Databarracks Drops the 2020 Data Health Check – IT’s Pandemic Survival Guide
Since 2008, Databarracks has been the go‑to for rolling out an annual survey that asks over 400 UK IT leaders how ready they are for everything from cyber baddies to the mystery that is remote work.
What the 2020 Report Tells Us
Peter Groucutt, the big boss at Databarracks, admits, “It’s been a year of unprecedented disruption.” The coronavirus hit companies like a surprise pop‑quiz, and most didn’t have a pandemic game plan on hand.
Still, folks jumped on the remote‑working bandwagon quick enough to keep their businesses humming. The survey also points to some bright spots: higher standards of continuity practices, beefed‑up cyber skills, and a stronger disaster recovery playbook.
Main Numbers That Matter
- 61% now have a business continuity (BC) plan that’s actually up to date.
- 66% were caught off‑guard, having no dedicated pandemic response plan before COVID‑19 hit.
- 85% embed an IT disaster recovery (DR) strategy in their BC plan, and 65% have run a test in the last year (compared to 50% last year).
- 89% feel confident in their DR setup.
Peter’s Take on the Pandemic Impact
“Half of organisations took a hit on revenue, but the big picture is hopeful: decision‑makers think they can weather a future crisis better,” Groucutt says.
“Disaster recovery testing is on the rise, especially against cyber threats. That shows the confidence business leaders now have in their plans,” he adds.
When it comes to remote work, things have been functional, but the game‑changing detail is how staff access the system. While most employees can access everything, 14% still have to run applications locally and then upload data later. It works in a pinch, but falling back on manual moves during a disruption is less than ideal.
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