Lack of technology disaster preparedness leads to business losses

Peter Dinham
Thursday, 01 October 2009 20:48

IT Industry - Market

A survey of Australian and New Zealand SMBs, and their counterparts around the world, has revealed that there is a large discrepancy between how small to medium sized businesses perceive their disaster readiness and their actual level of preparedness, with suggestions that SMBs' downtime costs their customers tens of thousands of dollars each year.

According to the findings of Symantec’s 2009 SMB disaster preparedness survey last month - reflecting the attitudes and practices of small and mid-sized businesses (SMB) and their customers toward technology disaster preparedness - SMBs can, and often do, lose business as a direct result of being unprepared for disasters.

Symantec vice president, Backup Exec product management, Pat Hanavan, says “the startling part of this research is the fact that SMBs don’t realise the impact their outages have on customers, particularly when they have tools at their fingertips to help them be prepared to deal with disasters.”

Hanavan says that while no one wants a disaster to occur, the reality is that they happen.

“Rather than continuing to be unprepared, small and mid-sized organisations can take simple steps to protect their data. And, as companies communicate their plans to their customers, they strengthen those relationships and become trusted partners.”

The findings of Symantec’s survey show that SMBs are confident in their disaster preparedness plans, with 93 percent three percent (82 percent globally) of respondents in Australia and New Zealand saying they are “somewhat/very satisfied” with their disaster plans, and a similar number - 88 percent in ANZ and 84 percent globally – also saying they feel “somewhat/very protected” in case a disaster strikes.

According to Hanavan, SMBs also believe their customers will be understanding and patient if there is a disruption to their computer or technology resources, and that, in case of such an outage, only one-quarter (25 percent in ANZ and 34 percent globally) of SMB respondents believe their customers will evaluate other options, including looking at competitors.

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