Overview
Disaster recovery refers to the comprehensive process and set of strategies designed to restore critical systems, data, and operations following a disruptive event, such as a natural disaster, cyberattack, or hardware failure. It involves the implementation of plans and procedures to recover and resume normal business functions as swiftly as possible, minimizing downtime, data loss, and financial impact. Typically, disaster recovery includes measures like data backups, redundant systems, off-site storage, and contingency plans, ensuring that organizations can recover essential functions and information to maintain operational continuity in the face of unforeseen disruptions.
Why DRaaS?
Choosing DRaaS (Disaster Recovery as a Service) can offer several advantages for organizations seeking a reliable and cost-effective disaster recovery solution. Here are some reasons why you might consider adopting DRaaS:
Cost Efficiency
DRaaS eliminates the need for significant upfront investments in building and maintaining a separate disaster recovery infrastructure. Instead, you pay for the service on a subscription basis, converting capital expenses to predictable operational expenses.
Rapid Recovery
DRaaS provides quick recovery times in the event of a disaster or system failure. Service providers typically offer robust backup and replication capabilities, allowing you to restore critical systems and data rapidly, minimizing downtime and reducing the impact on your business operations.
Scalability & Flexibility
DRaaS enables you to scale your disaster recovery resources based on your organization's needs. Whether you need to protect a few critical applications or your entire infrastructure, DRaaS can accommodate your requirements without the need for significant infrastructure investments.
Testing & Validation
DRaaS providers often offer testing and validation capabilities that allow you to simulate disaster scenarios and verify the effectiveness of your recovery processes. This helps ensure that your disaster recovery plan is robust and can be relied upon when needed.
Simplified IT Management
With DRaaS, the responsibility for managing and maintaining the underlying infrastructure, backups, and replication processes lies with the service provider. This frees up your internal IT resources, allowing them to focus on core business activities instead of managing complex disaster recovery processes.
Data Protection & Security
DRaaS providers implement data protection measures, including encryption, secure data transfer, and compliance with industry-specific regulations. This helps safeguard your critical data and ensure its integrity during replication and recovery processes.
Geographic Redundancy
Many DRaaS providers have multiple data centers in different geographic locations. This provides geographic redundancy, ensuring that your critical data and applications are replicated and stored in separate locations, reducing the risk of data loss in the event of a regional disaster.
Expertise & Support
DRaaS providers have expertise in disaster recovery planning, implementation, and management. They offer ongoing support and guidance, ensuring that your disaster recovery strategy aligns with industry best practices and that you have access to skilled professionals during critical recovery situations.
Business Continuity
DRaaS plays a crucial role in ensuring business continuity by minimizing downtime and enabling the rapid recovery of critical systems and data. This allows your organization to continue operations, serve customers, and minimize the financial and reputational impacts of a disaster.
Compliance & Audit
DRaaS can help your organization meet compliance and audit requirements by ensuring the availability and integrity of critical data. Service providers often provide documentation and reports that demonstrate adherence to regulatory standards.
Why Choose NorthStar for your DRaaS Needs?
With all of the potential risks that face your company’s mission-critical business applications, a Disaster Recovery Plan is essential. No two environments are identical, and time and again our clients face the challenge of maintaining a secondary environment with limited staff. They are also tasked with identifying and choosing the right DRaaS Partner, sifting through an endless supply of vendors that can provide these services.
We can help with:
Assessments
We can help you identify the current state of your Disater Recivery preparedness, identify your requirements and gaps, and help you choose the correct DRaaS solution providers to bring in.
Design
We can recommend DRaaS solutions based on current industry trends and best practices, so you can be sure that you are receiving a quality solution.
Audit Services
We will audit your current Disaster Recovery Plan and provider(s) to determine if you are using the best and most cost-effective solution for your business.
Selection
We are DRaaS supplier agnostic and work with numerous providers. We can offer the best options from multiple suppliers.
Implementation
In addition to securing the correct DRaaS solution, we can often assist you with implementing new solutions.
Cost Management
We want to provide you with a great DRaaS solution within your budget and will work to make sure you are investing your money well.
We have collaborated with our clients to understand their goals and develop a thorough Disaster Recovery Plan. Our clients will be prepared to identify the appropriate suppliers to bring them closer to achieving their disaster recovery goals. Our company has teamed up with several leading suppliers in the DR industry, with the sole aim of making this initiative a simple process for you and your team.
Is DRaaS Right for Your Organization?
Determining if DRaaS is right for your organization depends on various factors specific to your business requirements, IT infrastructure, and risk tolerance. Here are some considerations to help you evaluate if DRaaS is suitable for your organization:
Business Criticality
Assess the criticality of your systems, applications, and data. If your organization relies heavily on mission-critical systems and cannot afford significant downtime, DRaaS can provide the necessary protection and rapid recovery capabilities.
Expertise & Resources
Evaluate the availability of skilled resources and expertise within your organization to design, implement, and manage an effective disaster recovery solution. If you lack the necessary expertise or resources, DRaaS can provide access to specialized skills and knowledge from the service provider.
Testing & Validation
Assess if your organization has the resources and capabilities to regularly test and validate your disaster recovery plan. DRaaS providers typically offer testing and validation options, allowing you to ensure the effectiveness and reliability of your recovery processes.
Cost Efficiency
Compare the cost of implementing and managing an in-house disaster recovery infrastructure versus the subscription-based model of DRaaS. Consider the financial implications and the potential cost savings offered by outsourcing your disaster recovery needs.
Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) & Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs)
Business Continuity
Consider the importance of business continuity for your organization. DRaaS can help minimize disruptions, maintain operational continuity, and enable your organization to quickly resume critical functions in the event of a disaster.
Scalability & Flexibility
If your organization's IT infrastructure needs change frequently or if you anticipate future growth, DRaaS offers scalability and flexibility. It allows you to scale your disaster recovery resources based on your evolving needs without the need for significant infrastructure investments.
Compliance & Regulatory
Consider if your organization needs to comply with industry-specific regulations or maintain certain certifications. DRaaS providers often have experience in meeting compliance requirements and can help ensure your disaster recovery strategy aligns with the necessary standards.
Risk Mitigation
Evaluate the potential risks your organization faces, such as natural disasters, system failures, or cybersecurity threats. DRaaS can provide an added layer of protection by storing backups in secure off-site locations and offering robust security measures.
Evaluate your recovery time and recovery point objectives. DRaaS can offer faster recovery times compared to traditional disaster recovery solutions, minimizing downtime and data loss.
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How does CCaaS differ from traditional on-premise contact center solutions?CCaaS operates in the cloud, which means that the software and infrastructure are hosted by a third-party provider. In contrast, traditional on-premise contact center solutions require companies to manage their hardware and software on-site.
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Will I be able to keep my existing PBX and just migrate my contact center to CCaaS?Yes, we would be able to implement an "overlay" architecture which would allow you to keep your PBX and the CCaaS would be on top of your PBX. This is a very popular solution.
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What features does CCaaS typically include?CCaaS platforms generally include features such as call routing, IVR (Interactive Voice Response), omnichannel support (email, chat, social media), call recording, real-time analytics, workforce management, and integration with CRM systems.
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Can CCaaS support multi-channel customer interactions?Yes, CCaaS platforms offer omnichannel support, enabling businesses to handle customer interactions across various channels, such as voice, email, chat, and social media, from a unified interface.
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Is there redundancy already built in with a CCaaS solution or will I have to provide for that?Yes, redundancy is already built in with a cloud solution. There are multiple geo data centers in place to support all types of transmissions and applications. Within the data centers there are multiple redundant servers and microservers available to support the businesses to prevent outages.
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How long will it take to implement a CCaaS solution?It will all depend on the existing environment (network, number of seats, business type, etc.) that is in place. Hwever, in most cases a 45-60 day implementation timeline (after solution selection is made) would be the average which would include the planning, implementation and support.
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Is CCaaS suitable for small businesses?Yes, CCaaS can be a viable solution for small businesses as it allows them to access advanced contact center capabilities without the need for significant upfront investments in infrastructure.
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How does CCaaS support remote work?CCaaS platforms enable agents to work remotely as long as they have an internet connection. Agents can access the contact center system and handle customer interactions from anywhere, enhancing workforce flexibility.
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Is CCaaS secure and compliant with industry regulations?Reputable CCaaS providers prioritize security and compliance with industry standards such as GDPR and HIPAA. They implement robust security measures to protect customer data and ensure data privacy.
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Do I have to purchase a full contact center seat, or will I have the option to choose only what I need at a given time?This is one of the many benefits of a CCaaS solution. You can choose only what you need at first (e.g. You can have an ACD & IVR only, without Omni-channel or WFO)
