4 critical considerations for business continuity planners

Incidents of business disruption are by no means rare today. According to a Disaster Recovery Journal Global Disaster Recovery Preparedness Online Survey, 73 percent of respondents admitted to having some sort of major disruption to their business operations in the past five years. The most common causes were extreme weather, natural disasters, power outages, IT failures, flood, or fire.

Disaster recovery/business continuity plans are critical to protect the safety and well-being of customers and employees, and to safeguard shareholder investments and brand reputation. Yet despite the risks, many companies do not have plans in place. Those that do often utilize a do-it-yourself approach — usually using Microsoft Office tools — that may not effectively address today's fast-paced, technology-driven business environment.

This checklist examines four critical considerations for determining which approach to disaster recovery is best for ensuring a company is prepared to meet today's evolving needs.