Disaster recovery is now considered a vital element of every company's planning activities. Disaster recovery refers to a set of business processes covering how a company will recover quickly from an unforeseen disaster, data loss, communications problems, or facilities damage. Having a disaster recovery plan in place before a problem strikes is an important step for any business that wants to protect against contingencies, and minimize the impact to stakeholders and employees. Business continuity is an important concept that should not be overlooked by companies large or small. Having a disaster recovery plan in place generally encompasses all of the major business areas, such as data and computer systems, communications, employees, equipment and facilities. Each area of the business should be included in a proper disaster recovery plan. Special attention should be paid to business data and IT infrastructure, as often major components of a company's competitive advantage or intellectual property will only be stored in this means. A variety of disaster recovery services are available on the Internet. As always, when researching disaster recovery services, be sure to look carefully for a company that can meet your company's needs, has experience in the types of disaster you are preparing for, and is able to work closely to make sure that all important elements of your business are covered as part of the disaster recovery plan