Incorporating Wireless Into the Business Continuity Plan

By AT&T
Posted July 2009

Abstract:

Business continuity planning involves preparing for incidents that could jeopardize an enterprise’s immediate productivity and revenue, its long-term financial health and customer care. The impact of some incidents, such as a local network cable cut or a building fire, might be confined to a single business site. In other instances, occurrences might be farther-reaching, taking the form of natural disasters, warfare, or pandemic illnesses.

Wireless communications devices and network services represent just one component of an enterprise’s overall disaster recovery plan. However, they play a critical role in helping maintain communications during network outages caused by the situations described. For example wireless communications might enable a single site to continue to access data resources if a terrestrial cable is cut. Similarly, connectivity might be maintained using mobile broadband in high-transaction environments, where retailers or others need to maintain credit card verification capabilities to continue selling products.

Wireless serves a broader purpose during full-blown disasters by enabling enterprises to contact employees, emergency responders and government authorities involved in recovery efforts. In addition, wireless location-based systems (LBSs) are pivotal to finding missing individuals and assets in widespread disasters. In such instances, even wireless video capabilities are coming into play. As an example, workers local to the outage or disaster might gain IT assistance from a remote specialist in making a repair. Alternatively they could transmit a video of their surroundings to remote personnel, who can determine the appropriate equipment, personnel and emergency responders to dispatch.
 

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