It sounds great, but how could I work as effectively from home as I do in the office? I need access to the company LAN network, databases, colleagues and so on.
Why would I want to do that?
Working from home for the full five days a week is not usually the best option. You need to interact with colleagues, your boss or subordinates. Plus you need the intellectual stimulation this supplies. Meetings are also (sometimes) necessary.
What can be useful is if there is a report to write, a project to work on, a presentation to prepare. Working at home (with a little self-discipline) can be very productive. Colleagues will keep their interruptions for when you are next in the office. The wasted travel time and stress of commuting is not there, you can work in casual clothes.
I have been able to take work home for years. What’s new?
For many professionals, it is important not just to be able to get email, but also to be completely connected to the company LAN (network) and get files from the servers, work on them and save them back there, without downloading them onto their laptop. This may be a client’s confidential file, engineering drawings with change controls, central spreadsheets accessed by multiple colleagues, medical records, etc.
New DSL networking technology can connect your laptop at home directly to the company network in complete security. It is accomplished by creating an Ethernet connection directly from your home to the company LAN using a private network that doesn’t use the Internet. This means no firewalls or VPNs are needed and no download charges apply.
It is a little bit more expensive than a residential DSL Internet connection, but it is a "business grade" DSL direct link with no download charges and a secure connection to the office.
Patterns of Work have Changed
In 1958, petrol was 25 cents a gallon (4.5 litres) and patterns of commuting were easier. A drive to work was typically 15 to 30 minutes. Only 14% of homes had a telephone, there was no air conditioning, calculators or dishwashers, and TV had only just been introduced. It was a slower pace of life.
Now, fifty years later, petrol is $1.50 a litre, commuting is getting worse, with a typical drive-time to work of 45 to 90 minutes. The pace of life is frantic and the realities of global warming are just being felt, but 75% of households have broadband access!
Changing conditions call for a changed response.
What Type of People can Benefit?
Many larger firms are looking at the option of having staff work partly from home to reduce the number of car spots needed, and even to reduce the size of the office and the number of desks provided.
In smaller companies, it is likely to be the professionals - accountants, lawyers, consulting engineers, architects and senior staff - who will benefit from 1 to 3 days a week at home to progress or finish those major tasks in peace.
Retaining Key Staff
Many businesses are experiencing a lack of key staff resources, often it is difficult to attract and retain expert staff. A company that has a more flexible approach can be more attractive.
This is particularly true for expert female staff that have left to have a baby, want to return to work, but not full-time and would much prefer to work mainly from home while their children are still young.
How Do I set this Up?
The best way is to contact a "Green Telco" like OAK Telecom, which specialises in setting up DSL networks for remote teleworking. To try and pull it together yourself from retail internet links is possible, but will take time and can be frustrating. It will also not perform as well and costs only a little less.
The much better solution is to create a private DSL network, using links that by-pass the Internet. The large telcos do this mainly for larger companies, but there are a number of specialists, like OAK Telecom, who can provide this option for small to medium to large companies as well.
Prices start at about $100 per month per home DSL access, with no extra download charges. The same links can also be used for Internet downloads without compromising the private network. This means it can be a good solution for an executive’s home, with part of the costs borne by the firm - or at least the taxman.
Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Over the next couple of years, almost all firms will have to reduce their carbon footprints or buy carbon credits on the open market.
Until that time, it makes sense to start early and get ahead of the pack; especially if it makes sense in other areas such as retaining key staff, improving lifestyle and improving productivity.
This teleworking from home approach is one area that is easy to start in and produces immediate benefits.
Remember, saving carbon emissions is a good thing to do, but it’s much better if it also provides benefits in other areas such as saving fuel costs and travel time and improving the work-life balance.
Think about it!
For more information,
contact Tim Herring directly on 04 1733 9883
or at therring@oaktelecom.com.
or contact OAK Telecom on 03 9600 0275
