Continuity Planning 101 - A Continuing Educational Series: How the Cow Ate the Cabbage

Disaster Preparedness

Continuity Planning 101 - A Continuing Educational Series: How the Cow Ate the Cabbage

This article originally appeared in the October 2012 issue of INTERNET TELEPHONY

Many of you will be reading this column while attending ITEXPO (News - Alert) Austin in Austin so perhaps a little Texas folklore is in order. The phrase “How the cow ate the cabbage” is a frequently used folk saying in Texas. In fact, the phrase was included in a speech at the 1988 Democratic convention by former Texas Governor Ann Richards.  The generally accepted meaning is to tell someone a truth they do not want to hear. It certainly fits this column, as we regularly remind our readers about the dangers presented by not being prepared for business adversities.   Procrastinators probably prefer silence.  

Last year some extreme weather, including Hurricane Irene, hit the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States just prior to the opening of ITEXPO. In Connecticut, TMC’s (News - Alert) home base, almost 50 percent of the state’s electric customers were without power due to Irene alone – some, including several TMC employees, for more than a week. During this period the TMC website was operational; TMC editors and account managers were available; ITEXPO Austin registration services were active; and all other TMC operations including e-mail, fax, online publications and TMC Channels appeared normal. 

The reason this story is so important is to impress upon you the fact that business continuity is achievable if you plan properly. Granted, TMC’s staff has a slight advantage. They deal with the top communications service providers and vendors on a daily basis, so they are very familiar with the best available solutions. TMC showcases these solutions on the TMC website, in publications and at trade conferences like ITEXPO Austin. By reviewing and then showcasing these best of breed solutions, TMC is actually doing some of your homework for you and simplifying the selection process.

The advantages these technologies present for everyday use and as combined components of a BC/DR plan are quite compelling. Many components can simultaneously lower costs plus boost revenues by increasing employee efficiency. In other words, they actually contribute to the bottom line even if a disaster or adverse business circumstance never happens. Fortunately these best of breed solutions, particularly those involving SasS and the cloud, have a quick time to deployment. So what are you waiting for? Get started now!

Max Schroeder is the senior vice president of FaxCore Inc. (www.faxcore.com ). Rich Tehrani (News - Alert) is the president and group editor-in-chief at TMC, and conference chairman of ITEXPO.




Edited by Brooke Neuman