Teneo Optimization Can Enable Mobile Broadband Users To Achieve Improved On-Line Experience

• Most mobile broadband users are getting a quarter of promised speeds

Teneo, a leading infrastructure optimisation specialist, has responded to a survey today from broadband benchmarking agency Epitiro, which found that mobile broadband users experience on average, 24% of maximum ‘up to’ speeds that providers advertise.

According to the Epitiro¹ report, mobile broadband speeds achieved in the UK are less than one Megabit per second, with peak-time speeds between 6pm and midnight dropping to 800Kbs. Mobile broadband adoption has accelerated in the UK as sales of mobile broadband dongles are accelerating to reach one million units by the end of 2009. With more and more employees relying on mobile broadband, but suffering with poor download speeds even compared to home broadband, Teneo is now deploying solutions to help speed up mobile working.

Solutions such as Riverbed Steelhead Mobile delivers Wide Area Network (WAN) optimisation to mobile workers, giving LAN-like access to corporate files and applications wherever the location. Using WAN optimisation for mobile users can increase typical file download speeds by four times. This speed increase can make up for the shortfall between reported and actual mobile broadband speeds.

Teneo has recently worked with Industrial Technology Solutions (ITS), an industrial automation solutions provider with 120 employees across three offices in Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesborough and Warrington. They also have eight remote workers, and Teneo had deployed Riverbed Steelhead appliances to deliver WAN optimisation for the three offices, now ITS wanted to provide LAN-like performance for its mobile workers.

With Riverbed Steelhead appliances in place, Teneo recommended that ITS integrate Riverbed’s Steelhead Mobile Controller which includes a simple software package on each remote user’s laptop or desktop. Mobile workers reported upload and download times was five to six times faster than previously.

Malcolm Knott, managing director, ITS, commented:
“Significantly faster speeds were gained from home or out and about. The results showed speeds of five or six times faster and a 60% improvement in speed for general use and from home machines. Laptops out in the field benefited from a 70-80% performance improvement. This has enabled us to significantly improve the efficiency of our remote workforce and further enhance our responsiveness to customers.”

James Hall, marketing director, Teneo, commented:
“As more and more companies have mobile workers who are reliant on mobile broadband connections, it seems that many now languish on slow links. Employees get frustrated with slow downloads and can’t perform their roles efficiently. As ITS demonstrates, Riverbed Mobile is an effective solution that can transform mobile workers’ user experience and make advertised mobile broadband speeds a reality for the first time.”

¹ Epitiro 'UK Mobile Broadband Performance Analysis – Initial Findings 2009'