Firms found wanting in disaster recovery stakes

Disaster strikes: The recent tube strike left many London firms short-staffed

VAR Eurodata Systems is urging companies to invest in unified communications after research found just 14 per cent of firms can properly enable remote working.

The reseller recently surveyed 100 mid-market firms based in London and found 34 had no disaster recovery (DR) plan. A further 52 per cent had a remote access offering that lacked the scale to allow staff to work at full capacity away from the office.

The research was conducted in light of the recent London Underground strikes which meant many people had difficulty getting to work. Absent IT staff during the strike action led one London Council to make 30 per cent more support calls to Eurodata’s managed services centre.

Des Lekerman, the VAR’s joint managing director, claimed many firms only implemented DR plans reactively. “Work is not a location anymore,” he said.

“Businesses need to give staff quick and easy access to the facilities they have in the office. UC and DR can reduce costs to a business.”

Jess-Thompson Hughes, managing director of wireless specialist React Technologies, claimed flexible working had become a real driver for public sector IT investment.

But in the commercial space, he added: “People are not throwing their money at it, though we have promoted it for many years.”