Posted on 09/08/2005 4:52:49 AM PDT by Born Conservative
Hewlett-Packard, IBM, SunGard Data Systems and other companies have been working with dozens of Gulf Coast businesses to keep their computer systems running in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, but the service companies say many were unprepared for the disaster.
IBM, which has about 100 disaster recovery clients in the hurricane-ravaged region, said last week that dozens of affected companies had switched on backup networks and data centers in Big Blue facilities as far away as Boulder, Colo.
HP's disaster recovery clients are working mainly out of the company's Alpharetta, Ga., offices. A few clients also requested mobile trailers complete with servers, satellite communications, generators and office equipment, said Belinda Wilson, director of HP business continuity services.
The computer services companies declined to name their clients, citing confidentiality agreements, but said they include banks, insurance companies, health care organizations, oil and chemical companies, manufacturers and government agencies.
Yet for all the companies with elaborate disaster plans, many more don't have any, Wilson said. One company, which she described as a large manufacturer, was scrambling after letting a disaster recovery proposal HP delivered in July collect dust. "There are so many companies coming out of the woodwork that need help," she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
....and some didn't wait to be contacted at all. Big Blue proactively contacted their clients in the region with offers of a LOT of assistance: moving data stores off site, new servers, etc. etc.......the works.
IBM always has backup plans for everthing and every client. Wall Street often criticizes them for "overkill".
Thanks for the gratis advertisement for the Disaster Recovery industry.
People who need them already have them...sleeping under their data centers...and have for eons.
This kind of stuff was "old hat" thirty years ago.
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