Some technology analysts are making dire predictions of office network slowdowns and disruptions caused by interest in the tournament, which began today.

Networks will be more taxed this year than for any prior NCAA Division 1 basketball championship tournament primarily because of free video streams being offered by CBS Corp. of the 56 games in the first three tournament rounds. Those rounds last through March 25.

'Interest in March Madness is much higher than other sporting events, especially by office workers who have betting pools everywhere,' said Zeus Kerravala, an analyst at Yankee Group Research Inc.

Network General Corp., a provider of network and application performance products in San Jose, predicted yesterday that as few as 10 workers watching streaming video on their office computers could cut network performance in half.

Fifteen workers watching 100Mbit/sec video streams would completely tap out a T1 line into an office or branch office, said Ken Boyd, CIO at Network General.