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06-Jan-2000

Despite the passing of Y2K, it still pays to be prepared

With much of the millennium bug hype over with (we hope), Gulf companies could be forgiven for wanting to take a back seat when it comes to throwing money at costly preventative IT maintenance exercises. In the cold light of day, however, disaster prevention and business continuity measures remain a fact of life, when it comes to protecting a companys mission critical data. The Network Centre (TNC) of Dubai has recently brought the issue to the fore, with the introduction of two new programs, in a move to help companies learn how to avoid potential disasters.

Various organisations in the Middle East have begun to realise the importance of high quality IT services, mainly through bad experiences that they have had, as well as the ever-increasing risks of business disaster, Deirdre McCarthy-Betzold, general manager of TNC told itparabia.com. This awareness has come about through reports in the media, but also through an onslaught of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) requisites.

Within the first of the two programs, Preventative Maintenance, TNC will conduct a site audit for a company and prepare a report based on its findings. The findings will include advice on; the companys existing network and how to increase its efficiency (down to each PC); how easily accessible a system is to unauthorised users and how to protect against it; as well as existing virus protection and its suitability.

The Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery program highlights risks that Gulf businesses in particular should be aware of. Being in a hot climate means that physical problems such faulty air conditioning and leaking water mains are commonplace, in addition to fires pose a serious threat to company equipment and data. TNC is offering a comprehensive single source recovery solution offering services such as; a dedicated project manager; quarterly system audits, and, in extreme cases, temporary office facilities.

Every company will, clearly, have different needs. In the event of a disaster, some will look for regular system backups to be taken, with copies taken at an independent site, said Betzold-McCarthy. Others will look for regular training of staff for system and evacuation procedures and some will want regular site visits for system housekeeping. The cost for these types of services will vary according to need, but is minimal when one considers the losses which can, and do, occur due to downtime.

[ENDS]

-- John Whitley (jwhitley@inforamp.net), January 09, 2000