Mass Communication Systems

Whether you require a mass communication system for use in an emergency or for use in event of other business disruptions, do you know what would work best for you? If not, take a look at this week's articles for some helpful information about the various types of systems and their uses, including integrating social media into your system.

A single timely notification can make the difference between an inconvenience and a disaster. (Item #1)   Mass notification systems are not only useful in emergencies. (Item #2)   Comprehensive notification coverage generally requires a variety of alerting methods to overcome obstacles that may prevent individuals from receiving an emergency alert. (Item #3)

Here's the latest breakdown of the more commonly used emergency alert systems. (Item #4)   Twitter offers access to an API that can easily integrate into notification systems. (Item #5)   This article lays out different messaging methods possible with mass notification systems. (Item #6)


Past issues of the NewsBriefs are available at http://www.attainium.net/newsbriefs/

Hurricanes/Severe Weather

National Hurricane Week is May 24-30, with hurricane season beginning officially on June 1. It seems, however, that hurricane season can hardly wait to get here, if early May’s tropical storm Anna is any indication. Many people lack awareness and preparation for hurricanes, and this can cause problems for everyone. If you know what risks you face and what to do when a hurricane is on the way, you can mitigate the effects on your business and home.

In order to prevent your business from being another hurricane statistic, it is critical to prepare now. (Item #1)   Developing a written preparedness plan and training employees to implement it is critical. (Item #2)   This nonprofit advocates a public-private partnership to cope with woes from floods to pandemics. (Item #3)

Consider how employees will play a role in the business continuity planning process for hurricanes. (Item #4)   Some organizations may not anticipate or prepare for the extensive destruction and prolonged recovery period that can be the result of a hurricane; here are some lessons from Hurricane Katrina. (Item #5)   Prepare and recover using this information provided by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety. (Item #6)


Past issues of the NewsBriefs are available at http://www.attainium.net/newsbriefs/

Business Continuity Planning

How's your business continuity plan working for you? What happened when you tested it? If there were failures, are you fixing the cause? A BCP has to be a living thing... you can't write it down, put it on a shelf and expect it to adapt to a situation two years later. It requires updating, re-thinking, and, of course, testing. When's the last time you reviewed and updated it? Don't wait; do it now. Don't have a plan? Start one today.

You've been asked to formalize a business continuity program... now what? (Item #1)   Being prepared is the cornerstone of having a business continuity plan regardless of the size of a company. (Item #2)   This article explores the common business continuity-related mistakes and pitfalls that lead to wasting time, money, and effort and provides solutions. (Item #3)

Here are a few important components to include in your small business continuity planning program. (Item #4)   Business continuity planning is an area often neglected by technological innovation, but the resulting efficiencies may prove to be a life line and an investment that ultimately pays for itself.  (Item #5)   Here are 10 reasons why business continuity plans fail. (Item #6) 


Past issues of the NewsBriefs are available at http://www.attainium.net/newsbriefs/

Records Management & Email Retention

Think of all the possible dangers of email communication -- copyright infringement, harassment, disclosure of confidential information, viruses, and others -- and you'll know that you need to have an email policy to prevent all kinds of legal liability and litigation. What's your organization's email and records retention policy? Is everyone aware of it and familiar with its contents? If not, it's certainly time to create a policy and discuss how it will be implemented and disseminated to everyone. You'll find some help in the articles linked below.

A well-managed records retention and destruction program can help support your company's efforts to face business challenges.  (Item #1)   Here are worst (and best) practices for securing data and documents. (Item #2)   Email archiving used to be a nice-to-have, but being able to save–and retrieve–email is now a must-have in today's environment. (Item #3)

Documents that are kept for too long risk breaching data privacy and protection laws; documents that are destroyed too soon could put you in breach of e-disclosure law. (Item #4)   Small businesses have the same level of responsibility as larger organizations in ensuring regulatory compliance, consistent retention and business continuity in the event of a disaster. (Item #5)   As many high-profile cases have shown, failure to comply with an e-discovery request for e-mail as part of the litigation process can have a tremendous impact on businesses. (Item #6)


Past issues of the NewsBriefs are available at http://www.attainium.net/newsbriefs/