Beating the drum, Part 2

Second of a two part series

Last week, we looked at how the International Telework Association and Council is remaking itself to appeal to Fortune 500 and Global 2000 firms who don't necessarily identify with telework. Here, we'll look at two freshman organizations, each with a unique approach to advancing the cause.

The Telework Consortium, which I first wrote about last fall, plans to open its Telework Laboratory in Herndon, Va., this September. For more details, click here, but in a nutshell, the group believes that ultimately, full-motion video powered by ultra broadband connections is the future of telework.

Though a bit myopic, the group's vision is intriguing. Based on the concept of five levels of business process maturity, companies can be classified and their progress tracked by levels. At level one, a company sees only minor benefits to telework; it allows some employees flexibility in their schedules. At level two, the firm recognizes workers can be productive at home, and grants better access to IT systems. The result is improved productivity and an increase in the number of days teleworked. At level three, the firm enlists a hoteling strategy to begin managing real estate assets more effectively. At level four, firms add lots of bandwidth and a video presence. At level five, the firm's business processes support virtual teams.

Plenty of people with deep pockets buy into the group's vision. The National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Small Business Administration each awarded the Consortium $2.4 million and $1 million respectively. It's also signed on seven big name "technology partners": Nortel, AgilQuest, Microsoft, 3M, Groove Networks, Alloptic and Optical Solutions.

In addition to the grants, the partners must pay $50,000 each in dues (which includes the cost of donated equipment) to showcase their products in the lab. Consortium president John Stark says the money will support the lab and technology pilots.

The pilot programs are created for "development members," who will be able to come and try out new technology, then pilot it in their companies. "They'll be able to characterize the business processes they're using, and help them set up performance standards, regimes, including classic business process performance measurement," Stark says.

Development members aren't charged dues at present. "If our program survives beyond grants, we will have to charge some dues," Stark says.

In contrast, the Telework Coalition's co-founder Chuck Wilsker says, "We want to promote telework, but we're trying to come down to the ground as opposed to being up in the air."

Last February, Wilsker, former executive director of ITAC, and John Edwards, former and long time president of ITAC, launched the Washington area group (nicknamed Telcoa) to aggressively promote state and Federal legislation that offers incentives to employers who promote telework as well as their employees. Three current and three past ITAC board members (myself included) serve on Telcoa's advisory committee.

"We realized a more sales-type environment was necessary," Wilsker says. "We're proactive instead of reactive. We go out and talk to state legislators and special interest groups to ensure their legislative agendas include good support for telework. Yesterday I met with the Tech Council of Maryland, earlier, the Maryland Women's Legislative Agenda, which is very involved in work/life balance issues. I tried to get them to see that plenty of men work from home, too."

Telcoa plans to register as an LLC [limited liability corporation] making it free to accept contracts, promote products and sell services. "We want to actively promote the products and services of the people who are with us. That's what a nonprofit can't do," Wilsker says. "If a small company calls and asks for guidance on how to start a telework program, 'I'd say here's what I like, here's what works for me.' "

No doubt, Telcoa's devotion, sales savvy and Washington connections make a powerful combination. Edwards chairs the telework group at the Northern Virginia Tech Council; Wilsker is subchair. Wilsker chairs the Telework Task Force of the Board of Trade, he's on the Transportation Committee of the Maryland Technology Council and Board of Trade, and he belongs to the DC Technology Council.

"I'm the only one I know who belongs to everything," Wilsker says.

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