NAFD sets up full disaster recovery solution for members
Mindful of the increasing reliance on technology in today’s business environment, the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) has joined forces with IT solutions specialist extech to offer its members a full disaster recovery solution.
“According to the London Chamber of Commerce, around 90% of the businesses that lose data following fire, theft, flood or storm damage or a power failure are forced to cease trading within two years. That’s quite a worrying statistic, so we set out to make available to our members the best possible contingency planning support services,” says the NAFD’s chief executive officer Alan Slater.
“extech works closely with NAFD member Rowland Brothers and Rowland Brothers International, which provides the NAFD Repatriation Helpline, so understands the needs of funeral businesses, many of which are small independents without access to a huge IT budget. extech will develop tailored solutions for our members so that, if the worst happens, they can be up and running again and in a position to continue trading with minimal impact on their reputation.”
Providing coverage throughout the UK and Ireland, extech was established over 20 years ago. In 2008 the business was acquired by Paul Estep and Andrew Hookway, who together have over 49 years of experience at the highest levels in corporate IT, and have handpicked a highly skilled and motivated team to offer an unrivalled service in the national marketplace.
extech has partnered with premier Tier 1 vendors to ensure its clients have access to the latest services. The company is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, O2 Regional Technology Partner and HP Partner and a technology partner with Commscare, VM Ware, Double-Take Software, CITRIX and IGEL.
NAFD member Rowland Brothers and Rowland Brothers International, which provides the NAFD Repatriation Helpline, both enjoy enhanced IT support and a contingency planning solution which includes full disaster recovery implementation from extech and can vouch for the peace of mind that comes with having professional contingency planning in place. Alongside a fully managed service that includes on and off-site coverage, extech automatically monitors the companies’ network to make sure that, if any problems arise, they can be dealt with immediately. “Our aim is to ensure that every aspect of our service reflects the highest standards and strongest commitment to Service Level Agreements with each one of our clients,” says joint managing director Paul Estep.
“We pride ourselves on working closely with all our clients and our approach is testament to the amount of referral business we receive. We are delighted to offer our quality IT and disaster recovery solutions to all NAFD members at significantly discounted rate.”