Financial Service Company

When a business experiences steady growth, that’s good news. But growth also presents new challenges. The most successful organizations are those that can adapt to the changing operational requirements that growth demands.
For one financial services firm, this meant replacing a business continuity solution that could no longer support all the company’s needs. The firm considered several different providers and ultimately chose Cervalis.

Headquartered in Europe, the firm was established in 1998 following the merger of three financial institutions. Today, it has 12 million customers, employs 45,000 people and is one of the leading bank-insurers serving Central Europe. An office of several hundred people in New York City supports the firm’s U.S. commercial banking operations.

As the bank experienced continuous growth, the requirements for a sound business continuity solution in the U.S also grew. The existing solution could no longer support some of the company’s IT needs, which include a combination of server technologies, a variety of hardware, diverse communication paths and specialized network support.

The challenge: to develop a scalable, reliable back-up capability for critical data and a flexible work area recovery environment.

Tailored Approach
“ We were looking for a better disaster recovery solution,” the company explained. “We were unhappy with the level of support and service we were getting from our current provider. We wanted something more tailored to our specific needs and with more flexible services.”

Cervalis designed a system that can grow as the bank grows. Its two-pronged solution protects the company’s critical IT infrastructure and provides workspace for its critical staff.

The firm especially valued Cervalis’ customized approach and personal service in developing the solution. “Cervalis professionals worked first to understand our specific business needs, then they designed a solution that met our specific business goals,” the company said.

Now, in the event of an emergency, Cervalis’ “Hot” Site Systems Recovery allows immediate switch over to the alternate site. The hot site is a dedicated, mirrored, synchronized copy of the bank’s mission-critical data and infrastructure. The hot site environment is always on, always ready and always available—enabling uninterrupted and instantaneous data recovery.

The company also selected Cervalis’ Work Area Recovery solution. If an unscheduled event should occur, critical staff can immediately relocate to Cervalis’ Duchess County, New York, operations center. The facility is 65 miles from Manhattan—far enough from the company’s U.S. office but also easily accessed by its employees. The space offers a functional environment to support the bank’s critical people as well as technical assistance personnel.

Flexible Test Time and Support
One of the reasons the firm chose Cervalis was its ability to meet the company’s testing requirements. “We’re very serious about our recovery capability, and testing is an important part of this equation,” the company said. “We wanted more flexibility with scheduling and support in test preparation—and Cervalis was able to deliver on this.

“ Cervalis’ world-class facilities, skilled IT professionals and outstanding customer support give us the confidence that our recovery plan is robust enough to continue our business operations without any disruption. This is absolutely essential for our continued growth and success.”