Skip to main content
SolarWinds MSP
  • Login
  • Support
SolarWinds MSP
  • Products
    • Remote Monitoring & Management Protect your customers with a platform from the global leader in monitoring and management.
    • Backup & Recovery Manage backup for servers, workstations, applications, and business documents from one cloud-based dashboard.
    • Mail Protection & Archiving Shield email from spam and malware, including zero-hour threats.
    • PSA & Ticketing Manage ticketing, reporting, and billing to increase helpdesk efficiency.
    • Automated Threat Monitoring Detect, respond to, and report on threats across your managed networks.
    • Remote Support Help support customers and their devices with remote support tools designed to be fast and powerful.
  • Solutions

    I'm looking to...

    I'm looking for...

    • Manage my MSP Business More Efficiently
    • Manage my IT Department More Efficiently
    • Layered Security
    • Data-Driven Insights
    • Cross-Platform Support
  • Resources

    Webinars & Events

    Resource Center

    • Ask the N-Central Experts
    • Daily Live Demos
    • Backup Foundations Training
    • RMM Foundations Training
    • Upcoming Events
    • Upcoming Webinars
    • Resource Library
      • Case Studies
      • Product Information
      • eBooks
      • White Papers
      • Infographics
    • SolarWinds MSP Free Tools
    • GDPR Resource Center
    • Security Resource Center
    • MSP Institute
    • MSP Advice Project
  • About
    • Contact
    • Worldwide sales and support
    • Careers
    • Awards and Recognition
    • Get A Quote
    • Newsroom
      • Press Releases
      • In The News
      • Media Contacts
    • Leadership Team
    • Legal
      • Cookie Policy
      • Privacy Notice
      • Software Services Agreement
      • Terms of Use
      • Backup Fair Use Policy
    • Security
      • SolarWinds Security Statement
      • Vendor Data Protection Requirements
    • Support
  • Blog
  • Contact Sales
    • Get A Quote
    • General Inquiry
  • TRY NOW
    • SolarWinds RMM
    • SolarWinds Backup
    • MSP Manager
    • SolarWinds Mail Assure
    • SolarWinds Risk Intelligence
    • SolarWinds Take Control
Filter Blogs
  • Filter by:
  • MSP Business
    • Backup & Disaster Recovery
    • Security-series
    • Best Practices
    • Business
    • Business Growth
    • Business Risk
    • Cloud Computing
    • Customer Service
    • Cybersecurity
    • Data
    • GDPR
    • Internet of Things
    • IT Support
    • ITSM
    • LOGICcards
    • Machine Learning
    • Mail
    • Managed Services
    • Marketing
    • Mobile
    • Networking
    • Operations
    • Podcast
    • Product
    • PSA
    • Remote Management
    • Research & Trends
    • Risk Intelligence
    • Security
    • Security Vlog
    • Service Desk
    • Services & Support
    • Tips & Advice
    • Training
Home Blog MSP Business High-stakes hoops: 4 easy steps for managing March Madness at work
MSP Business

High-stakes hoops: 4 easy steps for managing March Madness at work

By Marc Thaler
17 March, 2015

Can the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team actually win every game on its schedule and celebrate the first undefeated national champion since 1976?

You don’t have to know anything about the 2015 NCAA Tournament – or even care about it – to find Kentucky’s quest compelling. And that’s why US-based IT pros may find these next few weeks more challenging than previous experiences with “March Madness.”

marchmadnessProductivity is known to drop come tourney time, with a barrage of games live-streamed during working hours. Kentucky’s bid for a 40-0 campaign adds to the drama – and the hefty price tag associated with workers’ focus on basketball rather than business.

It’s clear what’s at stake for the top-seeded, 34-0 Wildcats: They are six wins from history, with no margin for error. One upset loss abruptly ends everything.

Businesses, too, stand to lose – to the tune of $1.9 billion. That’s the estimated cost of lost productivity, according to Chicago’s Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a firm known for calculating the tournament’s impact on downtime and dollars.   

“That figure may be on the conservative side, considering this year could garner a lot more interest from even casual basketball fans eager to see if Kentucky can continue its undefeated season through the tournament,” CEO John Challenger says via press release on the firm’s website.

The first games tip off Tuesday night. But the day-long action that defines the three-week, 68-team tournament begins Thursday in the noon (ET) hour.

Before every machine and device in your office is broadcasting wall-to-wall basketball, and possibly monopolizing bandwidth, do yourself a favor. Follow these four steps. You may find they prevent the IT aspect of March Madness from becoming maddening:

Step 1: Gauge the company culture

Do the decision-makers in your company invite March Madness into the workplace? Do they enforce a “no hoops here” policy? Maybe there’s a middle ground between unfettered streaming and none at all?

You need to know.

Step 2: Establish boundaries

Yes, the boss can demand IT block access to all video-streaming sites. But there’s a price to pay: likely dealing with disgruntled workers.

One compromise is establishing specific viewing windows for employees to use their devices. Review the day’s slate of games. Maybe there’s one that most workers want to monitor closely. (Kentucky’s first game is Thursday at 9:40pm ET, so IT pros can exhale.)

Another work-around is introducing a common viewing area, perhaps in a conference room. Streaming games from one machine uses a fraction of the bandwidth consumed by multiple devices accessing the same content. Of course, you can turn the TV on, making the bandwidth issue a moot point – and avoiding the security risks associated with streaming from questionable sites.

Step 3: Plan business needs accordingly

By establishing viewing windows, business tasks can be throttled back or rescheduled for other times of the workday. The company certainly comes first. But if it’s possible, bump up management’s regular video conference, or save the giant file download until after hours.

Be like the policy you create: flexible.

Step 4: Enforce with technology

Remember: IT is meant to support the business. Therefore, the technology your company uses can (and should) be adjusted to match management’s marching orders.

According to this 2014 article on Smithsonian.com, more than 60 million Americans “fill out a bracket each year.” Correctly picking the winner of every game has odds of “one in 9.2 quintillion.”

In other words, March Madness is known for brackets busting. But you don’t want a busted network – or a broken budget.

If you want any more useful suggestions, our friends over in Reddit have some pointers for you to mull over… click here to read what they had to say

You might also like...

MSP Business

Why you should automate network monitoring

MSP Business

Mac Terms to Know When Providing Mac Support

MSP Business

The CEO loves his iPad - this is why you should love it too!

MSP Business

What's in your toolbox-Essential tools for MSPs and IT technicians

MSP Business

Network Diagram Software

MSP Business

How to keep your IT skills up to date

Recent Posts

  • How to Fix High CPU Usage for Windows
  • Protecting O365 and G Suite Email—A Layered Approach 
  • PSA Overkill: Is Your PSA Managing You?
  • Five Steps to Marketing Your Business, Part 1: Messaging
  • Why You Should Care About Advanced Threat Protection

Categories:

  • Business Growth (403)
  • Tips & Advice (332)
  • Managed Services (296)
  • Security (249)
  • Best Practices (247)
  • Business (211)
  • Cybersecurity (193)
  • Backup & Disaster Recovery (105)
  • IT Support (97)
  • ITSM (67)
  • Data (61)
  • Product (56)
  • Cloud Computing (56)
  • Mail (46)
  • Marketing (46)
  • Risk Intelligence (31)
  • Customer Service (29)
  • Networking (27)
  • Remote Management (26)
  • GDPR (16)
  • Services & Support (16)
  • Service Desk (15)
  • Research & Trends (13)
  • PSA (11)
  • Business Risk (11)
  • Operations (11)
  • Internet of Things (10)
  • Mobile (9)
  • Training (8)
  • Security-series (7)
  • LOGICcards (4)
  • Machine Learning (3)
Show moreless
SolarWinds MSP

© SolarWinds MSP Canada ULC and SolarWinds MSP UK Ltd.
All Rights Reserved.

Products

  • SolarWinds RMM
  • SolarWinds N-central
  • SolarWinds Backup
  • SolarWinds MSP Manager
  • SolarWinds Mail Assure
  • SolarWinds Risk Intelligence
  • SolarWinds Take Control
  • SolarWinds Threat Monitor

Solutions

  • How We Help MSPs
  • How We Help IT Departments
  • Layered Security
  • Cross-Platform Support
  • Data-Driven Insights

About

  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Leadership Team
  • Privacy
  • Legal
  • Security
  • Subscription Preferences

Support

  • SolarWinds RMM
  • Solarwinds N-central
  • SolarWinds Backup
  • SolarWinds Mail Assure
  • MSP Manager
  • Solarwinds Risk Intelligence
  • SolarWinds Take Control
  • SolarWinds Take Control Downloads
  • Backup & Recovery Downloads
  • Sitemap
  • Service Status