ICS completes preparedness plan for water works, sanitary sewer board for city of Montgomery
• Integrated Computer Solutions Inc. completes world-class business continuity/disaster recovery policy planning and testing project to ensure continuity of I.T. operations at eleven agency facilities
MONTGOMERY, AL, May 20, 2009 -- Integrated Computer Solutions Inc., a full-service information security and technology consulting firm headquartered in Montgomery, AL, has completed a two-year business continuity and disaster recovery preparedness planning project with the Water Works and Sanitary Sewer Board of the City of Montgomery, located in Montgomery, Alabama. The project included a comprehensive evaluation of the Board's I.T. network architecture and systems management processes, with logical and physical security analyses and risk assessments at the downtown agency's headquarters, as well as ten outlying facilities.
Prior to contracting Integrated Computer Solutions, the Board had taken steps to ensure the availability of waste water treatment and fresh water delivery to the public in the event of a natural or man-made disaster. While many public sector agencies across the country are taking steps to create operational continuity plans, the Water Works and Sanitary Sewer Board of the City of Montgomery also recognized the need to add plans for continuity of I.T. operations to their existing recovery programs. The Board also realized that they needed the expertise of a leader in Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BC/DR) planning to complete continuity of I.T. operations processes, so they contacted ICS.
During the course of the project, the ICS consulting team met with each department within the agency to identify and prioritize functions based on business value and potential impact to the citizens the agency serves. Together, the Board and ICS were able to develop a business continuity and disaster recovery plan which includes requirements to implement redundant critical systems so the Board can resume I.T. operations in as little as 48 hours following an unplanned outage.
Once the plan was complete, the team conducted a series of recovery drills using various practical disaster scenarios, thereby proving that once the plan is implemented, the organization will have the ability to continue critical business I.T. functions at planned levels of service. It also confirmed that no single disaster will have the ability to wipe out the Board's recovery processes.
The recovery process documentation designed by ICS is accessible to agency staff through online applications, replicated to an alternate location, and is fully portable so no single disaster can wipe out documentation to support the Board's recovery processes.
"The Board recognized the need for a comprehensive business continuity and disaster recovery plan to ensure resilience in the face of a disaster of any kind," said General Manager Thomas R. "Buddy" Morgan. "By working with Integrated Computer Solutions and taking these proactive steps, we can now significantly reduce the negative impacts a disaster could have on operations, and have strengthened our service level capacity considerably. ICS has provided us with a roadmap to continue testing, training and exercise of the program to mature our response capabilities into the future," he stated.
"Over the years, ICS has assisted in development and implementation of business continuity programs in many organizations in the private and public sectors, including federal, state and local governments and agencies," said Steve Goldsby, Chief Executive Officer of ICS Inc. "We understand the critical nature of the services offered by the Water Works and Sanitary Sewer Board of the City of Montgomery, and are proud to provide I.T. security and technical consulting services to enhance their ability to serve Montgomery and its citizens," he said.
Integrated Computer Solutions Inc. is a full-service information security and technology consulting and professional services firm headquartered in Montgomery, AL, with operating locations throughout the United States.
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