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Telecommuting, why now.

There are several components to the telecommuting story. First proposed during the energy crisis in the 1970’s and then again during the late 1990’s and shortly after 2001, telecommuting and telework has been in and out of the news for 30 years. What is interesting is why it is different this time around.

In the 1970’s the average worker did not have the technology at the home for true home based working to happen. While it was tried on many fronts, it simply was not a feasible alternative to going into the office for most employees.

During the late 1990’s technology had matured enough that remote access to corporate resources was finally possible. The issue was that even though the technology was available, it was very expensive, and it was slow and cumbersome. The internet was still primarily slow dial up connections and in order to get performance close to what was in the office, private line service was necessary.

2001 showed all of America that a national disaster and isolation events could cripple the existing Internet, rendering that communication medium unusable for the masses for several days.

Here we are in 2008, from a technological perspective not much has changed since 2001. The key players in the remote access space have become more efficient, but the technology is still the same. What has changed is two key components in the telecommuting revolution.

First, the internet has become so commonplace that it is found literally everywhere at prices that where unimaginable just 5 years ago,

Second, businesses have realized that by enabling their employees to work from wherever they are they can improve morale, make them more effective and save money at the same time.

It is our goal to help the employee and the employer make the most of this unique combination of resources and timing.

With that I thank you and welcome you to participate in the Telecommuting360 community.

- Brian Diamond
  CEO
  Telecommuting360