Data with destiny

Citation

(1999), "Data with destiny", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 8 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.1999.07308ead.002

Data with destiny

Data with destiny

Free booklet from Computing Suppliers' Federation highlights mission-critical importance of proper data storage - and how to achieve it!

Information is probably more important than money itself to the long term survival of any organisation. So it is strange to think that companies which may conscientiously and prudently bank the money they receive, could actually be gambling the future of their whole organisation every day - simply through lax protection of crucial business data.

That is the powerful message contained in a free guide published by the Computing Suppliers' Federation to highlight the importance of data storage to businesses of all sizes. Through this new initiative, ten leading storage companies have collaborated to compile material for the reference work, which is aimed specifically at senior company directors and managers.

The 40-page, A5 publication covers the key issues of data storage, including business and legal requirements, system back-ups, archiving, hierarchical storage management, clustering, restoring data, data transportation and distribution, as well as network storage and system selection criteria. It also contains the essential dos and don'ts of data storage, a glossary of common abbreviations and acronyms, and an in-depth review of storage technologies and capabilities.

The booklet is written in simple, non-technical language, prompting readers to ask questions relevant to their own business needs. In addition, it offers valuable, independent advice on system selection to enable them to identify the best solution for their specific requirements.

The guide is also published as a free CD-ROM, which includes a useful spreadsheet programme and associated "spider's web" tool providing users with a graphical comparison of their selected solution against industry averages.

Valerie Cumming, newly-appointed Managing Director of the Computing Suppliers' Federation says:Every day, accidents happen. Mistakes are made and anything from a fire or a flood to a computer virus or hardware fault can bring about the failure of a company's system. Data is the life-blood of all organisations. In fact, it is the major value-added product throughout many sectors of UK industry today. Its storage and accessibility are not just problems facing large businesses like banks, supermarkets and telecommunications providers. Small companies rely just as heavily on the information contained in their computer systems too. That's why it is so vital for companies of all sizes to recognise the importance of their own operational data and take the necessary steps to protect it. Our new booklet and associated CD-ROM not only provide insight into problems that readers may not even realise exist, but also the steps needed to overcome them. It is a sobering statistic that 70 per cent of all companies suffering a major catastrophe cease trading within 18 months. That alone should make these two free management tools essential for anyone responsible for the future well-being of their organisation. But combine it with the threat of the millennium bug and I believe they become nothing short of indispensable.

The new CD-ROM has been produced by the Computing Suppliers Federation as part of a market education initiative sponsored by the following CSF member companies: Adaptee, Kodak, Maxoptix, Mass Storage, NM Imaging Equipment, Plasmon, Quantum, Seagate Software, Sony Corporation and Xenstone.