You just can't use the Internet at work like you do at home ...
April 2004
Many of us find the Web invaluable at work, and if you're a modern office worker you might as well go home or go shopping if your Internet connection goes down.
Business in the modern age depends on email, and the slightest outage or blip in our precious connection to the online world generally has us screaming and tearing our hair out in frustration.
The halcyon days of the late 1990s saw us sending jokes via email at work and visiting cheeky websites without a care in the world about viruses, company bandwidth, hack attacks or legal ramifications. But these days corporations are a lot more careful about what they let their employees do online.
For the most part businesses do understand that some personal Internet usage during a lunch break or after work is acceptable. IT departments usually impose restrictions on certain sites and services, though--things like Hotmail, porn sites and peer to peer networks.
Software like Websense can automatically file sites into various categories, which Administrators can then restrict access to at different times (see a list at www.websense .com/products/about/database/categories .php). The software can even filter sites that have been cached by Google or other search engines.
Proxy servers can easily be configured to disallow things that might compromise a network's security. It's also easy for IT departments to install software which takes periodic screenshots of your monitor, so they can catch you if you're looking at porn or whiling away your day playing Yeti Sports ( www.yetisports.net).
Email
A study from the University of Nottingham suggests that a third of all employees spend 60 minutes a day clearing out spam. But to many companies, email chat between employees is also time wasting junk. The boss of Phones 4U has banned the use of internal email (external customers are still able to email the firm). John Caudwell claims his employees now have an impressive extra three hours a day in which "to concentrate fully".
Email is also used for personal correspondence during work hours. The use of personal Web based email is frowned upon in many large businesses because of the potential security risks. Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs staff are banned from using Hotmail, as are many civil servants. But many employees still use it, thinking (often incorrectly) that avoiding their desktop email client will protect them from any spying that might be conducted by the IT department. When Yahoo! was plugging its Web based email last year, it released a poll of 18,000 workers suggesting that 45 per cent of people suspected their colleagues were snooping on their emails during their lunch breaks. Sixty one per cent thought their IT departments spent their time scanning employees' emails.
Monitoring
So you think you're being watched at work? Are your keystrokes being logged? Is your every typed word scrutinised by the boss after you go home at night? Are your nerves on edge every time you click 'Send'?
"Certainly, if an IT department is monitoring your email, they're under obligation to tell you," says Natasha Staley, information security analyst at email filtering company MessageLabs ( www.messagelabs.com). The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act gives employers the right to monitor employees' email and Web usage, but this is balanced by the requirements of the Data Protection Act, which gives employees the right to see what information is stored about them and know why their communications may be monitored.
If your workplace hasn't made things clear in a staff handbook or on an intranet site, find out now. More about your rights at work can be found at the TUC's WorkSmart site ( www.worksmart.org.uk/rights /viewsubsection.php?sun=57).
Employee monitoring is seen as necessary by public companies and government agencies which don't want sensitive information leaked. The Information Commissioner's guidelines on monitoring at work ( www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk) recommend that employers inform workers that they may be held criminally liable "if they knowingly or recklessly disclose personal information outside their employer's policies and procedures". Ultimately, though, it's the company that will have to face the consequences if anything dodgy gets out, which is why they take whatever security precautions they can.
No company should come across as being draconian, Staley says, as this will have a detrimental effect on employee morale. "The odd email inviting people out to the pub after work isn't a big deal. Obviously, when personal use becomes excessive, or when the material being sent around is harmful or libellous, then it becomes an issue. But companies have to keep a fairly open culture."
An element of trust between employer and employee is a healthy necessity, Staley advises.
Peer to peer
The biggest potential waste of company resources is peer to peer networking. "Peer to peer is a massive risk," says Martino Corbelli, marketing manager of Web filtering company SurfControl ( www.surfcontrol.com). "It's used for two main reasons. One is the dissemination of copyrighted content, which could be films or music. The other is porn. Neither is desirable in a working environment."
With the Recording Industry of America targeting individual users of p2p networks with copyright lawsuits, Corbelli warns that it's possible for companies to be sued, too. "Companies have more money than individuals," he points out.
Up to 42 per cent of employees are sharing files using programs like Kazaa or Morpheus on corporate networks without their company's knowledge, estimates Blue Coat ( www.bluecoat.com), a company that provides filtering solutions using Web proxies.
Around 22 per cent of these workers considered p2p to be important for their job function, though. P2p as we know it may not present many business benefits, but grid (or distributed) computing is something large companies like Oracle and IBM are pushing to drive efficiency ( http://otmorade.com/tech /grid/index.html). Treating all computers in an enterprise as one networked 'grid' balances server loads and can prevent problems like databases crashing when many people try to access them at once. The ability for a network of computers to access large applications and files 'on tap' presents tantalising opportunities.
Content
If you accidentally open a spam mail and an explicit advertisement pops up, would you sue your company? What if a risque joke gets sent around which an employee finds offensive?
"An employer has to provide a safe working environment for their employees," says Corbelli, "and if they breach that then the employee could take action against the employer. It is a real risk, and many organisations try to mitigate against it by having something in place which takes out harmful content."
No solution is 100 per cent effective, but if companies have at least tried to protect themselves from harmful material, they will be generally be looked upon more favourably in a court of law than a company which has done nothing.
Ironically, though, organisations have been sued for filtering. Loudoun County Public Library in the US was barred from using filtering software after it was sued by local website operators whose pages had been blocked. They claimed the software the library was using violated their right to free speech under the First Amendment.
IM
Instant Messaging is a wonderful tool in the working environment, and IM traffic is predicted to surpass email traffic by 2006. But like email, it's also susceptible to being clogged with spam and viruses. As much as 5 to 8 per cent of enterprise IM is spam, estimates the Yankee Group.
Many companies are unaware whether public IM tools have been installed on employees' computers, but enterprise-based IM systems are widely used by companies like HSBC, Stanford University and Allied Van Lines.
In the US, scandals like the Enron accounting fiasco have led to corporate accountability regulations like the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. This is leading global companies to monitor Internet use more stringently an audit by Hitachi Data Systems found that in the UK 62 per cent of companies now monitor email use and 22 per cent routinely monitor IM sessions. Most do not retain messages for more than three years.
Communication
The Internet is here to stay, and company culture has changed forever as a result. All organisations will have different Internet usage policies depending on job functionality, but we think there should always be an element of openness and flexibility evident. It's fair to restrict bandwidth swallowing activities like downloading MP3s, but if a company suddenly clamps down on Internet usage after a period of freedom, there's inevitably going to be some staff resentment.
It's also important that staff communicate any problems they have with their Internet access to their IT and HR departments, if you think Web usage restrictions are preventing you from doing your job, there are ways to tweak whatever fibers are in place. It may take some time to implement these changes, but if enough people are affected by it, changes can happen.
Giving employees advance warning about potential changes, informing them about why they are being implemented, allowing some personal email use during work time, and ensuring that an email and Internet usage policy is communicated well are movers that employees will appreciate in the long run.
MAKING INFO SMARTER
The seemingly endless glut of information we as workers struggle with could end up making it even harder for us to find what we're after. But instead of letting information overload hamper our productivity, enterprise search technology is getting deverer.
Norwegian firm Fast Search And Transfer ( www.fastsearch.com)--whose Web search product was sold to Overturn/Yahoo! last year--has developed an enterprise search platform (ESP) that simultaneously and almost instantaneously trawls through your work'stuff', including email, photos, documents and the Internet, It also searches through structured information located in spreadsheets and databases. Nor is the system scared of dipping into intimidating software suites involving high-end stuff like customer relationship management (CRM) or enterprise resource planning.
Because ESP can tap into information held by other corporate partners or business divisions as well as displaying what's on the Internet, it's easy to cross-reference data during, say, a merger. Alternatively you could use it to keep a record of your company's press coverage, or scan relevant email or account information sent or received at the end of the financial year.
No longer will we have to wait 10 minutes while Windows Search trawls laboriously through each and every folder on our hard drives or networks, before displaying around 50 vague potential matches to the document you're after!
TRACED BACK THROUGH EMAILS
Horrible and embarrassing email gaffes have been made throughout time. Quite often, though, leaked emails are a good thing--they've exposed scandals and other information we arguably had a right to know about. But without further ado, here's Internet Magazine's top 10 email leaks that were supposed to remains confidential ...
10 September 11, 2001, spin doctor Jo Moore sent a memo to then transport secretary Stephen Byers saying that it was a 'very good day to bury bad news'. The email was leaked and Moore was forced to apologise. Months later she resigned after a similar faux pas concerning the release of bad transport figures on the day Princess Margaret died.
9 When Jason Gissing wanted to join 500 [pounds sterling]-a-year private club Monte's (pictured below) in January 2001, he asked its manager, Patricia Cusack, if he could take a tour before making a final decision. A fair request, but Cusack didn't think so. Her email to the secretary read: 'Amanda--can you arrange a time for this asshole to come in. Weekends at 8pm is no good for anyone--he obviously wants to make a night of it!' Unfortunately, Cusack accidentally sent the email to Gissing himself.
8 Cherie Blair and serial con artist Peter Foster's email exchange over the purchase of two discounted fiats in Bristol was leaked to the Daily Mail. Mrs Blair was forced to apologise over the incident, particularly as Downing Street had initially denied the electronic exchange.
7 In 2002 teenager Claire McDonald's inbox was repeatedly flooded with sensitive messages from a Royal Navy officer based at the Pentagon, concerning problems with British warships and New Zealand's terrorism defence strategy. Although Claire kept replying to the emails to inform the sender of the mistake, a dozen a day kept coming in. Apparently she was on the mailing list because of a typo.
6 Peter Chung was all set for his new life as an investment banker at The Carlyle Group's Seoul branch. A week after his arrival he used company email to write to all his colleagues, boasting about his new lavish lifestyle. 'I know I was a stud in NYC but I pretty much get about, on average, 5-8 phone numbers a night and at least 3 hot chicks that say that they want to go home with me every night I go out, 'he wrote, among other things. He was fired shortly afterwards.
5 David Frum coined the infamous term 'axis of evil'. The President's speechwriters are traditionally supposed to remain anonymous, but his doting wife Danielle emailed her friends about Frum's supposed genius. 'I realise this is very "Washington" of me to mention, but my husband is responsible for the axis of evil segment in Tuesday's state of the union address. It's not often a phrase one writes gains national notice ... so I hope you'll indulge my wifely pride in seeing this one repeated in headlines everywhere!' Cringe, cringe. Frum resigned.
4 In 2002 Cisco Systems accidentally sent out an internal memo about its financial results, ahead of its release to the markets. The email reached more employees than intended, and Cisco was forced to officially reveal its better-than-expected financial results early. "We felt it was necessary to disclose this information publicly, given the broad internal distribution of the communication" said chief financial officer Larry Carter.
3 Claire Swire (pictured below) used company email to tell her boyfriend, Bradley Chait, how 'yum' his sperm was. Boastful Bradley Chait then sent the message on to his friends with the comment, 'Now THAT's a nice compliment from a lass, isn't it? Before too long, the entire world had heard about it.
2 Charges were dropped against Katharine Gun, who was accused of breaching the Official Secrets Act after leaking an email from the US National Security Agency asking UK spies to bug UN delegates before the Iraq war. Perhaps the prosecution process would have brought to light even more sensitive information? Gun said of her decision to become a whistleblower: 'I know it's difficult and people don't want to jeopardise their lives or careers, but if there are things that should come out, then why not?'
1 The amount of email evidence coming out of the Hutton Inquiry after the death of David Kelly gets the big prize. Clearly, the informal nature of email has added another layer of liability to businesses (and politicians), particularly if they don't keep track of electronic 'trails'. Technologies do exist to limit the exchange of sensitive information, and information rights management systems are in place on many email programs like Lotus Notes and Microsoft Office XP. But human errors will still occur ...
WORKING FLEXIBLY
In our October 2003 issue (IM 108) we discussed the benefits of flexible working--in particular, the advantages of working from home.
In the IT sector, 51 per cent of people already work flexible hours, according to a DTI report, Flexible Working in the IT Industry ( www.dti.gov.uk), Of the 1,000 IT professionals surveyed, 84 per cent think that flexible working should be available to all employees.
Half said they didn't spend as much time with their families as they would like to. And, although 93 per cent of women employed in the IT sector want more flexibility at work, 55 per cent of IT workers don't thin k their senior managers make good 'work-life' balance rote models, the survey found.
"The number of women working in IT fell by 3 per cent last year and the sector needs to urgently consider the reasons behind this fall," says trade secretary Patricia Hewitt. "Every time a well-trained woman leaves, a company wastes time and money on recruitment and training."
With remote working a reality, perhaps more women will consider working in the IT industry--it's just a matter of IT management recognising its true benefits.
It's not all about women, though--68 per cent of those surveyed disagree that it's less acceptable for a man to be working flexibly.
Asian postings offer rewards and challenges, says Fuji Xerox's head of IT, Terry Gatward. First published in MIS Australia, November 1999, by Kim Gilmour
Blending in
The scenario was catastrophic at Fuji Xerox's regional headquarters in Singapore. Terry Gatward's predecessor couldn't stand the heat - and had abruptly quit his job. Gatward, head of IT at Fuji Xerox Asia-Pacific, knew it was going to be a hard slog when he moved to Singapore in 1994 to manage the company's IT overhaul throughout nine countries. There were only five PCs in the Singapore office. No network, no efficient support staff. Staff couldn't name - and hadn't even established contact with - the other eight all-important regional IT managers.
The expertise of Australian IT managers is well regarded in Asia, with many being handpicked to manage regional operations there. Gatward, who moved to Singapore with his wife and two children, has been enjoying the challenge. For those IT managers who have been forced to work in Asia, or have perhaps been tempted to spend a few years overseas because of an attractive salary and lifestyle package, it's essential to do your research before the shift, he says.
Different values
Each Asian country has its own distinct culture and each has adopted different business models. Business is generally more "dictatorial" in Asia; Singaporeans are extremely budget-conscious and thrifty, he says. "You've got the very dominant chairman, or the very dominant general manager, who sets the policy. All decisions are made at the top level." It's been frustrating for Gatward. Often, when he has a legitimate business case, he can't get things past finance because of budget restraints.
It's also harder to justify IT solutions in countries like Indonesia, where the cost of labour is cheaper than in Australia. Many operational processes that would be automated in Australia, such as file transfers, are done manually in Indonesia. "Over there they won't buy any special packages to do that sort of automation," he says. Decision-making can also be done behind closed doors, depending on which country he's been dealing with. However, things may change when Gatward returns to Australia after seeing Y2K through - his successor will report directly to the managing director rather than to the chief financial officer. Naturally, such a role takes dedication and diplomacy. Gatward has achieved a great deal in establishing a common direction for his previously diverse group of companies. He has forged some successful relationships with his counterparts in regional
countries, who have listened readily to his reasoning.
But although Asians are generally open to ideas and suggestions, they can still choose to ignore you, says Gatward. He has been successful for the most part in establishing regional standards for technology. But Taiwan, for example, which has a very independent mentality, still has a different e-mail system to the rest of Fuji Xerox. Gatward has failed to find a way to persuade the Taiwan operation to change systems. "Taiwan has become successful because they've been individual, and not followed China. It's in their character to do things their own way," he says.
Another major issue is infrastructure, or the lack of it. "In Australia you can be sure there's a PC on almost every desk and a good support staff. That's not so in every country in Asia," he says. There are still a lot of 386s and 486s in Indonesia, and if you take PowerPoint for granted, be aware that during presentations there overhead projectors are still common, he says. Additionally, one can't expect a piece of software used successfully in Australia to work, or even be available, in another Asian country.
Vendors who may represent dozens of products may not be willing, or able, to provide you with any support, he adds. "[But] they'll happily take your money for the licences." If you go for centralised purchasing, "the local vendor says, 'I'm not going to make any money out of this, therefore why should I support you?' There's a real do-by-central or do-by-local dilemma," he says. (Fuji Xerox uses a mixture of methods.) Then there's [still rampant] piracy in Asia. A large multinational like Fuji Xerox must take a responsible role, says Gatward, so there's no debate on policy. For other companies, moral issues arise when legal software would force countries like Indonesia to increase costs, while illegal products would cost next to nothing. There are no other major legal issues to contend with, he says, except perhaps differences in laws with EDI-type transactions, and most large companies have legal representatives to guide processes.
Great expectations
Because many IT managers are handpicked to take on these starring regional roles, there is a lot expected of you, he says. Successfully establishing relationships between countries will, initially at least, involve a lot of travel. Video-conferencing is regularly used at Fuji Xerox, but Gatward spent about a quarter of his first year outside Singapore to initiate contacts face-to-face. Over five years he's done around 80 business trips, including day trips to Kuala Lumpur.
Thought you worked long enough? The work ethic in Asia is much stronger, and it' s not unusual for half the office to regularly work until 7.30pm. A five-and-a-half day working week, including Saturday mornings, is standard in Singapore. Gatward doesn't have responsibility for Japan, whose domestically focused market is eight times the size of the entire Asia-Pacific region.
In terms of IT technology, Fuji Xerox Asia-Pacific leverages off The Xerox Group in America. This means staying up late to make calls to the US, which holds people back for hours at the office. "[The Americans] aren't going to get up in the middle of the night to talk to me. I have to arrange my schedule to talk to them," he says. All that time away from home can be taxing for the spouse and kids. Gatward's wife had to give up her job prior to the move. "It really puts a temporary stop on a lot of wives' careers," he says. "So they're immediately making a sacrifice. It can be hard [for them] to find a similar job up there, because people know you're only there for a few years and they won't necessarily want to take you on."
Easy lifestyle
But it's far from being all doom and gloom. As long as you've got the right attitude and approach, you'll be fine. Gatward says Singapore is an "incredibly easy place to live". He says it is generally very multicultural and westernised, although he was unprepared for what are usually trifling hassles, such as finding a doctor, a dentist, or an English-speaking plumber when water was once pouring out of his ceiling.
For those in regional roles, a flexible, international outlook is required. "It' s very hard if you've never been abroad and you don't really have an international outlook," says the English-born Gatward. "If you expect it to be like Australia - it's very different." If you have a choice of where to locate in Asia, "choose Singapore", says Gatward, although many multinationals are now establishing headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. "Hong Kong is also very westernised, but is becoming more and more Chinese."
This is the time when many spouses occupy themselves by taking on part-time work, or tackling distance education. Hooking up with compatriots via support networks such as the Australia-New Zealand Association (ANZA) helps a lot if you're into socialising and sport. Gatward's children, although initially reticent, have been able to settle in well in their Australian school, which teaches the NSW curriculum. The family can also buy Australian goods, such as Vegemite and Uncle Toby's products, from international supermarkets. The international Australian channel keeps them up-to-date with the news, although the rest of the programs leave a lot to be desired: "They play 1994 travel programs, so it's a bit outdated," he says.
Although the Internet wasn't a good source of information about Australian issues when Gatward first arrived in Singapore five years ago, it is now every expats' desired medium for catching up on all things Australian. Asian economic crisis Gatward warns you should always be prepared for company changes, economic crises or earthquakes. Many expats who expected to be in Asia for years lost their jobs due to company re-organisations during the economic crisis. "It's been very hard," he says. "And projects - big projects - just got cancelled." Things are still tight in Indonesia, for example. Fuji Xerox's e-mail system upgrade there, involving 500 users, was put off for a year. Now it's a Y2K issue. "If it wasn't a Y2K issue, it probably still wouldn't [be complete]. They've now left it to the last minute."
On one occasion during the crisis, the company hadn't realised it was doing centralised payments in US currency until the US dollar skyrocketed against the Korean, Indonesian and Thai currencies. In Korea, its costs swiftly went up by a factor of 20. Fuji Xerox had to react quickly to change its data communications, but Gatward says the incident was an opportunity for much-needed change. "We had to change suppliers and get off the US dollar-based carrier," he says. Gatward says the value of the packages companies are offering managers is coming down. Tight budgets mean that more companies are looking to place younger, single people in these overseas roles. Organisations don't need to incorporate costly family packages with the deal or have employees worry about families while travelling. He also adds that while older IT managers sometimes have a different experience level, when it comes to IT it's now more just a case of whether you can do your job.
Australia's image
Biased media coverage in Australia has unfortunately affected some Asians' perceptions of Australians being culturally insensitive warns Gatward. "I don't think the One Nation party did any good for Australia in Asia. All the worst things about it were reported in the press." He also admits that Australians can be loud and opinionated sometimes. "[There' s a] saying that Australians are, instead of 'ready, aim, fire', it's 'ready, fire, aim'," he observes. "They need to listen, because they need to understand that the situation is different to what they're used to. People make decisions based on their environment and understanding ... but the worst thing you can do in IT anyway is go and impose a solution on someone. They'll hate you for it if you do that, and if you're a loud Aussie coming in and imposing a solution, you'll get labelled as a loud Aussie."
In more social situations, acceptable behaviour is usually more flexible. Asians are well known for being exceedingly generous hosts. "They'll delight in taking you out and showing you their food. They'll take you out for dinner and you'll often be on the turps every night," he says, citing Korea as the best beer-drinking country, followed by Taiwan. "They'll want to see if you can drink as well as they can, which isn't always the case for Australians."
Gatward's last big task before returning to Australia will be seeing through the Y2K transition, where he expects only a few minor hiccups. After his work there is done, he will probably establish a role back home as an e-business manager. "My children now know the Singaporean national anthem better than the Australian national anthem," he says. "That's when you realise it's time to come home."
Each Asian country has its own distinct culture and variations in business models
Translating expectations
Regional information manager for Fuji Xerox Asia-Pacific, Terry Gatward, has spent the last five years living in Singapore. He offers some advice to IT managers making the move to Asia:
Have an international outlook. When you get there, listen to your counterparts and make sure you are flexible;
Don't anticipate good infrastructure when you get there, or that you'll have adequate staff to support you. Also, business in Asia can be very dictatorial and presenting a business case can be next to impossible when you' ve got very budget-conscious senior management;
Join a social support group with fellow Australians, such as ANZA;
Make sure you drink the local beer in every country.
Personal perspective
Terry Gatward, regional information manager for Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific, has responsibility for nine regional areas. His personal tips? Most advanced in IT: Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Korea
Best beer: Korea and Taiwan
Most budget-conscious: Singapore and China
Best food:Thailand
Worst food: Korea
Most livable city: Singapore
Popular choice of HQ: Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
Most westernised cities: Singapore and Hong Kong
Hardest place to justify an IT solution: Indonesia