Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) April 30, 2009 – VoiceNation, the premier provider of outsourced voice telephony and disaster recovery solutions, informs businesses today of a survey they conducted on Fortune 500 companies regarding their business continuity planning for voice communication. The results of the study exposed shortfalls in this critical area which poses potential risks of severe financial hardship and business disruption in the face of a disaster, natural or otherwise.
The telemarketing survey contacted 400 companies across the country, in industries including manufacturing, shipping, electronics, general contracting and real estate. The survey found that while 381 out of the 400 companies agreed that there was a critical need for some sort of emergency plan if they lost their voice communication platform; only 6 out of the 400 businesses actually had some sort of plan in place. The most startling fact is that 100% of the companies surveyed stated that they would have to close for the day if their phones were shut down for an extended period.
Key findings of the survey included:
- 95% of companies agreed that there was a critical need for business continuity planning for voice communications.
- Only 2% confirmed they had such a plan in place.
- 100% stated daily operations would be interrupted if phones were shut down for an extended period.
As of April 29, 2009 the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 91 confirmed cases of the Swine Influenza in the United States, reaching pandemic phase 5. Any level of quarantine will have immediate impact on every business’s ability to stay in contact with their customers, vendors, and employees. Imagine customers trying to reach a business, but getting only dead air or the same static message repeatedly. Imagine orders going unfulfilled and distribution channels being completely closed off. Imagine employees not knowing where or how to report to work during a disaster and having no way of contacting their clients or customers. Now imagine how financially devastating all of this will be to a business, especially a small-to-medium sized organization. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security reports that 40% of small businesses do not reopen after a disaster as a result of these circumstances.
A disaster recovery or business continuity solution can provide businesses with peace of mind regarding critical employee and customer communications. VoiceNation offers solutions ranging from an emergency hotline for employee and vendor information all the way through a redundant emergency hosted PBX that mirrors your existing on-premise equipment.
Through VoiceNation, employees can stay connected to their office as long as they have access to some sort of phone or cell phone. By dialing a specified number they can access their entire voice network, as well as any messages telling them where to go and explaining the corporate emergency plan in place.
“Companies with a suddenly dispersed work force can continue to operate effectively with good communication planning,” says Jay Reeder, CEO of VoiceNation. “Businesses can keep their employees informed as a crisis unfolds, maintain communications with customers and even continue to process orders with automated phone services and planning for remote communications–whether their employees are confined at home or quickly relocated. The good news is businesses can protect their bottom lines with careful planning today.”
VoiceNation customers like Blue Cross Blue Shield, Time Warner Cable and FEMA, are not taking any chances. Each have implemented their customized continuity solutions into their business plans and have been met with favorable results.
In 2003 Blue Cross Blue Shield contacted VoiceNation for Disaster Recovery services to help maintain communication with their employees during Hurricane Isabel’s destruction to the North Carolina coast. Their service allowed over 3,000 employees to call into an outsourced emergency hotline to retrieve information and instructions.
“If we were to install a traditional PBX system for all 10 regions, plus headquarters, and upgrade the trunking to handle a higher call volume, and then get one big massive voicemail system with an offsite backup, and then administer and maintain the system, we would be looking at least a $300,000-$400,000 investment,” relates a FEMA team member. “With VoiceNation it’s all covered with one low monthly fee, and we get crisis communications that we can count on.”
Time Warner Cable obtained an emergency PBX with Live Answering capabilities, just 2 weeks shy of an unexpected ice storm that hit San Antonio, TX in 2007. The service trafficked thousands of calls to live operators and voicemail boxes that otherwise would have been too overwhelming to manage.
To find out more about preparing your business for the unexpected read: “Ten Tips for Staying in Touch and in Business”, developed by VoiceNation, or visit VoiceNation at www.voicenation.com.
For more information, contact:
Graham C. Taylor
Media Relations
1.866.766.5050, ext. 150
About VoiceNation
VoiceNation is committed to helping businesses succeed by providing creative cost-effective telephony solutions. VoiceNation provides outsourced voicemail, Virtual PBX, answering services and disaster recovery services to businesses of all sizes throughout the United States.