In late September 2024, life changed for many of us in Western North Carolina. Our team was fortunate to make it through the storm safely, with relatively little damage or disruption (at least compared to many in communities near us).
We usually use this blog to share tech tips and IT advice, but this blog post is going to be a little different.
First, we want to let clients and readers know that we’re open for business. We’re already supporting our clients around the region, helping them resume normal operations and recover any data or infrastructure that was lost to Helene.
Second, we want to pause and think of the hundreds of thousands of individuals and organizations impacted by the storm. Communities around us have been devastated. None of us have ever seen anything like this, and who would have thought that our mountain communities needed to prepare for a hurricane? Full recovery will be months, maybe years, in the making.
Observations on Serving as an MSP Post-Helene
Our organization manages IT service for clients. We’re a managed service provider, or MSP, serving the Asheville and Hendersonville region of Western North Carolina. As a result, we have a unique perspective on the aftermath and recovery of this storm. These are a few reflections.
Thinking Through Priorities
As we navigate recovery, we want to keep priorities clear. Digital infrastructure is important, even essential to the operation of your business. But it’s not as important as life, housing, and property. Not even close.
At the same time, rebuilding and recovery do require digital infrastructure. To maximize recovery efforts, organizations need power and internet service and a functioning network so they can communicate, organize, and plan. And for businesses to come back to full strength, they need the same (and more).
We’re doing what we can to help in the ways we can best serve. But we want to keep priorities clear as we do.
Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR) Plans Matter
You know what they say about hindsight, but still: this storm is a real-life example of why today’s organizations need robust, cloud-based backup and disaster recovery plans.
The difference is stark. If a business suffered IT loss as a result of the storm, anything stored on ruined devices and servers could be gone for good.
But with a functional cloud backup, it really is as simple as setting up new hardware and restoring what was lost.
We can’t change the past. But if you didn’t have BDR plans in place (or your plans didn’t work as they should have), now is the time to prepare for the next unexpected event.
Recovery Assistance Takes an Expert Hand
If your business is facing some kind of IT or network recovery scenario, don’t go it alone. Just like we’re all better off trusting experts to rebuild roads and waterworks, you’ll be better off trusting experts for your digital recovery.
This has implications both small and large. On the small end: sometimes it is possible to retrieve data from damaged hardware, but not with DIY or consumer-grade tools. And on the other end of the spectrum, recovery is the ideal time to make sure your digital assets and resources are configured in intelligent, resilient ways that are both future-proof and disaster-resistant.
We’re Here to Help When You Need Us
Throughout Western North Carolina the recovery process is ongoing. We’re hearing inspiring stories of neighbors helping neighbors, of people meeting needs of all types. If we can help your business rebuild its IT infrastructure, assess damage, form a BDR plan, or anything else, we’re here when you need us.