Weeks without power have sensitized businesses to the need for keeping in touch to make sure their telecommunications and data backup plans are up to date this hurricane season. Although power to some areas was quickly restored after Hurricane Wilma's pass last year, other neighborhoods and businesses had to wait weeks for electricity to return.
To be prepared, businesses need to consider alternative technologies - both low- and high-tech.
At home many people keep an old land-line phone that doesn't require electricity for use when the power goes out - but what about one for the office too? That low-tech solution may be all a small business needs.
ONE FIRM'S SOLUTION
But larger firms such as Greenberg Traurig decided high-tech was the way to go. The Miami law firm has switched its phone systems from traditional service to voice-over Internet protocol, which is less vulnerable to weather-related disruptions, said Kenneth Schultz, director of technology and information systems at the firm.
Likewise, there are also high-tech and lower-tech solutions to backing up data, depending on the size of your business and its needs.
Terremark's NAP and companies such as Telefónica offer back-up facilities and data storage for major corporations. These services are pricey, however, and often out of reach for small businesses.
But a small firm can buy external storage drives. A new one, the Yellow Machine, for example, holds nearly 1,000 gigabytes and can be used to back up vital data every day on site and at a remote location; the file transfer can be set up over a secure Web connection. Software usually takes care of the back-up task automatically when it's set.
GET A LAPTOP A laptop or two loaded with the applications and software a small company uses to run its business will also allow remote operations if disaster strikes. Plug the laptop into the external drive with your data and you'reready for business.
Another tip: make sure your employees have an alternative e-mail that's Web-based so that electronic communication doesn't have to grind to a halt if your server goes down, advises Frank Sancho, director of business continuity for Hewlett-Packard.
Miami Herald business writers Niala Boodhoo, Beatrice E. Garcia and Amy Martinez contributed to this report.
