BT CommSure, the disaster recovery firm for telecommunications, has launched Rapid Divert.
BT CommSure, the disaster recovery firm for telecommunications, has launched Rapid Divert. Prior to the launch, the firm focused on ensuring business operations, both voice and data, were resumed within hours ? depending on the complexity of the communications failure. Rapid Divert enables individual Direct Dialling In (DDI) numbers including fax and data calls to be switched to home telephone or fax numbers, mobile phones or alternative office locations within minutes. BT already provides group diversion services for ISDN30 DDI numbers. However, Rapid Divert has the required terminating equipment that enables individual DDI numbers, rather than group, to be transferred to other places in the UK or abroad. The product has the capacity to manage up to 1,000 delivery destinations, in conjunction with as many as 254 dialling plans ? although most customers would only require two or three plans in the case of emergency, the company says. Rapid Divert is housed in a resilient local BT exchange, providing security and availability for between 30 and 120 incoming and outgoing exchange lines simultaneously, BT says. Using pre-configured routing tables, calls can be updated and changed remotely in real time by the user, or by BT CommSure if required. Dave Birch, director of operations, BT CommSure, said: ?Access to communications in the early hours of an incident is essential to many of our customers which is why we have introduced Rapid Divert to the portfolio.? Rapid Divert is aimed at medium to large companies that rely on DDI calls to conduct business. The service is offered in four modules to allow for 30, 60, 90 or 120 simultaneous calls.
Yell case
Yell, the international directories business, is the first company to use BT CommSure and ICM Recovery Services jointly. The partnership between BT and ICM provides a business continuity service for voice, IT and workplace recovery requirements. Yell has signed a contract that will provide it with access to ICM?s regional workplace recovery centres across the UK. Each site is to be equipped with standard office equipment such as PCs, desks, photocopiers, faxes and telecommunications. Yell also requested a ?business as normal? within 24 hours service for their key call centres which means hardware will be provided on site to ensure the company is fully operational within a day. Richard Duggleby, head of external relations at Yell, said: ?We chose to work with ICM and BT as they collectively provide a service which we felt was the most appropriate for our UK business needs. We currently work with ICM who supply us with disaster recovery solutions for many of our corporate servers. Bringing BT CommSure to the same table provides us with an offering that delivers a high degree of flexibility and convenience, giving access to ?like for like? telephony facilities. In addition, we can provide BT with a CD that holds the details of our telephony system making the recovery process much simpler.? Mike Osborne, operations director of ICM Recovery Services, said: ?Yell was, in many respects, the first opportunity to test the water on how our relationship with BT would work. The benefits the association provides soon became apparent to us and to potential customers. Yell now receives a standardised communications approach across all our centres.?
About ICM Recovery Services
ICM houses more than 1,000 call centre positions in business recovery sites in Manchester, Wakefield, Birmingham, Newmarket, Nottingham and London (High Wycombe). A roll-out plan will see further sites added.
About BT CommSure
BT CommSure is a specialist in the provision of disaster recovery for telecommunication systems and professional services. CommSure provides voice services, as well as business solutions through consultancy, training and now premises. BT CommSure reports it is working with around 2,000 organisations implementing business continuity plans.
