lead you in the right direction.
Finding the Right consultant
It isn’t uncommon to be skeptical of a consultant, that is why we have seen their title change from “Consultant” to Managed Service” over the years. Most people feel that a consultant is simply there to punch the clock and not exactly geared towards results, even though they are being paid a lot of money. How do you find a good one? Read on to learn more about what each project should entail to ensure a good result from your consultant.
Know Your Business
As you work in, manage or own a successful business, you already know what solutions work best for you. Are you an “online” office? Is your entire office paperless? Is your office full of paper and you “need it” to operate. Or is the bulk of your workforce mobile? The answer to each of these requires very different strategies and very different solutions to ensure the best chance for recovery. Your Disaster Recovery or Business Continuity plan should reflect the manner in which your regular business operates.
Keep your Options Open
All projects are impacted by advancements in technology and slowdowns in the economy; Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery are no different. Thus building a flexible recovery solution for you business is key. As with all contracts, avoiding being locked into one long-term contract with only one technology is essential. If you are looking for a solution that is going to grow (or shrink) with your business, make sure your contract allows for flexibility. Any good service provider (software or managed services) should be able to determine a solution that works for you. If you feel they are pushing service on you, consider changing to a vendor neutral provider.
To recap the above paragraphs, let’s outline the major points:
- · We need to do due diligence on our proposed consultants.
- · Also, it is critical to have set deliverables for a set price.
- · Find a solution that works for you! It can be very simple or very complex, but make sure it works for you!
- · Whatever you choose to do is better than nothing, but it must work for you (and your company).
As budgets are at the forefront of everyone’s mind right now, when researching a solution provider, make sure they can offer a solution that works for your budget. There are a lot of providers that will sell you on overkill, but there are also a lot of providers that will give you an excellent solution for less than you are expecting. Find a solution that works for you, they have a good history, they offer a flexible solution and you like them because you might be working with them for a long time!
KingsBridge is a Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity company specializing in Software, Seminars and Consulting. If you are looking for a Microsoft Office integrated recovery planning tool, Phoenix is not only an excellent tool, but the only completely integrated planning tool. Our seminars (online and in-house) are some of the longest running seminars in the recovery business. KingsBridge uses turn-key consulting for those who need the plan done, right the first time. For more information about KingsBridge, checkoutwww.disasterrecovery.com
Filed under: Knowledge | Tags: business, business continuity, business disaster, disaster, disaster preparation, disaster recovery, Software, swine flu
It happens every year at the same time and with the weather being unpredictable as it is, you would think that we would know how to weather any storm. Just like with hurricanes, our business continuity/disaster recovery plans are susceptible to the storms that might happen in the day-to-day running of our businesses.
Are you watching the forecast?
We all know the importance of planning. We spend countless hours preparing for that long awaited family trip to the beach or trip of your dreams to some exotic destination. When it comes to your business continuity/disaster recovery plan do we need to be as diligent? When you are planning for the next project, proposal, new client meeting, are you asking yourself, will this affect my plan? Are you setting time aside on a regular basis to review and make revisions to your plan? If not, start now!
Are you changing your way to navigate the storm?
Now you are focused and aware of how changes affect your plan, are you making changes to keep your plan up-to-date? Are you looking at ways to simplify your plan? Often, we make changes to our business to take advantage of new technology, are you doing the same for your plan?
Can you survive the unpredicted?
Sometimes it’s not the hurricane that will stop us in our tracks, it can be something simple. Does your plan provide for the basics? What would happen if you went to the office in the morning and you had no power? What happens if the receptionist spills coffee on the switchboard? Can your clients call? Does your plan provide for the basics?
What will it cost you?
Can your business survive a storm that puts you out of your office? What if you lose your client database? Can you afford to be shutdown for 1 day, 3 days or 1 week? Do you know the number associated with even one day of business interruption?
Knowing the cost, makes planning more realistic. In our current economy can you afford to be down at all? Your plan becomes your road map and insurance policy to making sure your business with survive the next “hurricane”.
