Out of band communication: Measuring ROI with 6 key performance indicators

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Your security team is facing a critical incident.

Primary networks are compromised, regular communication channels are down, and the clock is ticking. How do they coordinate a response? This is where out of band communication swings into action.

But here's the thing: how do you justify investing in systems you hope to rarely use? When the C-suite asks about return on investment for your out of band communication infrastructure, what metrics do you share?

If you've struggled with quantifying the value of your out of band solutions, you're not alone—and today, we're breaking down exactly how to measure and communicate that ROI effectively.

In this post, we’ll walk you through:

Why traditional ROI models fall short with out of band communication
Six rock-solid KPIs that actually make sense to track
How to align OOB investment with your broader business strategy

The challenge: Why traditional ROI metrics fall short for out of band communication

Trying to measure out of band communication ROI using conventional methods is like trying to quantify the value of an insurance policy you hope never to use. Here's why it's complicated:

Preventative value

How do you measure the cost of incidents that never happened? When out of band communication works perfectly, nothing goes wrong—making the benefits invisible.

Attribution complexity

Out of band systems don't operate in isolation. Their impact intertwines with other security and communication systems, making it difficult to isolate their specific contribution.

Intangible gains

Improved trust, better compliance posture, and enhanced reputation resist direct financial quantification.

Compliance focus

Many organizations implement out of band communication primarily to meet regulatory requirements and avoid penalties—not to generate profit.

Downtime valuation

The cost of downtime varies dramatically across organizations. For an e-commerce company, it might mean lost sales; for critical infrastructure, it could mean public safety risks.

An Avaya report found that downtime costs ranged from $2,300 to $9,000 per minute—but that figure changes drastically depending on your industry and organization size. This variability makes standardized ROI calculations challenging at best.

So, what's the solution? Reframe how you measure out of band communication value.

6 key performance indicators to measure out of band communication ROI

Here are the top KPIs you should monitor to gauge the ROI of OOB:

1. System uptime and availability improvements with out of band solutions

When primary systems go down, out of band solutions keep critical communication flowing. Here's how to measure this impact:

Uptime percentage

Track improvements in overall communication system availability after implementing OOB solutions.

Incident recovery time

Measure how quickly systems return to normal operations with OOB versus previous recovery times.

According to the Uptime Institute's 2023 Global Data Center Survey, 80% of organizations experienced at least one outage in the past three years, with 20% reporting "severe" or "serious" incidents. Organizations with robust out of band capabilities reported 72% faster recovery times during these events.

Practical tip: Compare historical uptime percentages before and after implementing out of band communication, focusing on improvement during incident periods.

2. Incident response time and mean time to resolution through out of band communication

Out of band communication can dramatically accelerate incident response. Track these metrics:

Mean time to detect (MTTD)

How quickly are incidents identified when OOB channels are available?

Mean time to respond (MTTR)

How much faster are teams responding and resolving issues?

A study by IBM Security found that organizations with dedicated out of band communication channels reduced their incident response times by an average of 67 minutes—critical when every minute of a security breach costs approximately $1,832, according to Ponemon Institute research.

IBM’s research shows that organizations with AI-powered security tools detect breaches 108 days faster than those relying on manual processes. This speed is essential, as delaying containment by just one day can escalate costs by thousands of dollars—evidenced by the $4.45 million global average price tag of a breach.

Practical tip: Create a dashboard tracking MTTD and MTTR for incidents, comparing scenarios where out of band communication was utilized versus those where it wasn't available.

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3. Cost savings from prevented downtime using out of band management

This is where the big ROI numbers live. Here's how to calculate it:

Prevented downtime cost

(Hourly downtime cost) × (Hours of downtime prevented) = Savings

Reduced breach impact

Compare breach costs before and after implementing OOB solutions.

For context, businesses with tested incident response plans reduced breach expenses by 18%, underscoring the financial value of preparedness.

Practical tip: Work with finance to determine your specific hourly downtime cost, then multiply by documented instances where out of band management prevented or reduced outages.

4. Regulatory compliance through out of band communication systems

Many regulations now mandate secure, resilient communication channels. Here's how to measure compliance improvements:

Compliance score improvements

Track how OOB implementation affects your regulatory compliance scores.

Reduced audit findings

Measure the decrease in compliance-related findings after OOB implementation.

Risk score reduction

Quantify how OOB reduces your organization's overall risk scores.

The cost of non-compliance can be staggering. According to the Ponemon Institute, the average cost of non-compliance is 2.71 times higher than the cost of maintaining compliance.

Practical tip: Create before-and-after snapshots of your compliance posture across relevant regulations (GDPR, HIPAA, NIST, etc.) to show how out of band management improves your standing.

5. Employee productivity and operational efficiency

When communication remains available during crises, productivity losses are minimized:

Reduced resolution effort

Measure the person-hours saved during incident resolution.

Decreased manual interventions

Track reduction in manual workarounds and interventions.

According to data, employees spend approximately 28% of their workweek managing emails and nearly 20% searching for internal information. During outages, these percentages skyrocket—unless OOB solutions are in place.

Practical tip: Survey teams about time spent on workarounds during previous outages versus current incidents with OOB available.

6. User and stakeholder satisfaction

Sometimes, the most powerful metrics are the simplest:

Internal confidence metrics

Survey leadership and teams about their confidence in the organization's communication resilience.

External trust indicators

Measure client/partner satisfaction with your incident communication.

Deloitte's research shows that organizations with trusted, resilient communication capabilities report 23% higher stakeholder satisfaction rates during crisis events.

Practical tip: Implement regular pulse surveys measuring confidence in communication systems, particularly after incidents or tests.

Final note: Bringing out-of-band communication into strategic focus

Out-of-band communication isn't just an IT expense—it's a strategic investment in organizational resilience. By tracking these six KPIs, you can translate technical capabilities into business value language that resonates with leadership.

The most effective OOB solutions provide secure, decentralized, and resilient communication when everything else fails. Look for platforms that offer end-to-end encryption, work across varied network conditions, support multiple authentication methods, and integrate with your existing security infrastructure.

How Rocket.Chat supports out of band communication goals

Open-source secure communication platforms like Rocket.Chat bring serious muscle to out of band communication:

End-to-end encryption (E2EE): Ensures private, secure messaging when primary networks are compromised.
Self-hosted and on-prem deployment: Allows organizations to retain full control over their data.
Offline messaging: Messages are stored and delivered once connectivity is restored.
Federation support: Enables communication across multiple independent servers, preventing single points of failure.
Two-factor authentication (MFA): Adds extra security layers to prevent unauthorized access.
Custom alerts and notifications: Instantly notify teams through multiple channels.
Audit logs and message archiving: Maintains records for compliance and post-incident analysis.
User role and permission management: Restricts access based on roles for enhanced security.
Mobile, desktop, and web access: Ensures communication continuity across devices.
Integration with emergency response tools: Supports interoperability with existing security infrastructure.

In other words? With over 12M global users and wide adoption in governments, enterprises, military, and healthcare, Rocket.Chat is built for business resilience.

Want to see how a robust out-of-band communication solution can enhance your organization's resilience?

Contact our sales team to discuss your specific needs.