BroadSpire Unveils New Disaster Recovery Service, Seeks to Help Small and Mid-Size Business Maintain Critical Web-Based Applications During Virus Attacks [February 11, 2004]

LOS ANGELES, Feb 11, 2004 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- BroadSpire (www.broadspire.com), a leading managed IT services provider, today introduced a Disaster Recovery Service that helps small and mid-size companies maintain their Web sites, Web-based applications, email and instant messaging communication during or after a disaster.

For an organization whose very existence depends upon its Web-based applications, disaster can strike in any number of ways: viruses like the current "Mydoom," a network failure, a hardware crash, a power outage, natural disaster or terrorist attack.

According to a nationwide survey conducted for BroadSpire late last year, more than one-third of American workers are "quite" or "somewhat" concerned that a natural disaster or terrorist act could take out computer systems at work. That study affirmed the findings of another survey from Imation Corp., which found that about 30 percent of companies lack a formal disaster recovery strategy. The Imation survey -- which polled IT directors and network storage managers on their perception of data backup, storage technologies, and disaster recovery practices -- also revealed that 64 percent of companies say their data backup and disaster recovery plans have significant vulnerabilities.

"Companies rely heavily on their Web sites and Web-based applications -- in fact many businesses would be crippled without them," said Suresh Srinivasan, president, BroadSpire. "Yet whatever their size, many companies don't have a plan in place that would keep these business-critical functions running properly in case of disaster.

"Many things can affect the reliability of Web-based applications, but the right tools and a predetermined plan of attack help companies maintain their corporate Web sites, Web-based business services and communication links like email and instant messaging," he said. "Disaster recovery solutions don't need to break the bank, and BroadSpire's solution has been tailored for the budgets of small and mid-size businesses."

BroadSpire's Disaster Recovery Starter Kit begins with an important checklist and guide to serve as the foundation for a company's disaster recovery plan (DRP). The primary goals are to maintain Web applications and keep the lines of communication open.

The service includes:

-- A secure, web-accessible company contact list, hosted within
one of BroadSpire's global data centers.

-- An Instant Messenger platform to serve as the critical
messaging system between all employees when disaster strikes.

-- A backup email system, to capture corporate email and prevent
"bounces" during an outage.

-- A "hot" standby email system for communication during
disasters. This system will work when company email doesn't,
and allows all employees to communicate with one another. All
communications are stored in backups.

-- The use of BroadSpire's geographically diverse DNS and a
dedicated server to allow corporate Web sites to stay online
even during a disaster. This service either can move corporate
Web traffic to this standby server, or simply display a notice
to end-users. Traffic can shift back to corporate data centers
once the outage has been rectified.

"Proper security means taking precautions in advance of a threat, not when the threat is imminent and it's obviously too late," Srinivasan said. "Companies should focus on both procedural practices and deploying the right technology. Procedures and technology go hand-in-hand for sound security, which is why we've tapped both disciplines in developing our disaster recovery offering. It's all part of our enterprise hosting for every business."

For more information: www.broadspire.com/solutions/enterprise/disasterrecovery.html.

About BroadSpire

Founded in 1996, BroadSpire (www.broadspire.com) is a leading managed IT services provider, headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif. In delivering outsourced IT, data center outsourcing and fully managed Web hosting services, BroadSpire maintains a strict focus on customer service that has enabled the company to become a best-of-breed provider both in its service offerings and in its customer care. With discrete lines of business for enterprise and small/mid-size businesses, the company serves as a seamless extension of its customers' information technology infrastructure. BroadSpire has earned the trust of more than 2,000 companies worldwide, including BP Amoco, NBC, Yale University, Paramount Pictures, and Sheraton Hotels & Resorts. BroadSpire is a member of the 2003 Deloitte & Touche Technology Fast 50 for the Los Angeles area.

SOURCE: BroadSpire

Edge Communications, Inc.
Ken Greenberg, 818-719-9292
ken@edgepress.com