ONLINE HOLIDAY SHOPPERS BROWSE AT THE OFFICE

Online gift-buying is at an all-time high - and one-third of shoppers surveyed admit they'll be doing most of their browsing from the office. How can businesses manage employee Web use and productivity during the holidays? Wavecrest Computing, developers of Internet monitoring software for some of the world's leading corporations, offers some ideas.

December 5, 2003 (PRWEB) December 8, 2003 - Two recent surveys of holiday shoppers herald glad tidings for online retailers - but may set off alarm bells for corporate managers. According to separate surveys conducted by Jupiter Research and Deloitte, online holiday shopping this season is expected to increase by 18% over last year, with a third of shoppers admitting they plan to do their gift-buying while at work.

The Jupiter Research study reports retailers expect online holiday shoppers to boost Internet sales to $17 billion this year - a 21% jump over 2002. What's more, 40% of the Web users Jupiter surveyed say they plan to do "some or all" of their holiday shopping online.

Where are these holiday shoppers doing most of their browsing? At work. Results of Deloitte's 18th annual Holiday Survey revealed more than a third of online shoppers plan to do their holiday gift shopping from the office.

How do businesses manage employee Web use during the holidays?

"At-work Web-use typically spikes during the holidays," says Dennis McCabe, vice president of business development for Wavecrest Computing, a Melbourne, Fla.-based Internet monitoring software company. "The businesses that manage Web use well let their employees know what their policy is on personal Web use at work, so everyone knows what is and is not considered acceptable online activity."

McCabe says a clear acceptable use policy allows employers to be flexible without costing their business hours of lost productivity due to employee abuse of online privileges.

McCabe adds, "If you have a clear policy and a good monitoring tool in place, you can manage employee Web use during the holidays without turning into a Grinch."

About Wavecrest Computing

Since 1996, Wavecrest Computing has provided business and government clients with reliable, accurate Web use management software. Business managers, HR professionals and IT personnel trust Wavecrest's Cyfin® Reporter and CyBlock® Web Filter software to help manage employee Internet use, prevent Web abuse, minimize legal liability risks, optimize bandwidth usage and improve workforce productivity. Wavecrest software is installed in over 2,500 organizations worldwide including the US Department of Justice, Starbucks, Procter & Gamble, Wal-Mart, Volvo, General Electric, British Telecom, Edward Jones, Blue Cross/Blue Shield and a growing list of others. To better serve its government clients, Wavecrest Computing is a GSA Schedule Contractor. For more information on our company, products and partners, visit www.wavecrest.net.
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