Is your contact center prepared to weather any storm? The official start of the Atlantic hurricane season was June 1, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is already predicting an extremely active season this year, with three to six major hurricanes in our future.
During recent decades, hurricane preparedness in the U.S. has been considered a way of life for residents and businesses in the southern coastal states (Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas). Then there was Sandy, which the National Hurricane Center declared the deadliest hurricane to hit the northeastern U.S. in 40 years, and the second costliest storm in the nation’s history.
To anyone who may have taken comfort from the idea that areas outside of “hurricane country” were somehow better protected from these high-powered storms: Wake up! Recent events have provided proof that hurricane preparedness should be practiced by more than just one region. Simply choosing to locate your contact center outside of “hurricane country” to stay safe from these storms isn’t realistic. The potential for storm damage — hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, ice storms, etc. — is everywhere, all year long. So no matter where your contact center is physically located or where your data centers reside, you need to have a plan in place that addresses storms in general, not just hurricanes.
For information about preparing your contact center for the unexpected, or to explore ways to ensure business continuity during any storm season, check out this article on the Call Center Times website: http://www.callcentertimes.com/Home/tabid/37/ctl/NewsArticle/mid/395/CategoryID/1/NewsID/593/Default.aspx
June 1, recognized as the start of the Atlantic hurricane season, is a yearly reminder to take action. For example, business leaders should review their disaster preparedness plans with their teams and consider whether or not they are ready for any major storms. Ask yourself the following:
- Does our current disaster preparedness plan apply to our current IT infrastructure?
- If we’ve made some infrastructure investments or changes in the past year, does the plan account for these new investments or changes?
- Has the plan been modified as we’ve modified our day-to-day operational processes?
- Are all of the personnel contacts current and accurate?
- Is there anything in the current plan that we should adjust to decrease the potential negative impacts of a weather emergency?
At LiveOps, we think about business continuity constantly. More than 300 businesses worldwide rely on the “true cloud” architecture of the LiveOps Platform, and they expect nothing less than enterprise-grade reliability. In fact, our commitment to business continuity is one of the most important reasons companies choose to do business with us. Reliability is part of our culture; it’s in our DNA.
– Keith McFarlane, CTO, LiveOps Platform, LiveOps
