Automatic individual DDI re-routing over PSTN has been available in the UK for over 12 years. In the magazine Risk UK this month, one featured article titled ‘Communicating in a Crisis’, was very misleading in its information as to how quickly PSTN calls are re-routed to alternative destination when activated by a national telecoms carrier.
Mike Osborne of ICM is quoted as saying:
“There are a number of ways to maintain communication during a crisis…But basically, at the onset of an evocation the lines are instantly diverted to the recovery centre. This switchover is completely invisible to the customer, as the comms provider (BT or NTL for example) would pre-arrange for a divert to the number of the recovery centre when requested.”
This statement is a contradiction in itself. As Mike points out, the diversion is only achieved ‘when requested’, so the lines are not instantly diverted to the recovery centre.
Instant means instant
Instantaneous re-routing of calls, as its name suggests, can only be achieved without any manual intervention, and unless BT or another carrier have changed their offerings recently, they still require human input.
To implement truly instantaneous call re-routing, requires equipment to be placed within the carrier’s exchanges. This can detect if the circuit into your office building has been severed or faulty and can automatically re-route calls to pre-determined plans, whether a recovery site or individual landline or mobile numbers.
DDI Recovery is Easy
Secondly individual DDI re-routing is easily available on PSTN in contrast to Mike’s view that ‘it is often difficult to divert individual numbers’, as this service has been provided by GemaTech to a diverse customer base, for over 12 years.
Normally I would not be so vehement in defending GemaTech’s position but when genuinely misleading information is being spread in the market I cannot stand back and let people be mis-informed. Business Continuity managers need to be making the best decisions based on accurate information to ensure they have the best solution in place for their organisation.
Here endeth the lesson!
