Interview: with Ramakrishna Purushotaman, Director of Industry Development, Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) of Singapore.

Question: Singapore has long been known for having some of the highest technical and regulatory standards in the marketplace, thanks to its high standing as a financial hub. Can you explain the role the new industry standard for Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BC/DR) will have in Singapore's outsourcing market?

Purushotaman: IDA launched the world's first standard for Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BC/DR) service providers in December 2004. This standard (SS507) is part of Singapore's plan to mitigate the adverse impact of any catastrophic disruptions to business operations. The standard specifies stringent requirements that BC/DR service providers must possess so that they can provide a "trusted" operating environment and help companies secure and recover critical data in the face of catastrophic events. Not only will the standard provide assurance to end-customers and free their energy to focus on core competencies, but also, through periodic reviews, it will help service providers to continuously upgrade their offerings, ensuring that individual service providers and the BC/DR industry as a whole remain world leaders. Beyond the launch of this standard in Singapore, it has been accepted by the ISO as the basis for the development of an international standard in the field................more

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