Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home IT Management
    • IT Management

    Study: Most Companies Unprepared for Disasters

    By
    Deborah Rothberg
    -
    December 5, 2006
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      According to the World Health Organization, the number of cases of avian flu have nearly tripled since 2005 and with Februarys flu season peak edging closer, many organizations are playing the “what if” game this time of year. Yet a new survey finds that most organizations have few contingency plans in the event that large numbers of their employees cannot come to work.

      The vast majority of senior IT and business professionals at large U.S. companies felt their companies were insufficiently prepared for a disaster, according to a study published by Forsythe technology, a Skokie, Ill.-based technology and infrastructure solutions provider. Only 12 percent felt that their companies were adequately prepared to handle a major health crisis such as the Avian flu. Fifty-eight percent said their organizations were not, and nearly one-fifth (19 percent) said they were unsure.

      A large number of organizations had done little to upgrade their IT infrastructure for the event of an emergency. While 60 percent of responding professionals said that their organization had upgraded its infrastructure technology to support employee telecommuting and/or remote customer access in the even of a disaster or crisis, 18 percent said they were only in the process of doing so and 22 percent were either unsure or had not.

      Only 9 percent of respondents said that their IT budgets had been increased in preparation for the potential of a crisis, with 86 percent responding that they were not sure, hadnt or were currently evaluating it.

      The majority of organizations said they comprehended the plausibility of a major emergency disrupting their day-to-day functioning, with 79 percent of respondents saying that there was some likelihood that a disaster or crisis would interrupt their business workflow over the next two years.

      /zimages/1/28571.gifClick here to read more about IT pros preparations for a possible pandemic.

      Yet, most disaster plans did not reach beyond IT and business process recovery. Allotting for multiple responses, 94 percent indicated that their disaster recovery plans included IT system continuity and recovery, 55 percent indicated business process continuity and recovery, and 42 percent indicated employee work relocation.

      Many companies seemed unprepared to instruct employees in the event of a crisis. Sixty percent said that in the event of a health crisis, they would encourage employees to work from either home or another remote location. Thirty-five percent said theyd require phone and video conference usage, 30 percent said theyd close office locations, 29 percent said theyd screen visitors before allowing them to enter the office, and 21 percent said theyd enforce a quarantine for symptomatic employees and visitors.

      Despite the lack of overall planning, companies had a grasp on the bare minimum of workers theyd need in-house to function. In order to maintain adequate business operations, 40 percent responded that they would need at least 50 percent of their employees in the present in their primary workplace, and 21 percent said they would need at least 10 percent.

      Thirty percent of responding managers said that they were prepared to deploy 50 or more percent of their employees remotely in the event of a disaster, 11 percent said they could deploy 25 to 50 percent of their workers, and 30 percent said they could deploy less than one-quarter.

      /zimages/1/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms for the latest news, reviews and analysis on IT management from CIOInsight.com.

      Deborah Rothberg
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×