Nationwide, data recovery has become a $6 billion share of the computer industry as companies and governments take to heart the lessons of lightning strikes, floods and other incidents, including the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Major companies, such as IBM and SunGard Data Systems Inc., have entire corporate campuses dedicated to data recovery.

Unlike buildings or inventory, lost information can be impossible to replace and can make it nearly impossible for a business to reopen.

Southwest Florida businesses learned those lessons in 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, and many have turned to a variety of data storage and backup options.

For a reasonable price, business owners can make copies of their important data themselves in one of a variety of ways and store it at a location outside of the hurricane zone.

"You can use backup tape drives, or even send [the data] to a CD-ROM," says Laura Pierre, an account relations manager for Synergy Networks Inc. in Fort Myers.

Data-backup software programs such as Backup Exec can make the job easier, she adds. "You can set it up to do whenever you want it to; a lot of people have to back up QuickBooks, which is their financial information," she says.

Another option is provided by a local company. Naples-based Internet Office Inc. offers a system for small- and medium-sized businesses that enables an owner or employee to access the company computer data via the Internet. With the threat of hurricanes and other disasters, it's an option that can be especially useful-even if a company's computers are destroyed by a storm. The system not only backs up the data, but has software allowing users to get back to work, says company CEO Greg Kirchdorfer.

Assuming Internet service is available, users could log in, pull out their laptops and work just as they did in the office the day before the storm. "When you hit the 'save' button on your sales invoice, and the hurricane comes through and the office is destroyed, you can go anywhere that has an Internet connection and bring up that invoice," Kirchdorfer says. "It allows you to virtually be anywhere on the planet and run your business 24/7. Not only does your data follow you, but your business office systems are available anywhere."

Internet Office relies on two data centers-in Kentucky and Florida-where companies' computer data is stored. "If one of [the data centers] goes down, the other one picks up automatically," he says.

Many small businesses don't have the wherewithal to handle disaster recovery, which is what makes the service appealing, adds Kirchdorfer. Plus, smallbusiness owners don't want to be burdened with maintenance and operations of computer systems, including backing up data. "They just want the system to work so they can get the job done and focus on why they're actually in business," he says.

But Internet Office is just one data-backup system available. Marc Farron, president of Kent Technologies, a Bonita Springs computer consulting firm, recommends that a business owner sit down with an expert and develop a disaster-recovery plan tailored to the business and its budget.

Online, off-site data recovery services can be quite expensive, especially for a small company, he says. The price is based on how often the information is stored and can cost a company thousands of dollars each year on an ongoing basis. Data can be stored at the off-site location each time it is saved and at the end of each day, or on a weekly basis.

In contrast, a Backup Exec program can cost between $400 and $1,200.

At a minimum, a company must be able to put its data on discs that can be taken off-site-probably the most cost-effective way to save data. Surprisingly, many companies don't do even that, he says.

"That is a first step in a disaster-recovery plan," he adds. "You've got to have policies and procedures. There are many different ways you can handle your applications."

Larger companies might choose to run their applications and data from a secure, off-site location, so personnel could access the server from computers at home, assuming they have power and access, or elsewhere.

Farron says disaster recovery involves more than storing critical business data. A business owner also needs to think about such functions as forwarding phone calls in the event of a hurricane.

"You have to be thinking of all these elements," he says.