Is your business prepared for extreme weather?

by Jo Smith in Microcomms News
Image of Sennen beach on a sunny day to show hot weather and that Microcomms Professional Services can help prepare businesses for extreme weather conditions so there is no business interruption

The UK is in the midst of a heatwave right now and  yesterday (25th July 2019), temperatures reached highs  of 38.1 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country.

Water pipes are bursting and trains are running slower for fear of tracks buckling, causing disruption to thousands of passengers.

But have you thought about the disruptions the weather can have on your IT systems.

And it’s not only the hot weather that we need to think about either. Storms are set to follow the heatwave, and if your IT systems aren’t adequately equipped to deal with these extreme weather conditions, you could find yourself in trouble.    

We’ve put together a checklist of precautions to take to ensure minimal downtime for your business. 

Heat 

Make sure your servers are in tip top condition so they don’t overheat 

  • Keep them clean and dusted out.  If this is something that you don’t currently do, contact us as we can help! 
  • A tidy cab is a happy cab (e.g. using the server room, cabinet to store paper work etc can insulate a server causing a fire risk). 
  • Make sure your servers are not over loaded.  This will ensure they are running at optimum speed, reducing heat production. 
  • Planned power distribution will also help with a reduction in heat, and reduces the risk of fire or electrical overloading. 

Lightning

Are your servers protected against a lightning strike? 

  • Lightning strikes to your phone lines can travel into your network if they’re not protected. 
  • Lightning strikes on power lines can travel into your sockets and into your systems if not protected. 

Powercuts  

Could you ride a power outage? 

  • Make sure you are battery-backed up via UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply). 
  • Provide constant power to critical systems 

Internet Backups

Would you lose business if your internet was interrupted? 

  • Consider a backup internet such as a secondary 4G device. 
  • Upgrade to fibre to the premise if available.  Lightning cannot travel down fibre lines. 

Server Backups

Protect your information by backing up your servers 

  • If the worst happens, you should ensure you have multiple backup locations and types. 
  • A backup and restoration plan would also assist in an emergency. 

Aircon

Is your server room temperature controlled? 

  • If appropriate, an air-conditioned room will allow full temperature control. 
  • Server room monitoring, such as temperature monitoring can also alert you if the temperature does start to rise. 

Planned Maintenance 

Maintain your server to ensure prime operation 

  • Keeping your server up to date with the latest firmware can help with internal cooling control. 
  • A regular ‘eyeball’ check will ensure no flashing red lights or other issues that may cause down-time. 

If you would like to discuss any of the above, just give us a call on 03300 020 000  

Microcomms Success Stories

“It was great to have you and your team on site to install the equipment. You did a great job, both in making everything work, but also in handling a very difficult situation with sense of urgency and reassurance. I am impressed.
Your effort is highly appreciated.
”.


, Reckitt Vienna

“Microcomms provide us with fantastic on-site and remote support. Nothing is ever too much trouble and all issues are dealt with quickly and efficiently. They have provided strategic insight into improving our infrastructure as well as maintaining our provision on a daily basis, always ensuring education and pupil's best interests are at the forefront of all actions.”.

Adam Anderson
Head Teacher, Ludgvan Primary School

“Microcomms epitomizes partnership, collaboration, clarity and support. During our most recent project there were a number of challenges that we needed to overcome in order to deliver our project on time and within budget. Microcomms went above and beyond, expanded their remit and reach for their role of Project Support and Management to assist in finding the best possible solutions and possibilities to ensure our project was delivered. The service and offering was nothing shor”.

Aki Kardamilakis
Head of IT and D, Reckitt South Africa

“Aaron and his associates were wonderful to work with during all phases of opening up our new office! They were informative and took the time to explain how some of the new technology worked (in “layman’s terms”) with patience and hands on demonstrations. The team followed up with notes afterwards and was very thorough and never failed to address any questions or issues we had even after they departed. Super personable as well, they felt like family before they left! Enjoyed working with them! ”.

Jodi Lightner
Office Coordinator, Reckitt Rogers, AR

“We continue to be impressed by Microcomms’ know how, expertise and professional yet down to earth and pragmatic style. Consultancy projects are well managed and I’d recommend their services to anyone.”.

Julian Holmes
IT Manager, Coodes Solicitors

“In our sporting hospitality business, customers expect great WiFi as well as fantastic golf. Microcomms have helped us meet our clients high expectations and ensure that visitors coming to Trevose have an all-round excellent experience. The team have worked really hard across all areas and we’re very happy with the service we’ve had.”.

Nick Gammon
Managing Director, Trevose Golf & Country Club

“There aren’t many Cornwall-based companies that can claim to have hands on experienced providing network connectivity to a Malaysian hut in the middle of a rainforest!”.

Nick Argent
ICT Manager, The Eden Project

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