NEW YORK, NY, Dec. 21, 2005 -- Businesses worldwide are failing to prepare for the type of business continuity emergency steps that a global pandemic, such as avian flu, might cause, according to Basex, Inc., the leading provider of research on the productivity of knowledge workers and how technology impacts them.

For situations that could cause absenteeism to rise to 25 percent above normal rates, companies need to ensure that they can keep business moving. An Emergency Collaborative Response, a crisis where a company's IT infrastructure -- including collaboration and knowledge sharing tools -- ensure business continuity is beyond the capabilities of most companies according to Basex' findings.

In the event of a significant incident, companies need to be able to comply with local governmental recommendations such as requesting that employees stay home. "At IBM, we already have an online environment that manages almost every aspect of an IBM'ers work, regardless of physical venue," said Mike Wing, vice president of strategic communications at IBM.

But few companies are as far along in their preparations as IBM, as described in a case study included in the Basex report.

"Most corporate managers have not begun to even contemplate what scenarios would play out in the event of a pandemic influenza," said Jonathan B. Spira, Basex' CEO and chief analyst.

The report, Strengthening Corporate Pandemic Preparedness and Response, is available from the Basex Web site at no charge at http://www.basex.com/pandemic. The report outlines the issues companies face and provides clear, concise information that companies can use to begin formulating their own contingency plans.

According to Dr. Isaac Weisfuse, deputy commissioner of disease control at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, "the middle of the pandemic is not the time to start making arrangements."

Basex is the recognized expert in Collaborative Business Environments, the intersection of content, knowledge, and collaboration within the enterprise and beyond. The company has been cited by KMWorld as one of the "100 Companies that Matter in Knowledge Management." Basex has a 23-year track record of accurate research and visionary analysis that drives its clients to make the right technology decisions for their business. More information on Basex can be found at http://www.basex.com/.