SunGard Business Continuity Services

SunGard Recovery Services has added new hosted disaster recovery facilities and mobile data centers, as well as new features. New "eSourcing" Internet business continuity services further expand the options beyond the recovery site. As disaster recovery services expanded into full business continuity planning and management (BCPM), encompassing everything from continuity planning to large, private communications networks, SunGard definitely got in on the ground floor. From its roots in disaster recovery, SunGard has developed continuity planning software products— PreCovery and ePlanner software— to manage the overwhelming detail of BCPM projects.

Note

Business Recovers from Terrorist Attack on U.S.

At the opening of business on Wednesday, 12 September, SunGard Operations was supporting 13 disaster declarations and following more than 60 alerts. Numbers rose to 30 disaster declarations and over 90 alerts by 17 September. Six facilities along the Eastern seaboard and one in Chicago supported the businesses affected— largely financial services companies in lower Manhattan, but a variety of industries have activated SunGard support. Building evacuations in other cities have caused still more SunGard clients to initiate alert status of their service contracts. SunGard provided subscribers their usual Disaster Declaration Hotline and another toll-free number for periodic updates on recovery efforts.

Overview
Analysis
Pricing
Competitors
Strengths
Limitations
Insight

SunGard Recovery Services LP

1285 Drummers Lane

Wayne, PA 19087-1586, U.S.A.

Tel: +1 610 341 8700

Tel: +1 800 523 4970

Fax: +1 610 341 8851

Internet: www.SunGardTheNetBeneathYou.com

SunGard Recovery Services offers to its more than 5,500 subscribers one million square feet of hardened facilities in North America. Facilities for business continuity and disaster recovery include fully equipped computer facilities in 25 MetroCenters and five MegaCenters whose hot sites support multiple platforms. Eleven Mobile Data Centers supplement the permanent installations. SunGard's Mobile Data Centers and Mobile MetroCenters offer ad hoc flexibility, with custom-designed units outfitted with distributed systems hardware configured to a client's specifications for system replacement if a disaster strikes. In addition to hot-site facilities, SunGard provides cold sites for the installation of replacement equipment; Workgroup and Network recovery for voice, data, and LAN systems; high-availability services; network recovery; and an Internet business facility. Planning and consulting services include PreCovery and ePlanner business continuity planning and management software. SunGard Recovery Services is the wholly owned disaster recovery arm of SunGard Data Systems, Inc.

To date, the company has supported more than 600 disaster recoveries with a 100 percent success rate and over 45,000 tests. SunGard Recovery Services delivers the following availability and continuity services.

SunGard's basic mainframe hot-site configurations can back up more than 5,000 total million instructions per second (MIPs) (includes two z/900 series [Freeway] processors and three 9672 generation 6 processors) over 25TB of disk space (includes IBM Enterprise Storage Server [ESS] [Shark], RAMAC Virtual Array [RVA], and EMC Symmetrix), and a 9674-C05 and/or Integrated Coupling Facilities (ICF) support parallel syplex. Support is provided for Multiple Virtual Storage (MVS)/OS 390, MVS/Enterprise System Architecture (ESA), z/OS, and z/VM. Tape drives include IBM VTS, STK 9840, STK Silos, 3490E, 3590, and 3590E.

SunGard offers five regional centers with AS/400 capabilities including:

• Multiple high-end reduced instruction set computer (RISC) and complex instruction set computer (CISC) systems
• More than 12.5 terabytes of disk capacity; 740 series systems (840 series to be added later this year)
• Over two dozen AS/400 systems

Hot-site configurations for IBM (AS/400, RS/6000, Sequent), Data General, Hewlett-Packard (HP), NCR, Netframe, Silicon Graphics, Sun Microsystems, and System/3x are available at recovery centers in the U.S.

SunGard's 11 mobile data centers are computer-ready portable "hot sites" in varying sizes, with the largest (the Mobile MetroCenter) capable of seating up to 50 people. In an emergency, the mobile center mirroring the client's configuration can be deployed to a client site, usually within 48 hours, supplying amenities for workplace restoration such as fresh water supplies, restrooms, and a kitchen. The Mobile Data Centers, equipped with diesel generators, may be useful to businesses located in remote areas, small workgroups, or when only one part of a facility requires recovery.

SunGard's MetroCenters, located in most major metropolitan areas, offer Workgroup Recovery. The Hosted Centers house offices, conference rooms, break rooms, cafeterias, desks, phones, copying and fax machines, and other necessary office equipment. Facilities are pre-wired for Ethernet and Token Ring topologies and other protocols. Beyond facilities and infrastructure, SunGard provides customers' employees the option of connectivity to more than 20 hardware platforms delivered through the SunGard National network. SunGard also integrates voice recovery with the customizable MegaVoice service.

SunGard consultants assist in the planning cycle to identify backup network needs. It offers local access diversity; relationships with all major carriers; and all necessary modems, routers, and specialty equipment. SunGard maintains relationships with interexchange carriers AT&T, MCI/WorldCom, Sprint, Qwest, Global Crossing, and Level(3). Network recovery also supports MCI Switched and Digital Reconfiguration Service (DRS) Services as well as AT&T Frame/asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) Disaster Recovery Options (DRO). SunGard engineers and operations staff assist in test planning and implementation.

The SunGard National Network (SNN) provides a private, protocol-independent communications network to connect a client's location to a SunGard recovery facility for instant access to recovery services. SNN enables business continuity services only— meeting test, recovery, and high-availability requirements. SunGard maintains access nodes in major metropolitan areas for client convenience. SNN provides high bandwidth capabilities over a SONET-based backbone and 24x365 monitoring. SNN services include:

• Circuit design
• Provisioning
• Installation
• Maintenance
• Switching
• Network management

Hosting Infrastructure Services

SunGard creates and implements secure, reliable, and scalable hosting solutions customized to meet each customer's requirements. From server and application hosting to full IT outsourcing, SunGard's Hosting Centers and technical staff support flexible, high-availability Internet access and ongoing management services for uninterrupted business operations.

State-of-the-art facilities include diverse redundant power distribution, redundant environmental control systems, dual fire suppression, comprehensive security measures, and 24x365 monitoring via the Network Operations Center:

• Shared SecureCabinets— Single-bay enclosures that provide physical security for business-critical Web sites and applications. Standard and customized solutions are available.
• SecureSuites— Keycard-secured private Internet centers, available in a variety of sizes and configurations, that host customers' business-critical Web servers and applications.
• MegaSuites— Facilities ranging from 900 to 2,500 square feet that provide flexibility, privacy, and security for customers' data center operations.

Transport Infrastructure Services

SunGard provides a variety of bandwidth options that leverage relationships with six tier-one Internet carriers. Scalable, redundant infrastructure supports customers' capacity to conduct e-business in an environment for hosting applications for application service providers (ASPs), competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs), independent software vendors (ISVs), and other Web-enabled businesses. Customers can design solutions to meet specific requirements for their business, using a variety of access options. SunGard manages the relationship between the telcos and independent service operators (ISPs), a service that leverages SunGard's purchasing power.

• Burstable Internet Access— A base level of dedicated Internet bandwidth that can be expanded on demand to support higher levels of activity.
• Fixed Internet Access— A dedicated full-time Web connection at a pre-defined capacity.
• Private Access— A dedicated point-to-point circuit for customers who need reliable, private connections.

Managed Support Services

SunGard's technical staff provides 24x365 monitoring, software maintenance, and support of customers' IT infrastructures outsourced to SunGard sites— hosting customers at the Web hosting and midrange-to-mainframe environments at the Southern New Jersey Managed Services Facility. Managed Support Services identify and resolve service-impacting incidents, preventing or rapidly recovering from disruption of e-business. SunGard manages all stages of the equipment and software life cycle, including provisioning, installation, testing, maintenance, and problem resolution. Managed Support Services include:

• Professional Services: Connectivity Provisioning, Hosting Design, Installation ServicesConnectivity
• Monitoring Services: Availability Monitoring, Web Site Monitoring, Web Site Reporting
• Security Services: Intrusion Detection, Managed Firewall, Security Assessment
• Software Services: Oracle and SQL Database Management, Operating System Management, Software Installation, Software Management
• Enhanced Services: Enterprise Storage Management, Equipment Management, Load Balancing Management, Production Control Management, Operational Support, Tape Backup Management, Web Site Load Testing

Many vendors claim to have begun mitigating disasters in the "early days," but SunGard actually is the first vendor to offer commercially available hot site restart services to companies experiencing business disruptions. The history of SunGard goes back to the late 1970s, when Sun Information Services pioneered the disaster recovery industry. Since then, the company has grown from 80 to 5,500 subscribers.

Sun Oil divested itself of its disaster recovery business in 1983 when it spun off Sun Information Services as a private entity. The company went public three years later as SunGard Data Systems, Inc., and SunGard Recovery Systems became the disaster recovery arm of the parent company and has been successfully handling disasters since 1986. The company offers a full range of business continuity services in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The company's subsidiary, SunGard Planning Solutions, provides business continuity planning and software (PreCovery) and consulting services. To date, the company has supported more than 600 disaster recoveries.

SunGard initiated an Internet Services business unit in March of 2000, SunGard eSourcing, adding Web server hosting and applications to traditional data center outsourcing. SunGard eSourcing provides Hosting Infrastructure Services, Transport Infrastructure Services, and Managed Services. In January 2001, SunGard expanded its eSourcing offering by building a 100,000-square-foot Hosting Center adjacent to its Philadelphia Center. SunGard itself currently provides Managed Support Services only for equipment in its facilities but will begin offering these services for systems at client sites in 2002.

In 2001, SunGard introduced MetroStor/400, a high-availability solution for AS/400s. MetroStor/400 leverages a new feature in the AS/400 that enables LPAR to save the customer up to 40 percent over other AS/400 high-availability solutions with an LPAR target rather than a fully redundant AS/400 system. The LPAR target, sized to support the required Mimix replication activity between the source and target systems, reduces the infrastructure cost. In the event of a test or disaster, the LPAR is attached to a recovery hot-site processor capable of supporting the customer's environment.

Recovery services within SunGard posted strong results for 2000 with revenues rising 15 percent to US$411 million. The newly developed eSourcing unit of SunGard's Business Continuity and Internet Services group positions SunGard to heighten its high-availability presence in the field of e-commerce hosting and colocation, allowing the business group to experience continued growth.

SunGard's disaster recovery services are comparable to those of its major U.S. competitors, IBM and Comdisco. One significant feature that sets SunGard apart is the number of recovery centers and multiple platforms. In the U.S, IBM offers three major hot sites compared to SunGard's five MegaCenters (and four regional recovery centers to SunGard's 25 MetroCenters). Comdisco, another global presence in the business continuity market, offers a total of 28 technology service centers of various capacities in North America. SunGard's service, however, is limited to North America, hindering its appeal for global enterprises.

Through SunGard Planning Solutions, the company also offers PC-based Windows-compatible PreCovery software, which puts SunGard's planning methodology on disk for easy access. SunGard's planning solutions support business resumption plan development, simulated disaster recovery, and physical security reviews. Comdisco, too, offers extensive continuity planning and implementation software.

SunGard determines pricing based on the extent of services and the recovery needs of the subscriber. Prices can include a variety of consulting and planning services and include ongoing testing of required systems.

Yes.

SunGard's primary competition is in North America. U.S. competition is from high-profile, end-to-end business continuity and disaster recovery providers such as IBM and Comdisco. European/global competitors include:

• IBM— Global recovery operations.
• Comdisco— range of disaster recovery and business continuity services in Europe.
• Sema Group Recovery Services Limited (SG-RS)— U.K., France, Germany; European competition.
• Guardian— U.K. competition.
• Safetynet plc— European competition in the U.K., France, and Germany.

To compare continuity and recovery services offered within North America, a company's consideration may include the full spectrum of services or a narrower focus.

Mobile Data Centers

The mobile units can be configured to client specifications as hot sites or cold sites.

Internet Strategy

The formation of eSourcing will continue to see this as a prime area of its business. SunGard's focus on e-commerce allows the services to include new financial networks and automated trading capabilities.

Supports Wide Range of Platforms

SunGard supports over 20 vendor platforms. SunGard provides configurations for AS/400, Data General, HP, IBM, NCR, Netframe, Prime, RS/6000, Sequent, Stratus, Sun Microsystems, Tandem (Compaq), Unisys, and other vendors. This wide range of support is a particular advantage for companies with heterogeneous computing environments.

Global Reach

SunGard lacks a unique presence in continental Europe. Other U.S. vendors such as IBM and— to a lesser degree— Comdisco have already established a recovery presence in Europe and are successfully challenging the other European providers already there. With business becoming increasingly global, this limitation could be a problem for multinational companies that desire to use the same business recovery vendor for all company locations.

SunGard offers comprehensive services for business continuity planning and management from planning to recovery. While the company provides traditional disaster recovery services such as hot sites, cold sites, and workgroup recovery, its status is not yet fully global. SunGard is a leading recovery vendor in the U.S. with a long track record of reliability, but a solid European presence would really make SunGard a global contender in the BCPM market. SunGard's support for business continuity programs throughout their life cycles ensures its strong position as one of the leaders in the disaster recovery arena. SunGard's services remain a good choice, particularly for U.S.-based organizations.

This research is part of a set of related research pieces. See AV-14-5338 for an overview.