AT&T Conducts First Network Disaster Recovery Exercise of 2009 in Houston
The results of a study announced by AT&T* indicate that local businesses are more prepared for disasters, like the hurricanes that battered Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast last year, and that more companies are taking proactive measures to protect their operations.
According to the study, Houston companies that have a business continuity plan rose from 78 percent in 2007, when it was already the highest in the nation, to 82 percent today. In fact, business continuity planning is so important that 35 percent of companies surveyed require their vendors to have a continuity plan as well.
Not only do companies have business continuity plans, but a majority of them (52 percent) indicate they have invoked their plans, with 69 percent citing natural disasters such as extreme weather (45 percent), floods (19 percent) and environmental accidents (5 percent) as the cause. Surprisingly, many businesses still view man-made disasters as the biggest security risk to their company — with only 2 percent citing natural disasters as the biggest threat.
The businesses that experienced a natural or man-made disaster (58 percent) indicate the major lessons learned were the need for increased backup systems, the importance of planning ahead and having a plan of action, and the need for multiple means of communication and off-site backup locations.
AT&T's Business Continuity Study in Houston surveyed 100 Information Technology (IT) executives working for companies with at least $25 million in revenue. AT&T last conducted a survey of Houston-area IT executives in 2007, before the devastating 2008 hurricane season that ravaged much of the region's coastal areas. Comparing the results of the 2007 and 2009 studies, AT&T found:
This year, 73 percent of businesses indicated they would implement specific protective actions when the government issues a disaster alert, compared with 58 percent in 2007.
The percentage of companies that fully tested their plan in the past 12 months has increased — jumping from 38 to 68 percent.
Companies that view business continuity planning as a priority has seen a slight jump from 80 percent in 2007 to 82 percent this year.
The 2009 AT&T Business Continuity Study also finds that wireless is a large part of business continuity planning efforts, with seven out of 10 companies (70 percent) including wireless network capabilities as part of their plans. In the event of disaster, three-fourths (76 percent) enable most employees to work from home or remote locations.
"Businesses of all sizes need to be vigilant about continuity planning, especially in light of how the day-to-day demands of serving customers require an ever-expanding reliance on technology to get the job done," said Keith Galyon, sales vice president, AT&T Business Solutions. "However, a business continuity plan is not enough, and, in fact, not all companies have one in place. Organizations must regularly test and update their plans to reflect changes in their business so that, in the event of a disaster or major security breach, they can be best prepared to restore and maintain key processes and operations."
AT&T brings its own business continuity and disaster recovery expertise in running and managing some of the world's largest and most complex networks — including its own — to businesses worldwide.
AT&T conducts Network Disaster Recovery (NDR) exercises several times a year. The first of this year's exercises is under way in Houston at the Sam Houston Race Park and runs through Thursday. This event is the 52nd technical recovery exercise conducted in the field for AT&T, but it is the first full exercise ever conducted in Houston. These events are designed to test, refine and strengthen AT&T's business continuity and disaster recovery services in order to minimize network downtime.
The NDR exercise in Houston includes an extensive deployment of network recovery equipment. AT&T rolled in more than 25 trailers and emergency communications vehicles for the exercise. The NDR operations on-site team includes more than 50 disaster response professionals, including a full hazardous materials squad, which is practicing disaster response operations in the Houston area.
The AT&T NDR program includes specially trained managers, engineers and technicians from across the United States, as well as a fleet of more than 300 self-contained equipment trailers and support vehicles that house the same equipment and components as an AT&T data-routing or voice-switching center.
AT&T offers a wide array of business continuity services, encompassing disaster planning, risk management, recovery preparedness and communications readiness. AT&T Business Continuity Services are comprehensive, providing enterprises with business-impact analysis, risk assessments, a full continuum of storage solutions, high-availability network solutions and network and IT security solutions.
Study Methodology
The 2009 AT&T Business Continuity Study results are based on an online survey of 100 IT executives in the Houston metropolitan area. The study was conducted by e-Rewards Market Research with companies having total revenues of more than $25 million in the Houston designated market area. Interviews were conducted Feb. 9-12, 2009.
* AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services, the nation's fastest 3G network and the best wireless coverage worldwide, and the nation's leading high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of their three-screen integration strategy, AT&T operating companies are expanding their TV entertainment offerings. In 2008, AT&T again ranked No. 1 in the telecommunications industry on FORTUNE® magazine's lists of the World's Most Admired Companies and America's Most Admired Companies. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com.
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