Glbal News
April 2005
Your Business And The Internet
Do you have a policy in your business that gives your workers an understanding
of what their Internet limits are? With the rapid expansion of the Internet, fast
networking and broadband Internet have become a must have in the business world,
but has this affected your productivity? Modern managers have discovered that
giving their employees more freedom has resulted in an increase in morale, but
unrestricted Internet access can lead to a big problem. Consider a worker earning
$35 an hour, and spending one hour each day using the Internet for personal reasons.
This would cost $8400 per year, and that's just for the one worker!
You need to have an Acceptable Use Policy in your workplace that all workers understand. Make
sure it is realistic and flexible. It should cover the 3 main parts of Internet access - browsing,
downloading and e-mail.
Browsing the Internet may seem harmless, but it is a waste of your time, and your money. Setting up
filters and monitoring software will help you track how the Internet is being used
in your workplace. This will stop most of the mischievous activities happening through the Internet,
and make you able to monitor what is taking up your bandwidth. This will keep your workers on task,
and help ensure that they are browsing the Internet legally.
A few workers downloading the latest Star Wars trailer will slow the Internet
access for everyone, and disrupt your working environment. You need to make it
clear that bandwidth is just like a pipe, and if you fill that pipe too much with
downloading useless things, there isn't much space in the pipe to for everyone
else to work. Install software that will restrict downloading during peak times,
so it can be open for others and monitor your bandwidth.
E-mail has always been a big issue. Viruses must be controlled, but general attachments can be
problematic too. Just because it is an e-mail, doesn't mean it isn't using your bandwidth. Restrict
large attachments, especially during peak times, and constantly check for viruses.
Keep your workplace safe. As the amount of pornographic, hate and other offensive e-mail grows, so too
does the risk of legal liability. Monitoring software, though it may seem irrational, is a must
have in this modern era.
Policies are important in the workplace, but creating a policy is not an overnight process. Make sure
you seek advice, and your local Computer Troubleshooters is willing to help you with whatever you
need - it will save you hard earned money and precious time!
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