Forsythe Takes On Risk Management

Unlike competitors, Forsythe does not offer disaster recovery/business continuity facilities, or "hot sites," to clients, but instead provides vendor-neutral consulting, said David Nolan, vice president of services at Forsythe.

"Customers over the last few years have asked us to extend our high-availability capabilities to include security and disaster recovery," he said. "They want us to help eliminate their vulnerabilities. They say we helped them set up for high availability, so why not help with recovery?"

Customer response to the services has been strong, Nolan said, and Forsythe is looking to extend its services with the help of other partners. "We have hundreds of other solution providers who use our skills, or who have skills we need for a particular project," he said.

Bob Sidik, owner of R.A. Sidik Co., a Palatine, Ill.-based management consulting firm specializing in disaster recovery and business continuity, said Forsythe helped him eliminate a backlog of consulting work. "They have been very successful selling their assessment services," he said. "They are ramping up the process."

Sidik said Forsythe's lack of a hot-site option allows solution providers to objectively evaluate their clients' needs.