Sterling Savings to LeverageBusinessRecoveryCenter in Liberty Lake, WA

SPOKANE, Wash., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Sterling Savings Bank has chosen IT-Lifeline, the largest provider of Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity (DR/BC) services for small to medium sized businesses in the Pacific Northwest, as their workplace recovery center.

IT-Lifeline offers a comprehensive solution for institutions looking to improve their current disaster recovery plans and processes or to start the process from the beginning. IT-Lifeline led Sterling Savings Bank through the Business Continuity Planning process, in which risks, both internal and external, were evaluated. The process has evolved from discussion and documentation to increased organizational resiliency including work place recovery.

"We are impressed with IT-Lifeline and their Business Continuity Planning process. We found them to be the obvious choice for critical components of our recovery plan. They are extremely professional and knowledgeable on the subject matter, which makes it easy to put confidence in them - knowing we can resume critical bank operations during adversity for our customers is a real comfort," said Cindy Parker, Information Technology Director of Sterling Savings Bank.

"Planning for a major business disruption can be overwhelming with all of the possible scenarios that have to be considered. Our experience within the DR/BC industry, specifically banking, enables us to efficiently tailor an effective solution that the customer can have confidence in," said Steve Tabacek, CEO of IT-Lifeline. He continued to say, "It is our responsibility to provide organizations with peace of mind that they have a designated place to re-locate and recover when confronted with adversity."

Sterling Savings Bank is a subsidiary of Sterling Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: STSA). With headquarters currently located in Spokane, Washington, Sterling operates full-service branches throughout Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana and California. Sterling provides complete personal, small business, commercial and institutional solutions.

For further information, contact:

    Brandon Tanner
    IT-Lifeline, Inc.
    VP Sales & Marketing
    509-984-1600
    btanner@itlifeline.net

    Jennifer Lutz
    Sterling Savings Banking
    Public Relations Administrator
    509-368-2032
    Jennifer.lutz@sterlingsavings.com

SOURCE IT-Lifeline, Inc.