United Financial Services: A Norlight Business Continuance Case Study

Background & Challenge

United Financial Services (UFS) provides a platform to banks in Wisconsin that supports banking services, including application processing, check clearing, Internet banking, Tele-banking, and ATM services. If there are any disruptions to the UFS network or its ability to process data, its member banks' deposits don't get made, checks don't get posted, withdrawals aren't registered, and most important, bank customers become very frustrated.

The regulatory requirements of the banking industry, coupled with the sensitive personal nature of the data being transmitted, necessitated a top-notch, comprehensive business continuance plan for UFS. Because of the time-sensitive nature of these transactions, UFS realized that their business continuity plans had to have the ability to be implemented very quickly.

Initially, UFS developed and managed its own business continuance plan with an alternative third party. Rick Haendel, president of United Financial Services, evaluated his plan annually, and was interested in improving not only the mainframe disaster backup, but implementing a complete disaster backup for his network to all of his customers. He called Norlight to see what additional business continuance services they might be able to provide beyond those he was currently using.

The Norlight Solution

UFS had been a customer of Norlight's for nine years, relying on Norlight, Inc. to provide wide area network, Internet and long distance services. Rick had been one of the 95% of satisfied Norlight customers, and had come to depend upon the reliable and responsive service demonstrated to UFS on a day-to-day basis. Tom Berka, Norlight account executive for UFS, suggested that Rick tour Norlight's state-of-the-art data center located in Brookfield, Wisconsin, to check out the options available.

Built to the demanding specifications of Norlight, Inc. in 2003, the data center is outfitted with protected power via UPS units, as well as redundant diesel generator backup, which can power the data center for several days without power or refueling. Redundant HVAC systems, fire suppression, overhead wiring trays for improved cable management and air handling, and reliable Internet and data transport connectivity via Norlight's SONET-based network round out the features of Norlight's data center. And of course the facility has the multi-layer security procedures in place to ensure that access is monitored and restricted at all times.

The Result

This past November, UFS conducted a test of the redundancy of Norlight's data center. This entailed shutting down their systems in Grafton and swinging the operation of all data processing servers over to Norlight. According to Rick, "The cutover was simple, seamless and pain free. I couldn't have been more pleased. I get a lot of comfort knowing that Norlight's got my back."