Planned vs. Unplanned Downtime
Planned downtime includes routine maintenance and scheduled upgrades on hardware and software. Because this downtime is planned, it can usually be scheduled so that there is minimal impact on users.
Unplanned downtime happens unexpectedly and can be very damaging for a business. Common causes of downtime include network failures, natural disasters, system outages, human error, and component failures. The fastest growing cause 
of data center outages is cybercrime.
The Cost of Unplanned Downtime
Availability is extremely important for organizations as it is often directly related to business performance, profitability, and success. According to Information Technology Intelligence Consulting , 81% of organizations require a minimum of 99.99% availability. Unfortunately, unplanned downtime still occurs, and the financial impact can be substantial.
Although it may be hard to believe, the average cost of downtime is $8,851 per minute. Additionally, the average cost of a data center outage is $740,357. The actual cost of downtime for your business would vary depending on your organization’s operations and the severity of the downtime.
There are a variety of factors that impact the cost of unplanned downtime, including:
- Business disruption
- Recovery cost
- Issue detection cost
- Loss of employee productivity
- Damage to reputation – this can be priceless!
- Loss of proprietary and critical data
- Loss of revenue/sales and profitability
- Customer dissatisfaction – or even worse, permanent customer loss
- Non-compliance penalties
The Solution
Prevention is the key for avoiding unplanned downtime and reducing its impact. Working with a managed service provider who offers proactive solutions can help eliminate downtime and ensure reliability of your IT environment.
As a trusted extension of your IT department, Riverside Technologies, Inc. (RTI) provides proactive and preventative solutions through managed services, identifying and solving issues before they cause significant downtime. By remotely monitoring your network 24/7, 365 days a year, we know immediately if a potential problem arises. With our managed services solution, you can be assured your technology runs efficiently and your sensitive information is protected, plus you’ll have more time to focus on your organization.
Date Posted: 1/2/19
Date Last Updated: 6/14/19
By: RTI Marketing Team
Riverside Technologies, Inc. (RTI) specializes in managed services, IT hardware, warehouse services, and technology deployment.
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