FEMA and European disaster management agencies meet to discuss large scale disaster preparedness
FEMA leadership meets with NOAA National Weather Service and European partners; geomagnetic events high on the agenda.
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•Date: 26th Feb 2010 • Region: US/Europe •Type: Article •Topic: DR general
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VoiceNation survey looks into US demand for voice continuity VoiceNation has published the results of a survey of US small to medium sized companies regarding their business continuity plan for voice communication. This found that while 100 percent of respondents agreed that there was a critical need for some sort of emergency plan if they lost their voice communication platform; only 38 percent actually had some sort of plan in place. www.voicenation.com •Date: 26th Feb 2010 • Region: US •Type: Briefing •Topic: Telecoms continuity
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US disaster declarations Major disaster declared for Nebraska
Major disaster declared for Iowa
Major disaster declared for Oklahoma •Date: 26th Feb 2010 • Region: US •Type: Briefing •Topic: DR general
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Iron Mountain announces $150 million share repurchase program Iron Mountain’s board of directors has approved a new share repurchase program authorizing up to $150 million in repurchases of the company's common stock. This represents approximately 3 percent of the outstanding common stock based on the closing price on February 19, 2010. In addition, the company announced that its board of directors adopted a new dividend policy under which the company intends to pay quarterly cash dividends on Iron Mountain common stock. The first quarterly dividend of $0.0625 per share, representing a planned annual dividend payout of $0.25 per share, will be payable on April 15, 2010 to shareholders of record on March 25, 2010. The cash dividend is the first in the Company's history. Iron Mountain has also released its fourth quarter 2009 financial results this week, which show strong Adjusted OIBDA growth of 14 percent.
•Date: 26th Feb 2010 • Region: US •Type: Briefing •Topic: BC markets and companies
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Survey looks at homeland security management across the various US states
The results of the 6th Annual State Homeland Security Advisors Survey.
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•Date: 25th Feb 2010 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Public sector
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Double-Take Software launches Double-Take Cloud
Cloud-based disaster recovery offering leverages Amazon Web Services.
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•Date: 23rd Feb 2010 • Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: IT continuity
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COOP Systems and MIR3 announce strategic reseller relationship COOP Systems has announced a new reseller agreement with MIR3, to integrate MIR3's inEnterprise Intelligent Notification and Response platform into COOP Systems' myCOOP business continuity management software. This integration will allow the companies' mutual customers to access the MIR3's inEnterprise intelligent notification and response software and initiate any necessary communication without ever leaving the myCOOP system. Read press release. •Date: 23rd Feb 2010 • Region: US/World •Type: Briefing •Topic: BC markets
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Iron Mountain acquires Mimosa Systems Iron Mountain has announced that it has acquired Santa Clara, Calif.-based Mimosa Systems, Inc., a leader in enterprise-class content archiving solutions, for approximately $112 million in cash, subject to closing adjustments. The deal provides Iron Mountain with an integrated archive for email, SharePoint data and files, and gives the company an on-premises archiving option to complement its existing cloud-based archives. Read press release. •Date: 23rd Feb 2010 • Region: US/World •Type: Briefing •Topic: BC markets
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RecoveryPlanner receives US Department of Commerce Export Achievement Award
RecoveryPlanner has announced its acceptance of the US Department of Commerce Export Achievement Award. This award is presented to companies that have successfully entered the international marketplace. The RecoveryPlanner RPX product is built as a web-based application delivered as Software as a Service (SaaS) or offered as a site license. The product has been designed from concept to easily accommodate international languages. International customers with web access simply access a secure website, log in and utilize the RPX product. Utilizing a network of partnerships that include resellers and consultants, RecoveryPlanner provides its global customers with knowledge of regulatory guidelines as well as direct technical support. RecoveryPlanner partners help adapt the offering to needs of its international customers while providing world-class product support. www.recoveryplanner.com •Date: 23rd Feb 2010 • Region: US/World •Type: Briefing •Topic: BC markets
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SunGard Availability Services expands colocation and managed services centers in Atlanta SunGard Availability Services is expanding its data centers in Midtown Atlanta and Smyrna, Ga. to meet increasing customer demand for colocation and managed services. The SunGard Midtown Atlanta facility is undergoing a large-scale power upgrade designed to support an additional 350 cabinets of IT space for customers. The upgrade includes adding 2.5 megawatts in utility power, doubling facility capacity. The infrastructure will also gain an additional two megawatt generator, one megawatt in UPS power and 300 tons of cooling capacity. The plan for the Smyrna facility is to add 25,000 square feet of raised floor for colocation and managed services with 16,000 square feet delivered in phase one. The upgrade also includes adding six megawatts of utility power, 2 N utility power redundancy (accessing power from separate utility substations), UPS power with N+1 redundancy and 700 tons of cooling capacity. www.sungard.com •Date: 23rd Feb 2010 • Region: US/World •Type: Briefing •Topic: IT continuity
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Cyber ShockWave exercise finds that the US has many lessons to learn when it comes to cyber-attack response
Last week, the Bipartisan Policy Center hosted Cyber ShockWave, a simulated cyber attack on the United States.
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•Date: 22nd Feb 2010 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Terrorism
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Emergency power: danger in complacency
Poorly maintained emergency generators can result in real business continuity problems. Dr. Jim Kennedy highlights the issue and provides a useful maintenance checklist.
Read article •Date: 12th Feb 2010 • Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: Power management
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In-crisis decision making: the authority to act
The second in a series of articles on crisis management critical success factors, by Dennis C. Hamilton.
Read article •Date: 12th Feb 2010 • Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: Crisis management
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SunGard Availability Services' CEO resigns
Eric Berg leaves SunGard.
Read article •Date: 10th Feb 2010 • Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: BC markets
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Draft FEMA National Disaster Recovery Framework open for comment
Comment period will close on February 26, 2010.
Read article •Date: 10th Feb 2010 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: DR general
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IBHS provides property protection strategies for severe winter weather As the Mid-Atlantic region of the US begins to dig out from under one blizzard and faces another serious snowstorm, the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) has offered guidance on how businesses can protect their property from winter weather-related perils, such as roof collapse due to heavy snow loads. Go to the advice index. •Date: 10th Feb 2010 • Region: US •Type: Briefing
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Major disaster declared for the state of New Jersey FEMA has announced that federal disaster aid has been made available for the State of New Jersey to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the area struck by a snowstorm during the period of December 19-20, 2009.
Stephen M. DeBlasio Sr. has been named the federal coordinating officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. http://www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=12289 •Date: 10th Feb 2010 • Region: US •Type: Briefing •Topic: DR general
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Juggling information security, business continuity and overall preparedness
Should business continuity and information security be a single role? Christopher Burton discusses.
Read article •Date: 9th Feb 2010 • Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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In-crisis decision making: ‘resolving the dilemma’
The first in a series of articles on crisis decision making by Dennis C. Hamilton, Hon FBCI.
Read article •Date: 5th Feb 2010 • Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: Crisis management
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Cloud Computing Adoption: survey results
Study finds that security and integration concerns are not preventing enterprises’ adopting cloud computing.
Read article •Date: 5th Feb 2010 • Region: N.America •Type: Article •Topic: IT continuity
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Major disaster declared for Arkansas FEMA has announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the State of Arkansas to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas struck by severe storms and flooding during the period of December 23, 2009, to January 2, 2010. Kevin L. Hannes has been named as the federal coordinating officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=50362 •Date: 5th Feb 2010 • Region: US •Type: Briefing •Topic: DR general
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Warning issued for Iowa Spring flooding Officials from the US National Weather Service have warned that Iowa is at risk for significant flooding this spring after winter storms produced excessive snowfall just before Christmas of 2009 and a January 2010 ice storm. In the wake of the National Weather Service announcement, FEMA is encouraging Iowa businesses to purchase flood insurance now to protect their property from flood damage. www.floodsmart.gov •Date: 5th Feb 2010 • Region: US •Type: Briefing •Topic: Warnings
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NIST issues expanded draft of Smart Grid Cyber Security Strategy
Draft for public review and comment; includes more detailed technical inputs.
Read article •Date: 4th Feb 2010 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: ISM news
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US Department of Homeland Security publishes Quadrennial Homeland Security Review
DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano has now delivered the final Quadrennial Homeland Security Review report to Congress.
Read article •Date: 4th Feb 2010 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: DR general
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Major disaster declared for North Carolina FEMA has announced that federal disaster aid has been made available for the state of North Carolina. The assistance will supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe winter storms and flooding during the period of December 18-25, 2009. Michael Bolch has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. http://www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=12268 •Date: 4th Feb 2010 • Region: US •Type: Briefing •Topic: DR general
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NFPA 1600 2010 Edition: What You Need to Know Avalution has published an article which highlights the way that NFPA 1600 has matured and what changes have been made for the 2010 edition. Read the article. •Date: 3rd Feb 2010 • Region: US •Type: Briefing
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DHS details Fiscal Year 2011 budget request
Janet Napolitano has unveiled the DHS’s $56.3 billion fiscal year 2011 budget request.
Read article •Date: 2nd Feb 2010 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Emergency planning
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Managed emergency communications systems
Functional requirements for next generation MNS.
Read article •Date: 29th Jan 2010 • Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: Crisis communications
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Maximum tolerable period of disruption (MTPOD) and external vendors
A two-team approach.
Read article •Date: 29th Jan 2010 • Region: US/World •Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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A forensic analysis of Hurricane Katrina's impact: methods and findings A recent special edition of the Elsevier journal Ocean Engineering provides an analysis of the impact of Hurricane Katrina and an overview of the lessons learned in the aftermath of the disaster. It presents key findings from research and engineering works conducted by scientific and engineering communities worldwide. The Special Issue of Ocean Engineering, Volume 37, Issue 1: A Forensic Analysis of Hurricane Katrina's Impact: Methods and Findings (Guest Editors: Z. Demirbilek, D.T. Resio and R.G. Dean) will be freely accessible online for 12 months here. •Date: 29th Jan 2010 • Region: US/World •Type: Briefing
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Federal Communications Commission to hold public forum on proposal to create an emergency response interoperability center for public safety broadband communications The Federal Communications Commission’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau has announced that it will hold a public forum to discuss the creation of an emergency response interoperability center for public safety broadband communications. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, February 10, 2010, from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. The forum will be open to the public; admittance however will be limited to the seating available. People who are interested in attending the forum may pre-register on-line. http://www.fcc.gov/pshs/event-registration.html •Date: 29th Jan 2010 • Region: US/World •Type: Briefing
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US government failing on bioterrorism response planning
Congressional oversight of homeland security and intelligence and national security workforce recruitment also given an ‘F’ by bipartisan Congress commission.
Read article •Date: 27th Jan 2010 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Terrorism
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New Northern California data center for SunGard Availability Services
69,000 square foot facility will support managed IT services, disaster recovery and business continuity services.
Read article •Date: 27th Jan 2010 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: IT continuity
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MarquisNet and Colo5 in disaster-recovery services joint-operating agreement Las Vegas-based MarquisNet LLC, a provider of next-generation co-location and disaster-recovery services in Nevada and California, has announced a joint-operating agreement with Colo5, one of Florida's largest independent data center operators. Enterprise clients of the two companies can now enjoy protection and peace of mind by having the option of redundant data and business continuity centers in three major US metropolitan locations coast-to-coast. Under the agreement, MarquisNet and Colo5 will jointly support clients of both companies that want to protect and secure their mission-critical equipment in more than one data center. Together, the two companies have state-of-the-art co-location centers in Las Vegas, Southern California, and Jacksonville, Fla. Colo5 clients now can access MarquisNet's end-user disaster recovery solutions, which include co-location hot and warm sites, voice and data connectivity, and professional services to aid with disaster recovery. MarquisNet's customers can receive the same services and support in Colo5's state-of-the-art Florida data center. www.marquisnet.com
•Date: 27th Jan 2010 • Region: US •Type: Briefing •Topic: BC markets & companies
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