Global AlertLink Software was specially developed for issues and crisis management

May 4, 2003

IN TIME OF DISASTER, COMPANY'S PRODUCT KEEPS BUSINESS GOING
McGregor McCance
Richmond Times Dispatch, Tech Notes

When crisis strikes a business, communication loss and technology failure might top the list of problems.

An office fire, for example, can cut electrical service and take down hard-wired networks and Internet connections.

So how can technology be an answer to dealing with disasters when it's at the root of vulnerabilities?

The question comes up every time Kevin Hall makes his pitch about Global AlertLink, an Internet-based system for crisis communications.

Naturally, it came up when Hall talked about the system at a recent session organized by the Richmond office of Charles Ryan Associates.

After Hall outlined Global AlertLink's features - a series of automated actions that could help a company keep unexpected problems from spinning out of control - Linda Tissiere raised her hand.

"What if the system crashes and that's your crisis?" asked Tissiere, public relations manager for Luck Stone Corp.

Hall's answer: Global AlertLink remotely stores an electronic copy of a company's emergency plan. It launches an instant Web site so people at various locations can get information fast. It e-mails specific employees detailed instructions on what their duties are during the crisis.

Tissiere: What if the Internet fails altogether?

Hall's answer: The system relies on multiple Internet routes. If one goes down, it uses another. If all are down, it can switch to satellite-based networks. People on the notification list are contacted by Internet, cell phone, pager, PDA or whatever device is selected.

In a time in which global problems seem closer than ever to U.S. businesses, companies such as Luck Stone and many others are thinking more than ever about emergency planning, disaster recovery and crisis management. It all fits under the umbrella of "business continuity."

"Companies need to have a solid business- and change-management plan in place," said John Vivadelli, CEO of AgilQuest Corp. "However, unlike other projects, companies cannot afford to have business continuity fail. The very existence of the company may be at stake."

Vivadelli's Richmond firm offers software and services to manage a network of office space and buildings in various locations. The system is designed to allow employees to do their jobs and access corporate information from any office included in the network.

Losing the use of one office because of a disaster or crisis doesn't take down the whole operation.

Luck Stone always has paid attention to crisis-management planning. The Goochland County company runs quarries, produces crushed-stone products and operates architectural stone centers.

"But our planning has become a lot more intense, post 9/11," said Risk Management Director Douglas Palmore.

Luck has 19 plants in Virginia and eight stone centers in three states. Getting emergency messages to all sites and key people would be tricky. Even cell phone coverage is sketchy in some locations.

Tissiere and Palmore said the company has grown fast in recent years. It's now approaching 1,000 employees.

"We need to think about how best to communicate and how best to respond to a crisis," Tissiere said.

Companies typically have an emergency plan on file. Like other corporate documents, it could well be aging and neglected, full of out-of-date information and contacts that will be of little use when something happens.

"More technology may or may not be a good answer.

At the same time, most companies regularly back up their most important electronic data. They see the value of having off-site backup systems in place, so operations won't flinch if a main office goes down.

But all of that costs money, potentially a lot of money.

So companies are left trying to figure out how much risk they can afford to abate and how much risk they can afford to take.

Ignoring the threats altogether can end up costing the most of all.