In today's digital age, being able to effectively manage internet usage has become more important than ever before. Both personally and professionally, the internet has fundamentally changed how everyone operates on a day-to-day basis. So, can a business really understand how its workforce is using this strategic office resource? And how, with hybrid work clearly here to stay, can the internet become a safe multidisciplinary tool at both the office and at home? The answer lies in internet management.
In a nutshell, internet management encompasses various strategies and tools designed to control and optimise internet usage, including network security, efficient bandwidth allocation and content access policies. “If you can’t see it, you can’t manage it,” says Andrew Wilson, CEO of LucidView. And while there are different ways of managing internet, Wilson explains that LucidView, as a business, can figure out what’s happening at an internet link without installing agents onto phones or PCs.
“By sitting at the gateway or the ISP and looking at the actual traffic, we can figure out what is going on,” he says. “This approach allows us to see the raw data and understand precisely what is happening on the network, which is crucial for maintaining security and efficiency. By having this visibility, we can address issues promptly and ensure that our clients have a smooth and secure online experience."
Seeing is managing
One of the standout features of LucidView's internet management offering is its app-based dashboard that provides a range of reports from managerial to technical levels. This intuitive interface allows users to easily monitor and control various aspects of their internet usage, from content filtering and security to bandwidth prioritisation.
Focusing on security, Wilson says another critical component of internet management is a content filter. While regular content filters are DNS-based and relatively easy to circumvent, Wilson says LucidView’s highly advanced AI filter enables the blocking of specific content types based on predefined policies. This ensures a safer internet environment, particularly for families and educational institutions. "How do you keep the internet a meaningful, good resource? Our content filter ensures a clean internet for both kids and businesses," Wilson emphasises. “Examples including blocking pornography, gaming, gambling, social media or being able to give access at certain times.” Instead of buying international products or using free online content filtering tools, LucidView wrote its own web crawling AI that can browse 10 000 sites an hour. “If a particular site has been accessed and it’s not in our database, the LucidView AI crawler prioritises analysing that,” he says. “A content filter needs to be accurate and easy to implement.”
Locally built, global goals
Interestingly, LucidView's internet management solution is built on MikroTik routers, which are gaining significant market share worldwide due to their affordability and technical capabilities. “There's a great business opportunity for small businesses and entrepreneurs here,” says Wilson. By integrating their advanced content filtering, security and bandwidth management features with MikroTik's reliable and low-cost hardware, LucidView provides an accessible platform for these businesses to build on. MikroTik's white-labelling capabilities also mean LucidView's customers can repurpose the solution and offer it to their own clients under their own branding. As a South African company, LucidView may be competing with larger international players in this space, but is able to provide a locally built solution that caters to the needs of a wide range of users – from families seeking to create a safe and productive online environment for their children, to businesses looking to optimise bandwidth usage and secure their networks. As Wilson explains, the internet is an essential tool in both the home and the workplace, but without the right management capabilities, it can quickly become a source of frustration and risk.
This is why there’s no question that effective internet management is crucial for ensuring a secure and productive online experience, and LucidView’s is at the forefront of meeting this growing need. LucidView’s adaptable platform empowers its customers to take control of their internet experience. By providing granular visibility and control, anyone can now tailor internet access policies to their specific requirements, ensuring the internet remains a valuable resource rather than a liability. By seamlessly integrating their advanced content filtering, security and bandwidth management capabilities, LucidView is also empowering a new generation of entrepreneurial service providers willing to differentiate themselves in the market.
More detail on LucidView can be found at www.lucidview.net.
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