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Business continuity 'should be considered before winter'

21 November 2011

Companies in Britain have been encouraged to put a business continuity strategy in place before the winter season begins.

According to Overland Storage, many companies could be tempted to overlook the importance of disaster recovery due to the current economic climate, ChannelWeb.co.uk reports.

Andy Walsky, an official at the firm, accepted that some businesses may be willing to take the financial hit caused by a bout of extreme weather, which could lead to many employees struggling to get to work.

However, he insisted that those who are unprepared to lose money during severe conditions need to put some plans in place to make sure they can continue trading.

Mr Walsky said this could include backing up data off-site, so vital corporate and customer information is not lost in the event of a business's property being critically damaged.

"Your people are one of your most valuable assets, yes, but so is your data," he commented.

Companies were advised that last year's severe winter weather caused widespread disruption, with a gravel shortage contributing to chaos on the UK's transport network in some areas.

Mr Walsky added that a recent snow storm in the US has led to trees being weighed down and branches being broken.

This, he said, could potentially occur in the UK and damage both transport facilities and power lines.

Another potential threat to business continuity is ongoing in Britain at the moment, as heavy fog has delayed a number of flights at London City Airport and Heathrow.

The Met Office has already urged people in Britain to put plans in place to ensure they are able to cope with adverse conditions over the next few months.

"It is never too early to be prepared for winter, especially as we know from experience the variety of severe weather we can see in the UK during the winter months," it commented.