Should BC and DR Be Replaced by COOP?

Approximately 93 percent of organizations have a BC plan in place, a new report says the quality of the plans is questionable. Companies know that BC and DR are critical, but should it be replaced by continuity of operations planning (COOP)?

In an article on the Government Technology website, Tod Newcombe says the rising complexity and criticality of IT means BC is no longer a luxury. But he says CIOs have many barriers to implementing good plans.

Newcombe says that, “according to a 2007 survey by Hewlett-Packard... [more] than half of… respondents (55 percent) said their companies couldn't agree on the right IT solution for BC; nearly half (49 percent) said they didn't have enough time to implement a BC plan; and a third (34 percent) revealed they lacked the data to create a true business case for implementing BC.”

That’s why he says BC and DR should fit into the overall framework of continuity of operations planning (COOP). Ever since the public sector started installing mainframe computers, IT departments have had COOP plans in place to protect payroll and ensure Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security benefits keep flowing during a disaster.