Buildings normally house a number of basic supply and disposal networks that therefore serve
as a foundation for all business processes in an organisation, including its IT. Examples of such
supply networks include the following:
• electrical power
• telephone
• cooling
• heating and ventilation
• water and waste water
• fire-fighting water supply
• gas
• alarm and control systems (e.g. for intrusion, fire, building management)
• intercom systems
Amongst other things, the failure or malfunction of a supply network can mean that people
can no longer work in the building or that IT operations and thus information processing are
impaired.
The networks are mutually dependent to varying degrees, which means that operational
disruptions in any of the individual networks will also affect the other networks.
Examples:
• A failure of the heating or ventilation may mean that all employees have to leave the
affected buildings. Under certain circumstances this can result in high damages.
• A power failure will not only have a direct impact on the IT, but also on all other
networks and systems equipped with electrically operated monitoring and control
technology. There may even be electric lifting pumps installed in the sewage pipes
under certain circumstances.
• A failure of the water supply may eventually affect the operation of air conditioning
systems.