Tech Data Website, eBusiness Tools Offline Following Hurricane Irma

Tech Data's core ERP system and ordering tools are unavailable due to widespread power and communication utility outages after Hurricane Irma.

The distributor said its StreamOne, XML, EDI and shop.techdata.com eBusiness systems remain down, with its Clearwater, Fla.-based headquarters and Miami-based Latin American export office closed Tuesday due to those outages.

"We continue to work closely with our network service providers to resolve the connection issues and are ranked high in the prioritize queue to have connectivity issues restored quickly," Joe Quaglia, Tech Data's President, Americas, said in a note to partners Tuesday. "We have activated our full disaster recovery plan and are enacting additional contingency plans to resume operations as soon as possible."

[RELATED: Hurricane Irma: Florida Solution Providers Batten Down The Hatches As Massive Storm Approaches]

A Tech Data spokesman said the company had robust disaster recovery plans prior to the storm, but they have been complicated by the lack of network connectivity.

The distributor expects its connectivity issues to be resolved after network service providers address the needs of area hospitals and military installments, according to the spokesman.

The network connectivity issues have also resulted in some Tech Data employees losing remote access to their work email, the spokesman said. The systems went down late Sunday when Irma struck the Tampa Bay area, according to the spokesman.

Quaglia's note only referenced network connectivity issues in the U.S. But a note to partners Monday from a Canadian account manager said techdata.ca was down as well, and pledged that the distributor's Canadian sales teams will endeavor to prioritize purchase orders so that they are processed as quickly as possible once systems are restored.

The ability to transact legacy Technology Solutions business has not been impacted and can be accessed as it normally would, according to the Canadian account manager. Tech Data acquired Tempe, Ariz.-based Avnet Technology Solutions in February for $2.6 billion.

Tech Data's Clearwater headquarters is without power or air conditioning due to an impact to the company's HVAC unit, the company spokesman said. Although the office is closed Tuesday, the spokesman said a small, customer-facing staff is in the office.

The distributor's Miami office suffered wind damage to the exterior, the spokesman said, and Tech Data is waiting on systems to be restored before opening the office.

The distributor services countries in Latin America and the Caribbean without a brick-and-mortar presence out of its Miami office, and the site is home to both legacy Tech Data and Technology Solutions employees, according to the spokesman.

Tech Data's website, meanwhile, said that power has temporarily been re-directed to ensure continuous service. The site encourages visitors to check back in a couple of hours, as systems are expected to be returned to normal operating status soon.

More than 6.5 million account holders across Florida were without power as of Monday afternoon, according to the state's emergency management officials.

Irma hit the Florida Keys on Sunday as a Category 4 storm, and has resulted in severe flooding in Northeast Florida as well as 10 fatalities from Florida to South Carolina.