Business network usage shows marked rise

Business network usage shows marked rise

A marked increase in network usage for business applications has been revealed by a recent research project.

NetEvidence has reported that company networks are being “swamped” by video streaming and other bandwidth-hungry applications. As a result, it has seen an increase in the uptake of its Highlight Flow System as companies look to control the flow of data.

However, the situation could also prompt organisations to consider managed networks to ensure that there is plenty of bandwidth available for their needs.

Meanwhile, Richard Thomas, managing director of NetEvidence, noted that the key is to improve understanding of network usage.

“The more these organisations understand about who is consuming what, where and when, the better they can optimise their networks and improve the performance of their businesses,” he observed.

NetEvidence's findings of increased usage of bandwidth-heavy applications, is backed up by a recent surge in the number of people using certain cloud services. For example, eVoice is a telephone system based around the cloud, which relies heavily on internet access.

Its latest figures revealed a 180 per cent increase in mobile app voicemail retrieval between January and June of this year. Furthermore, businesses were found to be making use of the option to have different numbers and area codes for their company, citing improved customer service and a higher level of recognition and credibility as among the top benefits.

It is these kind of services, especially as video starts to become more popular in Voice over Internet Protocol conversations, that will start to eat into a firm's bandwidth and affect their systems' performance unless they are able to control its usage or install a more capable network.