How Harvard is Prepared for the Unexpected
In the recent post titled Oil Spill or Hurricane Season…Are You and Your Business Ready? we talked about keeping your business ready for an unforeseen event. In this post we will discuss a couple of things that Harvard Business Services, Inc. has done to be prepared for any disaster that could interrupt our service.
Today, global commerce moves at the speed of information. Yet as powerful as the engine of information is, it remains vulnerable to disasters caused by the forces of nature, or those wrought by human hands. Even a simple power failure can cause disruption and data loss if your systems are not protected with redundant backup systems.
Harvard Business Services, Inc. maintains the records of tens of thousands of business clients from across the U.S. and around the world, which makes it a vital link in the global flow of information. Early on, HBS assessed the potential of disruption from natural or man-made disasters and got out in front of the issue. Our arrangement with Agility Recovery Solutions is a farsighted hedge against unforeseen disasters. Within 48 hours of a disaster, Agility Recovery Solutions delivers a comprehensive package of equipment to the site, or an alternate site we have selected including a fully furnished mobile office, computer equipment, Internet access, telephone capability, power and much more.
Harvard Business Services, Inc. uses a “vault” to store backup data off site. Daily, weekly and monthly backups are stored away from Harvard’s Lewes, Delaware headquarters and secured in a private storage facility.
Even a short disruption in the power supply can be damaging and because most of our business comes from outside the state of Delaware, we need to be prepared. In the event of an electric power outage, a generator starts automatically within ten seconds. (HBS’s UPS power backup equipment keeps the information systems online during those 10 seconds.) The generator can keep our operations running for up to 14 business days without electricity with 500 gallons of fuel onsite.
Viewed in the context of the other backup plans and systems in place, HBS is well ahead of the curve in tackling the issue of preparedness, so that you can rest assured that your company data is safe secure and accessible at all times. Surveys of businesses and government statistics both show that only a small minority of companies have contingency plan and backup systems in place.
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I purchased a back up generator and was one of the best investments I made for the business. I have a salon in California, if the power goes out I dont miss a beat!
Brett, thanks for a good article. Sadly enough, being prepared is one of those tasks left for when an event – or worse, a disaster – has already happened. We know these things, and we are all able to work it out, yet very few actually put it in place.