The royal wedding may grind your office to a halt
While you may not be sick of royal wedding coverage just yet … okay, you’re probably sick of royal wedding coverage.
But what can we say? Whether we dig the romance or not, Prince William and Kate Middleton’s union may just be the most talked-about event of this decade when the 2010s are through.
And while there are plenty of business links to the wedding – the U.K. was granted an extra three-day weekend for the ceremony, for instance, a move that may cost the British economy a reported $9.9 million in lost productivity – here’s one that hits closer to home: this Friday, Kate Middleton may grind your office to a halt.
That’s what Andrew Rubin, CEO of network optimization firm Cymtec, is warning the world’s workplaces, and he’s not just talking about employees huddled around the office TV.
With news that major Internet players like YouTube and MSN will live stream the wedding online, chances are your office bandwidth will suffer as if March Madness, the Obama inauguration and ten Super Bowls are happening at once. Remember: two billion people are expected to watch this thing, according to the CBC, and while the bulk of that figure will catch the wedding on TV, an estimated 400 million will watch online – a large portion of which, Rubin says, will be employees tuning in on their work computers.
It’ll be a “nightmare for companies that rely on the Internet,” Rubin tells the Financial Post. “The sheer volume of people watching this at work, steaming it live at their desk, is going to be staggering.”
For the record, much of Canada will still be in bed or the Tim Hortons drive-thru by the time Will and Kate exchange their vows (the wedding begins at 10 a.m. London time), but with the promise of multiple re-airs, the ceremony and subsequent procession should still cause a formidable amount of web traffic.
If Rubin has his way, he details in a lengthy press release, companies will prepare for such a bandwidth blitz.
His best idea? Plan a viewing party at your office: “The strain on the corporate network will be tremendous if people stream the footage … To avoid this, set up one computer and projector in a big conference room to stream the event for the group.”
Will you keep up with royal wedding coverage at your office on Friday?
By Jason Buckland, MSN Money
*Follow Jason on Twitter here.
Posted by: Chip | Apr 29, 2021 4:31:50 AM
Thanks jojo... Methinks her Highness, Princess Trixie has lost her sense of humor... if not her sense of reality. OFF with her head !!
Posted by: jojo | Apr 30, 2021 3:46:13 PM
lol...me laughing me non-royal ass off...nice one chip
Posted by: lolly | May 2, 2021 9:12:39 PM
Live and let live..
If weddings or hockey are your "thing"..good for you..
God KNOWS this world needs some GOOD news..what with 911, dictators,the economy etc..
LIve and let live..
Choose whatever gets you thru the day..happy people live longer!
Posted by: Trixie | May 3, 2021 10:34:36 AM
I haven't read any more comments. I'm on a good, natural high and enjoying it.
The royal wedding was everything I expected and so much more. Long live the Queen!
Also, love that Obama is finally no longer a worry! Also, Harper just won! Yes!!