¶ … Cloud Computing for Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery for IBM What are the technical, economic, and managerial implications for business continuity and disaster recovery plans in relation to cloud computing and SaaS? The emergence of cloud computing brought about a transformation in economics of organizations' continuity and disaster recovery strategies. In view of this emergence, it's imperative that several companies review their organizational strategies and ascertain that they are fulfilling business needs. Organizations have frequently portrayed a disparity between continuance/recovery plans and business continuity needs. The reason behind this discrepancy is that corporations are unwilling to divert funds towards disaster recovery until the time managers wholly comprehend the risks they are facing -- this, often, doesn't happen. Technology experts were experiencing a tremendous rise in both complexity and expenditures in shifting from elementary disaster recovery systems to a faster, more dependable recovery strategy, until cloud computing came into the picture (Boyd, 2014; Murukutla, 2010).

Ninety-three percent of companies that lose data centers for a span often or more days become insolvent within a one-year-time period. A more alarming finding is this: forty-three percent of companies that face a disaster cannot recover from it at all. Cloud computing allows companies a chance to reconsider a number of conventional IT procedures; it may prove especially beneficial and effective with regard to business continuity and disaster recovery (Boyd, 2014).

Any special considerations for your chosen industry/organization in relation to applying cloud/SaaS for BCP/DR

A majority of big businesses possess backup plans; however, quite often, companies often do not just transmit company data offsite, they also do not transfer data to places sufficiently far off to escape a disaster that covers a wide geographic expanse. Understanding the probable regional disasters/problems that may ensue (power outages, hurricanes, and earthquakes) and planning appropriately is imperative. Cloud computing enables most companies to conduct their operations from any place via the internet, thereby radically lowering the span of time a company needs...

Astonishingly, numerous organization fail to take this into account, and frequently, a company loses its business continuity strategy as well, at the time of disaster. The continuity plans are crucial, however several companies make the mistake of storing recovery instructions as well as continuity/recovery plans onsite, with no offsite backup. This renders the whole concept of a recovery plan redundant, when a disaster leads to inaccessibility or loss of data center. Online plan storage allows recovery personnel access to it from virtually any place (Think Cloud, 2013; Murukutla, 2010).
A majority of large firms have understood the importance of disaster recovery, and implemented highly comprehensive plans. Still, several advantages arise from the use of cloud technology. SharePoint Online, Exchange Online, and similar cloud applications help in dramatic reduction of recovery time. One among the most crucial applications in the field of business is email; email loss for even some hours may considerably affect a firm (Think Cloud, 2013).

How does moving to cloud computing/SaaS affect existing business continuity/DR plans?

Cloud technologies help companies store their applications and data on remote servers connected to organizational network effortlessly. Flexibility in server location and data stored 'in-the-network' enables performance of functions in a more cost-effective manner, owing to economies of scale at remote location. Conventional modes of disaster recovery, entailing every-day and weekly backup of data, and the belief that rebuilding the network computing system, is quick and easy, in the wake of a disaster has, repeatedly proved to be ineffective and insufficient. Companies have moved towards using web-based applications for managing supply chain, sales, real-time accounts, medical records, customer assistance, and other business-transaction related applications. Recovery of many transactions would prove tough if the organization has to…