Avoid IT Headaches. Decide About Facebook, YouTube Upfront.
At the risk of alienating myself to all those YouTube fans out there, I want to call attention to a trend in network management: company Internet policies.
Nothing like a health care policy, an Internet policy is a simple statement that you craft that defines how and who uses what kind of bandwidth when in your business. It's important because it helps your IT manager bond, shape, load balance and prioritize your Internet traffic.
Without an Internet policy, many businesses look the other way while employees use the Internet for personal tasks, like checking Facebook, watching YouTube or downloading news stories. As this activity goes undisclosed, it can steal bandwidth from core data functions.
Still rolling your eyes? Consider this stat posted by TechFlash during March Madness, “streaming basketball games will also affect everyone else’s Internet speeds at work” and “could cost employers more than $190 million in lost productivity time.” Popular public events like March Madness can negatively impact your bottom line if you don’t prepare.
There’s good news. Bandwidth is cheap. So your Internet policy can be as simple as:
1. Saying, “Yes, we allow employees to use the Internet for personal tasks;”
2. Then adding a secondary Internet connection that supports those activities while protecting core business functions.
You’re IT manager will know what questions remain unanswered as far as your business’s Internet usage goes. The point is, if you take the time to accurately asses your true bandwidth needs you’ll be able to deploy a better solution and manage a more sophisticated business network.
No IT staff? I act as an outsourced IT expert for businesses without an IT department. Give me a call or shoot me an email and I’ll go over the specifics.
Reach me direct at (206) 420-0140.