Bell Business Insights newsletter

How new usage patterns are changing the enterprise environment

By Sunil Chadha
Senior Manager of Convergence & Mobility Solutions, Bell Business Markets

The only time employees think of the corporate network is when it's not working. While that truism is surely a sore point for IT, it's also at the root of some potential endemic challenges for the enterprise environment now and in the near future.

The problem is that more than ever at every level, employees are relying on networks in the enterprise environment and using it—usually without second thought—in ways that are adding strain to network resources. While the growing ubiquity of mobile devices and cloud applications offers greater business agility and overall productivity, it can also pose challenges for legacy networks, including new usage patterns, bandwidth requirements and security threats.

You may not even be aware of the extent to which your network is prepared for these changes, but change is coming nonetheless. Here are five trends that will require most organizations to adapt to a new network reality.

1. Mobile devices are everywhere
Consider this: over 14 million iPads were sold across the world in just over a year. As big as that number is, it's just the leading wave to a whole new style of computing.

Tablets, smartphones and other personal mobile devices are proliferating in the enterprise environment at astonishing speeds. A growing number of employees, particularly executives, are accessing information, streaming video, collaborating with colleagues and sending and receiving email over the corporate network using these personal mobile devices.

The problem with the trend some call "Bring Your Own Device" (or BYOD) is that the devices aren't equipped with actual connection ports. Consequently, users must access the wireless network, which in turn puts growing strain on the overall system if the network is not optimized for the increased load.

2. Data and applications are moving to the cloud
In conjunction with mobile devices, cloud applications provide users with the ability to access information and connect with colleagues anytime, anywhere. Although this is beneficial from a productivity standpoint, these applications put additional strain on your network. At the same time, the unsanctioned transfer of data can also open the door to increased risk.

Along with the push towards the cloud, experts are predicting that desktop PCs will eventually be running off a virtual in-client. This also adds significant overhead to your network and organizations need to ensure that their networks have adequate bandwidth capabilities.

3. Video and voice are becoming synonymous
As video and data transfer technology matures, enterprises are turning to videoconferencing as a means of collaborating. In most cases video and voice are becoming linked as an application, allowing colleagues to switch seamlessly from a phone call to a video chat. This convergence is good news for enterprises that are making the move towards a more mobile workplace, because it eliminates the need for specialized video equipment and networks separate from voice and data. An integrated system also means less stringent interference requirements thanks to improved throughputs and dynamic bandwidth allocation creating a better overall user experience.

4. Bandwidth demands are increasing
Existing legacy networks were not typically designed to handle the robust level of activity that comes with video, cloud applications and especially wireless devices. The challenge for IT departments lies in successfully managing this complex new network environment. Network strain can lead to dropped voice and video calls, disrupted streaming and difficulty connecting to the server for day-to-day business functions. These issues will only continue to worsen as more employees use mobile devices in the office.

To put this into perspective, let's say that 10% of employees use smartphones and tablets regularly. What kind of network complexities would arise if that usage jumped to, for example 25%? A 15% increase in wireless traffic can lead to a severe degeneration of user experience, if the network is not optimized for it.

In order to accommodate the higher usage, organizations should consider implementing a high-powered WLAN network that seamlessly integrates your existing IP, 3G mobile and corporate WiFi into one system.

5. Security needs are changing
As the use of mobile devices in the enterprise continues to increase, so too does exposure to security threats. BYOD introduces to the network clients that are not equipped with enterprise-level security features, and can bring serious harm to the corporate environment. Moreover, a wireless access point doesn't provide administrators with a clear view of all activity on the wireless network—so the more users connected, the greater the chance of a security threat.

These risks are further compounded if employees are setting up their own private wireless networks on the LAN environment. These "rogue networks" are nearly impossible to monitor if network administrators don't know they exist and can lead to even more threats if they aren't secured properly.

In this new network environment, organizations need to monitor and control what data is accessible on personal devices through processes such as encryption. But the proliferation of mobile devices and the use of cloud applications also require a shift in security policy to manage data and individuals' access to it, while putting less emphasis on managing the access of devices.

Preparing now for the future network
Given the rapid adoption of mobile devices, cloud services and advanced video technology, existing network technologies could become obsolete in as little as five to eight years. Consequently, organizations need to start planning for a transition to a more robust, scalable and secure network in order to meet the evolving needs of employees.

Related resource: Learn more about getting your network ready
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