Following the devastation caused in Yorkshire by the floods, Rotherham-based IMS is urging companies to protect their IT with adequate disaster recovery

The support systems specialist is launching a bespoke business continuity plan - BC Protect - to help clients deal with major incidents, such as floods, and minimise their losses.

IMS was among the lucky few companies in Rotherham whose premises were unaffected by the floods. It is now coming to the aid of other businesses by putting together a template to help them plan their continuity procedures and protect key data stored on their IT systems.

BC Protect is a unique package that speeds up the restoration of business systems servers by offering a recovery or loan service. It also provides clients with a comprehensive business continuity document that can be tailored to their individual needs and will ensure a set procedure is in place should disaster strike.

Steven Kay, IMS' managing director, said: "IT is the backbone of most UK businesses and it is vital that all companies have systems in place to minimise their downtime should it be destroyed.

"We have seen firsthand the devastation the floods caused in South Yorkshire and the impact it has had on businesses in the area. The recovery effort and resilience shown by our neighbours has been remarkable and we can only hope that this has served as a stark warning to any organisation who does not have a business continuity plan in place."