Telecommunications 2 — страница 6

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think, to create an environment that is stimulating and rich in resources. Employees decide on their own where they will work each day, and are judged on work produced rather than on hours put in at the office. Because workers aren?t in the same place every day, they may be exposed to a wider range of people and situations. And that can open their eyes and minds to new ideas and concepts. Technology is obviously the driving force behind the shift to telecommuting. Technology can be relatively straightforward - a good PC with licensed office software and a modem or DSL connection to the central systems. These must in turn be designed to enable remote working – for example database applications should use client-server techniques to minimize workstation bandwidth requirements.

For many home-workers a combination of email, file-transfer and intranet/internet access is sufficient. Some Internet service providers are offering secure gateway services into corporate systems, an advantage being national and international access for the price of a local call A broad range of information and communications technologies is beginning to enable better organizational effectiveness, efficiency and customer service:  High speed computer and phone system networking allows staff to use any standard desktop, independently of location – main office, other office, home or on-the-move  Intranets (high speed internal internets) are easy to implement and maintain and can offer simple, standard interfaces to most corporate applications including

legacy mainframe and client-server systems  Integrated desktop applications, such as Microsoft Office, can streamline and automate a wide variety of office tasks with minimal programming effort  With computer-telephony integration (CTI) the IT and phone systems (fixed and portable) can work in harmony to deliver advanced messaging and call-center solutions  The Internet is already widely used in the technology sector for customer service and support – use will extend to other sectors as networks improve and consumer and business usage grows, especially with the advent of Internet-enabled televisions  Document image processing (DIP) and optical character recognition (OCR) support the elimination of paper and streamline associated

processes, for example by scanning incoming mail and other documents. Companies maintain links with the mobile work force in a variety of ways. Employees access their E-mail and voicemail daily; important messages and policy updates are broadcast regularly into the mailboxes of thousands of workers. When the need for teleconferencing arises, it can put hundreds of employees on the line simultaneously. Typically, the organization?s mobile workers link from cars, home offices, hotels, even airplanes. Virtual workers are only a phone call away. Certainly, telephony has become, and will continue to be a powerful driver in the virtual-office boom. Satellites and high-tech telephone systems, such as DSL lines, allow companies to zoom data from one location to another at light speed.

Organizations will link to their work force and hold virtual meetings using tools such as video-conferencing. The trend is being bolstered by growing corporate acceptance of the workstyle and a recognition by employers that it is mutually beneficial for them and their employees. The strong economy coupled with high employment rates has created a positive environment for alternative workstyles and has prompted employers to use the telecommuting option to lure highly sought-after, skilled employees. Joanne Pratt, president of Joanne H. Pratt Associates cited three factors that are driving the growth of telecommuting:  Internet growth The Internet has created a demand for PCs and provided an incentive to set up a home office.  Technology has reached a

critical mass Cell phones, notebook computers and other technologies have resulted in the workforce that is equipped to work anywhere.  Work/life balance Employees are paying attention to work/life choices and even conditioning their acceptance of new jobs on pre-approval to telecommuting. In its first major study of telecommuting in two years, FIND/SVP reports 11 million Americans now telecommute to the office. That’s a 30% jump from two years ago and a 175% leap from 1990. FIND/SVP expects U.S. telecommuting to swell another 3 million by the year 2001. Another research company, The Yankee Group, agrees the telecommuting workforce is growing at a brisk clip (18% per year). The American Management Association forecasts a 171% growth in telecommuting over the next