Trial by Fire: Kaye Scholer’s 24 Hour Disaster Recovery, Engineered by RGTS
When a fire struck the midtown Manhattan headquarters of international law firm Kaye Scholer, employees were grateful to learn that no lives were lost and the injuries that were suffered were minor. But the company’s technology infrastructure was not so lucky.
“The phones were out, and we had no idea how extensive the damage was,” said John Palefsky, director of IT at Kaye Scholer. “But our attorneys manage complex litigation and major transactions for many of the world’s foremost organizations, and they could not afford to be out of contact even for a moment.”
Assessing the Damage
“We called RGTS to evaluate the damage that was done to the telecommunications systems, what it would take to get it working again, and how we could hook up service immediately at a temporary location.”
The law firm’s crisis presented yet another real-life test of the disaster recovery capabilities RGTS has developed and refined over the years. As Kaye Scholer attorneys and staff relocated to temporary offices, RGTS worked closely with facilities managers to provide all of the voice, data, and Internet access services that employees needed.
RGTS Laser Technology Provides the Solution
In less than 24 hours, RGTS established a broadband connection for Kaye Scholer, using a laser light system to beam communications traffic across several city blocks. The laser connection provided data networking and 4-digit dialing among the three temporary offices that Kaye Scholer occupied.
“In less than 24 hours, RGTS provided service for attorneys and support staff totaling more than 500 employees at three temporary locations, said Mr. Palefsky. “Frankly, I would never have thought it possible to have us back online in that kind of timeframe, but RGTS came through, just like they always do!”
