“Working from home can be the perfect solution to help rein in costs without losing valued employees, but many organisations remain nervous about letting staff work from home, unsure of the security implications, and how productive they will be away from the watchful eye of the office environment,” said Michael Davies, head of product management at Viatel. “The perceived high cost of enabling home networking needn’t be an issue though, and with the right solutions in place, concerns can quickly be overcome.”
Reluctance to deploy homeworking is often based on experience of employees accessing company IT resources via their own consumer broadband services. As a result, internet performance issues can present a barrier to efficiency and staff may be accessing company applications whilst browsing the Internet on personal sites, increasing the risk of outside threats and meaning that staff can be wasting time on non-business activities.
Viatel’s homeworking package offers customers secure MPLS access services at the same pricing level as normal Internet access services, removing the cost barrier which has previously deterred deployment of a single, private company network. For users only requiring a basic service, Viatel is offering special pricing on its 20:1 ADSL MAX service, while advanced users, who may need to send and receive large files, can take advantage of the company’s uncontended MAXStream service.
In addition to connectivity, Viatel’s Hosted IP Voice includes the addition of a Professional IP Phone with a comprehensive set of features, and integration with the existing company phone system to enable businesses to benefit from free, good quality, internal calls and breakout to the PSTN.
To provide a complete solution, Viatel’s package can integrate home workers into a company’s main Viatel MPLS network, providing centralised internet access and co-location services. Integrating to the MPLS network also ensures that security and company wide web policies can be enforced outside of the office environment. This means that homeworkers are as productive and protected as they would be at a desk in the main office.
Chris Costin, chief technology officer at luxury travel group Western and Oriental, which has recently installed Viatel’s homeworking solutions said. “Viatel’s solution made offering homeworking to our staff an easy choice. Our staff can now connect to the company network using a single, secure MPLS network, and since this is not an Internet connection the company is able to control the features and performance levels out to all users. We were able to quickly install the solution and the added flexibility it allows our staff has ensured levels of productivity have risen, with no added security concerns.”