Fall 1996 Articles

Disaster Recovery Journal

Volume 9, Issue 4
Fall 1996

News Briefs

By David-Glen Smith

A UHW Corporation Opens Hot-Site

Dallas, TX- UHW Corporation opened a Disaster Recovery and Test Center (DRATC) which maintains 5,000 square feet of “hot-site” recovery data space. DRATC also provides services on a 24-hour day, seven days per week basis. It also serves as a testing center for operating system conversions on an hourly basis. For more information, contact Mike Underwood, UHW Corporation at (972) 242-7747.
Roberts Express Wins Smithsonian Award

Akron, OH- The Smithsonian Institution presented Roberts Express with top honors for their CustomerLink system which tracks and communicates with thousands of vehicles on the road at a given time. This recognition of the Roberts Express’ information system is a part of the 1996 Computerworld Smithsonian Awards Program. Instituted eight years ago, the program seeks to document developments in information technology that helps produce social, economic, and educational change. CustomerLink was described as being “of great historical value... worthy of being included in the Permanent Research Collection on Information, Technology, and Society in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.”

FEMA Teams with TWISTER to Help Protect Public against Natural Disasters

Washington, D.C.- In an unprecedented partnership, Warner Home Video and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will issue information to families nationwide preparing them for tornadoes. With this association, FEMA and Warner Home Video are offering the public free information on how to better protect themselves in the event of such a storm striking. For more details contact FEMA’s website at http://www.FEMA.gov. or call 1-800-480-2520.

Government Institutes Announces New Book Release

Rockville, MD- Government Institutes recently announced the publication of a new text designed to help companies evaluate their exposure to disasters and formulate emergency preparedness. Titled: Emergency Planning and Management: Ensuring Your Company’s Survival in the Event of a Disaster, the book includes checklists and sample action plans. Coverage includes information on dealing with terrorist acts, nuclear reactor facility events, telecommunication failures, and various natural disasters. The author, William H. Stringfield is president of a consulting firm in St. Petersburg, Florida and has 16 years of experience in the industry. To obtain a copy of the book, contact Alex Horwitz at (301) 921-2355 or fax him at (301) 921-0373.

BMC Announces New Software Package

Houston, TX- BMC Software unveiled a Parallel Sysplex pricing option to offer customers increased flexibility in the way they may license IMS, DB2 and other MVS-orientated products from BMC software. By adopting a pricing model that follows the structure of IBM’s Parallel Sysplex License Charge (PSLC), BMC Software believes it will be taking a leadership role among major software vendors serving System/390 customers. This new model will be offered to customers in addition to BMC Software’s current pricing options in the United States and Canada. More details may be acquired at the following number: 1-800-841-2031.

SunGard and SCT Announce Strategic Partnership

Wayne and Malvern, PA- SunGard Recovery Services, Inc. and Systems & Computing Technology Corporation (SCT) announced their partnership recently. Together the two companies will be able to offer a range of information technology management products and services to its served markets, which include higher education, government, communications, and utilities.

Ontrack to Unveil Study on Leading Causes of Data Loss

Minneapolis, MN- Ontrack Data Recovery, Inc. published a breakthrough study on the leading causes of data loss. It provides a detailed examination of top causes of data loss based upon an analysis of over 50,000 failed hard drives, tapes, and other storage devices. Key findings of the report include: human error accounts for 32% of all data losses; more than 80% of those surveyed back up their data, but they fail to verify their restore capability; and that viruses, although increasing in number and severity, only account for 7% of all data losses. For more details, the report is available on Ontrack’s website: http://www.ontrack.com by selecting the ‘Data Recovery Services’ section.

MFS Selected to Provide ETTM System for New Denver Highway

Omaha, NE- MFS Communications Company, Inc. has announced that its operating company MFS Network Technologies, Inc. has been selected by Platte River Constructors, Ltd. to provide an Electronic Toll and Traffic Management (ETTM) system for the E-470 Highway, a 35 mile highway facility being built along the eastern perimeter of the Denver Metropolitan Area. The ETTM system will incorporate automatic vehicle identification (AVI) technology, which enables motorists to pay tolls electronically-- and without stopping their vehicles-- via a small transponder attached to their windshield. The system then processes this information and automatically debits tolls from motorists’ prepaid accounts. Traditional toll collection facilities will also be included to accommodate motorists who do not have AVI transponders on board. The ETTM system itself will also include video-based enforcement and vehicle-classification subsystems, as well as advanced traffic-monitoring and emergency-vehicle-dispatch capabilities.

CLAM and CLARiiON Announce Strategic Partnership

Cambridge, MA- CLAM Associates and the CLARiiON business unit of Data General Corp. announced a strategic partnership. As part of the agreement CLAM will ensure that the CLARiiON storage subsystems will operate without problems. CLARiiON customers will gain access to CLAM’s planning and implementing computer environments that are available.

DRI Forms Education and Standards Council

St. Louis, MO- The Disaster Recovery Institute International (DRI) recently formed the DRI International Education & Standards Council, which will serve to support the definition and establishment of a premiere business and service continuity educational process for the public, private, not-for-profit and academic sectors. The Council’s objectives will be to provide an interactive forum for the development of uniform Standards and Best Practices for business and service continuity. Likewise, the Council will promote the development of expanded course curricula by subject matter and experience level. It will promote the recognition and credibility of professional certification, based on a common body of knowledge. Further, the Council will solicit input and provide periodic reports to all interested organizations and individuals. For further information, call Ms. Pat Moore at (800) 634-2016.

Red Cross Adds Em Tracs to Disaster Services

Tulsa, OK- Red Cross chapters in Oklahoma have added two 53 foot long tractor-trailer units to their organization, a progressive step in further aiding disaster victims. The two vehicles act as fully- operational command centers, equipped with the most modern technology of power sources and telecommunication equipment. Termed as Emergency Response Training and Action Centers (Em Tracs), each unit will contain their own power source and satellite dish, computer and television equipment. When not in use during a major state or regional disaster the Em Tracs will be used as mobile classrooms, training volunteers for various roles of the organization. For further details, contact Lisa Griffin through the American Red Cross/Tulsa-Area Chapter at (918) 831-1297.

IBM Opens Business Recovery Center

Indianapolis, IN- Recently, IBM partnered its Business Recovery Services organization with Lantech/USConnect of Indianapolis, resulting in an integration of more than 30 years within the business recovery experience to provide a business recovery center. Here, there will be provided the facilities and technology to help serve customers with their disaster recovery needs. The 15,000 square foot center is designed so that businesses can reestablish a normal working environment if their facilities have been rendered uninhabitable. The center has the capacity to support 200 end users, single or multiple customer testing and disaster recovery activities, with full security and privacy. For more details contact Chris Rosendall at (219) 489-8916 or Mike Elkin at (317) 872-8844. Their Worldwide Web page is at http://www.brs.ibm.com.

VIASOFT and Comdisco Offer Year 2000 Solutions

San Francisco, CA- VIASOFT, Inc. and Comdisco Disaster Recovery Services announced they will jointly develop a testing guide that supports both the application and system level software testing requirements associated with a year 2000 conversion. As part of the relationship, VIASOFT will participate in Comdisco’s Millennium Testing Services (MTS) program. If you have any questions, contact can be made to Diane Laux at Comdisco, (847) 518-5409, or to Linda Vande Vrede at VIASOFT, lindn_vande_vreder@vissoft.com.

David-Glen Smith is an Editor with the Disaster Recovery Journal

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Last Updated--Thursday, Oct 24, 1996.