Natural disasters and man-made crises present equal threats to business continuity. There are many factors that shape how a firm is able to prepare for, respond to and recover from these incidents, but one unifying piece to the puzzle that doesn't change between companies and industries is the need for solid communications.

In order to be truly prepared for a disaster, businesses need to ensure they are able to communicate quickly and effectively to all of their employees, customers and vendors when a crisis strikes. To this end, firms have to invest in advanced communications solutions, like cloud-based VoIP and other channels to optimize their reach and ensure the lines are still open when the power goes out or a storm strikes.

InformationWeek's Network Computing recently reported that many companies are turning to unified communications (UC) to optimize their crisis communication capabilities. Deploying UC helps businesses achieve continuity goals more effectively by integrating multiple channels and providing employees with more than one way to access them. Workers can integrate their mobile devices, home computers or remote access to receive email, make calls and otherwise get the message across during a disaster.

UC-as-a-Service is particularly important for success in business continuity, because firms will need to leverage the 'anywhere, anytime" accessibility of the cloud. This ensures constant uptime for communications systems even through the worst storm. The cloud also offers scalability and low cost optimization to help companies implement a high-quality solution faster.

In order to achieve success with a business continuity plan and get the most out of technology like unified communications, companies have to ensure they are investing in the right tools and services. A consulting expert can help align planning and capabilities to maximize the results of these efforts.