IT stressed over cloud and video bandwidth demands

Network World - IT executives understand the value of cloud services and videoconferencing tools, but one of the chief concerns remains the strain those services put on network bandwidth, according to a study released today.

Network performance monitoring firm Network Instruments said there is a "management storm" brewing as executives attempt to meet bandwidth demands and keep tabs on the performance of new technologies as they are embraced by the enterprise.

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Some 60% of organizations surveyed have adopted cloud computing and they expect on average that about one-third of their apps will run in the cloud within 12 months. Compared to last year, there has been a 10% increase in users of SaaS, IaaS and private cloud. Even as the cloud is being adopted, executives have concerns, most notably about corporate data security and a lack of end user monitoring of cloud services, as well as the impact on bandwidth needs.

"While IT teams embrace cloud services and video conferencing as a way to increase cost savings and business flexibility, these technologies introduce new components and environments which make ensuring positive end-user experience all the more challenging," said Brad Reinboldt, senior product manager of Network Instruments, in a statement.

The survey found that 55% of respondents have implemented a videoconferencing system, with an estimated 70% adoption rate expected within a year. Of enterprises that have deployed videoconferencing, more than three-quarters use the technology in conference rooms, while 60% have videoconferencing on PCs.

Allocating bandwidth to manage video traffic is a concern: One-quarter of executives predict that video could consume half of network traffic within a year. Training, user knowledge and a lack of tools to monitor performance were other top concerns cited.

The study included responses from 163 IT executives in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

This article originally appeared at NetworkWorld.com. Network World staff writer Brandon Butler covers cloud computing and social media. He can be reached at BButler@nww.com and found on Twitter at @BButlerNWW.