IT Service Continuity Management

Overview

IT Service Continuity Management is concerned with preventing any unexpected serious interruptions to IT services as a result of a natural disasters or other forms of force majeure having a catastrophic impact on the business.

IT Service Continuity Management's (ITSCM) strategy needs to judiciously balance procedures that are:

• Proactive: which seek to prevent or minimise the consequences of a serious interruption to service.
• Reactive: whose aim is to resume service as quickly as possible (and advisable) after the disaster.

ITSCM requires a special commitment from the agents involved as it is costly, yields no direct return, and its benefits are only apparent in the long term. Implementing ITSCM is like taking out medical insurance: it costs money, it seems useless while you are healthy and you hope never to have to use it, but sooner or later you will be glad you planned ahead.