Bans on streaming at work target bandwidth-eating sites

With employees hogging the Internet networks at work with heavy video and audio files unrelated to their jobs, more companies are shutting off streaming sites or limiting access.

Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble is the latest mega-employer to confirm that it has shut down access to Pandora and Netflix for its 129,000 employees. Other sites required for business — YouTube and Facebook — aren't blocked for now, but P&G warned workers about using the Internet for personal reasons, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer, which reported on the change. Other companies, such as GE Aviation, Cintas, Kraft subsidiary Cadbury and Major League Baseball, have also blocked or limited access to bandwidth-sucking sites. The bandwidth constraint faced by Corporate America is unfolding nationwide at an unprecedented rate as websites and apps are embedding larger files and more employees bring their own devices — phones and tablets — to work. (April 3)