Remote Networking
The technical capabilities of corporate networks are rarely in the minds of workers or managers, but the notion of working from home or while travelling is one capability that increasingly piques the interest of both. Connecting to network resources or desktop computers from home has an unusually strong appeal, and is associated in the minds of many with the freedom to choose your own workplace. In light of recent, dramatic, increases in fuel costs the possibility of reduced commuting times and costs are pushing remote networking from the realm of 'nice-to-have' to real-world practice for many.
For companies, financial benefits are gained by reducing the sheer space needed for their office workers to work in. Remote networking is also a solution that may become a business necessity if offices are closed by health authorities - a likely situation in a worst-case bird flu epidemic.
Moving away from the financial savings and alarmist possibilities, the idea of living wherever one wishes without the geographical constrictions of the standard office workplace is undeniably attractive. Imagine working for a large city-based corporate but living and working in a small town by the beach, on a yacht, or even in another country. Each of these scenarios is entirely possible given current technologies, and the cost is far from prohibitive. Here in New Zealand, VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) and remote workplaces are common. Recent refinements and expansions of tried-and-true technologies have produced a multitude of simple, pain-free remote network access options. Here at Synapsys we use the secure Remote Web Workplace feature of Microsoft's Small Business Server. This feature allows our employees to connect to their work desktops from any web-enabled browser anywhere in the world. Alongside this tool we use traditional VPN, which allows users to quickly locate and transfer files to and from their work desktops. As far as our staff are concerned, their physical user experience is often identical to that of sitting in front of their work computers.
Access to remote networking is usually by standard dial-up, or by broadband ADSL and cable for a smoother experience. Remote users who don’t have access to standard land-lines or cable infrastructure are able to connect using Wi-Fi and cellular technologies. In most of the developed world, 3G (Third Generation) mobile technologies allow users to connect at speeds of over 350kbps using a mobile phone or cellular PC card. This option allows not only remote network access, but mobile access for on-the-road travelling users. Not strictly a necessity for many companies, but one that can be surprisingly useful.
Other connection options available include satellite broadband - the best option for the most remote users - which allows high-speed access from nearly anywhere on the planet. In New Zealand, Asian technology operator Shin Satellite offers connection to the IPSTAR-1 satellite for little more than the cost of a satellite television service. Satellite warhorse Inmarsat provides coverage across the entire country, and PanAmSat has recently adjusted its PAS-8 satellite to provide high speed broadband across New Zealand. These options allow users to connect to their networks from literally anywhere in the country. Surprisingly, many organisations are already equipped with the technology needed for remote networking, but have simply assumed it is too expensive or complicated to implement, when this simply isn’t the case.
Posted by Adam Barratt. at November 9, 2006 09:20 AM
