The rise in online video and bandwidth-intensive applications is posing a significant threat to enterprise network bandwidth. Instituting a clear Internet usage policy within your organization will help ensure that network bandwidth resources are used efficiently, improving performance, productivity and the bottom line. Knowledge Center contributor Ermis Sfakiyanudis explains how you can set up reasonable acceptable-use policies, as well as invest in tools that help support those policies.
Regardless
of the effect on employee productivity, streaming video stresses a
corporate network a hundred times more than does e-mail or Web surfing
alone. Streaming video can cause severe problems ranging from slow
access to outsourced application services and enterprise e-mail to
complete network failure. Bandwidth-intensive applications such as
video conferencing and Webinars can have similarly detrimental effects
on an organization's network.
To prevent these network bandwidth problems, there are four specific
practices IT can adopt to better prepare and protect their organization:
Practice No. 1: Clearly delineate appropriate workplace Internet usage standards
Enterprises must have policies in place that both outline and even
prohibit certain ways staff can utilize the Internet at work. These
policies should be readily available for all employees to reference,
and they must agree to abide by the guidelines before being allowed on
the network. These guidelines should be as clear as possible and
include such regulations as:
1. Information technologies are to be used solely for business purposes
2. Employees should not assume that any computer equipment or technologies such as e-mail and data are confidential or private
3. Designated representatives maintain the right to access computer systems and review any information
4. Anyone found in violation of the policy may be subject to disciplinary action-up to and including termination of employment
Practice No. 2: Establish regular communication channels with staff
Education about how corporate network usage can affect an
organization is key to any successful Internet policy. Enterprise
Internet resources are communal, and employees need to understand that
their actions online will affect their colleagues' access to the
network-and possibly their customers' experience as well.
To ensure that Internet policies are understood, clear communication
practices are vital. Managers and IT need to have regular meeting times
in which all employees gather together and the appropriate usage of
workplace PCs is outlined. Management should openly discuss what
employees should and should not be doing online, as well as the
appropriate use of other company technologies. These meetings can also
be used as a time to reinforce the Internet policy in place and discuss
any changes or revisions. This is a good time to go over in detail some
of the more crucial aspects of the policy and ensure that any questions
are addressed.
Another critical communication channel is between IT and department
directors. IT should work directly with the directors of various
departments and help them to understand the online activity of their
department. The benefit of this communication model is that directors
get to better understand how their team is working during the day and
IT learns the specific needs of a given department. Ultimately, this
helps both groups estimate and allocate bandwidth by department or
location, based on need.
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