Research from Mitel finds most small businesses will
take two days to recover if disaster strikes
New research from Mitel, a provider of IP communications
solutions, has revealed that more than two out of three UK
businesses (with a £1m-plus turnover) are ill-prepared for
unforeseen events, admitting it would take them two working days or
longer to become operational following a disaster.
Mitel says that the results form an interesting revelation given
the number of UK firms with business continuity plans in place has
nearly tripled in the last six years.
What is worrying for UK small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMBs)
is that the survey found that larger companies, with a turnover of
over £20m, are proving to be better prepared to address business
continuity planning, with two-thirds (66%) estimating they could
resume operations within 24 hours.
The survey found that not only is disruption estimated to cost
businesses on average £6,000 per day, but a third (32%) of the
companies surveyed admitted they would be prepared to take an even
bigger hit on profits by giving staff the day off if they were
unable to access the office.
Over a quarter (26%) of senior managers told researchers they
would attempt to rely on mobile phones to keep their business
running, pointing to the lack of planning around telecoms
protection. While the use of mobile phones beyond the office seems
like a straightforward solution, says Mitel, it is not only costly
but networks quickly become jammed in the event of a full-scale
disaster.