Businesses that focus heavily on sales and customer service need a reliable, efficient, and effective telecommunications system. If their services break down even for just a day, the losses will be significant, which is why a well-crafted disaster recovery plan should include protecting the company’s Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony system.

Companies such as Apple, Samsung, and others have turned mobile phones into mini-computers that can serve as a substitute for your laptop, or as a storage device. If you’re using a smartphone as a communications and storage device, backing up now would be a wise move.

Technology changes so rapidly. With disaster recovery (DR), we see business owners clinging to ideas that no longer apply. What kind of DR myths are still widely accepted by the masses? Here are three that need to be retired immediately. 

Tape backups are the best DR solution
Backup tapes are physical objects that deteriorate over time.

Your service provider, tasked with looking after your company’s IT, has kept your business up and running for the past 10 years. Unfortunately, that kind of longevity in developing continuity plans can result in some providers overlooking or underestimating certain issues.

Ransomware takes your data hostage and demands a payment for its recovery. While it may seem like there’s no other choice but to pay the ransom, you should never give in to the hacker’s demands. Before the next wave of ransomware comes around, it’s important to protect your business with virtual disaster recovery solutions.

In late August 2017, Hurricane Harvey caused widespread power outages and floods across Texas and certain parts of Louisiana. Weeks later, Hurricane Irma hit the coast, affecting Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina businesses. Now, experts are saying there are more storms to come, which is why you need a good disaster recovery (DR) plan that has you prepared for the worst.

The chances of your business being hit by a hurricane are slim. But this year, the odds are actually alarming -- the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts up to four unusually active hurricanes. If you don’t want to fall victim to data loss and tarnish your business’s reputation in the process, read on.

The new year is well upon us, and with it comes an equally new IT budget. Judging by the advancements in computing technology, many 2017 business wish lists probably include powerful onsite servers, workstations, and the Internet of Things. But as tempting as these purchases may be, it’s important that you don’t dismiss an old yet essential IT resolution: disaster recovery.

Delta is paying big for the IT outage that occurred last month: millions of dollars in damages, 2300 cancelled flights, and significant reputational damage. Despite the harsh cut to the airline’s bottom line, Delta will probably still survive. But the real question is this: Can your business survive after long periods of downtime? A natural disaster, power outage, or successful hack can be the downfall of many small- to medium-sized businesses.

Just because your IT provider has a plethora of awards and certifications under its belt doesn't mean that you can blindly hand over your business’s future to them. Often times, there are some aspects in your business continuity plan that tend to be overlooked by your provider.