With each passing year, the weather seems to grow more unpredictable, and extreme storms are leaving entire regions without power. For businesses, these outages are more than just an inconvenience; they can threaten operations if you’re unprepared. At Hudson Sky, we help Chicago businesses plan for resilience, equipping them with technology solutions that keep operations running smoothly, even when severe weather strikes. Here’s a guide on how you can keep your business operational, rain or shine.
UPS: A Graceful Shutdown
An Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) is often the first line of defense in a power outage, providing enough time for a controlled shutdown of critical systems and helping avoid data corruption and loss.
However, it’s important to note that a UPS is a temporary solution. Most UPS units offer only 30 minutes to an hour of backup power—just enough to save work and power down essential systems but not enough to keep everything running during an extended outage. To stay operational during a prolonged outage, you’ll need more sustainable solutions.
Cloud Solutions: Keeping Your Business Systems Safe
One of the most effective ways to maintain business continuity during power outages is by moving your systems to the cloud. Unlike on-premise servers that are vulnerable to local power disruptions, cloud hosting places your data and applications in secure data centers. These centers are designed with redundancies and often distribute data across multiple locations, ensuring your business stays safe and accessible, even if one center faces issues.
With cloud-based infrastructure, your critical business applications aren’t tied to one physical location. They’re stored miles away from the storm, securely hosted in facilities with built-in power backups. Cloud solutions help ensure your business can keep running without missing a beat, no matter the local weather. At Hudson Sky, we assist Chicago businesses in making the switch to cloud hosting, creating a future-proof solution that’s prepared for any forecast.
Remote Work: Keeping Your Team Productive
When the office loses power, your employees don’t have to. With a solid remote work strategy, your team can stay productive from their homes or other safe locations, even if the office is offline. Cloud-based systems and remote work capabilities make it easy for employees to access necessary resources anytime, anywhere.
Setting up remote work capabilities also provides year-round flexibility for your team. And when unexpected weather hits, you’ll reduce downtime and maintain productivity. Hudson Sky helps businesses in Chicago set up and optimize remote work solutions, ensuring your workforce stays connected no matter the weather.
Switching to VoIP: Stay Connected, Even When Landlines Fail
Traditional phone lines are often unreliable during severe weather. Flooding and high winds can knock them out, leaving your business unable to communicate with clients. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) offers a robust alternative, keeping your business connected even when the physical office phone lines are down.
VoIP routes calls to your employees wherever they’re working—from home, a cafe, or a backup location—ensuring seamless communication with clients. With VoIP, callers won’t notice a difference, as calls are routed directly to your team, regardless of location. VoIP not only makes your business more resilient during an outage but also offers advanced features for call management that enhance professionalism. Hudson Sky specializes in implementing VoIP systems for Chicago businesses, helping you stay connected, come rain or shine.
Let Hudson Sky Help You Weather the Storm
The extreme weather we’re seeing doesn’t have to be a business-ender. By implementing strategic technology solutions like cloud hosting, remote work setups, VoIP, and UPS systems, you can make your business resilient in the face of any storm.
If you’re unsure where to start or need guidance on setting up these solutions, Hudson Sky is here to help. Let’s discuss how we can equip your business with the right technology to keep running smoothly, no matter what Mother Nature has in store.
Contact Hudson Sky today to build a technology roadmap that will prepare your business for any forecast.
