Business Continuity: London 2012 Olympics

Download these Corporate IT Forum Top Tips. 2012's Olympics and Paralympics will ensure that sizeable sections of the UK's infrastructure as well as facilities, the transport system and service providers come under uniquely close scrutiny by the rest of the world.

With the clock ticking, effective preparation to cope with the impact of the Games is just as critical for businesses as it is for the athletes, the Games organising committee, security planners and volunteers.

For organisations impacted by the Games, will it be 'business as usual' (BAU) or does the Games' scale, number of locations and logistics mean that the few weeks present a special challenge? Will there be issues with the potential security or availability of critical systems? And what about your employees: how will your organisation manage the reality that employees will want to watch the Games, in some cases, at their desks?

Clearly, such a large and important event is a challenge that needs a singular set of strategies or tactics in order to preserve BAU. Perhaps, in addition to being a challenge, the Olympics offer a particular opportunity for your business - providing you get it right.

This report has been compiled from experience shared by 21 corporate IT Forum professionals, representing 14 organisations, with over 200 accumulated years of experience with business continuity planning. London 2012 is of particular interest, and this report sense-checks threats and concerns, compares strategies and shares the results of scenario testing. Represented industries include financial services, energy, transport, retail, health, media, charities, airlines and pharmaceuticals.