Working from Home



Hi. This is Craig Sharp, and you're listening to another short podcast from Abussi, with more news and topical information about IT.

This month's subject, by popular request, is working from home.

There was a time when running a business from your home used to be seen as what you did before you got a proper office.

And if you told your boss you were working from home today, he probably thought you were skiving.

But things have really changed. Now, it's viable. You can much more easily combine a main office with flexible working at home or other locations - for yourself, and others.

And we all know how much more we can achieve in three hours of concentrated time at home, than eight in a busy office with constant interruptions.

The trouble is, a surprising number of people try to do it on the cheap - by tagging the IT they need onto their existing domestic services.

And this can end up causing a lot more trouble than it's worth.

For example, what happens when the kids want to use your Broadband system when they come home from school?

What if you end up on the phone to a call centre for two hours, losing the benefit of that quality time?

And what if you compromise your data security when you connect back up to the business network?

If you want to be serious about working from home, you have to be serious too about the products and services you put in to support that work.

So what are they key things you need?

First, get yourself a very good, business-quality broadband provider. This is critical when so much depends on having a fast, reliable, secure and dedicated Internet connection.

Secondly, get a separate telephone line - and a phone with the business functionality you need.

And thirdly, if possible, get a desktop PC that's supplied and owned by the business.

In other words, invest in business-grade services, and keep them separate from your domestic ones.

This way, you can be supported as effectively at home as you are at the office - and probably by the same people.

And if you're running a business with remote workers, all this applies even more. Instead of seven people all with different computers, broadband providers and Internet routers, you'll get the consistency and security of a single, common approach.

Things work best when all your IT gels together - and that's where Abussi can help.
You can find out more at our website - abussi.co.uk.

Meanwhile, enjoy your IT. I look forward to talking to you again next month, when we'll be looking at a related topic - the flexibility and scale you can now get with voice over internet protocol.