Telework tools that work

Vastly scalable and affordable tools help tie remote and mobile workers to the enterprise.

Increasingly, employees are asking to work from home, citing reports of increased productivity and improved quality of life. But IT tends to be reluctant to set up teleworkers because of financial, security and technological concerns.

Fortunately, there are products and services geared to remote and mobile workers that are easy to use, easy for IT to manage and often cost far less than you'd expect. Here we highlight nine of them. Some are breaking new ground; others have some worthy competitors. Start here in your search for the best equipment to enable remote work.

GoToMyPC: For Web access to end user's desktop

For many remote workers, a VPN is overkill. In many cases they don't need access to the entire corporate network, just their desktop PCs. By downloading a piece of software onto the desktop, GoToMyPC lets remote workers access files and applications from any Web browser. The service is highly secure and is extremely easy to install and maintain. It's so popular that use has run rampant, despite the disapproval of many security-minded IT staffers.

They needn't worry. GoToMyPC's 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard keeps the data safe, and its dual passwords and end-to-end user authentication provide as much security as the average corporate VPN -- but for about half the cost. An online Administration Center addresses most corporate security concerns and gives the IT staff centralized control of user accounts.

The latest version brings some neat additions, including Universal Viewer, which lets users access their remote PCs via any operating system, including Macintosh, Unix and Linux; remote printing; file transfer; and screen blanking and keyboard locking, which eliminate worries about prying eyes at the office.

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Telework tools

Version 3.0 includes the ability to create user groups based on criteria the administrator selects; and to grant or deny individuals or groups access to features. Also, users get drag-and-drop file transfers and a shortcut feature.

GoToMyPC is more than a remote PC access clone, in part because of its approach. First, the server installs on the PC you intend to access. During installation, this server registers with Expert City's GoToMyPC broker. When the client initiates a GoToMyPC session, it first queries the broker, which then mutually authenticates with client and server, downloads a tiny applet into the client's browser, and helps the client establish a highly secure connection with the home or office PC's desktop server.

GoToMyPC's protocols and procedures are secure, relying primarily on two-way shared secrets. It's also robust because the brokers are geographically distributed to provide for regional load leveling.

If you're against giving your users remote access to their own computers, you can always block the Expert City broker IP addresses at your firewall. But you're in for a rude awakening, as similar ventures are appearing now. There's even talk of being able to select your broker from among thousands owned by third-party vendors, which leaves you little choice but to pick a good service with administration capabilities or pull the plug on your employees' access to the Internet.

MangoMind 3.0: For Web access to stored data

If your teleworkers need remote access to data, the MangoMind Web storage service might be the answer. Compared with Xdrive, Driveway and My Docs Online, MangoMind best accommodates the needs of the corporate worker, providing a fast, easily installed, secure online drive that seamlessly integrates with the user's local directory structure. And multiple users can access one drive from any Web-based PC, making remote document collaboration easy.

Less than 2 minutes after beginning the installation, I had a MangoMind drive. Security is handled by 128-bit RC5 keys that encrypt your data before it's sent to your MangoMind drive and after it's downloaded to your PC. That means data is stored in encrypted format at all times while away from your PC. You install your access on another computer via a password-protected 5K Identity File. Simply e-mail the file (or put it on a floppy), connect to MangoMind's Web site and install the software.

MangoMind lets you control access by users and groups. Other features include local cache, offline access policies and reminders of your connection status and drive usage.

File transfer speed was interesting at 11K bit/sec copying a file to the drive, but 938K bit/sec copying the file back to my hard drive. I achieved about 1.5M bit/sec from a known high-speed server immediately before and after, so the bottlenecks seemed to be in the MangoMind drive. Still, 928K bit/sec is hardly a bottleneck for most high-speed Internet connections.

MangoMind lets you "pin" certain files and folders, or cache them to your hard drive while you're online. Then, when you're offline, the data is available, appearing in your MangoMind disk space as it would if you were online. Pinning isn't appropriate for multiuser databases or other collaborative efforts, but it's a great way to ensure you always have access to a file, whether you're connected or not.

My only gripe is that setting permissions took a long time to propagate through the MangoMind drive's file structure. While 38 seconds might not seem that long, I only was updating the permissions on five folders and 19 files. Changing permissions on something as complicated as a multiuser accounting system, with its hundreds of files and subfolders, could take an hour.

Connected TLM 6.2: For backup

It makes no sense. Remote workers are more at risk for data corruption than their office-bound peers. Yet data belonging to stationary workers is backed up routinely, while that of remote workers is backed up rarely, if at all. Enter Connected TLM (Total Lifecycle Management), a Web-based back-up program that includes a range of asset protection and recovery capabilities for all corporate workers, regardless of location.

TLM's agent resides on every PC, inside and outside the corporate firewall. It works in conjunction with the TLM Data Center on a corporate back-up server to preserve the capability to restore all data and system states from the server. It minimizes the data transferred during any back-up session by backing up blocks, not files. If only a part of a file has been updated, TLM's DeltaBlock backs up only those blocks that changed since the last backup -- not the whole file.

TLM doesn't require a VPN -- security is built-in, via a Triple-DES connection. Two additional functions, Asset Discovery and Remote Assist, essentially give remote workers a "self-healing" capability that lets systems be rolled back to a state that existed before a system crash, virus damage or user error.

Netilla Virtual Office: For Web access to network applications

Remote and mobile workers who need to access high-end network applications might lug around a seven-pound laptop, 20G byte hard drive and second battery. But with Netilla Virtual Office, all they need is a browser.

Virtual Office runs on a 1U (1.75-inch), rack-mountable Linux box, and works with Windows 2000 Terminal Server. If your application works with Terminal Server, then it will work with Virtual Office. In short, Virtual Office gets Terminal Server to serve the app to the Linux box, which reserves that app to you through your browser.

Netilla's approach is similar to GoToMyPC's, except that administrators configure only the application server. Corporate workstations, teleworkers' laptops and home PCs become very thin, browser-only clients. A 128-bit Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) link handles security, and users are authenticated through Virtual Office's pass-through or a Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service server.

Most of the administration is handled by a value-added reseller for around $60 per month, per user. That might seem expensive, but considering the cost of managing the average system costs between $30 and $120 per month, Virtual Office is a viable alternative.

One might think this approach significantly increases your bandwidth requirements, but not so. Virtual Office requires less bandwidth than Terminal Server does alone -- I estimated the average user will gobble up 10G bytes per month. Virtual Office also requires a significant investment in your application servers and will require larger firms to invest in server farms.

WebEx: For conferencing services

If it's not cost-efficient to bring the remote worker to the office, then bring the office to the remote worker. WebEx provides data, voice and videoconferencing services that let remote workers and clients share applications, presentations and documents.

Users can browse together, chat and record meetings for later playback. Larger groups will love the polling feature, which provides instant feedback.

Whether you're conducting a simple two-person meeting, multiperson seminar or major online event, WebEx provides real-time, interactive communications via telephone and information "switches" that use WebEx's interactive services, platform and network -- all of which can be secured with SSL or WebEx's proprietary standard.

WebEx offers two other services: OnCall, a virtual support center; and Business Exchange, virtual "outer offices" that provide an electronic front end to virtual meeting rooms.

Carl Amacker, vice president of marketing for project management consultancy Business Engine, says WebEx is helping his virtual company overcome the communication barriers of time and distance.

"First, our consultants/workers who spend at least 80% of their time on the road, now have the flexibility to work from their homes. Once we educate and train our customers on the uses of WebEx, much of the time that was spent on-site in the past will be done remotely." He notes that WebEx has improved his firm's consultants' lives, and reduced travel expenses more than 50%.

Telework Toolkit: For managing remote workers

A suite of enterprise management tools, ExecutiveWorks' Telework Toolkit is ideal for the virtual company. Traditional corporations also will enjoy the way it ties office workers and teleworkers together into a seamless enterprise system.

Office Pilot, the central program in the suite, lets workers and managers at all levels monitor their own performance and the performance of others. It crunches productivity numbers into automatically generated productivity reports.

Employee and Lifecycle Management Tools let the manager hire, train and support employees throughout their tenure with the company. The Communication Tools include LiveWire, a collaboration tool, with e-mail, instant messaging, voice mail, whiteboard, voice over IP and Web-enabled point-to-point and multipoint video.

The VideoOffice tool takes this a step further, transmitting real-time presentation and video information to up to six people simultaneously without their needing anything more than a standard browser. Assessment Tools include ViewPoint, SourcePoint and PinPoint, all of which are designed to turn people, data and managerial expertise into valuable information for making decisions.

Finally, its consulting and training tools train workers to be productive remote workers. By combining these tools, Executive Works, itself a virtual company, lays the foundation for a dynamic, well-connected and well-informed virtual company.

OnBoard: For allocating office space

While many teleworkers work full-time from home, most bounce between two desks -- one in the office and one at home. When working at home, the office space typically sits vacant, costing firms money. If your company is weighing the benefits of employing a shared space or hoteling system, AgilQuest OnBoard is worth a good look.

OnBoard is a Web-based office reservation system that goes beyond managing available space. It dynamically allocates office space and other resources such as phones for mobile workers across multiple office sites. The system stores data in a SQL database and works with Seagate's Crystal Enterprise 8.0 for reporting and Symantec's PCAnywhere 9.2 for remote support. It lets remote workers find their colleagues regardless of location.

Its detailed operational and strategic reporting helps corporate execs fine-tune the use of their mobile forces. It uses either VoIP or a more traditional corporate PBX (Nortel, Siemens and Lucent) to seamlessly switch workers' extensions to their current location. The Nortel and Lucent units require a serial connection with the appropriate administrative access, but the Siemens PBX also requires a data module.

BlackBerry: For e-mail anywhere

BlackBerry's newest entry, the 5810, does what you expect it to do -- communicate. This fruit is definitely ripe, as it performs voice and data over GSM/General Packet Radio Service, and integrates with your corporate or personal e-mail account -- all via an always-on wireless connection that lets your e-mail find you.

No more fumbling with two e-mail accounts, either - BlackBerry uses the same account you've always had and automatically synchronizes e-mail, organizer and your wireless information with your desktop the moment it's lowered into its cradle. Corporate e-mail is forwarded to the BlackBerry via the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, which works with Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Domino. Personal e-mail is forwarded via the BlackBerry Web Client.

If you wish, you also can sign up for a new e-mail account that belongs strictly to your device.

Research In Motion uses "scrambled encryption inherent in the network" as the only security for the last two options. While that might be quite good, using Enterprise Server is the better approach because it provides security via Triple-DES, personal information manager and calendar synchronization, and centralized management and control.

BlackBerry's Java-driven secure wireless e-mail, organizer, Web access, pager and automatic synchronization is more useful than a personal secretary, not to mention less expensive. Unlike other PDAs, it comes with a small built-in qwerty keyboard. The only thing I'd hold out for is a larger color screen and full-sized foldable keyboard.

PBXgateway: For extending corporate PBX to mobile phones

Tired of playing telephone tag? Need to make frequent overseas calls while on the road? MCK Communications' PBXgateway extends the corporate PBX to any phone.

MobileConneX targets mobile users who rely on cell phones. Available in eight, 12 and 24 ports, the rack-mounted unit sits behind the corporate PBX, routes calls to the teleworker via the cellular network and lets remote workers place calls via the corporate PBX, saving money and consolidating billing. Unanswered calls are routed back to the PBX's voice mail.

Security is handled via passwords, and the units' Fixed and Fixed/Forced modes limit calls to preprogrammed numbers. Administrators manage the units via their choice of HTML, SNMP, Telnet or an RS-232.

Corporate teleworkers will be more interested in MCK's Extender line. Manchester Flights, a U.K. subsidiary of Thompson Travel, sent its call center agents home, connected an MCK EXTender PBXgateway II to its Avaya Definity PBX, and installed MCK's EXTender 4000 at each remote location. An agent picks up the digital handset in his home office, and his calls are routed over the Internet to the corporate PBX.

Manchester Flights says this virtual office model has increased agents' productivity and is saving the company a significant amount of office space.

Although the basic unit, the PBXtender, works only with the Avaya Definity ECS (Release 3 or later), Nortel Meridian and Norstar PBXs, their PBXgateway works with several additional PBXs from Alcatel, Avaya, Ericsson, NEC, Nortel and Toshiba. For the EXTenders, the 1000 is designed for use with analog phones, the 3000 for ISDN and digital handsets, the 4000 for IP networks and digital handsets, and the 6000 for multiuser branch offices.

If your teleworkers rely primarily on e-mail, or if their cell phone plans include low-cost national rates, this isn't for you.

But if voice is their primary means of communication, they're always on the go, or if overseas charges are bogging you down, MCK's products bring the corporate PBX to your teleworkers, anywhere they might be.

Janss is the president of Jansys Information Systems, a consulting firm specializing in IS technologies for small businesses. He can be reached at bizcom@jansys.com.

Telework tools that work

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