Disaster recovery - big benefits for SMEs

It has been found that a worrying level of small businesses experiencing major data loss cannot continue to operate. When we consider how potentially devastating security attacks and IT failure can be alarm bell rings, but are small to medium sized businesses(SMEs) giving due consideration to network maintenance, configurations and upgrades - all part of essential business continuity planning? According to John Eady, Managing Director at Datashare Solutions, SMEs need to remember that network downtime means inability to operate which automatically equates to loss of revenue.

"Small and medium sized businesses are trying to get as much from their hardware as possible and are perhaps not investing in IT infrastructure as much as they should be. The recession has understandably impacted upon budget allocation, but for most companies the IT network is a business hub. Network assets must be secured to avoid downtime repercussions as much as is possible," he says.

"When we think of disaster recovery planning, the terminology suggests an emergency situation. Viral attack or theft springs to mind. I believe SMEs are in danger of overseeing the fact that the main cause of network disruption and associated business continuity problems are configuration issues and violations.

Minding the gaps

"With fewer members of staff than larger businesses, SMEs tend to have less resources and time to allocate to IT. That's where specialists like Datashare Solutions, with our vast disaster recovery planning expertise and proven disaster recovery solutions such as Cerberus step in. We fill in the gaps - working as an extension of a small business to provide the IT know-how that protects its interests and keeps it operating to maximum efficiency and productivity," he says.

Disaster recovery planning is an essential component of business continuity planning, and anyone involved in disaster recovery needs to appreciate that IT vulnerabilities need to be uncovered. Dedicated time and effort are required to ensure that networks are secure and if those commodities are not available in house, outsourcing provides the answer.

With dedicated personnel monitoring and managing the system remotely, the burden of network management is significantly relieved. And with bespoke and affordable disaster recovery solutions available designed specifically to meet the needs of the SME consumer, Eady believes the benefits soon offset the financial outlay.

 "Consider your objectives in recovery planning: How long can your business operate without critical It from the initial service interruption? What are the repercussions for your customers? What will be the impact on your bottom line?

Ride a storm or cease to trade?

"Datashare Solutions can help small business understand their recovery objectives through business impact analysis and demonstrate that in the hands of professionals, IT and business operations can be quickly restored, keeping downtime to a minimum. Affordable solutions do exist," he adds. "And a disaster recovery plan can make the difference between riding a storm and ceasing to trade."

It's not hard to see why minimising IT risk is so appealing, but what other benefits can SMEs expect from disaster recovery planning? Eady is emphatic, "Time is money. When your network fails you need to keep disruption and downtime to an absolute minimum. Our virtual servers can have you operating again within minutes of an incident and since our solutions are ISO27001 accredited, we can guarantee recovery - no question.

"We offer SMEs a straightforward managed service that is quick and simple to set up - it takes as little as twenty minutes to install a 'Plan B' disaster recovery device - and once installed, no ongoing IT support is required. This is important within the SME environment because business owners and key personnel, freed from the strain of IT management, can focus their time on running the business and allocate resources more effectively," he says.

Trouble shooting on your behalf

"Our managed service also enables us to pre-empt problems. Systems are monitored around the clock, so issues may be uncovered before a customer becomes aware of them and we can start working on resolving them earlier," adds Eady.

Datashare Solutions offers cost effective, tailored disaster recovery solutions. Please contact us for advice on disaster recovery planning and to find out more about our SME Level Cerberus solutions.