On the harshest winter days, call center agent Charles Gunsolley works from his Denver home, booking vacations for others bound for warm and exotic destinations.
Call it ironic that Gunsolley -- an agent for Honolulu-based Outrigger Hotels & Resorts -- is just grateful that he doesn't have to commute in the snow. "The fun part of working from home is not having to stand out in the cold waiting for a bus," he says.
Gunsolley, however, battles more than the elements. "I am legally blind. It would be more difficult to keep my employment with Outrigger if I could not work from home. Transportation can be challenging to manage, and there are often other environmental problems at work, such as lighting. These can be more easily addressed with my own personal work space at home."
Gunsolley's home office is outfitted with equipment supplied entirely by Outrigger, which ships "locked-down" PCs to its at-home employees. "The biggest challenge is to ensure the security of our legacy system, a reservation application that is core to our business and integral to the work our call center agents perform every day," says Bill Peters, vice president of reservation systems.
Ultimately, the company plans to develop a Web-based graphical user interface to the reservation system, eliminating the need to ship secured PCs. The company also provides at-home workers with IP desktop phones from Echopass Corp. in Pleasanton, Calif.
See the complete Faces of Mobile IT special report.
The Faces of Mobile IT
Different types of mobile workers, such as road warriors, telecommuters and blue-collar workers, need different forms of IT support.
Stories in this report:
- Editor's Note: The Faces of Mobile IT
Editor's Note: Corporate America is addicted to mobile connectivity. In this special report we hear the stories of different types of mobile workers -- the devices they use, the features they'd like -- as well as the stories of the IT workers who have to support them. - Wireless Worker: White-Collar Road Warrior
These road warriors are savvy wireless users, which in turn creates support issues for IT. - Tethered to Treo
- Lightening the Load With Data Sharing
- Wireless Worker: Globe-Trotter
Different protocols, standards and security issues create unique support issues for workers who skip from country to country. - Wireless Worker: Blue-Collar Worker
In choosing portable devices for use in the fields, IT must find one that has the right technology, is sturdy enough to handle tough working conditions and comes at the right price. - At Home With a Palm
- Wireless Worker: Telecommuter
Stay-at-home workers are powered by laptops sitting atop docking stations, cordless phones outfitted with voice over IP and the often-mandatory instant messaging. - Close Contact With IP Communicator
- Wireless Worker: Campus Nomad
Most workers who spend their days roaming corridors and campuses want high connectivity paired with low-tech mobile devices. - PDAs for Warehouse Support
- Wireless Worker: Call Center Agent
Voice-over-IP and wireless and computer telephony integration options are making it easier to set up call center agents to work at home. - Setting Up Security With a 'Locked-Down' PC
- QuickStudy: ZigBee
ZigBee is a short-range, low-power, wireless personal-area network technology optimized for low-cost sensor and control devices used in homes, office buildings, and medical and industrial settings. - The Real Magic of Wireless Technology
Your end users expect real-time data anywhere they happen to be. It's your job to make that magic happen, says columnist Mark Hall. - Research Insights
Click here to view these survey statistics.
Online Exclusives
- Cool Wireless Stuff.
Sure it may be practical and help improve efficiency. But what good is a wireless gadget if it's not fun? Computerworld staffers share some of their favorites, from a universal charger to a $1,200 digital sound system. - The War Driver Returns:
Computerworld's David Ramel hits the road again to check out the state of wireless security — and comes up with some surprising conclusions. - Executive Briefing:
Read about the threats from mobile and wireless technology in the enterprise, and the strategies developed to deal with them, in this online special report. - Lone Warrior:
What about the one-person shop? Learn how power PDA user Bert Latamore thrives on being completely mobile and self-sufficient — until there's trouble. - The Wireless Security Value Chain
Click here to view this webcast.