Stoke Poges, Bucks - 8 September, 2003 - UK IT directors are nearly three times more likely to be concerned about the threat of terrorism crippling their systems than their counterparts in 13 other countries in Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) according to research from data storage specialist, Hitachi Data Systems. Almost one in three (30%) UK IT directors highlight the terror threat as a major business continuity (BC) concern, compared to 11 percent on average across the other countries surveyed. In Germany only 4 percent listed terrorism as a major concern and in France it was 10 percent. Even in Israel, which suffers from high levels of terrorist activity, only 19 percent of IT directors listed it as a major business continuity concern.
Overall the top business continuity worries for IT directors questioned throughout the EMEA region were fire (66%), human error (62%) and virus attack (51%). The findings come from the `Hitachi Data Systems Storage Index' * - produced from interviews with IT directors in 14 countries across EMEA.
Tony Reid, Director of Enterprise Systems — EMEA for Hitachi Data Systems comments:
"A part of business continuity planning is about preparing for the unthinkable. So while we all hope the UK will never experience any terrorist activity, it may actually be a positive thing that IT directors are concerned about the potential threat. The next step is obviously to turn that concern into some concrete business continuity measures."
Despite their business continuity concerns, however, over a quarter (26%) of IT directors questioned in the survey could not remember when their company's business continuity plan was last tested or admit it was over a year ago. Seven per cent have no BC plan at all.
"Organisations are rightly worried about some very real business continuity threats, as this research shows," comments Tony Reid. "But many are still blatantly ignoring warnings from experts who call for BC plans to be tested regularly. It's the same principle as testing your company fire drill frequently. If you don't test it, you can't guarantee it will work in a real life situation."
Another finding from the Hitachi Data Systems Storage Index relates to whether companies' business continuity systems are prepared for widespread disasters, such as floods, which can cause damage over several kilometres. 47 percent of companies in the survey have their back-up data centre within 5 kilometres (3 miles) of the primary data centre, with a further 12 percent within 10 kilometres (6 miles). Only 12 percent of corporations have over 100 kilometres (62 miles) between their primary and remote data centres
The research also reveals that the speed of information recovery following a disaster could pose problems for 44 percent of companies who store backup data primarily on magnetic tapes kept at a remote location. It can take up to 24 hours to recover information from tape backups, and even a simple hitch, like a tape getting held up en-route in a traffic jam, can cause a delay costing thousands of pounds in added downtime. Faster, disk-based back-up systems, which deliver near instantaneous data recovery, are now used by 47 percent of companies surveyed.
*Research note
The `Hitachi Data Systems Storage Index' is third party research, commissioned and owned by Hitachi Data Systems. Data reproduced from the `Hitachi Data Systems Storage Index' must be sourced `Hitachi Data Systems Storage Index'. Findings are based on 630 IT director interviews, covering Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. The latest `Hitachi Data Systems Storage Index' is available for download at: http://www.eu.hds.com/mc/Storage_Index_whitepaper_Q3_03.pdf Q3 '03 Storage Index Whitepaper.
Hitachi Data Systems is committed to enabling organizations worldwide to exploit the full potential of information. By following and deploying our TrueNorth™ strategy, we provide customers with a broad range of storage solutions to simplify, protect and optimize their information infrastructures. Our offerings include centralized and distributed storage systems and software, professional services, complemented by best-of-breed products through channel partners and industry alliances.
With 2,700 employees, Hitachi Data Systems conducts business through direct and indirect channels in the public, government and private sectors in over 170 countries and regions. Its customers include more than 50 percent of Fortune 100 companies. For more information, please visit our Web site at www.hds.com.
Contacts:
Shirley Virando, Hitachi Data Systems, +44 1753 618 682,shirley.virando@hds.com
© Hitachi Data Systems is registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a trademark and service mark of Hitachi, Ltd.
Newsroom
