Communication issues growing concern for enterprises

Here’s an interesting finding: the number of downtime incidents, which prevent staff to work from their usual offices or access business-critical systems, has seen only a tiny drop -- five percent, compared to 2014. But the nature of these incidents has changed -- dramatically.

According to Sungard AS’s new report, communication-related failures have "jumped by a third" and now account for 25 percent of all total invocations. Consequently, communication issues have, for the first time ever, been named as the top reason UK business invoke recovery services.

But if the number of incidents remained pretty much the same, and communication-related issues jumped, something else has had to move. Sungard AS says invocations due to technology dropped by 71 percent, but workplace issues leapt up 37 percent. This is also the biggest jump since 2009.

"From reputational damage to missing out on sales and the subsequent loss of customer trust; the cost of downtime is simply too high for modern businesses to contemplate. With ever more demanding customers, recovery and continuity has become a lynchpin in enterprise success", says Daren Howell, senior manager of solutions marketing, availability, recovery and continuity, Sungard AS.

"It is vital that organizations understand the importance of a joined up strategy -- one that unites all aspects of their operating model, from the technology through to the people and processes. Holding any of these areas in isolation simply will not work. True availability can only come from a united approach which addresses all sides of the enterprise".

Technology resilience has been prioritized, the report says, but businesses are ignoring other important factors, such as people and processes.

"Companies therefore need to take a holistic approach to their continuity and resilience strategies. As well as recovering their mission critical technology and IT systems, they also need to ensure their ability to limit downtime for their workforce", Sungard AS concludes.

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