The recent Athol Street incident caused the closure of the street for the majority of Monday, 11th July. Some businesses did not have access to their premises but one such company makes use of business continuity services from Skanco Business Systems Ltd. After a call to Skanco at 9:30 am, the first employees were set up and working within forty-five minutes at the Restart facility. M A Jafri, Habib European Bank Ltd. commented “We made the call to Skanco and were immediately attended to and relocated. It was a smooth process and we are very happy with the services received.” Some businesses feel disaster recovery is a response to the potential of a substantial earthquake, nuclear meltdown or terrorist attack but the odds of such an occurrence in the Isle of Man are slim to zero. This can lead to business continuity services being lower on the agenda locally than it is elsewhere. Alan Paradise, Technical Account Manager at Skanco explains why this shouldn’t be the case: ‘Disaster recovery solutions are like an insurance policy. Staff can be restricted from accessing their premises for a variety of reasons from weather conditions to gas leaks’. Continuity plans are often considered a luxury enjoyed by large businesses, but in reality small and medium sized businesses need to be prepared too. While their computer systems may be less complex, often their data backup or telecoms links will be less sophisticated. It is an important consideration for all business owners. ENDS