* Ericsson device can cut costs for remote meetings, speed installations for new branches
Recently, I was talking to a client about Ted, one of the analysts here at Nemertes, who in a two-week period worked in “branch” offices in several states. And he thought more people needed to know about Ted’s cross-country experience and why it’s so telling about how far we’ve come with our Internet connectivity capabilities. Ted’s experience truly underscores the changing definition of the branch office.
In anticipation of yet another chilly winter in Virginia, he and his wife decided to pack up and move south for the colder winter months. They weren’t quite sure where they would land, but they knew the general direction would be south, and maybe west. So they headed out in their RV in search of warmer climates.
He had to make a few unexpected stops along the way, but in the end, he spent two weeks working from his RV using a broadband card on his laptop and BlackBerry. And the key? No one knew the difference!
There were measurable benefits with this experience. First, Ted didn’t have to use his vacation time for a long, boring ride. Instead, he could occupy himself during the ride by working and use his vacation time when he could truly take a vacation. That goes a long way in keeping employees happy.
Second, the company didn’t lose Ted at a critical time. He had recently finished co-authoring a huge study on the future of the Internet (perhaps you read it. If not, click here), and it coincided with when he was planning to move. We needed his expertise, and we had it…whether he was coming from Interstate 40 in Arkansas or Interstate 10 in New Mexico.
Third, and more importantly, clients didn’t lose access to Ted during a time they needed to ask him questions about the findings.
All this was possible because of a little innovative thinking and the availability of a small device that plugs into a laptop!
In our current research project, Advanced Communications Services, we are finding huge interest in broadband cards for mobile workers. Several IT decision-makers says they are taking off faster than BlackBerries did a few years ago. Once someone gets one, everyone in the department wants one.
Individuals need to be on the road, buying access for about six days a month to justify the cost of an unlimited mobile broadband service. But smaller packages can make this technology affordable for even infrequent travelers. The bottom line: Mobile broadband enables the anytime/anywhere communications in a way that doesn’t notably degrade performance.
