The flooding in Carmel this week left many homes and businesses devastated. This is not the first natural disaster in greater Indianapolis in recent years. And, sadly, it does not look like it will be the last. As a managed service provider, one of our goals is to help local businesses take steps that protect their business’s data and operations from natural disasters like flooding, tornadoes, and other extreme weather events. One way we do this is by providing business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) services to small and medium sized businesses in Carmel and the greater Indianapolis region.
BCDR is More Than Just Data Backup
Backing up data and securely storing business data is only one element of BCDR. When we first introduce the concept of business continuity and disaster recovery to a business, we like to break down the two essential parts. The first part is business continuity which, when we are the managed service provider for a business, we help define and plan. The most basic definition of business continuity is the plan a business has to continue operating during or after a crisis or disaster.
What everyone is more familiar with is the disaster recovery portion. Although different MSPs may offer different disaster recovery services, in general, most work to restore critical data and infrastructure as quickly as possible for minimal business interruption. When you and your MSP have a multi-tiered data backup plan, this is possible. When all your data is only stored locally, and a flood or other natural disaster hits your office, you are much less able to recover and get back to work.
Why You Should Have BCDR in Place
Thankfully, not all the businesses in the Carmel area experienced flood damage. Instead, some businesses are without power. Others have owners and employees who find it difficult to get to the office. Either of which could prevent a business without a business continuity plan in place from continuing operation, at least in the short term. When you have a plan in place to help your team get back online and a can execute it with minimal disruption, your business can continue serving its customers.
Do You Have a BCDR Plan in Place?
The greater Indianapolis area isn’t prone to flooding. In fact, most of the area is not in a high flood risk area. However, other natural and man-made disasters as well as accidents can leave your business without the ability to operate. How long can your business survive without serving your customers or at least notifying them about a disruption? Do you have an incident response plan or someone to execute it for you? When you have the ability to transition the operations portion of your business from your office or warehouse to your home or another facility because of your business continuity and data recovery plan, your business can thrive.
A well-constructed business continuity and disaster recovery plan protects your business in many ways. If the flooding in Carmel or the tornadoes in Indianapolis last year have you thinking it might be time to implement a BCDR plan, call Toucan Technology Group. We’re based in Indianapolis and can help you not only implement, but also help you maintain your BCDR plan as your business grows and changes. Of course, as a full managed service provider, we can also help with other IT services your business may need. Call us today to learn more about BCDR and managed services and how we can help protect your business operations from flooding in Carmel, tornadoes in Indianapolis, and other disasters – (317) 356-4666.
