The business world of the twenty-first century dictates that companies with a web presence operate 24-7 and have solid backup and recovery processes in place. If employees can’t connect with customers and partners at any time, the result is less than optimal productivity.

Protecting Access to Mission-Critical Data

When an application or worse, a server, fails, it sets off a chain of events that leaves companies without access to mission-critical data and in-house IT staff rushing about trying to fix the problems and stabilize operations. It doesn’t take much to bring the house crashing down: a software bug, hardware failure, virus, or natural disaster can all do it.

Las Vegas colocation centers specialize in continuity solutions that allow business systems to remain available at all times. If your Nevada business doesn’t use a colocation service, it’s never too late to start, but before you sign that contract, make sure you perform a comprehensive inspection of the facility, its people, and its services.

Inspecting a Las Vegas Colocation Center

Protecting your company’s digital assets is paramount these days. So when you check out a colocation facility in Las Vegas, ask the management about security protocols for the following:

• People- Are employees put through a criminal background check and subjected to drug testing?
• All physical, digital, and virtual assets- How are they protected against operational failure or cyber-attacks?
• Perimeter security- Are perimeter portals monitored?
• Zone access security- What does it take for someone to access your company’s assets?
• Hardware transportation- What is the chain of custody process for anything that enters or leaves the colocation center?

Avoid Becoming a Statistic

If your colocation center doesn’t support business continuity strategies, the outcome could be disastrous. The Business Continuity Institute (BCI) warns that 25% of compromised businesses lacking a continuity plan never reopen. Other figures from the BCI suggest that nearly 80% of affected companies that fail to get back on their feet within a month are more likely to go out of business forever.

A study conducted by the United States Department of Homeland Security drew a similar conclusion. By their estimate, three-quarters of businesses that restart without a business continuity plan will fail within three years. On the other hand, 82% of companies that had a continuity plan in place and experienced a disaster said that the plan mitigated damage.

Relevant Links

• Top Tips for Business Continuity Planning
• Are you prepared for an ‘oops’ moment? Four tips for disaster recovery

The Bottom Line

You can’t control natural disasters or hacker activity, but one thing you can direct is your business continuity strategy. Find a Las Vegas colocation center that can get you back up and running quickly in the unfortunate event of a disaster, and you’ll be better prepared to keep doing business in this digital age.

Does your colocation center offer solid business continuity plans to its customers?  Let us know your thoughts in the Comments box below.

And if you’re responsible for growing the client list and revenue of a colocation data center, be sure to download our free eBook on “Lead Generation Best Practices for Colocation Data Centers.”