Many small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are ignoring policies to
manage non-essential, personal use of the internet at work as they move toward
hosted and cloud computing applications.
A report by analyst firm Quocirca for service provider
Easynet
Connect looked at how internet use by SMEs differs across the UK.
The report suggests that SMEs seem relatively relaxed when it comes to
employees using the internet for personal use at work, with only 18 per cent
imposing a complete ban and 49 per cent employing a formal internet policy.
However, this means that roughly a third of SMEs surveyed have no formal
internet policy at all, thereby compromising their increasingly important
internet bandwidth.
When asked how they use the internet at work, 93 per cent of employees cited
general web browsing, while just over half visit social networking sites, and
almost a third use instant messaging.
"As a rising number of core business applications become web-based, it is
important that personal internet use does not compromise the performance of
these applications," said Chris Stening, managing director of Easynet Connect.
"However, it is also important for SMEs to strike a balance with their
employees. A complete ban is not the answer because, while some internet users
can consume a lot of resources, most simply wish to check their emails or do
some online banking, which consumes less bandwidth."
Stening believes that a compromise can be reached which allows employees to
engage in online activities without hindering the company's core online
applications.
"Most small and medium businesses do not measure personal use of the internet
at work, potentially compromising their internet connection," said Rob Bamforth,
principal analyst at Quocirca and author of the report.
"As the internet has become a strategic business resource, companies need to
identify suitable policy controls and protective measures to ensure they have
sufficient bandwidth to cope with business needs.
"Those allowing personal use of the corporate internet connection by
employees must understand its impact and plan their capacity and services to
accommodate these requirements."
The research pointed out that many smaller businesses are turning to
software-as-a-service and other managed services as a way of accessing
enterprise-class applications without the significant capital outlay. This makes
it even more important that they have the service level agreements in place with
their ISP, and that employees do not hog the vital bandwidth for personal use.
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