ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 9, 2010 —Disaster has no schedule. Nothing tests an insurance agent’s ability to meet a client’s needs like an unforeseen disaster, occurring without warning and creating unpredictable damage. Today, the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or the Big “I”) announced its endorsement of Agility Recovery Solutions to help independent agents prepare and recover from these unexpected events.
The program is part of an effort to provide comprehensive, turnkey disaster recovery solutions and planning education to the 300,000 member agents, brokers and employees of the Big “I”. According to a recent study commissioned by Agility Recovery Solutions, an overwhelming 90% of small to midsized businesses are unprepared for a business interruption or disaster.
Agility Recovery, a former division of GE, specializes in providing robust, cost-effective recovery solutions, consulting services and testing options to small and midsized businesses across North America. To handle the traditional disaster recovery industry roadblocks of scale, cost and complexity, Agility developed ReadySuite, a solution delivering the critical assets necessary for businesses to remain operational during disasters or interruptions.
“Insurance agencies, more than any other business, have an obligation to their clients to be available when disaster strikes,” says Bob Boyd, Agility CEO. “No one ever expects a disaster, but the endorsement by IIABA demonstrates their commitment to ensure its members will have access to an affordable and reliable solution should the unthinkable happen. Not only does our ReadySuite solution get agencies back up and running quickly, but Agility’s experienced continuity specialists work with agencies from day one to make sure each has a viable recovery plan in place.”
Agility Recovery has more than 21 years of business continuity and disaster recovery experience and currently represents more than 1,500 insurance agencies across North America. Agility’s ReadySuite solution meets the standards of 100’s of industry and trade associations along with those of key federal disaster recovery stakeholders, including the SBA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“While everyone is focused on the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the reality is that disasters occur everywhere and at any time, and independent insurance agents should have the resources to make sure that as a result of a disaster that they are able to be able to meet the needs of their customers,” says Dave Evans, Big “I” senior vice president. “Agility Recovery has the ability to provide independent insurance agents with the critical resources to be back up in business after a disaster strikes.”
In the insurance industry, continued success centers around proper risk management, and it is critically important to be prepared. By supporting and documenting critical functions, Agility testing services aim to prepare agencies for potential interruptions and identify key gaps in recovery plans. These services range from over-the-phone recovery plan assessments to full mobile deployment of office space to real-time business transaction simulations.
In the last two years, Agility has responded to more than 560 disaster events and performed more than 700 test simulations for its members.
Agility Recovery Solutions, a former division of GE, has over 21 years of disaster recovery and business continuity experience. Since 1989, Agility has provided comprehensive, packaged recovery solutions, consulting services and testing options to businesses across North America. Agility revolutionized the disaster recovery and business continuity industries by developing a simple, cost-effective and easy-to-use recovery solution called ReadySuite.
Founded in 1896, the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or the Big “I”), is the nation’s oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents and brokers, representing a network of 300,000 agents, brokers and their employees nationally. Its members are businesses that offer customers a choice of policies from a variety of insurance companies. Independent agents and brokers offer all lines of insurance—property, casualty, life, health, employee benefit plans and retirement products. Web address: www.independentagent.com.
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