Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery

What Will You Do if You Lose Access to Mission-Critical Data and Workflow?

Companies worldwide face threats every day. These threats range from viruses and ransomware to electrical outages, human error, and storms. The truth is that you must be prepared to respond to and recover from a negative event that limits or eliminates your local access to workflow and data.

The Hill Tech Solutions team helps our clients be ready for whatever comes their way. We utilize a pronged strategy.

  • Continuous Systems Maintenance and MonitoringThe right maintenance and monitoring protocols can often lower your risk profile when it comes to disasters. Continuous monitoring allows us to be alerted to anomalies within your systems and afford us the time to respond before the damage impacts your workflow.
  • Regular On-site Backups
    Sometimes, preventative measures aren’t enough, and a company has to fall on “plan B” to keep internal processes rolling. The key here is to have “plan B” in place and tested well ahead of time. On-site backups are “plan B” and give the fastest recovery time for data and workflow to be restored at your business, provided that your facility is useable.
  • Regular Off-site Cloud BackupsOff-site cloud backups are a critical element of any disaster recovery and business continuity strategy. Having your essential data and workflow backed up somewhere outside your facility gives you the flexibility needed to download that data back to your facility or to use it in another location if your facility cannot be utilized.
  • Internet-based Business Phones – VOIPWhile landline business phone systems have served businesses well for many years, they are not built to handle a business continuity and disaster recovery scenario. Having cloud-hosted VOIP business phone solutions allows you to use your full-featured business phone system from any internet-connected device, anywhere in the world.
  • Virtual MachinesVirtualization is a way to use your data, applications, operating system, and user settings from any internet-connected computer. These “virtual machines” or “virtual workstations” are exact copies of your current computers and can be used with the same ease.
  • Cloud-based WorkflowUsed in conjunction with the already-mentioned virtual machines, having your critical applications and data based in the cloud allow you to have your entire workflow available to you, regardless of what happens to the computers and servers at your facility.

What Are the Steps to Take Toward a Robust Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Strategy?

  • Step #1 – Set up a meeting and talk with a business continuity and disaster recovery specialist. Having the right people on your side in a crisis is half the battle.
  • Step #2 – Determine what data and workflow are “mission-critical” and develop a strategy to protect, back up, and remotely use that data and workflow.
  • Step #3 – Develop a step-by-step business continuity plan that covers everything from how you are going to recover your data and workflow in an emergency to how you are going to communicate with and keep your employees paid.
  • Step #4 – Appoint a management-level leader to train employees on the business continuity plan and to review it for needed updates annually.
  • Step #5 – Hire a Managed IT Services team to oversee the ongoing maintenance and management of the IT side of your business continuity and disaster recovery strategy.