The Olympic Games have begun! Unfortunately for most US workers, the Games are happening live while they're at work. And for those without a DVR, it might be tempting to watch the live streaming coverage online at the office.
It may seem harmless to watch a few events online, but, aside from hindering the productivity of the person watching, it could also cause a major slowdown in your Internet speed, causing the performance of the whole office to diminish.
Many business owners do not understand the full impact of these activities because they are not watching their Internet usage and bandwidth reports. My guess is that a large majority would be concerned with the amount of company time and resources that these actions are consuming.
Streaming content online is one of the biggest offenders for bandwidth usage. Imagine you’re going uphill on a two-lane highway and a truck carrying an oversized load merges in front of you. You and everyone else trying to use the road are going to suffer because you can only go as fast as the truck. That’s what can happen if even one person in your office listens to music or watches a video online.
However, IT systems can be set up to prioritize certain types of Internet usage so this slowdown does not occur for all activity types. For example, if your business uses IP phones, you can set up your system so voice is given priority. This way, you won’t have a crackly phone connection if someone starts to watch a webinar.
It’s nearly impossible to police every activity your employees do online, but implementing a web filter is an easy way to control what they can and cannot do when they’re using your company’s Internet connection. Additionally, these solutions offer Internet usage reporting, which will give you a high-level look at your bandwidth consumption, how much time your employees are spending on non-business related web activities, what sites they are visiting and your exposure to viruses.
If your office relies on cloud-based applications, putting a stop to unnecessary Internet usage should be even more of a priority.
If you’re concerned about your company’s bandwidth and want to look for ways to better manage it, feel free to give us a call to discuss your options.
