Business Continuity Research

62% of UK businesses are vulnerable due to incomplete business continuity plans

44% of companies now demand a business continuity plan as part of their contract

31 July 2006, Egham - Research commissioned by Viatel has found that 62% of UK businesses mistakenly believe they have a comprehensive business continuity plan in place and therefore are leaving themselves open to lost business. Despite 80% claiming that they had a business continuity plan in place, 62% admitted that this didn't include the phone system and relied on employees using mobile phones whilst systems are down, preventing customers from being able to contact them on their 'usual' number. Most worryingly 1 in 5 of those questioned stated that they didn't have any business continuity plans in place putting their entire systems at risk should a disaster strike.

With 88% of businesses estimating it would take at least a day to re-build/access systems following a disaster, and almost 1 in 3 unable to access systems for at least a week after an incident occurs, many businesses are leaving themselves open to considerable loss of business as well as damage to their reputation. It is surprising that businesses haven't covered the angles especially considering the fact that more and more organisations require suppliers to have a plan in place before doing business with them. The survey found that almost half (44%) already had customers that demand a business continuity plan as part of the contract.

"Having a comprehensive business continuity plan in place is no longer an option but a necessity, so these results are really worrying. Many companies focus on protecting IT systems but then forget about voice, which is of equal importance when it comes to business continuity. Often when a problem occurs the first thing customers want to do is talk to someone. Customers are becoming more and more disloyal and so if they are unable to get hold of a company they are likely to turn to someone they can get hold of," stated Michael Davies of Viatel. "Business continuity should be seamless and not being able to access IT applications and data, such as customer details, is unacceptable as is relying on mobile phones. Not only will businesses have to pay to rebuild systems but they will also be paying in terms of productivity and potential business. If companies are unable to function, even for a day, customers may go to competitors and this will have an impact on sales."

Companies need to consider the benefits to having a business continuity plan as opposed to the costs involved. Almost half (47%) of UK businesses perceive business continuity costs to be too high and this might be why they are putting themselves at risk by not covering all the angles. This doesn't need to be the case, for just a few hundred pounds a month even small businesses can afford a comprehensive solution that covers voice, data and applications with business continuity built-in.

"A business continuity solution should be part of every company's IT and communications portfolio and in many cases can be built into flexible working practices to also improve day-to-day efficiencies. Far too many companies are considering it as an expense when in fact, as the survey shows, it is becoming an essential part of every business. Not only should events like the Hemel fire make businesses think about how they would cope in such an event but they also need to consider the potential business they will miss out on without a plan in place. There are many options available and it is simply a case of reviewing them to find the one that best suits your needs," concluded Michael Davies, Viatel.

The survey was conducted in order to understand the preparations businesses are putting in place when it comes to business continuity and was carried out by Vanson Bourne. The results represent the opinions of 100 IT Directors.

About Viatel

Viatel is a pan-European business communications company operating across 6 European markets, including the UK, France and Germany. It has more than 10,000 business customers, providing them a range of business communication services that help companies of all sizes to access the internet, connect their people and places, manage their web applications and increase the security of their data. Headed by Lucy Woods, formerly CEO of BT Northern Ireland, the company employs 200 people throughout Western Europe.

For further information on Viatel, please visit:

www.viatel.com

For further information please call:

Ana Williams on +44 (0)207 357 8612

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