Nature happens—but it doesn’t have to spell disaster for your business

Security isn’t always about saving your data from high-tech hackers. Sometimes, it’s about protecting your data so you can access it in the event of an emergency. If a natural disaster forced your business to close or go offline for an extended period of time, would you be able to access important files? Would you lose vital or sensitive information? The cloud to the rescue! According to insurer Swiss Re, insured losses from natural disasters have exploded annually from, on average, less than USD$10 billion to more than USD$100 billion in recent years, and the number of significant disasters has nearly tripled since the early 1980’s. The good news? Microsoft builds resiliency and recovery capabilities into its technologies and services, from server software to the cloud, including PCs and mobile devices – helping to provide you with the peace of mind of knowing that your systems are up and running—and that you’re open for business—even if the unexpected happens. Be able to access email and information on your device Make it a proactive habit to save important files to the cloud. With OneDrive for Business, your latest files are stored and accessible from anywhere on a device. And because OneDrive for Business is a part of Windows 8.1 Pro, it’s easy to drag and drop files to the cloud from your PC. Save copies of applications and data to a second location When it comes to business applications like inventory and accounting systems, it is critical you have the data backed up in case of a physical disaster. Hosting your apps on Microsoft Azure helps ensure you always have a copy of business-critical data. And Windows Server 2012 R2 automatically saves your files to a second data center location. Minimize disruption and get back to business quickly Cost-effective disaster recovery is a built-in advantage of server replication technology in Windows Server 2012 R2. In fact, it offers automatic server replication every 30 seconds. So even if your primary server is in the eye of the storm, you’ll be able to access your current files from other data centers. And using an online service like Office 365 or Microsoft Azure Backup helps ensure you can get to your critical business files and applications anytime. With a 99.9% uptime, financially backed service level agreement for both services, you can get right back to business and keep your customers happy without interruption.