Situation

• One of Canada's largest credit unions took the decision to pursue a bank charter
• To qualify, Prospera Credit Union had to improve its disaster recovery capabilities to meet provincial and federal banking regulations

Approach

• Prospera chose to partner with TELUS, the only provider with a disaster recovery consulting practice
• TELUS undertook a comprehensive Business Impact Analysis to identify Prospera's critical business applications and their required recovery times
• From the options presented, Prospera chose to replicate their data to a TELUS Internet Data Centre, with additional servers available via quick-ship in the event of a disaster
• A separate work recovery area is available at any time

Business benefits

• Fully-redundant power supply and Internet connectivity, with round-the-clock security and monitoring, ensure anywhere, anytime access to replicated data
• Quick and efficient recovery is always assured
• Vital functions can continue operating, even if facilities at head office are no longer available as the result of a disaster
• A bank charter has been issued, enabling Prospera to open its virtual bank

Solution

Propsera Credit Union is one of the largest credit unions in Canada, with 60,000 members, 17 branches, six commercial banking centres, ten insurance offices and a contact centre.  Recently, the management team decided to pursue a bank charter in order to operate a "virtual" bank serving customers across Canada.

Before it could expand, Prospera had to improve its disaster recovery capabilities to meet both provincial and federal banking regulations.

As Prospera began looking for a service provider, Greg Dyck, Chief Information Officer, was particularly impressed with TELUS.  "They seemed to be the only company with a disaster recovery consulting practice," he says.

TELUS did a comprehensive Business Impact analysis to identify Prospera's critical business applications and their required recovery times.  TELUS then proposed a number of alternatives.  Prospera opted to replicate their data to a number of servers installed at the TELUS intelligent Internet Data Centre in Calgary, with additional servers available via quick-ship from SunGuard in the event of a disaster.

The highly secure environment at the Data Centre features a fully redundant power supply and Internet connectivity, with round-the-clock security and monitoring.  Prospera's head office and branches have access to the replicated data they may need, so no matter where a disaster occurs, quick and efficient recovery is always assured.

Prospera manages the servers and has 24 hour access to them at the data centre.  The credit union's own IT resources can swap servers in and out of whenever necessary - and, best of all from Dyck's point of view, they can test part or all of the solution at any time.

TELUS also provides a work recovery area, with twenty-five seats available at any time.  Each seat features a desk, telephone, PC and connectivity to the credit union's network, ensuring that vital functions such as the call centre can continue working, no matter what happens.

Fully tested before implementation, the solution has since passed its toughest test to date.  "To be awarded a bank charter, you must demonstrate that you have comprehensive and robust disaster recovery capabilities." says Dyck.  "We have been awarded our charter and we are in business."