Insurance Carrier Survey Reveals More Planning Needed in Disaster Recovery; IVANS Quick Start Remote Access Program Helps Companies Remain Connected.

OLD GREENWICH, Conn. -- Insurance carriers recognize the need for having a business continuity plan in place, according to a survey recently conducted by IVANS, however, much work still needs to be done in the area of disaster recovery to be completely prepared. Last year's hurricane season, the September 11 terrorist attacks, and the concern over the avian flu have changed the way businesses operate, and the insurance industry is no exception.

Keeping your business operation up and running after a catastrophic disaster depends heavily on being able to access company data and resources. According to the IVANS survey, more than 82% of insurance carriers have business continuity plans in place. However, only 25% include natural disasters; 19%, acts of terrorism; 20%, cyber terrorism; and less than 15% take into account biological/public emergencies.

"Prior to recent disasters, carriers were not prepared for their buildings to be inaccessible for weeks or for employees to be unable to reach their offices, so the approach to business continuity planning is shifting," said Clare DeNicola, president of IVANS. "To be fully prepared, companies need to assess their network infrastructure and develop a disaster recovery solution/business continuity plan that includes redundant and reliable Internet connections, and ensures all corporate locations are connected 24/7."

Reaching Resources During Disaster

IVANS can help businesses understand their potential exposures during a catastrophic event and set up the right network infrastructure to safeguard employees and maintain operations. IVANS Quick Start Remote Access Program (QSP) offers a complete suite of solutions including full-access remote VPN and back-up connectivity for employees who are not typically remote. Going one step further, IVANS offers end-user enablement and 24/7 Helpdesk support, making QSP a unique solution in the marketplace today. In keeping with the IVANS reputation for delivering choice connectivity and flexibility, these solutions are available over a private or public network and can be connected via broadband or MDNS frame relay.

DeNicola added, "With more and more insurance companies supporting remote workers and branch offices, a sound business continuity plan includes a comprehensive remote access strategy so employees can gain immediate access to company resources. Since many insurance carriers store data at offsite locations, cost-effective connectivity into those facilities also should be established in the event something happens to the physical hardware or building. Whether the solution is dedicated or shared, it is important that offsite data access be granted quickly and economically, and that remote workers have the ability to instantly retrieve company applications during and following a disaster."

Editor's note: This survey was conducted in May 2006 during the ACORD/LOMA conference which was held in Las Vegas, NV. Approximately 135 insurance company marketing and technology executives responded to this survey.

For a copy of IVANS survey results, please contact Cecile Locurto at tel: [phone] or email: [e-mail].

About IVANS

IVANS, Inc. provides the insurance and healthcare industries with fully managed network, EDI and agency-company interface solutions to help solve complex business issues. Headquartered in Old Greenwich, Conn., IVANS serves more than 475 insurance and healthcare organizations, more than 30,000 independent agents and 28,000 providers. IVANS, which was formed in 1983 by 21 insurance companies, also has offices in Tampa, Fla. and Cincinnati, Ohio. For more information, visit www.ivans.com.