Businesses could be delaying IT projects due to concerns over network performance, it has been claimed.

Recent research from Apparent Networks discovered that more than one-third of managers have put back the roll-out of new applications because they are unsure if their organisation’s infrastructure can cope with the extra load, Network World reports.

Jim Melvin, president and chief marketing officer at Apparent Networks, pointed to the example of VoIP, explaining that it currently one of the largest IT budget drivers but is increasingly being delayed because of network or bandwidth issues, which may show the need for IT outsourcing.

He also noted that IT managers are being forced to rely on unmanaged networks and distributed networks through carriers, which tend to offer reduced performance when used for critical applications, such as VoIP, video conferencing and unified communications.

Recently, the Federation of Small Businesses claimed that the UK’s small companies need faster broadband speeds than the two mbps the government has promised to deliver universally by 2010.