The exercise is designed to test and evaluate how well the company can respond to a simulated disaster that "destroys" a Bay Area data-routing or voice-switching center.
The NDR exercise, conducted several times each year, is part of AT&T's comprehensive business continuity plan to ensure communications can be restored quickly to its government, business and consumer clients if a disaster damages or destroys parts of its network. The company's network disaster recovery program is the industry's only mobile, full-readiness network disaster recovery team, allowing AT&T to monitor, manage and proactively protect customers' networks worldwide.
Industry studies over the past decade estimate that up to 80-90 percent of businesses without well-conceived disaster recovery plans go out of business within two to five years after a major disaster. Yet according to a new study by Opinion Research Corp., which looked specifically at Bay Area businesses, 33 percent of companies surveyed do not have a disaster recovery plan in place. In addition, 16 percent have been impacted by a disaster that resulted in their having to cease operations for a period of time. More information on the survey and findings can be found at AT&T's NDR website.
During the past 10 years, AT&T has invested more than $300 million in its NDR program, which includes a team of more than 100 managers, engineers and technicians, as well as a fleet of more than 150 self-contained equipment-trailers and support vehicles that house the same equipment and components as an AT&T data-routing or voice-switching center. The exercises demonstrate the company's network disaster recovery processes, from the initial call-out of team members to equipment transport and service turn-up and testing.
"The scope and scale of AT&T's NDR drill is unique in the industry," said Becky Doi, AT&T sales vice president, Western Region. "But the investment we're making helps ensure our people and our network can provide the availability, recoverability and security of our customers' services, applications and data -- even in the event of a major disaster."
Since 1990, the NDR team has been activated 12 times in response to disasters, including restoring service after south Florida's devastating Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the Northridge, California earthquake in 1994, and tornadoes in Oklahoma in 1999. In 2001, the team mobilized to provide recovery services following the tragic attacks on the World Trade Center towers in New York. Last October, AT&T mobilized a portion of its recovery fleet in response to the San Diego wildfires to aid in the restoration of communication services and to help individuals displaced by the fires to keep in touch with family.
