More information:
Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why have outsourced Disaster Recovery arrangements?

All firms need protection from the effects of a disaster affecting their IT systems. Disasters extend from partial loss of systems, to large-scale damage to premises, which involves complete replacement and re-instatement of systems and re-location to fully equipped office space. Survival in all cases relies on a fast and professional response.

Few firms have the necessary expertise or resources in-house. Outsourcing to a professional Disaster Recovery company, with experience of rapid response, means your business can continue to operate through a disaster.
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2. What is the RescueIT Disaster Recovery Strategy?

Many of the business problems caused by an IT disaster are avoidable provided the systems are rapidly re-instated. Rapid replacement and/or re-location of systems requires specialist organisational and technical skills and immediate access to the necessary financial resources.

The RescueIT strategy is based on a separate IT disaster recovery plan, that complements any broader business continuity plan you may have, but allows re-instatement of the systems to proceed with maximum speed, with subsequent integration into the broader continuity plans.

The key steps are:

• Immediate commencement of the crisis management process, including on-site visit within the first 24 hours
• Immediate agreement and implementation of the detailed recovery plan
• Relocation to alternative, fully-equipped premises, within 24 hours, where necessary
• Immediate delivery of replacement equipment and the appropriate technical resources for installation and re-instatement
• Rapid re-instatement of the systems in line with the customer’s requirements and priorities, under the control of a project manager
• Provision of the financial resources to cover all the associated costs
• Hand-over and sign-off of the project, when completed

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3. What types of disaster are covered?

All insurable disasters are covered – see ‘Service Description – What Disasters Does RescueIT Respond To’

4. What is the minimum contract term?

The standard contract term is 12 months and the contract is renewable each year at the customer’s discretion. Longer contract periods can be quoted if required.
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5. Are there any additional charges to pay in the event of a disaster?

RescueIT levies no additional charges in the event of a disaster, as the costs are covered by the underpinning Norwich Union insurance policy (subject to any excesses and exclusions stated in that policy).
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6. How quickly can we be relocated to alternative office premises?

If re-location is necessary, your essential users can be re-located to fully equipped alternative office space within 24 hours of a disaster invocation.
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7. How close to my existing premises will the alternative office space be?

RescueIT has access to hundreds of high quality office premises throughout the UK and will use its expertise to locate your essential users in the nearest available premises suitable to your particular requirements. RescueIT’s approach provides considerable flexibility and the precise location and specifications will be agreed with you at the time. The large number of premises available means that the location will normally be close to your existing premises.
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8. What are the internal and external communications specifications at the alternative offices?

All recovery premises have high-speed, secure, managed internet service (E1) and ISDN lines to desktops. LANs are CAT 5 cabled. WANs are leased lines, ISDN or Internet. The minimum broadband connection at many of these offices is a 512Kbps connection, which can be readily upgraded to 1Mb or 2Mb if required - 2Mb being the fastest connection for heavy business usage.
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9. What are ‘Essential Users’?

This is the number of users nominated by you (no names need specifying in the contract) as essential to keeping your business running following a disaster. The systems they use will therefore be given priority during the first phases of the recovery process. Other users systems can be re-instated once the essential users have been taken care of. The essential users are also those people who will be relocated to alternative premises if your own premises are unusable or inaccessible.
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10. Will my lost or damaged equipment be replaced with new equipment and will I be able to keep the replacement equipment?

Yes to both questions. Your equipment will be replaced with new equipment to the nearest equivalent technical specification (which will usually mean a higher specification than your original equipment) and it will be yours to keep.
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11. Does each item of equipment have to be specified in the contract?

The only items normally requiring detailed specification in the contract are the servers. Other items need identifying by type of equipment, quantity and aggregate value.
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12. Can equipment be changed during the contract term?

Equipment can be changed during the contract term at no additional cost provided the replacement or additional equipment does not exceed 20% of the amounts specified or £250,000, whichever is the lesser amount. Changes outside these parameters can be incorporated at additional cost.

In all cases it is advisable to notify RescueIT of material changes, especially to servers.
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13. Can we choose the supplier of any replacement equipment?

We will normally supply the same make as your original equipment, though you can chose another supplier - subject in all cases to the cost being competitive and the delivery timescale being acceptable.
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14. Can we select equipment to include in the Disaster Recovery contract, or does all of the equipment have to be included?

We would normally provide Disaster Recovery cover for all your IT systems. However you can choose to cover only part of your systems, provided the relevant equipment is clearly identified on the Equipment Schedule.
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15. Does the Disaster recovery service include cabling and all peripheral equipment?

Subject to question 13 above, all cabling and peripheral equipment (e.g. printers, hubs, routers, switches) is included and the total replacement cost specified by you on the Equipment Schedule should include all such equipment.
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16. What is Auxiliary Equipment?

Auxiliary equipment is equipment used for temperature and environmental control, power supply, voltage regulation and other protective devices used exclusively with the IT equipment. The Auxiliary Equipment can be included, but the replacement would be subcontracted and therefore not included within the Essential Users equipment.
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17. Does the Disaster Recovery contract cover telephone systems?

Telephone systems are not considered part of the IT systems and therefore are not covered. However the most likely situation in which you would need a replacement telephone system is where your premises are unusable or inaccessible. In this case we will relocate your essential users to alternative office premises which are fully equipped with telephone systems for your use. On arrival you would be allocated a block of new numbers and DDI lines plus a serviced switchboard.
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