There are lots of ways to view Web use at work; now, technology and corporate policies are forcing many IT professionals to take yet another long, hard, and possibly expensive look at what their colleagues are doing online.
Despite convincing arguments for the benefits of enterprise social networking, a hearty faction remains set against trusting workers with the Web. Motivated in part by security concerns, many firms have taken to blocking social networking use among employees -- despite evidence that the tactic is a turnoff for many workers.
These protests may be falling on deaf ears. In her latest blog, ThinkerNetter and IT consultant Mary Shacklett points out that concerns, not just about security, but about lost productivity are moving enterprises to start tracking -- and limiting -- the time employees spend on personal Web pursuits.
Enter IT, whose job this becomes. "Many if not most large organizations are monitoring employees' usage of the Web," states Wikibon founder and former IDC guru David Vellante in an email today:
I know companies that monitor the number of emails sent to one’s own personal account, the percent that have attachments, the type of content emailed. As well I know corporations that have very detailed metrics on web sites visited; categorized by, for example: Business, Personal, Mix/Unclear and Inappropriate. I also know organizations (both public and private) that block access to certain sites... and not just Inappropriate sites, but also sites that are considered dangerous from a security standpoint.
It is the IT department that has to put all this together, keep it up to date, and "ideally automate it," Vellante continues. "And they have to manage exceptions; like certain execs may need access to a certain tool that's restricted."
Even more intriguing is Vellante's assertion that a growing number of firms use data analytics to correlate employee Web use activities with internal stats on productivity.
That stopped me cold: Imagine firms paying the big bucks and allocating precious IT resources in these cash-strapped times to design and implement a business analytics system -- to spy on employees' Web behavior!
But that's exactly what's happening, Vellante says. Often, the justification for these costly analytics systems is compliance; theoretically at least, the risk of running afoul of regulations can be greater than the risk of losing some talented employees who can't stand the thought of "Big Brother" at work.
There have also been precedents set in the area of employee surveillance over the last couple of years that have helped to normalize corporate monitoring.
Clearly, big firms aren't particularly shy about wanting more control over what their employees are doing online, and they're willing to pay for it.
It remains to be seen how the increased level of monitoring and analytics around employee Web use affects IT departments' ability to manage data on external activities. But whether it's a distraction or not, it's clear that big firms are demanding proof that the Web is really a boon to their efforts. And some are willing to sacrifice IT resources to find the answers.
— Mary Jander, ThinkerNet Editor, Internet Evolution
This blog is part of Internet Evolution's IT Clan, which addresses the continuing impact of the Internet on enterprise networks, applications, and management. Register here to join the IT Clan's conversation, and you just might win something unspeakably cool.
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