As an IT professional I do a lot of problem solving and so far I’ve had a few awkward walk-ins on my clients. I’ve walked in on an employee staring at playboy type topless models; of course he saw me coming and began to struggle and fumble with his mouse like there was an emergency evacuation in the building.

There was this lady that had at least 15 pages on weight loss up on her web browser. I briskly walked-in in my usual way and saw everything (she was so embarrassed). Yes! Sometimes Interesting stuff can bring shame upon you like rain. She struggled with the mouse until I was breathing down her shoulders. I felt really bad creeping up on her like that, it wasn’t my fault I was carried away with the task at hand. I bet she also had been carried away with the food in her hand over the years. Don’t judge me; users tend to think the IT guy works for the police. Last time I checked, topless models and weight loss programs are not illegal (topless models might get you in trouble).

Remember your computers are also downloading updates from time to time. Some staff stream multimedia content on the web; which can be quite a bandwidth hog. Unless you can afford high speed internet, all of these will contest for limited internet resource, eat up precious work time and reduce staff productivity. Most times, I can’t even get myself to write because I’m too busy with non essential stuff and I keep postponing actual work.

How to make efficient use of the internet during office hours

I’m not saying it’s wrong to take a peek at some stuff on the web while you’re on your corporate intranet or using an office tool during work hours. However, if your office can only afford to pay for limited data (yes a lot of small businesses cannot afford unlimited data) or a low speed connection. It’s essential that internet usage is monitored so as to better manage limited data and bandwidth. This will ensure that every user can make efficient use of it, thereby improving staff productivity.

Various web security solutions like Websense web security and the likes of it can be used to effectively manage internet resources and provide a robust all round security protection. However, such solutions will come at a price that may be out of reach for small businesses (especially startup companies). Depending on your internet provider, a CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) may have some features that will enable you manage web usage. Subsequently, I will be reviewing certain pocket friendly products that can cater to this need for small businesses.

Have you had any awkward walk-ins on a customer or your colleague? Please share in the comments section below.

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