ITWire

GovCloud's Redundant Systems for Disaster Scenarios (RSDS) has been developed to improve local governments' business continuity and disaster recovery abilities during times of crises. The project has been funded by both the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments in response to the technology and communications failures experienced in Queensland during the 2011 flood and cyclone season.

According to GovCloud "During a disaster councils often lose control of their data and IT systems thereby limiting their ability to efficiently administer and communicate with the region. Via the RSDS, the LGAQ intends to provide a fully scalable, flexible and cost efficient service which allows council to store and control data from remote locations ensuring maximum communication, operation and management of all council business even during a highly destructive emergency or hazard."

GovCloud CEO, Scott Wilkie, said: "The increased resilience we have been able to provide these councils to operate anytime, anyplace before during and after a disaster is essential for the protection of lives and assets."

When completed the project will provide solutions for ten Queensland local governments covering a spectrum of cloud based disaster recovery, backup, website hosting, application hosting and email resilience.

GovCloud adds: "One of the indirect benefits of the RSDS program has been raising business continuity planning as an essential contributor to the disaster management process, leading to better council processes and outcomes."