Symantec Corp. announced that LifeGift Organ Donation Center is using Symantec Backup Exec and Backup Exec System Recovery to protect critical systems and information, including new organ and tissue donations, while ensuring business continuity in case of a potential disaster. Using Symantec data and system protection software LifeGift has implemented a disaster recovery plan to make the organization more resilient and keep organ donations usable should a disaster strike. Now LifeGift can rapidly recover key business functions within one hour as opposed to the 48 hours previously required.

LifeGift is one of 58 organ procurement organizations licensed by the federal government to provide individuals with a second chance on life through the donation of organs and tissue for transplantation. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, LifeGift’s 125-person staff serves nearly nine million Texans in 109 counties located in Southeast, North, and West Texas.

Keeping operations up and running around the clock is critical, as organs and tissues become unusable within hours. LifeGift must document hundreds of medical items, such as X-rays, lab test results and often cardiac tests, biopsies, and invasive lung examinations. This information is then gathered and shared quickly.

"Data and systems protection becomes a matter of life and death when it comes to organ donation," said Samuel M. Holtzman III, president and CEO of LifeGift Organ Donation Center. "In the event of a disaster, it is critical that we can recover and get back to business in a timely manner. We can’t afford for our operations to go down for even a couple of hours. For us that means someone’s life is on the line. Symantec has helped preserve our ability to save lives in case of extreme emergencies."

Symantec’s Platinum Partner, CompuCom Systems worked with LifeGift to implement a data protection and disaster recovery strategy that improved key recovery metrics by more than 90 percent.

In the event of a disaster, it is critical that LifeGift can recover its information and critical systems and get back to business quickly. To make this possible, CompuCom set up a redundant system with standby equipment at LifeGift’s remote office in Fort Worth, TX. Should data at LifeGift’s Houston, TX, headquarters become inaccessible, Backup Exec and Backup Exec System Recovery are configured to back up every hour over IP to the organization’s satellite office. Now critical data files and complete system backup images are ready to use when needed with no tapes need to be shipped.

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