A telecom disaster recovery plan is like having an umbrella for your business. It ensures that your telecom services keep humming when unexpected disasters strike. Unexpected issues can cause downtime, including power outages, floods, or cyberattacks). Downtime can be costly, even if it only lasts a day or two. Losing your ability to communicate, or get your job done, can lead to lost business, missed opportunities, and falling behind on goals.
No one expects to encounter a disaster. For instance, did you know that 82 percent of data breaches involve some kind of human error? Natural disasters cause $380 billion in damages and economic losses in 2023, much of that loss can be prevented with a little preparation.
Learn more about the keys to creating an effective disaster recovery plan.
Key Factors in a Telecom Disaster Recovery Plan
Having a solid telecom disaster recovery plan is like having an emergency exit strategy, you don’t want to wait until it’s too late to make one. When you’re creating a plan, it’s important to focus on a few important factors, including the following:
Find Critical IT Components
To keep it running smoothly, like a well-oiled machine, you need certain IT resources, including hardware, software, and systems. Work with your clients to identify these important components and learn what is essential to getting day-to-day jobs done. What can’t they function without? Think through critical communication systems like email, project management tools, customer databases, and others.
Keep Regular Backups
Like pressing control-save for all your data, keep regular backups to make sure you don’t lose anything if you experience an outage. Regular backups are like insurance for your data. As your business grows, make sure your backup processes keep pace. You should also consider diversifying your backup locations. Relying on one physical site can be risky, especially if natural disasters strike. Having an alternate site provides an extra layer of protection.
Create a Timeline
Getting back up and running on time is critical to a telecom disaster recovery plan. It’s important to know how fast IT can get your communications back up and running, and how much downtime you can afford before it’s really time to panic. Bridging the gap between your recovery time and your maximum allowable downtime will give you a recovery timeline goal.
What if There is No Disaster?
What if you spend all that time and effort to secure your disaster recovery plan, and you are very unlikely to experience a disaster? Of course, we know that having a plan is like insurance; you hope you never have to use it. Still, there are some benefits to a telecom disaster recovery plan besides preparing for the worst.
- Getting organized. First, it helps you to get more organized. Developing a plan can help you manage your tech inventory, take note of software capability, and organize your IT networks.
- Task redundancy. Training two people for tasks or having backups for critical needs can help in more than just emergencies. Training multiple people for each task can help when one employee is off the clock.
- Documentation. When you create a telecom disaster recovery plan, you should document all of your operational processes. What can help you get back on track after a disaster can also help new hires get up to speed.
- Find bottlenecks. While you’re taking a closer look at processes, you may notice bottlenecks and inefficiencies that you can improve to save time and money.
Start Creating Your Plan Today with Xtel
Having a telecom disaster recovery plan is crucial for any business that relies on communication systems. It can help you minimize downtime, avoid lost business, and ensure that your operations run smoothly even in the face of unexpected disasters. By following the tips we’ve outlined in this article, you can create a solid plan that will give you peace of mind and help you get back on track quickly if something goes wrong.
If you need help putting together a disaster recovery plan for your business, Xtel is here to help. Our team of experts can work with you to identify critical IT components, set up regular backups, and create a timeline for getting your systems back up and running after an outage. Contact us today to learn more about our disaster recovery and telecom services.
