For certain business processes you might not need backups, since the original content is created and managed in a distributed fashion, whereas in other cases it's far from straightforward. In just about every case it is possible. Taking Google's Gmail as an example, it is possible to use POP to download copies of your inbox to a local machine. With Salesforce.com, you may export your data as Excel spreadsheets, although given these are 'flat' representations of a complicated database structure, converting these to a format that could be used by an alternative system would not necessarily be straightforward - all the more reason to start planning how to do that now. That brings me to the final point. Systems that don't get used, are unlikely to perform in the clutch, which argues that any disaster recovery plan is tested and exercised periodically and at least annually.

No One-Size-Fits-All
I am bullish on the future of SaaS. Perhaps this to be expected as the CEO of a SaaS vendor myself. My own company uses SaaS vendors for most of our internal business functions including marketing and customer relationship management. I see SaaS as having overwhelming advantages for most (but not all) companies and most (but not all) business areas. Also, just in case it's not obvious, you do of course need to do all of the above for any internal systems anyway. There is no disadvantage in using SaaS compared to internal systems when it comes to business continuity. Indeed, the rapid implementation and deployment of SaaS applications can actually make them a useful backup to more customized on-premise solutions. Business continuity can't be ignored no matter what your IT deployment model is.

Like all business continuity plans, there is no 'one-size-fits-all'. Some organizations and business functions may require very complex and sophisticated backup plans, others barely any at all. However, blindly trusting your SaaS vendor to continue operations regardless is to place too much commercial, legal, and technical control within a single organization and single point of failure. Don't wait for that "once in a lifetime" event.


Joe Ruck is president and CEO of BoardVantage. He has led many high-technology companies through successful growth to IPO or acquisition. Prior to joining BoardVantage, Joe was senior vice president of marketing at Interwoven and part of the team that drove the company through one of the most successful IPOs of 1999. Previously, he held sales, marketing, and executive positions at Sun Microsystems, Network Appliance, and Genesys Telecommunications, subsequently acquired by Alcatel. Joe holds a BS in engineering from Oregon State University and an MBA from Santa Clara University.

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