On the track of smart software
Bundaberg software developer WebTraf has created the world’s first automated software management system that measures and controls the flow of information through computer networks.
WebTraf’s founder and chairman, Jeffrey Smidt, said the system was developed because an internet café and gaming lounge which he and his partners established in Bundaberg in 2001 needed to track what patrons were doing.
“While providing high speed broadband internet facilities to the internet gaming lounge, we found that it was easy for people to saturate the bandwidth, yet hard for us to monitor what people were doing,” Mr Smidt said.
He said the café needed to be able to measure and control the flow of information through its network, but there was no suitable product on the market.
“We needed a product which would allow us to supply our customers with billing information and also to optimise the ef. ciency and security of the network.” WebTraf is the solution: it shows which sections of the workplace are consuming large amounts of internet bandwidth and can help determine why through its reporting mechanisms.
Users can monitor and limit their own costs or connection times.
“That’s particularly useful for internet service providers. What makes this new software a world-first is that it gives management more control over who uses what and when,” he said. “This can mean savings on expensive internet connections and maintenance bills.”
Mr Smidt said WebTraf was generating interest Australiawide as well as in Taiwan and other leading technologybased economies.
He believes the information and communications technology industry is only now beginning to realise its full potential, as it includes users ranging from individuals at home to the largest multinational corporations and governments.
“The future for WebTraf certainly looks bright. There is no equivalent product offering the same evolutionary solutions in one package.”
Last reviewed 19 January 2006