Communication and crisis management

Mark Twain once said, “There are only two certainties in life – death and taxes.” For Paul D’Arcy, vice president of Worldwide Marketing at crisis communication infrastructure consultancy, MessageOne, in the world of business continuity, it is fair to say there are only two certainties in a disaster or crisis: you can’t plan for everything and you’ll never know which communications channels will be viable. With these points in mind, Mr D’Arcy believes it is critical that IT departments understand the importance of communication continuity, because if you can’t communicate, you can’t recover. The best place to start is to build an effective crisis communications plan that includes a continuity plan addressing as many communication channels as possible. It is always wise to assume the worst case, as you can’t guarantee your infrastructure or staff will be available during a disaster situation.