
Make the connection
It seemed like everyone wanted to watch the Games, even people who had never taken an interest in sport before. That meant corporate networks faced the prospect of lots of employees streaming the Games at work. And with many firms running remote and flexible working policies at the same time, it looked like networks were in for a tough time. Businesses were facing a situation where they couldn't:
- Work productively
- Collaborate effectively
- Work remotely and use mobile devices
- Keep critical applications running
Plus, there was the cost of maintaining out of date networks. As a result, Cisco research shows that a quarter of businesses expected connectivity to be the main source of disruption to their business during the Games.
The Olympic transformation
The prospect of downtime convinced many businesses to invest in networks. Before the Games, a third of businesses planned to invest in network infrastructure. However, according to Cisco research, 77% of businesses improved their network infrastructures over the course of the Games.
The businesses that transformed their networks ensured that critical applications could function for employees in and out of the office. This was paramount to the success of work-from-home and flexible working policies.
The legacy of network improvements…
…for employees
London 2012 is widely regarded as the first truly digital and mobile games. People had access to more coverage than ever before: around 2,500 hours of live Olympic action. In many cases, employees could stream events to their work PCs. And some businesses even organised meeting rooms for staff to watch the big events. Improvements to corporate networks also meant employees could work from home and around the big events. Consequently, they could:
- Maintain productivity and watch the Games
- Avoid transport problems
- Test remote and flexible working
…for businesses
Businesses transformed their networks to avoid downtime and maintain productivity over the summer. Those that did come out of the Games with a faster network that will:
- Help staff work more productively
- Support big data and multiple devices
- Improve business continuity
- Reduce maintenance costs
Make the connection
It seemed like everyone wanted to watch the Games, even people who had never taken an interest in sport before. That meant corporate networks faced the prospect of lots of employees streaming the Games at work. And with many firms running remote and flexible working policies at the same time, it looked like networks were in for a tough time. Businesses were facing a situation where they couldn't:
- Work productively
- Collaborate effectively
- Work remotely and use mobile devices
- Keep critical applications running
Plus, there was the cost of maintaining out of date networks. As a result, Cisco research shows that a quarter of businesses expected connectivity to be the main source of disruption to their business during the Games.
The Olympic transformation
The prospect of downtime convinced many businesses to invest in networks. Before the Games, a third of businesses planned to invest in network infrastructure. However, according to Cisco research, 77% of businesses improved their network infrastructures over the course of the Games.
The businesses that transformed their networks ensured that critical applications could function for employees in and out of the office. This was paramount to the success of work-from-home and flexible working policies.
The legacy of network improvements…
…for employees
London 2012 is widely regarded as the first truly digital and mobile games. People had access to more coverage than ever before: around 2,500 hours of live Olympic action. In many cases, employees could stream events to their work PCs. And some businesses even organised meeting rooms for staff to watch the big events. Improvements to corporate networks also meant employees could work from home and around the big events. Consequently, they could:
- Maintain productivity and watch the Games
- Avoid transport problems
- Test remote and flexible working
…for businesses
Businesses transformed their networks to avoid downtime and maintain productivity over the summer. Those that did come out of the Games with a faster network that will:
- Help staff work more productively
- Support big data and multiple devices
- Improve business continuity
- Reduce maintenance costs
Download: How business is changing
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