Can your business survive without your core custom applications? To satisfy a variety of business needs, companies have traditionally created and implemented their own custom applications. Examples may be found in every industry, from specialised inventory applications for distribution to replenishment applications for manufacturing. However, what may have started as a simple convenience application in many cases has now evolved into part of the overall business process information flow within a company. The problem becomes how to determine what happens if a custom application fails. What applications feed it? What applications does it feed?

In-depth IBM knowledge and intellectual capital in application continuity

Skilled IBM resources that can supplement your staff

Cost-effective way for companies to undertake a business continuity program

Detailed recommendations for an effective continuity strategy

As you begin to build a formal continuity program for your business, you should look at all the related application dependencies within the organisation. It is important to note that many critical applications run on different multivendor platforms, from PC servers to the largest mainframes. In addition, what was once centralised may now be distributed across the country or around the world. Since these critical applications have become vital to the information flow that keeps your business running, you want to ensure their continuity with a provider you can trust

Using methodologies and processes that our experts have developed over 30 years, IBM Business Continuity and Resiliency Services assists many clients in the analysis, design and implementation of business process continuity solutions. We focus on critical processes and the applications that support them. Even in the most complex environments, with both centralised and decentralised applications, we can help you determine what applications are vital to your business and design a continuity strategy for them.

Our solution consists of three specific service modules:

• Application recoverability assessment
  Our team of experts performs a detailed assessment of your current state of recoverability. This includes network, systems and recovery plan. We review existing documentation and conduct interviews with key personnel over the course of several weeks. Once we complete the assessment, we create a detailed recommendation to support your business continuity strategy.
• Recovery plan development for critical applications
  After the strategy is defined and agreed upon, we help you document the actual recovery plan. Following a proven methodology, our industry experts work with your staff to create the recovery plan or, if you choose, create it for you. This comprehensive plan includes hardware, software, network, facilities and resources, as well as backup and restoration components that help ensure the continuity of your business.
• Recovery process and procedures design
  One component of any recovery plan is the specific procedures needed to restore the systems and networks. Our professional staff creates the detailed procedures to be followed for proper execution of the plan during a business interruption.

Each of these service modules can be a discrete engagement, or they can be combined into a single statement of work to address your requirements.

• Structured and consistent methodology helps you through the complexity of the continuity planning process