Business continuity (BC) spans every industry and every component of the business model. Whether it is crisis communications or risk assessments, business continuity concepts and tools prepare organizations for response to, and recovery from, virtually any disruption.

To reinforce the importance of sound business continuity programs, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has released “NFPA 1600 Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs.” While there are many standards, guides, classes and certifications for business continuity, the NFPA standard is the most comprehensive. Developed through the cooperation of FEMA, NEMA and the IAEM, it is elevating the importance of proper business continuity management.

NFPA 1600 concepts have integrated BCI (Business Continuity Institute), DRII (Disaster Recovery Institute International), and NIMS (National Incident Management System). And, while two are business related and the other is public safety-oriented, all share common goals and practices. In keeping within the framework of the DRII, the ten standard certification components will be used throughout this paper.

This application brief will highlight two companion products, Communicator! NXT; developed by DCC (Dialogic Communications Corporation) and my COOP; developed by COOP Systems. Both solutions empower companies with the ability to create and execute BC plans at a moments notice.

Reprinted with Permission from www.coop-systems.com