Tag: disaster recovery

Business Communication and Continuity Through COVID-19

March 17, 2020

As the news of the coronavirus (COVID-19) is rapidly changing each day, one constant for businesses is a concern for the health and safety of your team. At GAGE, we also understand the importance of business continuity in a time like this, when many businesses are being forced to consider remote work options in order to maintain operations. Over the years, GAGE has supported its customers in the path of hurricanes, floods and extended power outages. We are prepared and have contingency plans in place to deal with any potential issue that may arise from COVID-19. GAGE has been in business for over 40 years, and we continue to have the same mission, even through a crisis: to provide the finest telecommunications and data services that enable our clients to increase their profitability, obtain a competitive advantage, and improve employee productivity.

Many business owners know that down time can be devastating to Small- or Medium-Sized Businesses (SMBs). We know you have a lot to think about during this time, and we want you to feel safe and secure with your business. Here are some tips to make sure you are prepared to get your business operations back up and running during a public health emergency like COVID-19 presents:

1. Implement Your Disaster Recovery Plan.

The first step is to make sure you are prepared to implement your Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP). If your business has an in-house IT team, or an external managed service provider, it is likely that you already have this in place and tested regularly – a great asset in times like these. A well defined DRP includes a list of your critical business functions with an analysis of your processes and recovery plans for each. If you do not have a DRP in place, the first thing you’ll want to do is consider what your critical business functions are.

2. Establish a Communication Plan.

Make sure your team knows who to contact and establish a point person for critical projects. Another thing that businesses often overlook is making sure you have your team’s personal contact details up to date. Communicate with your customers and vendors as well if there is critical information they need to know or downtime you are anticipating.

3. Assess Your Infrastructure for Remote Access.

Assess your infrastructure and make sure you’ve considered any complications that could arise in a time like this. Can your employees access certain internal databases for your company if they would need to work from home? Make sure your data is protected and backed up, as well as accessible by your off-site team while they are away from the office.

4. Encourage Your Team To Work Remotely.

As the virus continues to spread, you’ll want to make sure your team is able to work remotely for as long as necessary. You can encourage continued productivity by making sure there is a point person assigned for critical projects, files are accessible, and all employees have the tools and methods in place for ongoing communication. Many SMBs may consider providing their employees with laptops, cell phones and a mobile hotspot to make sure they have what they need to get back up and running remotely.

5. Utilize Cloud VoIP Capabilities.

If you are an existing GAGE Cloud Voice customer, this scenario is exactly what a cloud voice communication system is made for. By default, GAGE Cloud Voice is the most flexible and cost-effective solution in a time like this because its cloud-based communications system allows for remote work and maintaining a healthy work environment through continued connectivity. Maximize your unified communication tools to help with business continuity. Continue to keep your team members in communication with tools like instant messaging, video conferencing and more. Your system may do more than you know – get in touch with your provider to understand your system’s capabilities, or maybe it’s time to consider upgrading to a new system that allows you to facilitate communication in the event like this.

………………………….

If your team needs assistance achieving business continuity with your communications system, please contact us or call 225-753-4243. Our GAGE Cloud Voice platform is truly the last phone system you’ll ever need. More than just a phone system, GAGE Cloud Voice is a cloud based, carrier-class complete VoIP communications solution that gives businesses the ability to be accessible anytime, anywhere, on any device. GAGE Cloud Voice is an invaluable asset during unprecedented situations like the COVID-19 outbreak, and GAGE is prepared to help. Stay safe and stay healthy.

Business Continuity Tips During Hurricane Season

July 12, 2019

Gage Standby Power Generator Services - Baton Rouge, LA

While safety is everyone’s #1 concern during a hurricane, we also understand the importance of business continuity before, during and after the storm. Business down time can be devastating to Small- or Medium-Sized Businesses (SMBs). Here are some tips to make sure you are prepared to get your business operations back up and running in the event of a natural disaster.

// Have a Tested Plan.

The first step is to make sure you have a well defined Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) in place. If you have an in-house IT team, or an external managed service provider, you may already have this in place. However, don’t wait until hurricane season to make sure, and test your plan regularly, as things change often in business. Run a mock disaster recovery test to assess your plan in action, identify any weakness or kinks, and make adjustments before a problem arises. A solid DRP will include a list of your critical business functions with an analysis of your processes and recovery plans for each, as well as a recovery time objective.

// Protect Your Assets – Physical or Digital.

Take a good look at your office and make sure you’ve considered the potential damages a hurricane can bring. Turn off and unplug computers and equipment if possible and raise things from the floors wherever possible in case of flooding. Power outages are often inevitable during a hurricane – make sure your data is protected and backed up, as well as accessible by your off-site team if you need to get up and running and don’t have access to your office. If it’s critical for your businesses to remain operational, maintain temperature control, or you just want to protect your assets in the event of an extended power outage, you should consider installing a standby generator. Finally, it’s a good time to make sure you have the proper insurance coverage to protect your assets.

// Enable Your Team For Remote Work.

Once the storm has cleared, or even in the days leading up to a storm, you’ll want to make sure your team is able to work remote if necessary. Whether your office is inaccessible, or your team just needs to be home with their families, you can enable them to work from home as necessary by making sure files are accessible, there is a point person assigned for critical projects, and all employees have the tools and methods in place for ongoing communication. Many SMBs will provide their employees with laptops, cell phones and a mobile hotspot to make sure they have what they need to get back up and running remotely.

// Establish a Communication Plan.

Make sure your team knows who to contact and establish a point person for critical projects. Another thing that’s often overlooked is making sure you have your team’s personal contact details up to date. Communicate with your customers and vendors as well if there is critical information they need to know or downtime you are anticipating.

// Utilize Your Cloud VoIP Capabilities.

This scenario is exactly what a cloud voice communication system is made for. Maximize your unified communication tools to help with business continuity. Ensure customers can continue to reach you as necessary by forwarding your calls to cellular devices, keep team members in communication with tools like instant messaging and video conferencing, and more. Your system may do more than you know – get in touch with your provider to understand your system’s capabilities, or maybe it’s time to consider upgrading to a new system that allows you to facilitate communication in the event of a disaster.

…………………………

Our Gage Cloud Voice platform is truly the last phone system you’ll ever need. More than just a phone system, Gage Cloud Voice a cloud based, carrier-class complete VoIP communications solution that gives business the ability to be accessible anytime, anywhere, on any device, precisely for scenarios like disaster recovery after a hurricane. In addition, we offer a complete suite of fully managed IT services with our Insite program that will assist with backups, security monitoring, disaster recovery, and more. Contact us today to learn more about our services or schedule a consultation.

The Top IT Threats to Small Businesses and How to Deal With Them

June 18, 2019

Regardless of your industry, small businesses around the world are dealing with very similar IT problems. There are many obstacles and challenges business owners must overcome in order to remain operational, secure and successful. In smaller organizations, we know that you may not have an in-house IT specialist, and that can present unique challenges. We’re here to help by sharing with you the most common IT problems small businesses face, and how to prevent or deal with them.

Cybersecurity Threats

Cybersecurity is a hot topic in IT right now and is one of the biggest challenges for small business owners. Simply put, cybersecurity is the protection of your computers, network and data from compromisation or damage. The truth is that most businesses are not investing in the advanced security systems needed to protect their data and assets. While nothing is 100% fool-proof, there are some security measures you simply must take to optimize data protection. Protect against viruses by equipping your computer with antivirus software and make sure to update your systems and programs regularly. Additionally, make sure your networks are secure by safeguarding your Internet connection and email systems. Another thing to take into consideration is passwords. Train your employees to make strong passwords and to change them often. The U.S. Small Business Administration suggests that you should “consider implementing multi-factor authentication that requires additional information beyond a password to gain entry.” This additional step could be vital in preventing hackers from getting into your personal files. Cybersecurity is one of the most important aspects of your business and should be taken into consideration before a problem occurs.

Using Outdated Hardware And Software

Using outdated hardware and software can lead to many problems such as slow speeds, overspending, security problems, downtime, and much more. Not only can utilizing outdated software discourage your consumers and cause communication hiccups, but it can also often mean that your software is unsupported which usually means it is unsecured. Many major attackers will take advantage of your unsupported and outdated technology. The longer your software has been exposed, the more time it gives hackers to exploit your data. You must update your software to avoid being hacked and potentially losing your data. While we understand that the financial investment can seem daunting, the truth is that using unsupported software could actually be costing you more than the upgrade fee! Taking advantage of the latest versions of the software will dramatically reduce the number of bugs and save time on tasks. It can help improve the efficiency of your team, as well as communication with your customers. Using outdated hardware and software then leads into the next important IT problem in small businesses.

Backup And Disaster Recovery

It’s extremely important to have a reliable backup solution for any type of business. We know you may have accidentally deleted an important file, or had a server crash, or even experienced a power outage that causes business downtime. In order to avoid these risks, our best advice is to have a custom backup solution BEFORE these events happen. Your data can be corrupted, lost, or stolen through many outlets such as human error, hardware failure, malware, and hacking. Find a backup provider that will catch (and fix) these problems before you’re even aware that there’s an issue. If a problem does arise, have a plan to recover your data and restore your systems as quickly as possible. Some, if not most, businesses cannot tolerate downtime and business interruption. It’s well worth the cost to take the hassle out of IT management, so you can focus on your business.