Mike Talon advises you of the many ways you can get valuable input from your peers that will help your professional development as well as improve your disaster recovery plan.

Getting help for disaster recovery (DR) projects can be a daunting task to say the least. In addition to training on new equipment and having vendors and contractors help out, you may find you need even more assistance. For example, how can you find out what works and what doesn't without going through the process of trial and (expensive) error? Networking with other tech professionals can be a huge asset when it comes to planning your DR strategy.

Finding professional organisations is a good first step toward networking in the DR world. Many larger companies sponsor meetings where you can find other IT professionals working on those platforms and experts in those fields. For example, Microsoft often offers seminars and other events, where professionals and Microsoft employees get the chance to exchange information and ideas on different platforms. Oracle, Sun Microsystems, IBM, and many other companies also provide these types of events, which offer an incredible chance to network on those particular topics.

Third parties also sponsor various events that can offer a vendor-neutral place to come together and discuss particular topics. User groups are one example of this kind of event, where the group-sponsored organisation meets regularly to promote ideas and exchange information. Often, various vendors will be invited to showcase their products, offering you a glimpse of what they have to offer without any hard-sell tactics.

Larger non-vendor events can give you the opportunity to network with a much broader group of tech pros. Common American examples of these events are consumer conferences such as ComDex and PCExpo, as well as industry-specific events run by firms such as Gartner. Though these events probably won't focus on a particular product or set of technologies, chances are you will find many other professionals who are looking to share knowledge on topics related to DR planning and implementation.

Working cooperatively with other tech professionals gives you the opportunity not only to get help on significant projects, but also to give back to the community at large -- so everyone wins. Always remember you do not have to go it alone, and taking advantage of networking with other tech pros will give you an advantage in your DR planning that goes far beyond even the best training money can buy.

TechRepublic is the online community and information resource for all IT professionals, from support staff to executives. We offer in-depth technical articles written for IT professionals by IT professionals. In addition to articles on everything from Windows to e-mail to firewalls, we offer IT industry analysis, downloads, management tips, discussion forums, and e-newsletters.

©2006 TechRepublic, Inc.