As the calendar flips over to June, locals along the Florida Panhandle know what is coming: the start of hurricane season. Businesses across Northwest Florida, small and large, brace themselves for the potential storms that may roll in from the Gulf of Mexico.
- For those wondering about the best way to safeguard their businesses against these natural calamities, one local IT wizard has some words of wisdom.
Jason Monroe, Director of Solution Consulting at Bit-Wizards, the award-winning software development and IT company headquartered in Fort Walton Beach, advises businesses to put data protection at the forefront of their hurricane preparedness checklist.
“Imagine a hurricane barreling towards us,” says Monroe, “What’s the first thing you do to protect your business?” His response is swift and assertive: ensure your data is backed up and your business is secured.
According to Monroe, cloud services are currently the optimum choice for data protection. These virtual storage systems provide the most efficient safeguard against potential hurricane-related physical damage or power outages.
However, Monroe acknowledges that some businesses might have reservations about embracing cloud technology, either due to cost or data security concerns. In such cases, an external hard drive can act as a physical fortress for critical business data. But, he warns, timing is everything when it comes to data backup.
“You want to get that backup started at least three days out,” added Monroe. As he explains, the process can be time-consuming, especially for businesses dealing with large volumes of data. Additionally, business owners who run physical servers need to make certain these systems are elevated off the ground or portable enough to evacuate, if necessary.
The good news? If you’re a Bit-Wizards client, you’re already a step ahead. “If you’re a Bit-Wizard’s client, you don’t have to worry about this. We’ve already taken care of it for you,” added Monroe.
- If you’re not yet a Bit-Wizards client, their Managed IT Services can help with cloud-based business continuity and disaster recovery.
As we enter this hurricane season, it’s important to remember that while we can’t control the weather, along with where a hurricane makes landfall, we can control how we prepare for it. Modern technology, like cloud services, can be a lifeline, not only for keeping businesses afloat during the storms but also assisting in a smoother recovery process afterward.
As for Bit-Wizards, their team is ready for the hurricane season, standing by to help local businesses weather the stormy season with a little more peace of mind.
