help them understand how it can potentially create an environment for growth. As Cox pointed out, risk management “is not just about avoiding pitfalls, it’s about creating conditions for success and unlocking new opportunities. “Too often, risk management is seen as a necessary evil,” said Cox. “But in reality, it’s a profit-generating powerhouse waiting to be unleashed.” It’s not that disaster recovery and risk management will directly drive profits. Rather, it can ensure the strong and reliable foundation that companies need to accelerate their sales and build trust. Cox believes that companies are more likely to outperform when they have a high cybersecurity maturity model in place and the ability to withstand and recover from outages. “A strong risk management strategy protects your business from costly disruptions, data breaches and reputational damage,” Cox said. “Think of it as the bedrock for sustainable growth.” Agents and MSPs that lack DR expertise or manpower can easily bridge the gap by partnering with managed services provides such as C3. In fact, as CompTIA recently reported, gap-filling is a now top reason for partnering with other channel firms – and C3 is a prime example. The South Florida technology solutions provider specializes in helping channel partners enhance their portfolios and extend their services to help customers solve complex challenges around specific areas related to DR including scalable backup, DRaaS, connectivity, managed services and more. Tips for Selling DR One way to engage clients about DR is to hold periodic tabletop DR exercises or structured sessions where team members simulate scenarios and walk through existing DR protocols. “Tabletop DR exercises are an excellent excuse to think crazy thoughts,” said architect and Microsoft SQL Server MVP Joey D’Antoni via Redmond. “What happens in an earthquake? Does your security vendor get banned from the country? Some problems may not have solutions, but at least you are prepared and have some expectation of what will happen when the inevitable failure happens.” It’s important, however, to be realistic when planning for DR, focusing on probability and prioritizing likely threats. According to Mancinelli, “A true DR plan should account for the highest probability events and provide a clear, concise set of procedures for each. After preservation of life, those procedures should then prioritize business continuity and recovery of systems.” And keep in mind, DR planning isn’t a box-checking activity. It requires careful planning and ongoing attention and refinement. Organizations that attempt to rush through DR or assume they are safe face significant financial and operational risks. Last but not least, be persistent. Ask tough questions and ensure clients have the proper mechanisms to rebound quickly and ensure continuity. After all, disasters and outages usually lead to finger-pointing and terminations, and trusted partners can easily wind up in the crosshairs. As Databarracks pointed out in a white paper, over one-third of cyberattacks result in job losses. DR is a year-round play for channel partners, and there are many ways to start engaging conversations and improve resilience for customers. Now is also a great time to bring up the topic, with Atlantic hurricane season approaching in June and peaking between August and October. “There is still plenty of time to help customers optimize DR before hurricane season hits in full force,” Cox concluded. “The steps you take now to protect your customers could pay dividends in the coming months.” o Know the difference: Disaster recovery and business continuity are slightly different. While DR focuses on restoring data and IT systems after a disaster, BC ensures the company can continue operating when a disruption occurs. Businesses need a comprehensive BCDR strategy that encompasses both aspects. According to Nationwide, 33 percent of SMBs and 21 percent of MMs lack a BC plan. 39% YES 51% NO 10% Don’t know Source: AWS Most common causes of major human error-related outages Source: Uptime Institute Data center staff failing to follow procedure Incorrect staff processes / procedures Installation issues In-service issues Insufficient staff Preventative maintenance frequency issues Data center design or omissions 48% 45% 23% 20% 15% 14% 10% EDGE TO CLOUD 40 CHANNELVISION | MARCH - APRIL 2025
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