TahawulTech.com
  • TahawulTech.com
  • Country/Region
    • UAE
      • Virginia’s cyber vision finds momentum in Middle East
      • AWS powers UAE’s digital leap with visionary support for gaming, sports, and entertainment
      • QuantumGate shapes cybersecurity in UAE; prepares for quantum future
      • Smart security adoption rises in Saudi homes with a digital-first approach
      • Cynalytica pioneers cybersecurity solutions for critical infrastructure protection 
    • Saudi Arabia
      • Smart security adoption rises in Saudi homes with a digital-first approach
      • Cisco expands partnership with Saudi Arabia 
      • Sophos powers up cybersecurity in the UAE 
      • Aster Pharmacy unveils largest regional store in Riyadh, pioneering digital healthcare integration
        Aster Pharmacy unveils largest regional store in Riyadh, pioneering digital healthcare integration
      • Cisco expands in Saudi Arabia with cloud data centers, AI talent development, and manufacturing plans
    • Oman
      • Microsoft AI Tour showcases groundbreaking AI innovations for Oman
      • Open Innovation AI collaborates with Intel to revolutionize AI orchestration with Gaudi
      • KROHNE delivers insights to inspire the next generation of engineers in Oman
      • Oracle supports major project to accelerate Oman digital economy
      • Ooredoo accelerates cybersecurity in Oman with new deal
    • Bahrain
      • Open Innovation AI collaborates with Intel to revolutionize AI orchestration with Gaudi
      • BDB launches “tijara” platform for SMEs
      • Bahrain achieves full nationwide 5G coverage
      • Batelco, SonicWall launch integrated security solutions for SMEs in Bahrain
      • Bahrain to offer COVID-19 test results on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger
    • Kuwait
      • Open Innovation AI collaborates with Intel to revolutionize AI orchestration with Gaudi
      • Infopercept opens its first Middle East office in Kuwait
      • Microsoft Compliance Manager now available in Kuwait
      • Commercial Bank of Kuwait gets mobile payments moving with Thales Digital Solutions
      • Ooredoo chooses Fortinet to deliver secure SD-WAN managed services in Kuwait
    • Africa
      • Rise of Fearless launches $700K investment round to advance Web3 mobile gaming in Africa 
      • e& enterprise and RAIN Technology to revolutionise Operating Room efficiency in hospitals across MEA
      • Open Innovation AI collaborates with Intel to revolutionize AI orchestration with Gaudi
      • Looking for the best label solutions in South Africa? Go OKI!
      • OKI is only going bigger in the South African market!
    • Middle East
      • Virginia’s cyber vision finds momentum in Middle East
      • Cynalytica pioneers cybersecurity solutions for critical infrastructure protection 
      • Why Passwords still matter as a first line of cybersecurity in Middle East
      • Qlik expands cloud footprint with new AWS region in Middle East
      • ASUS unveils latest ExpertBook P1 models
    • Global
      • Cynalytica pioneers cybersecurity solutions for critical infrastructure protection 
      • Samsung, e& UAE sign strategic MoU to advance AI-driven innovation, digital experiences at MWC
      • Open Innovation AI collaborates with Intel to revolutionize AI orchestration with Gaudi
      • Gender Lens investing vital to economic recovery
      • Virgin Hyperloop unveils location for Hyperloop certification centre
  • Industry
    • Education
      • DHA signs MoU to train leadership in AI
      • Dubai Future Foundation, University of Birmingham Dubai boost AI collaboration  
      • GDRFA – Dubai launches 8th ICEQ International Conference
      • Bybit partners with University of Wollongong in Dubai to host Demo Trading Challenge
      • National IT Academy and Microsoft launch the first Microsoft Datacentre Academy in the Region
    • Energy
      • Solis poised to transform Dubai’s skyline and deserts into beacons of sustainability
      • Open Innovation AI collaborates with Intel to revolutionize AI orchestration with Gaudi
      • Huawei launches ground-breaking solar inverter at World Future Energy Summit
      • Middle East Energy to further boost their sustainability agenda
      • EDF UK selects Dynatrace to keep the power flowing
    • Financial services
      • “This has been one of our best years yet, even in the face of significant macroeconomic uncertainty.” – Yuanqing Yang, Lenovo CEO
      • MENA Fintech Association announces new leadership for Digital Assets Working Group 
      • IHC, ADQ and FAB pioneer UAE Dirham-backed Stablecoin for digital economy
      • MENA Fintech Association, International Smart Card to shape future of digital finance
      • Emirates NBD’s collaboration with Kinexys to enhance cross-border payment security
    • Government
      • GDRFA–Dubai concludes ICEQ 2025 Conference; launches “Pioneering Scientific Research Award”
      • DFF, Google Cloud launch AI upskilling initiative for Dubai Chief AI Officers 
      • MBRHE and Beyond Limits AI MoU to enhance digital transformation
      • Dubai govt achieves major efficiency gains through AI, says 15 AI Use Cases report
      • 94% of Dubai govt employees express optimism over impact of generative AI
    • Healthcare
      • DHA to leverage AI-powered ‘Genesys’ system in contact centre services 
      • AI to lead Dubai’s healthcare transformation, says DHA head
      • BD hosts Healthcare Summit in Riyadh in line with Vision 2030
      • e& enterprise and RAIN Technology to revolutionise Operating Room efficiency in hospitals across MEA
      • How will Agentic AI ease healthcare’s workforce crisis?
    • Property
      • DLD boosts transparency with AI-enabled real estate advertising governance 
      • MBRHE and Beyond Limits AI MoU to enhance digital transformation
      • Huspy launches GCC’s first AI-powered mortgage chatbot to transform home financing  
      • DLD, VARA collaborate to boost leadership in realty and virtual assets regulation
      • Open Innovation AI collaborates with Intel to revolutionize AI orchestration with Gaudi
    • Retail
      • Jacky’s Business Solutions unveils Agentic AI offering to accelerate GCC’s autonomous business future
      • Skills gap, data hurdles, and ethics key to unlocking AI in GCC retail, says Al-Futtaim
      • ASUS unveils latest ExpertBook P1 models
      • 75% of retailers say AI Agents will be essential to compete
      • New data: Gen Z embraces AI for social media spending
    • Technology
      • AWS powers UAE’s digital leap with visionary support for gaming, sports, and entertainment
      • QuantumGate shapes cybersecurity in UAE; prepares for quantum future
      • Smart security adoption rises in Saudi homes with a digital-first approach
      • Cynalytica pioneers cybersecurity solutions for critical infrastructure protection 
      • BeamSec launches MailX at GISEC 2025
    • Transport & Logistics
      • RTA launches AI Strategy 2030 featuring 81 projects and initiatives 
      • Emirates Group co-locates to world’s largest solar-powered data centre
      • Uber School launches for students in Dubai in collaboration with RTA
      • Open Innovation AI collaborates with Intel to revolutionize AI orchestration with Gaudi
      • HID transforms ticket validation and fare collection for mass transit
    • Travel & Hospitality
      • 8th Int’l Conference on Education Quality kicks off in Dubai; highlights AI innovations
      • Arabian Travel Market to gather global AI experts to explore new frontiers in travel
      • Smartphones, social media drive travel decisions for Indians, says travel report
      • Emirates Group co-locates to world’s largest solar-powered data centre
      • Emirates advances fleet availability with investment in Airbus Skywise S.FP+ and Core X3 digital predictive maintenance solution
  • Company
    • Enterprise
      • Huawei Cloud TechWave Summit 2025 amplifies success in the Middle East & Central Asia
      • Huawei’s Tech Carnival opens in Uzbekistan
      • Tenable appoints Eric Doerr as Chief Product Officer
      • Qlik launches new Open Lakehouse
      • AI takes centre stage at Customer Experience Live Show Middle East 2025
    • Corporate
      • Qlik expands cloud footprint with new AWS region in Middle East
      • PeopleStrong powers UAE’s talent shift, accelerates ME growth: Mrigank Tripathi
      • Microsoft names Samer Abu-Ltaif president for Europe, ME and Africa
      • Open Innovation AI collaborates with Intel to revolutionize AI orchestration with Gaudi
      • YouGotaGift CEO says ‘product-centricity’ the key to their phenomenal success
    • SME
      • Open Innovation AI collaborates with Intel to revolutionize AI orchestration with Gaudi
      • Kaspersky exposes new scam targeting SMBs
      • Thriwe: Enhancing the Omni-channel experience
      • Alaris expands information capture ecosystem for SMEs
      • “Innovation is a focal point in Abu Dhabi’s plans,” says DED chair
    • Startup
      • AI without borders: Startups leading the next global leap 
      • Secure Domains brings cutting-edge DNS protection to MENA region 
      • Open Innovation AI collaborates with Intel to revolutionize AI orchestration with Gaudi
      • Kaspersky exposes new scam targeting SMBs
      • Thriwe: Enhancing the Omni-channel experience
    • Vendor
      • UiPath and Microsoft integration lets AI agents work better together
      • Huawei Cloud TechWave Summit 2025 amplifies success in the Middle East & Central Asia
      • Huawei’s Tech Carnival opens in Uzbekistan
      • Tenable appoints Eric Doerr as Chief Product Officer
      • BeamSec launches MailX at GISEC 2025
    • Channel
      • UiPath and Microsoft integration lets AI agents work better together
      • Qualys selects Teksalah to join mROC Partner Alliance 
      • Proofpoint signs agreement to acquire HornetSecurity
      • StarLink empowers the channel through growth and innovation
      • Bybit and Ghaf Labs announce strategic partnership
  • Trending
    • Digital Transformation
      • Internet of Things
      • Big Data
      • Blockchain
      • Smart City
      • Cloud Computing
    • Artificial Intelligence
      • Data Centre
      • Machine Learning
      • Virtual Reality
      • Robotics
      • Systems Integrator
      • E-commerce
    • 3D Printing
      • Self-driving Cars
      • Drones
      • Automation
      • Smartphones
      • Wearables
      • Virtualisation
    • Fintech
      • Storage
      • Mobile Payment
      • Startups
      • Applications
      • Security
  • News
    • All News
      • UiPath and Microsoft integration lets AI agents work better together
      • Cisco joins Stargate UAE consortium – as CEO declares they will deliver infrastructure to enable ‘tomorrow’s breakthroughs’
      • “This has been one of our best years yet, even in the face of significant macroeconomic uncertainty.” – Yuanqing Yang, Lenovo CEO
      • Epicor unveils revolutionary solution designed to enable manufacturers to be sustainable
      • “We’re seeing a big shift from AI experimentation to AI at scale.” – Fred Crehan, Confluent
    • Software
      • Cisco innovates with Agentic AI
      • Fortinet expands FortiAI across its Security Fabric Platform
      • Dynatrace announces early access to its platform innovations
      • Kaspersky Research Sandbox 3.0: more power, less hardware
      • World Backup Day: Toshiba highlights the importance of data resilience
    • Hardware
      • Netherlands talks with Nvidia and AMB over supply for AI-facility
      • ASUS Evo lineup: Enhancing the online experience
      • ASUS A3402-Next level computing performance
      • The UAE ranks 8th globally for the readiness of markets for electric transportation
      • Hikvision Commercial Display and Malco Technologies host partner event
    • Networking
      • World Backup Day: Toshiba highlights the importance of data resilience
      • Optimizing IT infrastructure: How Perforator can cut costs and boost performance 
      • NO PAY NO PLAY: Chainalysis reports shows ransomware payments down by 35% as victims refuse to cough up
      • Aleph Alpha launch groundbreaking T-Free architecture for next-generation LLMs, collaborates with AMD, Schwarz Digits
      • Samsung Galaxy S25 series debuts with pioneering AI features and exclusive Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset
    • Security
      • Virginia’s cyber vision finds momentum in Middle East
      • Smart security adoption rises in Saudi homes with a digital-first approach
      • Cynalytica pioneers cybersecurity solutions for critical infrastructure protection 
      • CrowdStrike highlights AI innovations shaping cyber defence at GISEC 2025
      • Kaspersky’s Cyber Immunity protects critical infrastructure, shapes the future of security 
    • Channel
      • UiPath and Microsoft integration lets AI agents work better together
      • Qualys selects Teksalah to join mROC Partner Alliance 
      • Proofpoint signs agreement to acquire HornetSecurity
      • StarLink empowers the channel through growth and innovation
      • Bybit and Ghaf Labs announce strategic partnership
    • Telecoms
      • e& AGM approves 83 fils dividend per share for FY 2024
      • Mada & SALAM ink pact on Cutting-Edge Messaging Solutions 
      • NO PAY NO PLAY: Chainalysis reports shows ransomware payments down by 35% as victims refuse to cough up
      • Proofpoint named a leader in 2024 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™
      • Samsung Galaxy S25 series debuts with pioneering AI features and exclusive Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset
    • Video
      • Seclore’s Saudi journey powers regional cybersecurity growth
      • Aster Hospital redefines healthcare with blockchain and AI-driven innovation
      • Relive all the excitement from the Infosec and Cybersecurity Congress 2025
      • SANS Institute unveils key strategies for securing AI technologies in 2025
      • Seclore showcases data-centric security innovations at GISEC Global 2025
  • Features
    • Features
      • Seclore’s Saudi journey powers regional cybersecurity growth
      • Aster Hospital redefines healthcare with blockchain and AI-driven innovation
      • How Immersive Environments are Changing Hospitality, Retail, and Public Spaces
      • CrowdStrike highlights AI innovations shaping cyber defence at GISEC 2025
      • ManageEngine unveils AI-powered unified cybersecurity solutions at GISEC Global 2025
    • CIO Spotlight
      • DMCC
        Rare commodity: DMCC IT director Abdalla Al Ali
      • HSBC MENAT CIO Ghinwa Baradhi
        The bigger picture: HSBC MENAT CIO Ghinwa Baradhi
      • Mubadala Investment Company CIO Mansour Al Ketbi
        Mansour Al Ketbi unites IT teams for $125 billion Mubadala Investment Company
      • Tariq Al Usaimi, head of digital strategy for the Central Bank of Kuwait
        The new breed: National Bank of Kuwait CDO Tariq Al-Usaimi
      • Al Masah Capital CIO Ashith Piriyattiath
        Ashith Piriyattiath’s diverse & transformative GCC career
    • Case Studies
      • Survey reveals misalignment between cybersecurity and business goals in the UAE and KSA
      • 3,200+ fake Meta profiles used in Facebook scam attempt
      • Edenred UAE: Transforming Customer Service Over WhatsApp with Conversations and Answers
      • Customer Story: Nissan Saudi Arabia
      • elseco
        DIFC prioritises digital transformation to enhance connectivity and accessibility with Wi-Fi 6
    • Partner Watch
      • Juniper Networks Expands Partner Ecosystem Leveraging AI-Native Networking Solutions
      • Commvault selects AlJammaz Technologies as key distributor in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
      • Kaspersky signs MoU with Zayed University
      • F5 Appoints Al Jammaz as a Value-Added Distribution Partner
      • The time is now for RNS Managed Security Services
    • Vendor focus
      • Dell Technologies To Establish New Merge & Logistics Fulfilment Hub in Riyadh
      • Dell Technologies study reveals innovation leaders better equipped for economic challenges
      • A10 Networks partners on a mission to ‘accelerate’
      • “The world is on the verge of a new intelligent era powered by Industry 5.0” – David Shi, Huawei
      • Huawei signs new partnership in effort to accelerate SMBs digital transformation
    • Analysis
      • Special Feature: Data Security in the Banking and Financial Sectors
      • Safeguarding Healthcare: Protecting Critical Data and Patient Privacy
      • Trend Micro Predictions Report Forecasts Cyber Fightback in 2022
      • Frost & Sullivan Names Tenable a Growth and Innovation Leader in the Global Vulnerability Management Market, 2021
      • Gartner Identifies the Top Trends Impacting Infrastructure and Operations for 2022
    • Video
      • Seclore’s Saudi journey powers regional cybersecurity growth
      • Aster Hospital redefines healthcare with blockchain and AI-driven innovation
      • Relive all the excitement from the Infosec and Cybersecurity Congress 2025
      • SANS Institute unveils key strategies for securing AI technologies in 2025
      • Seclore showcases data-centric security innovations at GISEC Global 2025
    • Lifestyle
      • AWS powers UAE’s digital leap with visionary support for gaming, sports, and entertainment
      • DHA signs MoU to train leadership in AI
      • AI to lead Dubai’s healthcare transformation, says DHA head
      • Arabian Travel Market to gather global AI experts to explore new frontiers in travel
      • Smartphones, social media drive travel decisions for Indians, says travel report
    • Insight
      • How Immersive Environments are Changing Hospitality, Retail, and Public Spaces
      • AI takes centre stage at Customer Experience Live Show Middle East 2025
      • ManageEngine unveils AI-powered unified cybersecurity solutions at GISEC Global 2025
      • “Endava plays a critical role in helping organisations realise the full potential of Agentspace.” – Andrew Rossiter, Endava
      • Tenable champions proactive cybersecurity with business-aligned exposure management
    • Opinion
      • How Immersive Environments are Changing Hospitality, Retail, and Public Spaces
      • “Endava plays a critical role in helping organisations realise the full potential of Agentspace.” – Andrew Rossiter, Endava
      • The DNA of a brand message that ‘no one’ can steal
      • Endava executive outlines how enterprises can tread that elusive path of AI adoption and modernisation
      • “Sovereign AI is more than just technology – it’s a commitment to governance, ethics and citizen empowerment.” – Mohammed Amin, Dell Technologies
    • Blogs
      • Why I joined Cloudflare: To build world-class partnerships in EMEA
      • Revolutionising fan engagement in football through data, gamification, and smart stadium experiences
      • How enterprises can raise their cyber security readiness by going through 3 stages of preparation
      • Maestro Blocks: Transferring passion into businesses!
      • Fighting glare: addressing urban light pollution from traffic cameras
  • News
    • Region
      • UiPath and Microsoft integration lets AI agents work better together
      • “This has been one of our best years yet, even in the face of significant macroeconomic uncertainty.” – Yuanqing Yang, Lenovo CEO
      • Huawei Cloud TechWave Summit 2025 amplifies success in the Middle East & Central Asia
      • Huawei’s Tech Carnival opens in Uzbekistan
      • Virginia’s cyber vision finds momentum in Middle East
  • Magazines
    • CNME
      • May 2025
      • April 2025
      • March 2025
      • February 2025
      • January 2025
    • Reseller ME
      • May 2025
      • April 2025
      • February 2025
      • January 2025
      • October 2024
    • Security Advisor ME
      • May 2025
      • April 2025
      • March 2025
      • February 2025
      • January 2025
    • 60 Minutes
      • 60mins Day 5 – PM (2024)
      • 60mins Day 5 – AM (2024)
      • 60mins Day 4 – PM (2024)
      • 60mins Day 4 – AM (2024)
      • 60mins Day 3 – PM (2024)
    • Supplements
      • GovTech – October 2024
      • GITEX Tech Vision 2024
      • LinkShadow Special Report October 2024
      • GovTech – May 2023
      • Pure Accelerate Riyadh Recap
  • Events
    • Awards
      • GovTech Awards 2025
      • Infosec & Cybersecurity Congress 2025
      • CIO Leadership Awards 2025
      • Reseller Middle East Partner Excellence Awards 2024
      • KSA Executive Summit on AI, Cybersecurity, and Emerging Technologies
    • Customer Events
      • Infosec & Cybersecurity Congress 2025
      • Infosec & Cybersecurity Congress 2024
      • Infosec & Cybersecurity Congress 2023
      • Race to innovate | Your Voice | Tahawul Tech
        Race to Innovate
      • Expectations vs Investment
    • Forums
      • Women in Tech (Pride of Tech) Forum and Awards 2025
      • Infosec & Cybersecurity Congress 2025
      • Women in Tech (Pride of Tech) Forum and Awards 2024
      • Tahawultech Conference 2025
      • CISO 50 & Future Security Awards 2024
    • Your Voice
      • Race to innovate | Your Voice | Tahawul Tech
        Race to Innovate
      • Expectations vs Investment
      • Rise of e-commerce
      • Combating credit crunch
    • Webinars
      • Freshworks virtual webinar highlights increasing role of IT industry in accelerating digital transformation
      • Mimecast virtual webinar highlights importance of brand protection
      • Huawei and IDC collaborate on Autonomous Network white paper
      • WEBINAR: Experience the Intelligent HPE Hyperconverged and Composable Infrastructure
      • WEBINAR: How Alpha Data and Veritas Enable Enterprises to Win the War Against Ransomware
  • GISEC 2025
  • LEAP 2025
Don’t show this ad again.
D-Link
Bahwan CyberTek
Fortinet
Insight

4 critical trends in IT business continuity

by IDG Reporter
April 3, 2012, 9:58 amApril 3, 2012

In IT, failure is not an option. Not surprisingly, organisations have made it a high priority to develop and implement reliable business continuity plans to ensure that IT services are always available to internal users and outside customers.

But recent technology developments and trends, most notably server and desktop virtualisation, cloud computing, the emergence of mobile devices in the workforce and social networks, are having an impact on how enterprises handle IT business continuity planning and testing. Much of the impact is for the better, experts say, but these trends can also create new challenges for IT, information security and risk management executives.

Here’s a look at how these tech megatrends are affecting IT business continuity specifically.

Use these quicklinks to navigate to a specific technology:

Virtualisation

Virtualisation is making business continuity planning easier for IT executives and their organisations, if for no other reason than it’s helping to reduce the number of IT assets, says George Muller, vice president, sales planning, supply chain & IT at Imperial Sugar Co, Sugar Land, Texas, one of the nation’s largest processors and marketers of refined sugar.

“For those of us who have been in the IT world for a few years, we’ve seen the transition from the old large mainframes to client server to Web-based applications to cloud based computing. During that time the proliferation of PCs and servers has been wild,” Muller says.

With so many devices to maintain and keep running, particularly physical servers in the data centre, ensuring systems uptime had become a much greater challenge, Muller says. “With virtualisation, we’ve now been able to reduce that footprint [of servers], which means when we are planning for business continuity now we’ve got fewer devices to worry about.”

Server virtualisation has allowed communications and compliance technology services provider Walz Group in Temecula Calif., to greatly reduce its planned outages, and largely eliminate unplanned downtime, says Bart Falzarano, CISO.

Using server virtualisation, the company can manage, support and secure its applications more effectively, Falzarano says. Walz has been able to achieve higher virtualisation efficiencies (a higher number of virtual machines to hypervisor host) using newer infrastructure technology.

The company is then able to leverage workload mobility capabilities locally that allow it to quickly switch virtual machines and applications between different physical resource pools of compute, memory and storage.

“For maintenances, upgrades, firmware updates, critical patches, etc., Walz simply moves the applications away from the area being impacted by the maintenance activity,” Falzarano says. “Once the maintenance activity, testing and quality control checks are complete, [we] may move the application back to that region or area.”

Virtualisation has actually had a bigger impact on disaster recovery than on business continuity, says John Morency, research vice president at research firm Gartner Inc. in Stamford, Conn., although one area where there’s been an effect on continuity is work area recovery.

Many companies have relied on providers of work area recovery sites for business continuity, which can cost from $15 to $25 per seat, Morency says.

“But what more organisations are doing now is having people work at home or at Starbucks or the library or wherever,” he says. “The use of Citrix, DVI and other desktop virtualisation technologies, in conjunction with secure tunneling, is enabling organisations to implement broader and more distributed work area recovery.”

Some businesses and functions, such a branch banks and customer service call centres, continue to use work area recovery services, Morency says. But a growing number of Gartner clients are leveraging virtualisation to enable people to work offsite when needed, as an alternative to work area recovery.

Rachel Dines, senior analyst, Infrastructure & Operations, at Forrester Research in Cambridge Mass., says desktop, or client, virtualisation is having a bigger impact on business continuity than server virtualisation.

“Client virtualisation is making workforce recovery [possible] for many companies that cannot rely on employees working from home with laptops,” Dines says.

For example, at companies with highly sensitive information–such as financial services and insurance firms or government agencies–where employees are not issued laptops to prevent data leaks, client virtualisation enables the rapid deployment of client images to disparate hardware at workforce recovery sites, Dines says.

In addition, organisations can deploy client virtual machines over the Internet and allow employees to access them via personal computers at home. “Either way, users are able to use the same environment that they are accustomed to on a daily basis, which means they will be more productive during the outage,” Dines says.

Cloud Computing

Many of Gartner’s clients increasingly are using software-as-a-service (SaaS) to support business processes, Morency says.

“With the use of SaaS for client-facing applications and even internal customer support applications there’s a much improved means of continued availability, even in the presence of minor or major disruptions,” Morency says. “You have a set of applications delivered from the cloud.

But this also imposes additional responsibilities on IT as far as being able to broker those services or provide additional problem management triage when necessary, Morency adds.

Walz Group operates a private cloud and uses cloud management tools that Falzarano says are a key to the company’s business continuity initiatives. One such product the company is using is FlexPod, a data centre management platform from Cisco Systems and NetApp that provides a design architecture with combined networking, computing and storage infrastructure.

Every Walz application that’s running on FlexPod has a template associated with it, Falzarano says. These templates are checked into an “environments catalog”, and are centrally managed by cloud management software. Using the software and the templates within an environment catalog, the IT team at Walz can maintain business continuity effectively, Falzarano says.

The consumption of resources (for example, CPU, memory, storage, bandwidth) for these environments are displayed via dashboard, alerting and reporting metrics, and detailed trending such as daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly consumption helps with planning, determining and provisioning the capacity needed for business continuity and disaster recovery purposes.

Using the cloud management tool Walz can set up defined policies for scaling out additional applications, and this allows it to maintain business continuity through a more automated, on-demand type of provisioning, Falzarano says.

The software also allows Walz to provision to its private cloud or to a service provider’s private cloud. For example, if Walz is using 80% of the internal private cloud and suddenly sees a demand for a new application and wants to rapidly spin up development systems, it might choose to provision these development systems to a service provider’s private cloud instead of provisioning systems to the remaining 20% on its private cloud, so that it can maintain some growth reservation. The same type of model can also be used for business continuity, Falzarano says.

Imperial Sugar operates a hybrid cloud environment, with about 95% of its applications running on a private cloud in its data centre and the remainder accessed via a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. The private cloud is provided by a network service provider and the SaaS software is delivered by software vendors on a hosted basis, Muller says.

Because the cloud environment is maintained by service providers and software vendors, the onus falls on them to ensure continuity, and that can be a benefit as well as a risk, Muller says.

“When I have a third party hosting the environment for me I look to them as part of the service-level agreement to have the resources–the people and hardware and infrastructure in place–so that they can guarantee me if the hardware has a problem at one location they’ve got another location that will bring up my apps in a manner that is seamless to our internal users,” Muller says. “That’s sort of their problem, as long as I’ve got a strong service-level agreement in place with them.”

On the other hand, even with a service-level agreement holding the service provider responsible there are no guarantees that service will not at some point be interrupted, Muller says.

Not everyone sees cloud computing as influencing business continuity. “As of today, I don’t see a huge impact,” Dines says. “However, I do expect this to become a significant complicating factor in the future. As more organisations outsource more services to the cloud, it will become the job of the business continuity manager to audit the recovery plans of many different suppliers.”

In addition, Dines says, during a failure or testing, recovery will need to be coordinated across many different sites run by different vendors. “Longer-term, cloud will make business continuity much more complicated,” she says.

Mobile Devices in the Workforce

The proliferation of mobile devices in the workforce is a benefit for business continuity strategies because it gives more flexibility for workforce recovery options, Dines says.

“As compared to the days when employees only had desktops and laptops, the ability to remain productive without access to a computer via tablets and smartphones is a significant advantage,” she says. “Additionally, it means that employees should be easier to communicate with during a disaster.”

Business continuity planning software vendors are putting more emphasis on ensuring that the software and information needed for business continuity can be accessible via mobile devices, Morency says. This includes information such as the current status of recovery, the locations to which employees should be going, what applications and services they can access and where they connect to get the latest emergency updates.

“This is not only for telecommuters but for the workforce in general and the mobile sales folks who need ways to access the information that is most relevant to them, and be able to access this through the device of their choice,” Morency says.

Enterprises “cannot depend on corporate headquarters or the data centre always being available following a disruptive event,” Morency says. “They have to ensure that critical plan content is always available [including to mobile users] regardless of what happened.”

Many Imperial Sugar employees use smartphones, tablets and other devices for work, Muller says, and these devices would likely prove useful from a business continuity perspective because workers would be able to use them to conduct business transactions and communicate with co-workers and customers from multiple remote locations.

The key issue is ensuring that these devices continue to have access to the software and services that allow them to function optimally for applications such as messaging and collaboration. “If I’ve got a Blackberry Enterprise Server I just need to make sure that it’s something I can bring up at a remote business continuity or disaster recovery site” if needed, Muller says.

The proliferation of mobile devices makes it easier for people to stay connected, “and certainly makes it easier to connect in a business recovery situation,” Muller says. “A wireless PC can do the same thing, but a mobile device is smaller and easier to carry around and it costs less. You can do just about anything on a mobile device that you can do on a PC.”

Social Networks

A Forrester report published in July 2011, entitled “It’s Time to Include Social Technology in Your Crisis Communication Strategy,” notes that while many risk professionals subscribe to automated communication services for reliable mass notification, “the widespread adoption of mobile devices and easy Internet access support the case for using social technologies like Twitter, Facebook, and Skype as critical components of your response plan.”

As companies look for rapid, effective communication approaches with key stakeholders in crisis communications, they should strongly consider leveraging social technologies, the report says.

Another report, “The Do’s and Don’ts of Using Social Media in Business Continuity Management,” released by Gartner in January 2012, notes that social media “holds the promise of transforming enterprise business continuity management, especially crisis/incident management and communications practices.”

Social media is used by more than 80% of the world’s population, Gartner says, and enterprises can’t afford to ignore it as a crisis communications tool. But effective use of a new communications channel requires planning and practice, and attempting to leverage social media for the first time during a crisis can cause more harm than good, the firm says.

Among the key recommended steps are to determine which social platforms are already used by employees, customers and other stakeholders and use those platforms in crisis/incident management efforts; and use social media not only to communicate during a disaster, but to gather information and gain the support of outside resources that can help ensure ongoing business resilience. Business continuity management professionals should immediately begin assessing social media’s opportunities–and risks, the Gartner reports says.

“Social networks are both a blessing and a curse” for business continuity, Dines says. “They have the benefit of being an additional communication channel to get in touch with employees during a [business disruption]. However, they can be a headache for crisis communications and PR as they try to control potential damages to reputation and the propagation of rumors.”

Related Articles

  • “Endava plays a critical role in helping organisations realise the full potential of Agentspace.” – Andrew Rossiter, Endava
  • IT leader believes that ‘superintelligence’ can make the healthcare industry more equitable and accessible for all
  • World Backup Day: Tech leaders universally agree that backing up data is critical, but it’s not enough
[easy-social-share buttons="facebook,twitter,google,linkedin,stumbleupon,pinterest" counters=0 hide_names="force" fixedwidth="yes" fixedwidth_px="111"]
business continuity cloud computing CNME desktop virtualisation IT mobile Social Networks virtualisation

Previous ArticleOracle, Google fail to reach settlement in Android lawsuitNext ArticleWe’re no longer just WAN optimisation: Riverbed

Related Articles

  • “Knowledge management is the often-overlooked hero of an effective ITSM strategy.” – Sascha Giese, SolarWinds
  • Mobile is where sustainability and security can align with ease
  • Cloudflare CSO says vendor lock-in has left enterprises vulnerable to major security attacks

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

tahawultech tahawultech.com @tahawultech ·
8h

HR professionals lead the charge in fostering innovation, growth, and inclusivity, driving organisational success in a rapidly evolving world.
https://ow.ly/NYsY50VYi1f

Reply on Twitter 1926328127967412448 Retweet on Twitter 1926328127967412448 Like on Twitter 1926328127967412448 Twitter 1926328127967412448
tahawultech tahawultech.com @tahawultech ·
23 May

Uraz Farukh, @secloretech, shares insights about the evolving cybersecurity landscape, and the role of regulatory compliance in driving market maturity.
Watch the full interview below.
https://www.tahawultech.com/features/seclores-saudi-journey-powers-regional-cybersecurity-growth/
#Seclore #tahawultech

Reply on Twitter 1925914854646280616 Retweet on Twitter 1925914854646280616 1 Like on Twitter 1925914854646280616 1 Twitter 1925914854646280616
tahawultech tahawultech.com @tahawultech ·
23 May

“Our continued partnership with @Microsoft enables millions of users to take advantage of the capabilities and flexibility offered by agentic automation and orchestration”.
Learn more about @UiPath's new integration below.
https://www.tahawultech.com/channel/uipath-and-microsoft-integration-lets-ai-agents-work-better-together/
#UiPath #Microsoft #tahawultech

Reply on Twitter 1925892788886888884 Retweet on Twitter 1925892788886888884 Like on Twitter 1925892788886888884 4 Twitter 1925892788886888884
Load More

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU

  • “2025 will be the year the AI bubble is going to burst.” – Omar Akar, Pure Storage
  • “Although AI observability is a fairly new conversation, 2025 is the year it goes mainstream.” – Mohamed Zouari, Snowflake
  • Veeam’s global executives share their tech predictions for 2025
  • “61% of employees in the Middle East want formal training in Generative AI” – Thibault Dousson, Lenovo

GET TAHAWULTECH.COM IN YOUR INBOX

The free newsletter covering the top industry headlines

CPI Media Group
TahawulTech.com is the definitive platform in the Middle East for IT content. Covering stories across enterprise technology, cybersecurity and the region’s IT channel industry, TahawulTech.com brings business leaders and technology decision makers together to share their stories of transformation.

OTHER LINKS

  • Events
  • Media Pack
  • Resource Centre
  • Subscription

 

  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

Contact Us

Office:
Office 1307, Dubai Studio City
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, PO Box 13700
Tel: +971 4 568 2993
Email: info@tahawultech.com
© 2025 All Rights Reserved. Product of CPI
Menu
  • Country/Region
    • UAE
    • Saudi Arabia
    • Oman
    • Bahrain
    • Kuwait
    • Africa
    • Middle East
    • Global
  • Industry
    • Education
    • Energy
    • Financial services
    • Government
    • Healthcare
    • Property
    • Retail
    • Technology
    • Transport & Logistics
    • Travel & Hospitality
  • Company
    • Enterprise
    • Corporate
    • SME
    • Startup
    • Vendor
    • Channel
  • Trending
    • Digital Transformation
      • Internet of Things
      • Big Data
      • Blockchain
      • Smart City
      • Cloud Computing
    • Artificial Intelligence
      • Data Centre
      • Machine Learning
      • Virtual Reality
      • Robotics
      • Systems Integrator
      • E-commerce
    • 3D Printing
      • Self-driving Cars
      • Drones
      • Automation
      • Smartphones
      • Wearables
      • Virtualisation
    • Fintech
      • Storage
      • Mobile Payment
      • Startups
      • Applications
      • Security
  • News
    • All News
    • Software
    • Hardware
    • Networking
    • Security
    • Channel
    • Telecoms
    • Video
  • Features
    • Features
    • CIO Spotlight
    • Case Studies
    • Partner Watch
    • Vendor focus
    • Analysis
    • Video
    • Lifestyle
    • Insight
    • Opinion
    • Blogs
  • News
    • Region
  • Magazines
    • CNME
    • Reseller ME
    • Security Advisor ME
    • 60 Minutes
    • Supplements
  • Events
    • Awards
    • Customer Events
    • Forums
    • Your Voice
    • Webinars
  • GISEC 2025
  • LEAP 2025
  • Bitz News
    • Business News
    • Financial News
  • Example Column Title
    • Bitz News Group Websites:
    • Insider Journal
    • Business Day
    • Weekly Selection
    • Tech News
    • Cool Stories
    • Geek Reviews
 

Loading Comments...
 

    tahawultech.com Intro