By Andy McCue
Friday, June 09 2006 09:37 AM
URL: http://www.zdnetasia.com/insight/business/0,39051970,39365962,00.htm

IT bosses say their defenses are well-prepared to cope with any extra pressure on the corporate network as a result of staff watching World Cup matches online at work.

Two-thirds of Silicon.com's 12-man CIO Jury IT user panel said they don't anticipate having to put in place any special access restrictions or IT tools to deal with any World Cup-related bandwidth drain.

The World Cup, which kicks off in Germany on June 9, will be the first to demonstrate mainstream use of mobile and Internet streaming of matches. Just last week the BBC announced it will broadcast all its World Cup matches live on the Internet as well as on TV.

But most IT chiefs said existing network control and protection measures are good enough to ensure World Cup traffic doesn't adversely impact the performance of business applications running on the corporate network.

Phil Young, head of IT operations at Amtrak Express Parcels, said: "We already have control software in place and will be monitoring the situation and block access to those sites that take additional bandwidth on our network."

Nicholas Evans, European IT director at Key Equipment Finance, said: "Our firewalls already block most areas of websites with streaming media and we still have the video hooked up, the surround sound and projector from the last World Cup in our conference room."

Others are taking a more pragmatic approach to the situation. Nicholas Bellenberg, U.K. IT director at publisher Hachette Filipacchi, said: "We're a media company and have to accept these things are the way of the future. I don't think our bandwidth will die but if it does, we'll block some sites off."

Ric Francis, operations director at the Post Office, said his organization has opted for advice and guidance for staff rather than any punitive measures. He said: "We do share the issue of the Beeb's matches being available online so we will take steps to restrict this potential for a network hit."

One organization that is, not surprisingly, actively encouraging staff to get involved in the World Cup is online betting exchange Betfair.

Rorie Devine, IT director at Betfair, said: "Everyone has put a huge amount of work in here getting ready for the World Cup, so hopefully there will the opportunity for us to watch and enjoy some of the games."

Betfair's exchange has recently been an accurate predictor of the outcome of major global events--such as the U.S. Presidential Election--and Devine said Betfair punters are currently pointing to France winning the World Cup in Berlin on July 9.

Other CIOs on the Jury this week largely disagreed, however, with most predicting David Beckham and co will bring the World Cup back to England.

Andy McCue of ZDNet Asia's sister site Silicon.com reported from London.