As a business continuity specialist, it is essential for my clients to be able to continue trading even during extreme events. HA Hosting assured me they could and haven’t let me down.
ND2 is a specialist niche company which provides business continuity services allowing companies to continue operating when they are unable to access their office management systems and data, typically as a result of a natural disaster or terrorism attack. Following a relocation of the business to Sheffield three years ago, ND2 recognised its existing data centre provisions were no longer suitable and called on HA Hosting to provide server colocation facilities.
The system pioneered by ND2 allows companies to benefit from real-time data backups, which collects data from live operating systems instantly, meaning any changes are automatically reflected in the back-up file.
The technology means companies no longer need to rely on traditional back-up tapes, allowing staff to continue working from alternative locations using the latest data available. A key factor in the success of ND2’s technology is the requirement for data to be stored off-site and when it came to choosing a new data centre provider.
For Douglas Spencer, director and network engineer at ND2, there were two important considerations when it came to choosing a data centre to store the company’s servers: reliability and access:
“Our business is based upon providing access to information when a company cannot gain physical access to its own servers. It’s quite a startling fact, but when a company becomes a victim of a disaster such as an office fire, it can not only cost it significant amounts of revenue to get back up and running but if information held by the business is interrupted, this can result in losing customers. When offering a service that safeguards against data loss, it is essential we can provide access at the times when our clients need it the most.
“It can be quite a daunting task relocating a business, and following my initial enquiry I met Stuart and Rory, who discussed my requirements and explained many of the safeguards that HA Hosting has in place to protect against power outages. The company also uses a multiple internet connection meaning the servers remain accessible at all times.”
“From the moment that I first met HA Hosting I had a good feeling about the company. It is led by extremely knowledgeable technical specialists but it’s the little things they do that make all the difference, for example, providing information about routine maintenance and regular servicing, which has always given me confidence that in their technical ability and desire to provide the best possible level of service possible.”
Today, ND2 provides its specialist services to businesses throughout the world and has developed a particular expertise in helping organisations within the finance sector.