DCN April 2016 | Page 36

service continuity FLOOD DEFENCE Claire Buchanan of Bridgeworks explains why IT service continuity is your best insurance policy against national disasters. T he severe floods that hit the north of England and parts of Scotland in December 2015 and in January 2016 devastated homes and businesses. This led to questions about whether the UK is sufficiently prepared to cope with such calamities. On 28th December 2015 the Guardian newspaper went 36 so far as to say that the failure to ensure that flood defences can withstand the unprecedented high water levels would cost at least £5bn. A lack of investment was cited as the cause of the flooding. Even companies such as Vodafone were affected. The IT press said that the floods had hit the company’s data centre in Leeds. However, Jane Frapwell, corporate communications manager at Vodafone, claimed tha BF