What could happen to your business if your computers stop working and critical information was suddenly not accessible for an extended period of time? The impact of this problem would be overwhelming, with the likelihood of thousands of dollars lost. A company in this situation would be devastated, and possibility, have to shut its doors with employees losing their jobs and valuable customers lost, forever.

Nowadays, most businesses are highly reliant on computers and networks. Even the smallest of companies rely on computers and information stored on them to operate on a daily basis.

Almost all businesses use computers to maintain critical information, such as their bookkeeping, billing and accounts payable information. Also, many companies have valuable and irreplaceable information regarding customers, sales orders, service schedules, business assets, suppliers, maintenance, and projects, all stored on the computer. Use of computers and reliance on the internet is ubiquitous.

Even though today’s computers and networks are extremely reliable, it is absolutely vital to backup critical data incase a disaster strikes. When a sudden unplanned event creates significant damage to physical assets, disrupts computer operations, or causes a loss of data, it becomes a major business catastrophe. A disaster event is usually unforeseeable, and may be caused by a storm, a flood, a fire, or a building accident. It could also be the result of a stolen piece of computer equipment, a mechanical failure, a power surge, a frozen water pipe, a computer virus, or human error. For example, a local Baltimore business struggled for months to recover its operations when a broken water main flooded their headquarters’ facility, shutting down the network operating center.

It does not have to be a major disaster which disrupts a business’ computer network. Something as simple as a hard drive crash could cripple a company when critical data on that drive is lost. The result could be devastating, with major problems, because essential has been rendered information is unavailable.

Today, to prevent this problem, there are many ways to back up the data regularly, and to get it off site. Most business owners have these procedures in place. However, many times when our Confidence-Plus service technicians perform our 27 point computer network audit for a new customer, we often find critical data backups are incomplete, or, in fact, failing. And even more alarming, we find the company owners and executives are not aware of this data problem or the chaos which could result.

Also, just as important as having reliable data backups with off site storage, is the need for a disaster recovery facility. If critical information on company computers cannot be accessed how will the business operate? Business operations cannot continue without access to computer files and applications. Many businesses believe they can rebuild their servers in another location, restore their files and return to business, as usual, within a few days. Counting on the ability to re-establish computer operations, within a few days, without a tested plan and backup facility is, at best, just wishful thinking. Rebuilding a network is not a trivial task, even under normal conditions. Reestablishing computing capabilities, without current data stored offsite, and without a professionally supported backup computer facility with ample computer capacity and internet conectivity, while coping with a disaster event would be almost impossible. The result would most certainly have a negative impact on company revenue, and the company’s customers. When a disaster hits, normal procedures no longer apply. Everyone has to struggle to accomplish basic tasks and cope with the event. An inexpert rebuilding effort may well result in a sustained outage, which would be a very devastating experience.

Today, many leading computer network service companies are able to provide low cost solutions for disaster recovery, which allow small and mid size businesses to backup an image of their critical servers, just like backing up data. Using backup server images servers, applications and data are fully restored in a backup computing facility, within hours. A business using such a Disaster Recovery Service can have complete computing functionality and data access, via the internet, within a few hours of declaring a disaster event.

Do not wait for a disaster to strike your business. Your company can have low cost computer disaster recovery capabilities now. Find out more about computer disaster recovery and backup facilities. Develop a disaster contingency plan immediately. Update and test your disaster contingency capabilities annually.