Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/4636
www.iltanet.org Infrastructure Technologies 39 pump up the bandwith on a distributed worKforce and botnet outbreaks. As a network security incident goes, not many things could be more severe than an infection that starts on one machine and ends up infecting more machines in multiple locations. However, beyond the security concerns of this type of incident, there is an obvious and often dramatic network performance impact as well. Just as an infected PC gradually slows down to the point of needing to be rebuilt, a network infected with spyware or malware will gradually slow to a crawl. Many times these infections are acting as background processes that aren't even noticeable to the IT department, let alone the end user, yet they significanly degrade the bandwidth and performance of the network. PRIORITIZING WHAT MATTERS Many organizations with remote offices have realized the value of ensuring smooth, efficient and fast transport of data across the WAN. Whether through quality of service or WAN optimization, there is tremendous efficiency in the management of data across a multi-site network. However, many of these same organizations struggle with complaints of slow performance from end users even after implementing these optimization technologies. Ensuring prioritization and allocation of bandwidth within the remote office environments has proven to be just as critical as getting the data to the site efficiently. By taking an active stance on the network, IT can ensure that the critical traffic and applications run smoothly. TECHNOLOGIES THAT ENABLE Organizations that fully embrace the opportunity of running a highly distributed organization are far more likely to have invested in remote collaboration technology such as instant messaging, video and Web conferencing. Substantial empirical evidence indicates that these technologies will better enable workers to communicate, making these applications essential for enabling remote workers. And, if sanctioned and controlled by the IT department, just as with organization-specific applications, these collaborative tools can be tightly managed around the capability of the remote network. Despite some frustrations and the ongoing demands and challenges of ensuring performance, highly distributed organizations are here to stay, and those that embrace supportive infrastructure, tools and policies are the ones that will thrive and endure. All organizations likely need to become more distributed as working practices change and the benefit of making employees more mobile becomes ever more apparent. Through active management of remote and mobile office networks, an organization can ensure a smooth and successful experience for the end user community, can minimize intensive IT support for these locations and ultimately can better utilize existing infrastructure and resources. ILTA