The speed, reliability and accessibility at which business can disseminate information is the primary driver for corporate success. Communication is the essential key to a world that demands instantaneous results. If used effectively, the information highway known as the Internet can rapidly maximize corporate visibility, increase productivity and touch a massive audience with relatively low expense. Advertising, email campaigns, webinars, software downloads, support and online commerce are some of the tools that can be implemented with relative ease. The Internet has become a part of modern living. Forward thinking companies have embraced this powerful global medium to communicate their message and conduct business. Virtually every business now has a web presence.
The Internet can also be a source of real time information, news and entertainment. Surfing the Internet has become a favorite pastime of people of all ages. Most businesses are generally resigned to the fact that employees are sometimes using company resources during business hours for personal use. Social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are regularly accessed during work hours. There is a huge risk of misuse, abuse and productivity loss. Some employees become so addicted to "staying connected" with their friends that it becomes detrimental to their work. The Internet is a vast world of unfiltered and unedited information. It can expose millions of people including minors to gambling, drug abuse, pornography, hate literature and violence.
Statistics from various respected sources indicate a critical need for internet control measures. International Data Corporation estimated that 30% to 40% of employee Internet use isn't work related. Nielsen/NetRatings reported 92% of online stock trading occurs from the workplace during work hours and 46% of online holiday shopping takes place at work. Another shocking statistic from SexTracker states that 70% of all Web traffic to Internet pornography sites occurs between 9 am and 5 pm. In the United States, real cost loss estimates range from 1.75 billion to well over 2.5 billion a year.
Communication managers must have a handle on Internet usage practices in order to gage bandwidth needs, monitor and control browsing activity and secure their business intelligence. Educational institutions, government agencies and general business can derive huge benefits from measuring and policing Internet usage. Perhaps of even greater importance, monitoring of communications can help detect intrusions and highlight attempts to steal, hack or sabotage corporate intellectual property.
Internet control is only part of the total picture. Managers need to have a unified communication management arsenal. Productivity loss from misuse of a combination of popular communication facilities such as non-business telephone and mobile calls, personal email, hiding behind voice mail and internet browsing can cost companies 30 minutes to two hours per day per employee. If each business owner extrapolates these findings based on lost salaries and opportunity cost the numbers are staggering.
Founded in 1990, Resource Software International Ltd. is a developer, manufacturer and distributor of total unified communication management solutions. The company offers a wide range of products including: call accounting, internet usage, hotel/motel management, contact center console and CTI applications. RSI has distributors in North America, Europe, Caribbean and Middle East.
For more information, visit http://www.telecost.com