London, UK: 12 June 2007: SunGard Availability Services, the pioneer and leading provider of Information Availability and business continuity services, today announced that Kingston Asset Finance Limited (KAF) has selected SunGard to help ensure it can continue operations in the wake of unplanned disruptions, whether man-made or natural.
Part of the Close Brothers group, KAF arranges financing on commercial vehicles and plant equipment for small and medium businesses across the UK. Based in Hull, the company’s 26 employees support a national network of 80 brokers. Its strategy for Information Availability revolves around Workplace Recovery space for every employee at SunGard’s West Yorkshire* recovery centre, and access to remotely-managed business systems using Citrix®. Telephone calls and faxes can be immediately routed to the new centre, and the business aims to be able to resume full operations within 24 hours of invoking.
KAF reviews its business continuity plan every six months and holds scenario tests every year, and works closely with SunGard to ensure testing and reviews reflect industry best practices.
“When it comes to Information Availability, there is no case to make. Without our systems and access to the information they retain, we would literally be dead in the water. Our business is exposed without our information and our information is vulnerable without our people,” said Daryl Johnson, operations manager at KAF. “This is why we’ve worked closely with SunGard to help keep both our people connected and our systems available. It is only when you sit down with experts and draw up contingency plans that you realise just how vulnerable you could be. SunGard’s consultancy and processes are truly first-class, and our auditors were especially impressed with our strategy.”
Keith Tilley, managing director UK and senior vice president Europe, SunGard Availability Services, concluded, “Technology has spawned a ‘can’t wait’ generation which will switch suppliers if services and products aren’t readily available and on-demand. KAF’s story demonstrates how organisations of every size are implementing business continuity plans, not only to protect themselves from terrorism or disasters, but also to safeguard against more mundane disruptions like IT failure and system downtime.
”Interruptions to Information Availability – however slight – can have a dramatic effect on organisations’ prospects. The realisation that Information Availability is a priority for organisations of every size is the driving force behind BS 25999***, the new British standard for Business Continuity Management, in the development of which we have taken a leading role.”