Sirs,

I have set up an International Association for Data Recovery, (http://www.IPDRA.org). The reason for this association is simply to differentiate between ‘Tier 1’ data recovery companies and the ‘back-bedroom’ or ‘Fred-in-a-shed’ companies that seem to make our clients data worse, promising the world and delivering nothing.

The International Professional Data Recovery Association is a brand new association. I am looking for people to join me as committee members, people who will be able to suggest other members to join the association or validate requests for entry by other organisations or individuals.

The object of this venture is not to make lots of money, (the fees are quite inexpensive), but to allow entry to the association to people/organisations who qualify through professional expertise, not just from paying a fee.

Although I am a director of Disklabs, I think that all professional data recovery companies and practitioners need this organisation. I also think that with good membership around the globe, we can offer the client a differentiator to show the quality of the work to be undertaken. It will be like a quality stamp.

Being a member of this association will assist your clients choose your company.

If you are interested, please respond to me at ipdra@ipdra.org

Kind regards,

Simon

_________________
Simon

http://www.disklabs.com

International Professional Data Recovery Association

Hi Disklab,
Did You Become Tier 1 From The First Day You Started Repair And DR .I Am 100000000000000000% Sure You Were Also "Fred In A shed " And "Back Bedroom" Types That Time,When You Started Into DR And Repair .Then You Invested In Tools ,Researched ,Experimented ,Learned and Slowly Migrated To So Called Tier1 [ That is You Say You Are Tier 1,I Do Not Know About Others ] .If this Is a Case Then There will Be Need for Three Websites

1 :Tier1 [ Made By You ] For Actual Tier 1 or So Called Tier1 DR And Repair Technicians
2 :"Back Bedroom" And "Fred In a Shed" Which Are Migrating To Become Tier1
3 :"Back Bedroom " And "Fred In a Shed" Who Plan To Do stay Right There

Kindly Don't Take In In The Offensive Way I Was Just Trying To Elaborate On the Issue .I Hope Some People Will Jumpinto This discussion

_________________
Regards
Amarbir S Dhillon , Chandigarh Data Recovery Labs [India]
Logical,Semi Physical And Physical Data Recovery
Website-> http://www.chandigarhdatarecovery.com

Simon

This is interesting, however what does concern us is that associations are meant to be independent and above board. I AM A SCEPTICAL "OLD GIT", and I am nervous since I find non of the following on the site:

1. Legal status of the association, and therefore liability of members
2. Articles of association
3. Current committee members
4. Affilitation with any national chartered bodies
5. Address for sending legal correspondence
6. Financial standing of the association
7. Technical qualifications of the [temporary] committee that will assign a companies ranking
8. Voting rights of members
9. Law under which the association will operate

The domain name is clearly registered to an individual and not the association, so who owns the IP to the domain - is it yourself or the association.

The contact email address on the WHOIS records is to a commercial organisation - DISKLABS.

I don't wish to be negative, but is this just another ruse to (i) add a logo to a website; (ii) to understand the competitive landscape in the market; (iii) force companies to join yet another industry association or chartered body.

Personally I don't have enough time keeping up to date with the likes of the chartered bodies out there who have spent 40-100 years developing a valid professional membership and brand!!!

scegs :-O

Hello Simon,

I thought your core business was buying old drives and re-selling them.

Also, I heard you just recently employed some person on PC3000,
like just a few months ago..

There are a lot of very clever people here, who maybe like to be
called "Freds in the shed" - and quite a few of these "Freds" are
better skilled than some "TIER 1" as you call it.

As Coffeebean said, your business is buying hard drives and re-selling them, so you may become our client one day. So i won't say anything negative.

But from my personal opinion, When I heard some INTERNATION ASSOCIATION, I was shocked.

An association is not only website, you should work more and get everything ready. If possible, get support or Licnese or cooperation from a government department or some qualified company.

The friends here gave good suggestion,please think about their suggestions.

_________________
SalvationDATA--Profesionnal Hard drive solution Provider. MSN: sales.laura@salvationdata.com

Salvationlaura,
You Always Keep On Selling .... In One Way Or Another .You Are A Good Sales And Marketing Girl .Keep It Up ......

_________________
Regards
Amarbir S Dhillon , Chandigarh Data Recovery Labs [India]
Logical,Semi Physical And Physical Data Recovery
Website-> http://www.chandigarhdatarecovery.com

Thank you. I will work harder and offer quality customer services for my clients too.

If you want specail discount, feel free to contact me!

_________________
SalvationDATA--Profesionnal Hard drive solution Provider. MSN: sales.laura@salvationdata.com

All these are very good points, and I take them all on board.
Your points 1 - 9 are all valid and need looking into. I have never set up an association before, hence these questions remain unanswered. However, I have done something about it.

As for the domain, when the Association is legal, I will arrange for it to be transferred from my personal ownership to that of the association.

The whole point of this organisation is to make it fair, not to make a competitive advantage from it. If all of us who have invested time and money are members, the clients will feel safer knowing that they are sending their valuable data to a professional organisation, rather than the 'not so good ones'.

ANY HELP WHATSOEVER with your points 1 - 9 would be most appreciated. I cant do this all on my own.

Regards,

Simon

_________________
Simon

http://www.disklabs.com

International Professional Data Recovery Association

Coffeebean,
Thanks for your comments. We have an employee who has 13 years experience on the PC3K, and another with 7 years experience. We also have engineers from all over the world.

1st Computer Traders Ltd was set up to repair hard disk drives, but as its not viable now, (nor for some years), then this is not our core business, nor has it been for some years. We do still sell some drives, but thats generally to data recovery companies as we have thousands in stock.

I understand that there are many clever people, but personally, if I was a business who had lost some critical data, I would want to make sure that the organisation I sent it too would be at least Secure, Competant, had all/most of the latest kit, to ensure that A. The data was safe. B. there was a better chance of recovery.

Some of the 'Freds' may well be excellant engineers. If this is the case, then I suggest that they join too. Simple as that?

Regards,

Simon

_________________
Simon

http://www.disklabs.com

International Professional Data Recovery Association

SalvationLaura,

Whilst I appreciate that the website is just a start, it is never the less a start. An association is something that this industry has needed for some time, but no-one has done anything about it. I have. Its not much, but the fact that we are discussing it must be good.

I like the idea of government endorsement etc, however, I feel that we must first walk before we can run. Currently, there are no members, (though I feel Disklabs will join today!), and no funds/bank account etc. These are all things that I have to get sorted.

Perhaps you and Salvation Data would like to be involved? be part of the committee?

Simon

_________________
Simon

http://www.disklabs.com

International Professional Data Recovery Association

Hi Simon,

congratulations, ... nice to see companies moving up in the world.

Some might say that this club idea is a vestige of the colonial ages ..

anyway, success ! not for me though

10 years trading on the 27th September. Not too bad eh?

_________________
Simon

http://www.disklabs.com

International Professional Data Recovery Association

Then one must never be asked for the money or fee to join it.........

eh?

_________________
Simon

http://www.disklabs.com

International Professional Data Recovery Association

so you half the age of Ontrack.

you think they going to join?
and what about LifeSavers and BackAction?

Privately owned.

I doubt they would join, however, you never know. As for LifeSavers and BackAction, I have not heard of them.

Its not about who's the best its about doing something to differentiate the professionals from the not so professional.

_________________
Simon

http://www.disklabs.com

International Professional Data Recovery Association

probably meant Drivesavers and the former Actionfront.

There are several "dead" data recovery associations already. Why don't you join one of them? Or every company now should have their own "association"?

This is fun to watch for sure

"Keep It Real"

HddG

Living in a Shed

_________________
A man is as old as he feels, and a woman as old as she looks

Starling,

you seemed quite sceptical of my new association. Why dont you join and become a committee member?

If you check the website, quite a bit has been done.

Regards,

Simon

_________________
Simon

http://www.disklabs.com

International Professional Data Recovery Association