Disaster Management Fi-Tek

Surviving Hurricane Sandy

Client Profile All the clients of Fi-Tek who faced the threat of their systems getting hampered by Hurricane Sandy.

Problem Definition

 Hurricane Sandy was one of the worst storms that the east coast of the United States has ever faced. Twenty-four states were affected causing billions of dollars in damage, destroying thousands of homes, and leaving millions without electricity service. At the onset of the hurricane, Fi-Tek faced an uphill task of ensuring its clients continue to have unhindered access to their platforms and conduct their day-to-day business activities without any impediments whatsoever.

Solution Offered

 Fi-Tek treated this impending natural disaster as an emergency incident, creating an incident response team to assess the potential impact of the storm and to devise a contingency plan. A contingency plan was constructed assuming the worst scenario, that at least one data center and the office would be impacted. The following plan was implemented:

  • Engage Fi-Tek India’s support to become the primary support for all clients
  • Notify changes and necessary contact information for the ensuing period to all clients and offices
  • Create back-up of all information between data centers as well as between offices so that no information is lost
  • Establish alternative means of communication if landlines went down
  • Establish a “Command Centre” with a 1-800 line to serve as the critical link between Fi-Tek staff and the clients and man the same 24/7 throughout the crisis

 

Benefits Derived

 Fi-Tek successfully managed the operations during Hurricane Sandy, providing clients with outstanding support

  • Despite the fact that primary support was challenged by the storm, Fi-Tek was able to render seamless support to the clients on the strength of the infrastructure & expertise available in the off-shore center in India which provided vital assistance all through
  • Our efficient and robust disaster recovery process helped in quickly establishing back-up internet connectivity in a data centre, which had temporarily lost internet, ensuring no impact on communication
  • A key take-away from this exercise was the importance of establishing alternate channels of communication to back up in the event of any disruption to the primary mechanism