Imass is disaster-proofed

Aug 28 2008 by Iain Laing, The Journal

BUSINESS continuity expert ZebraHosts has seen one of its major customers bankroll a fourfold increase in its emergency ‘hot desk’ requirement.

Leading software business Imass is now paying ZebraHosts to maintain 26 fully operational IT and internet equipped work stations that would become immediately available in the event of their Newcastle offices succumbing to unforeseen disaster.

Should Imass headquarters in Gosforth be rendered unusable through fire, flood or power failure, 26 of the company’s key personnel would be able to work from a fully equipped office located in the same building as ZebraHosts on Westgate Road in the centre of Newcastle.

ZebraHosts’ strategic account and project manager Belinda Kent said: “We have forged an excellent working relationship with Imass over the three years we have been providing them with our business continuity expertise and services.

“We are one of the UK’s leading software providers to the emergency services and utilities sectors and reseller of leading design software package Autodesk. Imass has a huge responsibility to its customers to offer a professional and uninterrupted service.” Imass, which now has more than 120 staff, has all its data backed up in co-located servers at ZebraHosts and there is a dedicated fibre optic cable to ensure full high bandwidth connectivity between the two sites.

The ZebraHosts site itself has numerous failsafe security measures in place including its own generator in case of national grid power failure and extensive firewall provision in place.

Ms Kent added: “We share that responsibility by offering a failsafe solution against any unforeseen disaster or threats to the operation of their business, insurance that gives both Imass and their customers peace of mind.”

ZebraHosts has shown 20% year on year growth over the past five years and with this latest substantial contract upgrade, from a client that already takes advantage of the server-hosting facilities, Zebra looks destined to continue this growth.

Imass managing director David Hudspith said: “With the wonders of the internet, a lot of our people can work from home. Our technology allows that to happen, but with this increase in fully operational ‘hot desks’ we can have a larger core team reaping the benefits of working from an office as well – we have everything planned.

“It is business continuity practice, with ZebraHosts providing us with co-location of our servers and full connectivity to those servers so that if necessary we could run on an emergency basis at the newly expanded office from the beginning of July this year.”