| On a regular basis, businesses have to handle and | | | | use the Internet for voice delivery, phones can be |
| respond to several different types of disaster. Fire, | | | | rapidly deployed wherever broadband Internet |
| hurricane, tornado, earthquake and flood are the | | | | access exists. In addition, some services |
| most commonly recognized disasters. Other less | | | | accommodate redundant Internet connections for |
| commonly considered disasters (but no less | | | | automatic failover. |
| disruptive) are inclement weather, cable cuts, | | | | Because they contain core call processing in a |
| disgruntled or careless employees and power | | | | hardened facility and they use the flexibility of the |
| outages. | | | | Internet to deliver their service, Hosted PBX services |
| When a business is struck by one or more of these | | | | present a wide range of options in a disaster. These |
| disasters, the effects can be wide ranging. If the | | | | options include: |
| business can not respond to their needs, customers | | | | 1. Automatically re-routing calls to homes, mobile |
| seek out other solutions including competitors. | | | | phones and other offices |
| Employee productivity is reduced when they cannot | | | | 2. Forwarding inbound calls to any 10 digit telephone |
| get to work. Revenues suffer with lost customers | | | | number |
| and reduced employee productivity. Further, the | | | | 3. Turning employees into telecommuters |
| business may be physically displaced and key business | | | | 4. Assembling a temporary office anywhere the |
| resources such as the telecommunications systems, | | | | telephones can be plugged into a broadband |
| data networks and vendors may be unavailable. | | | | connection |
| Although proper disaster planning involves many | | | | 5. Recording special announcements and instructions |
| aspects of the business, one primary component is | | | | for callers |
| the communications system. Staying in contact with | | | | 6. And finally, doing nothing and allowing the normal |
| employees, customers and the general public can help | | | | automated attendants and voicemail systems to |
| mitigate the damage caused by the disaster. A key | | | | process the calls |
| strategy for a robust, disaster resistant | | | | With many of these available options to help the |
| communications system is the use of a Hosted PBX | | | | business stay in touch with the public, outside callers |
| system. Hosted PBX services (also commonly | | | | may have no idea that disaster has struck. |
| referred as Hosted VoIP services and Virtual PBXs) | | | | How a business responds to a disaster is dependant |
| house the equivalent of the telephone system central | | | | on how well they have planned to keep their core |
| equipment and call processing at the VoIP Provider's | | | | functions operational in a catastrophic event. |
| Point of Presence (POP). | | | | Companies that are prepared to remain operational in |
| Hosted PBX services are a superior disaster resistant | | | | a disaster become a resource during the disaster |
| strategy for the communication system for several | | | | rather than a victim. Processing and handling calls is a |
| reasons. The POP is located in a hardened facility that | | | | vital function to the performance of most businesses. |
| is resistant to disasters. Call processing happens in the | | | | Hosted PBX services are a robust, disaster resistant |
| POP and away from the main business. This means | | | | communications system that can handle calls and help |
| that calls are handled regardless of what is transpiring | | | | a business survive a disaster. |
| at the main building. Since most Hosted PBX services | | | | |