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Disaster Recovery Takes Center Stage

In the wake of last week's terrorist attacks in the U.S., disaster recovery companies providing storage backup and other information technology services are helping get businesses back online as quickly as possible.

Comdisco Inc. (NYSE: CDO), a provider of backup facilities and one of the largest resellers of storage networking gear from EMC Corp. (NYSE: EMC), is currently assisting 47 corporate customers who were affected by the attacks and their aftermath.

The firms have relocated 3,000 of their employees to 13 of Comdiscos 23 recovery centers in the U.S. Additionally, three financial institutions are renting mobile data centers -- customized trailers with diesel generators -- from Comdisco.

Most of these affected customers are banks, insurance companies, and brokerage houses. Many were in New York and at least six were in the World Trade Center. But other customers' operations were disturbed due to building evacuations in Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Atlanta, Comdisco reports.

All of these customers all hold contracts with Comdisco that specify the type and amount of assistance they'll receive from the service provider following a disaster. Unfortunately, few expected their contracts to be put to the test so soon.

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