the definitive guide to telework. -...

The Definitive Guide to Telework.An Aerohive Networks eBook


Table of Contents

Introduction—Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

IntheFaceofOverwhelmingInterest,AdoptionofTeleworkHasBeenSlow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

WhytheDisconnect? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

NoTimeLikethePresent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Part One: Teleworking Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

ReducingOperationalExpenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

IndividualSavings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

ManagingEnvironmentalImpacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

EnablingBusiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

IncreasingProductivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

AttractingandRetainingTopTalent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

EnsuringBusinessContinuity&AcceleratedDisasterRecovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Part Two: Barriers to Telework Adoption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

FirstComestheCommitment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

DrillingintotheComplexity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

RequirementsforanEffectiveTeleworkSolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Part Three: Options for Deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

FirstThereWerePrivateNetworks… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

ThenCameVirtualPrivateNetworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Hardware-BasedIPSecVPNs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Software-BasedSSLVPNs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

NewCloud-basedDeliveryModel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Part Four: Fostering a Teleworking Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

MakeItStrategic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

CreateaPolicySoEveryoneKnowsWhattoExpect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

ResultsMustMatterMoreThanBeingSeen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

DevelopGoodPerformanceManagers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

MaketheMostoftheOpportunitytoWorkfromAnywhere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Don’tForgettheToolsandProcesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Part Five: What to Consider to Maximize Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

TheTop10ITRequirementsforaProductiveTeleworkEnvironment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

TheTop10CorporateRequirementsforaProductiveTeleworkEnvironment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17


In the Face of Overwhelming Interest, Telework Adoption Has Been Slow

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimated that in 2006 there were 30 million full and part-time teleworkers in the US, a number they expected to grow to between 50 and 100 million by 2012. But the latest American Community Survey data found that just over 2% of the U.S. employee workforce (2.8 million people, not including the self employed or unpaid volunteers) actually considers home their primary place of work.1 This data point is re-enforced by a 2008 survey of government agencies, where less than a quarter of the states who responded said their branch employees had access to telecommuting capabilities; while up from 11 percent in 2005, these numbers hardly represent overwhelming adoption of a telework environment.2

Thisisquitesurprising,giventheinterestandinitiativesunderwayinboththeprivateandpublicsectorstopromotetheadoptionofteleworking,whichcanalsobereferredtoastelecommutingorworkingfromhome .MostFortune1000companieshavestatedtheirintenttoadoptateleworkenvironment .BoththeHouseandSenatehavebillsdesignedtopushgovernmentagenciestocreateformalteleworkprogramsandpromotetheuseoftelecommuting;theObamaadministrationhassetmorespecificgoals,targeting150,000federalemployeestoteleworkersby2011,and500,000by2014 .

1 Telework Research Network, Kate Lister, October 2009 2 The Pew Center on the States, Human Capital: Trends and Innovations

Why the Disconnect?

It’smostlikelyacombinationoftechnologicalandculturalbarriersthathavebeenholdingteleworkingback .Despitethecostandproductivitybenefitsassociatedwithtelecommuting,gettingarobustteleworkingprogramupandrunningisverycostlyandcomplex,oftenrequiringHerculeaneffortsonthepartoftheITdepartment .Organizationsneedtoaccountfor:

•�Large�Capital�Investments—multiplenetworkingandsecuritydevicesneededtoconnectaremotesite,plusmanagementserversandstoragerequiredinthedatacenter

•�Ongoing�Operational�Expenses—allthelabor-intensive,manualprocessesassociatedwithkeepingeachandeverysiteinthedistributednetwork:

•Running—provisioningandtroubleshootingallthelocations,whichhavelittletonotechnicalexpertiseonsite

•Updating—withappropriatetechnicalupdatesappliedandpoliciesinforce

•Securing—withareal-timeunderstandingoftheoverallsecuritystanceandeffectiveriskmitigationcapabilities

•Compliance�Requirements—auditablerecordsofallactivitytomeetregulatoryneeds;usuallynecessitatespullingfromandcorrelatingrelevantlogsandfilesfromavarietyofdevicesandmanagementinterfaces

Atthesametime,therehasbeensomehesitancyonthepartoforganizationstomakethenecessarypolicy,processesandmanagerialchangesneededtoembraceatrulyproductivetelecommutingculture .Forstarters,adjustingthemindsetofmanagerslongconditionedtoassociateface-time,ratherthanresults,withproductivitycanrequireaseismicculturalshift .Thecombinationofallthesehurdlesisoftenmorethanmanyorganizationscanbear,makingitdifficultforthemtocommittolargescaleroll-outs .

Introduction—Executive Summary


No Time Like the Present

Thetimingcouldfinallyberightfortelework .Somenewtechnologiesandwaysofthinkingarestartingtomovetheneedle,enablingorganizationstorevisittheirstrategyandlookatwaystoreapallthebenefitsteleworkcanoffer .Forinstance,overthepastcoupleofyears,wehaveseenthematurityandgrowingacceptanceofcloudservices,whichenables:

•New�Options�for�Deployment—deliveringcloud-basednetworkingservicesthatleveragetheeconomiesofthecloudtoquicklyscaletomeetthechangingneedsoftheorganization

•New�Networking�Business�Models—basedonsellingnetworkingservicesversusnetworkinghardware,significantlyreducing,andsometimeseveneliminating,thecapitalcostsofthedistributednetwork

•Simplified,�Centralized�Management—givingtheorganizationreal-timevisibilityandcontrolovertheirnetwork,fromanywhere,atanytime,toreduceoperationalcomplexityandsupportcomplianceneeds

Newtechnologicaloptionscombinedwiththeaforementionedstakesthatprivateandpublicorganizationshavestartedtoputinthegroundaroundteleworkmayaccelerateitsadoption .Theongoingeconomicrecessionmayalsobeplayingarole,spurringorganizationsalreadyonthefencetotryteleworking,bothforitscostsavingandemployeeretentionbenefits(particularlywhentheycan’tordon’twanttoraisesalaries) .ThiscouldexplainwhythenumberofAmericansworkingremotelyisgrowingfasterthaneverbefore—bynearlyapercentagepointbetween2008and20093 .Theconfluenceofthesefactorshasfinallymadeteleworkingripeforwidespreadadoption .

ThiseBooklooksatteleworkingfromallangles,examiningwhat’sdrivingandpotentiallyhinderingitsadoption,thetechnicalandculturalrequirementstosupportteleworking,andtheconsiderationsenterprisesshouldmaketoensuretheyhavewhattheyneedforaneffectiveteleworkdeploymentintheirworkplace .

3 “Telecommuting grows in Bend,” High Five, 9/16/2010, http://www.oregonbusiness.com/high-five/10-high-five/4115-bend-oregon-trend-telecommuting


There are a host of reasons organizations look at initiating a teleworking program, but the one most often cited relates to its potential operational savings. In aggregate, it’s estimated that businesses could save between $15 billion to $30 billion through 20204 through telecommuting initiatives. A recent report compiled by Telework Research Network was even more aggressive, estimating a $400 billion savings could be realized by U.S. businesses alone if they were to employ a half-time workshifting policy.5 While it is clear these estimates are quantifying the scope of the savings differently, it is also clear that regardless of which number you look at, there is a pretty compelling case to be made for considering telework. In fact, any one of the benefits of telework—from cost reductions to business connectivity improvements—could be used to make a business case for the adoption of telework. Some of those are:

Reducing Operational Expenses

Alargepartoftheoperationalsavingsattributedtoteleworkcanbegarneredbyreducingtheofficespaceneedsofanorganization .Whenworkersworkfromhomeregularlytheydonotneedadedicatedspaceintheoffice .Instead,companiescanprovision“hotoffices,”whicharealways-availableareasforemployeestousewhenevertheycomeintotheoffice,andsharedworkspaces,toreducethenumberofassignedprivateworkspacesthatareneeded .Therearealsothefollow-onsavingsofparkingspacereductions;inareaswherelandisatapremium,areductioninthenumberofparkingspotsthatneedtobeavailableandmaintainedcanreallyaddup .

Ingeneral,themoreefficientuseofspacecanenablecompaniestoreducetheircorporaterealestateportfoliobyasmuchas40%-50%6 .Ofcourse,inreducingtherealestatecosts,youarealsoreducingtheongoingoperationalcosts—lessspace,meansthereislesstopower,light,andregulate,intermsoftemperature,etc .TheTeleworkResearchNetworkestimatedemployerscouldsaveupto$10,000ayearinoperatingcostsperemployeewithateleworkprogram7 .TheU .S .GeneralServicesAdministration8,withanalysisbytheTeleworkResearchNetwork,estimatedthateligiblefederalemployeesthatteleworkedonedayaweek,couldsavemorethan$15Bayear .

4 “ Smart2020 Report,” by The Climate Group on behalf of the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI), with independent analysis by McKinsey & Company, 2008.

5 http://www.eweek.com/c/a/IT-Management/10-Myths-of-Telework-Why-You-Arent-Working-from-Home-200485/6 http://img.en25.com/Web/CitrixOnline/FutureofWork.pdf7 Kate Lister, see “Workshifting Benefits: The Bottom Line,” from the Telework Research Network8 Compiled by Booz Allen

Individual Savings

Organizationsaren’ttheonlyonesthatfeelsomebudgetaryrelief,theindividualcommutercanalsobenefitmonetarily .Asthepriceofgasgoesup,manyseeteleworkingasawaytoreduceexpensesandrelievesomeofthestressesinafamily’salreadystretchedbudgets .TheTeleworkExchangecalculatestheaverageannualcostofcommutingfivedaysaweektobe$9,796 .Byreducingthatcommutebyjusttwodays,theaveragecostcouldbecutdownto$3,918,whichisasavingsof$5,878ayear .*Otherestimatesinclude:

•AreportbyTIAXLLC,commissionedbytheConsumerElectronicsAssociation,found3 .9millionteleworkerssaved840milliongallonsoffuelannually—iffuelcostsareapproximately$3pergallon,thatsavingsrepresentsacumulative$2 .25billion,alittleover$575percommuter .

•TheAmericanEnterpriseInstituteforPublicPolicyResearch(AEI)**usesstatisticsfromtheBureauofTransportationandtheU .S .DepartmentofEducationtopredictthattheaverageteleworkeruses339fewergallonsofgasovertheyear,whichrepresentsasavingsof$1,017(ifweassumethecostofgasat$3agallon)incommutingcosts,andCO2emissionsreductionsof6584pounds .

* Telework Exchange, Telework Eligibility Profile: Feds Fit the Bill. ** “Should the Government Expand Telework?” by Kenneth P. Green,

American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, August 2010, http://www.aei.org/docLib/EEO-2010-8-No-2-g.pdf

Part One

Teleworking Drivers


Managing Environmental Impacts

Operationalsavingsareoftentiedtoreductionsinenvironmentalimpacts .TheConsumerElectronicsAssociationfoundthattelecommutingintheU .S .reducesgasolineconsumptionby840milliongallonsayear .Thatrepresentsasavingsofninetofourteenbillionkilowatthoursofelectricity,andtheabatementofcloseto14milliontonsofcarbonemissions(upto190,000terajoulesofenergy) .Thosecommuteemissionsrepresentindirectemissionsthatcompaniesneedtoincludeintheircarbonreporting9,sofororganizationslookingtobettermanagecarbonintheirextendedoperationsandvaluechain,teleworkinitiativesrepresentawaytoaddresstheirenvironmentalimpactsandreducetheircarbonfootprint .

Governmentpoliciesaroundtheworldhaveindicatedafutureiscomingwherecompanieswillneedtoaccountfortheircarbonemissionsmoreexplicitly,perhapsthroughcarbontaxesoracapandtradesystem .If,orrather,whenthishappens,organizationsthathavecarbonmanagementprogramsinplaceandhaveadoptedreductiontactics,suchastelework,willbebetterpreparedtoprotecttheirbottomline .

9 For example, 2,500 organizations in more than 60 countries around the world measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), www.cdproject.net, acting on behalf of 475 institutional investors, holding $55 trillion in assets under management and some 60 purchasing organizations such as Cadbury, PepsiCo and Walmart.

Enabling Business

Whiletelecommutingcanbegoodforthebottomlineandgoodfortheenvironment,itisalsoabusinessenabler .Forstarters,businessescangowherethetalentis;theycanuseteleworktosupportemployees,partnersandcustomerswiththeresourcestheyneed,regardlessofwheretheyarelocatedaroundtheglobe .Inanincreasinglyconnected,globaleconomy,theabilitytotapintotalentandresourceswherevertheyarelocatedcanbeahugecompetitivedifferentiator,deliveringtheagilityorganizationsneedtoleveragelocalknowledge,uncovertrendsandpreferences,seizemarketopportunities,anddrivegains .

Asorganizationsstrivetosupportthecareeraspirationsoftheiremployeestodevelopandholdontotoptalent,theabilitytoteleworkcanbeakeyenabler .Theflexibilityprovidedbytheabilitytotelecommutecanreducestresslevels,increasejobsatisfaction,andsupportemployeerecruitmentandretentionobjectives .ASloanCenteronAgingstudyshowedthatmorethan75%ofworkersfeltflexibilitycontributedtotheirsuccessasanemployee,while48%ofolderGenX’ersthoughtitgreatlyimprovedjobsuccess .10

Increasing Productivity

Itmakessensethataworkforcethatisempoweredtocontributetothebusinessfromwherevertheyare,whenevertheyneedtoisgoingtobemoreproductiveoverall .EstimatesfromtheCenterforUrbanTransportationResearch11placeproductivitygainsthatcanbeachievedthroughagoodtelecommutingprogramatupto30% .ThisisanumberechoedbytheTeleworkResearchNetwork12,whichfounda27%increaseinproductivityfromemployeesontheirteleworkdays .Productivitygainscanbeattributedtoavarietyofthings:decreasedabsenteeism,timespentworkingthatwouldhavenormallybeendedicatedtocommuting,andahappier,morededicatedworkforce .

10 “Workplace Flexibility: Findings from the Age and Generations Study,” Sloan Center, 2009. 11 http://www.cutr.usf.edu/index.shtml12 “ Workshifting Benefits: The Bottom Line,” Telework Research Network, May 2010, http://www.workshifting.com/downloads/

downloads/Workshifting%20Benefits-The%20Bottom%20Line.pdf

Whenpolled,almostall(93%)employeesinafederalsurveysaidthattelecommutingwouldmakeajobmoredesirable,citingthebenefits(inorderofthenumberofrespondents)ofsavingtime,improvingqualityoflife,reducingcarbonfootprint,savingmoney,boostingproductivity,andmoretimewiththeirfamilies .*

* mobileoffice.about.com/b/2010/09/10/93-of-federal-employees-are-in-favor-of-telecommuting.htm


Onereportshowedthat75percentofmanagersbelieveremoteworkersaremoreproductive .13AccordingtoaKellyGlobalWorkforceIndex,morethan75percentofemployeesfeelthatmobiletechnologies(mobilephones,PDAsandlaptops)increasetheirproductivity .14

Attracting and Retaining Top Talent

Thegeneralimpacttelecommutingcanhaveontheworkforceshouldnotbeunderestimated .Theabilitytoworkregularlyfromhomecanhelpemployeesachieveabetterwork-lifebalancethatcanleadtoimprovedoverallmorale .BLR,acompensationandcomplianceservicesvendor,triedtoquantifytheresults,findingthatofthecompaniestheyinterviewedwithteleworkprograms,64percentconfirmedtheyhadseenimprovementsinmorale .

AsurveybyRegus15foundthatafifthofcommutersaroundtheworldhaveconsideredquittingtheirjobsbecauseofthetimeittakesthemtotravelintotheoffice .AccordingtoPhilMonteroofTheAnywhereOffice,72%ofU .S .employeessaythatflexibleworkarrangementswouldcausethemtochooseonejoboveranother16,whileastudybyThePollingCompanyfoundrespondentsvaluedtheabilitytoworkremotelymorethanstockoptionsandonsitechildcare .17Asurvey18byWorldatWorkconfirmedthisvalue,withmorethanathirdofthosewithvirtualwork-compatiblejobssayingtheywouldtakeapaycutinexchangefortheabilitytoteleworkjusttwodaysaweek .

13 Report commissioned by City & Guilds and the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM).14 2009 Index as reported in “IT Management: 10 Myths of Telework: Why You Aren’t Working from Home,” eWeek Staff, Sept. 17, 2010,

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/IT-Management/10-Myths-of-Telework-Why-You-Arent-Working-from-Home-200485/15 http://www.economist.com/daily/news/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15106202&fsrc=nwl16 As reported in his recent white paper and post on the workshifting.com blog, “Work Unchained: The Competitive Edge of the Anywhere

Office.” Primary source of data: The Edge Report—Robert Half International Survey, 200817 WorldatWork; The Telework Coalition18 2009, World at Work

Ensuring Business Continuity & Accelerated Disaster Recovery

Teleworkoffersananswertothebusinessandgovernmentproblemsurroundingcontinuityofoperations .Itcanhelporganizationsoperateintimesofstressandminimizeinevitabledisruptionsstemmingfromnaturaldisasters,pandemics,orconflicts(actsofwarorterrorism)thatcancripplenormaloperationsandcauseirreparabledamage .

TheWorldHealthOrganization(WHO)estimatedH1N1wouldaffect16%oftheworkforce(inadditiontonormallevelsofabsenteeismduetootherillnesses .);Gartnerwasalittlemoreaggressive,estimating40%absenteeismduetoH1N1 .Whilethewidevarianceintheseestimationshighlightsthegeneraldifficultyassociatedwithpredictingtheexacttiming,duration,andimpactofapandemicorotherevent,thesignificantdisruptiontheyrepresenttotheorganization’soperationsisthesame .Thesedisruptionscancausemillionsofdollarsinlostproductivity .Justtaketheback-to-backwinterstormsthatparalyzedtheeastcoastlastyear,theUnitedStatesOfficeofManagementandBudgetestimatedthatonedayduringthose2010snowstormscost$70millioninlostproductivity .

Ongoingadoptionofteleworkensuresorganizationsarepracticedandpreparedtoworkinamoredistributedmanner,sothatwhendisastersdohit,theimpacttooperationscanbeminimized .Somegovernmentshavetakentheargumentsastepfurther,citingteleworkingasawaytoreduceourdependencyonoilandhenceourdependencyonthecountriesthatsupplyit,whichcanhavepoliticalandnationalsecurityimplications .

TheU .S .federalgovernmentistryingtoleadbyexample,mandatinga28%totalreductionincarbonemissionsfromitsfacilitiesby2020—agoaltheyhavesaidreliesonreducingoperationalcostsanddecreasingrealestatetoachieve .*

Indirectemissions—suchasthosecausedbyemployeebusinesstravelandcommutingtowork—mustbecut13% .**

* Executive Order 13514, Oct. 2009 https://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/regulations/eo13514.html ** “Growing agencies struggle to shrink carbon footprints,” Federaltimes, http://www.carbonoffsetsdaily.com/

news-channels/usa/growing-agencies-struggle-to-shrink-carbon-footprints-42044.htm

Whenanillness,childcareorotheremergencymakesitimpossibleforanemployeetobeintheoffice,telecommutingensuresemployeescanstayconnectedandproductive,ultimatelyreducingthenumberofabsences .Accordingtothefindingsofthe17thannualCCHUnscheduledAbsenceSurvey,thelargestemployersintheU .S .“estimatethatunscheduledabsenteeismcoststheirbusinessesmorethan$760,000peryearindirectpayrollcosts,andevenmorewhenlowerproductivity,lostrevenueandtheeffectsofpoormoraleareconsidered .”Themosteffectiveprogramscitedforreducingtheseabsencesarealternativeworkarrangements,followedbytelecommuting .** CCH is a leading provider of human resources and employment law information and services and part of Wolters

Kluwer Law & Business (hr.cch.com).


Telework offers organizations a way to improve productivity, lower energy and real estate costs, and support business continuity and disaster recovery initiatives. It has also been shown to improve employee morale and retention and reduce carbon emissions; all of which should have organizations rushing to adopt robust telecommuting programs. But after a decade of testing and studying its potential benefits, very few organizations have truly embraced teleworking.Onlyalittleover2%oftheU .S .employeeworkforce19usestheirhomeastheirprimaryoffice;onlyalittleoverhalfofthegovernmentagenciesintheU .S .,whoaresupposedtobeintegratingteleworkintotheircontinuityofoperations(COOP)planning,haveyettodeployit .20Whyaren’tmoreorganizationsleveragingteleworktotakeadvantageofallthesebenefits?Oftenitcomesdowntocomplexityandbudget .

First Comes the Commitment

It’sfairlyeasyforsomeonetoworkonoccasionfromhome—these“dayextenders”canusuallydowhattheyneedwithaPC,alittlesoftware,andInternetconnectivity(See SSL VPNs in the Chapter on Deployment Options)—buttoregularlyworkathomerequirestheorganizationcommittoprovisioningasecure,homeofficethatwillenablethemtoworkseamlesslywithalltheircolleagues .

Thiscommitmenthasbudget,technology,policyandprocessimplications;allofwhichmustbeconsideredtoensureaneffectiveteleworksolution .Withacommitmenttotelework,organizationscanmaximizeallitsbenefitsandstrengthentheirsecuritystance;withoutit,

19 Telework Research Network, Kate Lister, October 200920 Status of Telework in the Federal Government: Report to Congress,” United States Office of Personnel Management, August 2009, http://www.telework.gov/Reports_and_Studies/Annual_Reports/2009teleworkreport.pdf.

Part Two

Barriers to Telework Adoption

theorganizationcanputitselfatrisk .TheTeleworkExchange,21foundthat“94percentoffederalinformationsecurityofficerssayteleworkersinanofficialprogramarenotadatasecurityconcern .Concernsincludeemployeesworkingathomeonnights/weekendsoutsideanofficialteleworkprogram,lackofappropriatedatasecuritytoolsandtechnologies,aswellasinsufficientdatasecuritytrainingforallemployees .”

Drilling into the Complexity

Therealityisthecommitmenttoarobustteleworkingprogramcanbeextremelycostlyandcomplex .Itcanbeoperationallydifficultfororganizationstorolloutallthenetworkedresourcesusersrequiretobeproductiveatallthegeographicallydistributedlocationstheyneed;it’sonereasonU .S .governmentagenciesreported“officecoverage,”asoneofthelargestbarrierstoimplementation .22

AccordingtoForrestertherearenolessthannineservices(madeupofasetoftechnologies,servicesandinfrastructure)requiredforaremoteofficetotrulyoperateindependentlyofthecentraloffice .23Atminimum,itrequiressomesortofnetworkdevice,possiblyawirelessrouter,aprinter/scanner,voicehandset,maybeatelepresenceterminal,etc .Thecomplexitythenmultiplieswhenyouthinkofallthevariedusers,andallthedata,voiceandvideoapplicationstheyeachrequiretobeproductive .That’salottodeployandmanageforanalreadyoverstressedITteamandbudget .

Forstarters,eachdevicepresentstechnical,managementandreportingchallenges .Eachneedstobeprovisioned,deployedandmanagedattheremotesite,whichoftenhasnotechnicalexpertiseonpremise .Youneedtoensureeachdeviceworksandinteroperateswithallthenecessarydevicesandsystemsthatneedtobeinplacetosupportanathomeworkexperiencesimilartothatwhichtheuserwouldhaveintheoffice .Then,whensomethinghappens,youneedtobeabletodiagnoseandtroubleshoottheissuefast;dependingontheissueandlevelofescalation,itcouldrequireon-sitetechnicalexpertise,resultinginexpensivetravelanddowntime .

Whendealingwithmultiplepointproducts,youhavemultiplemanagementinterfaces,whichmakesitchallengingtogetcomprehensivevisibilityintowhat’sgoingoninthatextendednetwork .Inturn,informationcontainedineachofthesedevicesissilo’d,makingitmoredifficulttointerpretandextractvalue .Asaresult,itisanextremelylabor-intensiveprocesstocorrelateinformationtoachievearelevantcontextualpictureofwhat’sgoingontoensureappropriatecontrolscanbeputinplaceforaccountabilityandoversight .

21 2007 Report 22 Status of Telework in the Federal Government: Report to Congress,” United States Office of Personnel Management, August 2009, http://www.telework.gov/Reports_and_Studies/Annual_Reports/2009teleworkreport.pdf. 23 TechRadar™ for IT Infrastructure and Operations Professionals: Branch Office Technologies, Q2 2009,” by Chris Silva, with Simon Yates and Ben Echols, Forrester Research, May 26, 2009.

Accesstonecessarytechnologyandcompanydocumentswerethetopreasonsholdingstaffbackfromworkingfromhome,accordingtoasurveybyoneDrum .com .*

* “HR departments fail to bridge the gap between flexible working policy and practice,” by David Woods, HR Magazine, Jan. 18, 2010, http://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/News/MostEmailed/977941/HR-departments-fail-bridge-gap-flexible-working-policy-practice/ survey of 1,200 small and medium-sized businesses in the U.K


Whichbringsustothesecurityimplicationsofalltheseremotesites;theyrepresententrypointstothenetworkthatcanposequitearisktoanorganization’sintellectualassetsiftheyaren’tadequatelysecured .Maintainingtheriskprofileandsecuritystanceoftheorganizationisaprerequisiteforextendingintellectualcapitalandcorporateresourcestousers .Youmusthavetheabilitytomaintaincontroloverexactlywhatcanbedoneatthatremotesite;securitypoliciesmustremaininforceandprotecttheorganizationfromriskstocombatsecuritythreatsandcomplywithindustryregulations .

Requirements for an Effective Telework Solution

Unfortunately,manytraditionalremoteaccesssolutionshavebeenunabletoaddressthesetechnical,managementandreportingchallenges,whichiswhywehaveonlyseensmaller-scaleremoteofficedeploymentsandstalledteleworkinginitiatives .Inordertoembraceteleworkingandstartreapingallitsbenefits,youneedtobeabletoquicklyrolloutsecureremoteusers,wherevertheymaybe,aroundtheglobe .Youneedateleworksolutionthatis:

•�Simple�to�Provision—MostteleworkersarenotITprofessionals,sobringingtheirvirtualworkplaceupandkeepingitrunningshouldn’trequireanytechnicalexpertiseatthelocation;italsocan’tburdenanalreadyoverworkedITdepartment .Ratheritshouldbeveryeasytodeployandservetoreducethemanagementoverheadandmanagementinfrastructuretraditionallyrequiredtosupportteleworkers .

•�Easy�to�Control—Theremustbecomprehensivevisibilityintowhatisgoingonattheteleworker’ssite,suchastheperformanceofalltheapplicationstheyaccessed,withtheabilitytolockdownandprotectaccesstoensuresecurityisneverinquestionandcomplianceisnevercompromised .Asingle,centralizedwaytomanageeveryaspectofthedistributednetworkisoptimal,fromprovisioningandaccesstosecuritypolicyenforcementandtroubleshooting .

•Cost-Effective—Budgetsareveryoftenstrainedorspokenfor,sothebusinesscaseforteleworkingneedstobecompellingforittomakethecut .Whilethebenefitsarethere,theinitialcapitalinvestment(hardware)canoftenbetoobigahurdleforenterprisestotakeinordertorealizefuturecostsavings .Ideally,littletonoup-frontcapitalinvestmentswouldberequiredtorolloutateleworker’svirtualworkplace .

•Scalable—Leadingcompaniesmustbeagileandtheirteleworkingcapabilitiesmustadjustaccordingly .Thismeanstheymustbeabletorapidlyscaleupordownsitesastheirrequirementschangeanddeliverapredictableexperience,regardlessofwhereintheworldtheteleworkerislocated .

•Seamless—Enablingteleworkerstohavethesameexperienceathomethattheywouldinacorporatefacility .

One Size Doesn’t Fit All— Segmenting the Remote Access Population

Manyorganizationsarestartingtorethinkthewaytheyclassifytheirremoteuserstoensurethetechnologysolutionstheyhaveinplacetrulymeettheparticularneedsandexpectationsofthosedifferentusers .Often,youcanbreakdowntheextendeduserpopulationinto:

Day�Extenders—employeeswhologineveryonceinawhilefromhometocheckonsomethingordoalittleextraworkatnight .Theyoftenusetheirownmachinestoaccessthemostbasicofservices(suchasemailorajob-specificapplication)tojustgetsomethingdone .

Road�Warriors—folkswhoneedtostayconnectedwhiletheyareonthego .Thesefrequenttravelers(salesreps,executives,etc .)needaccesstobasicservicesfromwherevertheyare—airport,café,hotel—relyingonmobiledevicesandwhateverconnectionisavailabletoget/makeupdates .

Teleworkers—employeeswhoregularlyworkfromhome,atleastonceortwiceaweek .Theyanticipatean“office-like”experienceathome,withaccesstoallthesameservicesandallthesameamenities(suchas“four-digit”phonenumbers(VoIP),orprintservices)toensuremaximumproductivity .

On-site�Teams(anextensionoftheremoteworkforce)—employeeswhoareworkingataremotelocationforaperiodoftime(consultantsworkingataclient’ssite;temporaryclinicsetupduringfluseason,etc .) .Theytooneedan“office-like”experience,withaccesstoallthesameservicestheywouldhaveaccesstointheoffice .

Eachoftheseremoteusershasdifferentexpectationsandrequirements,whichrequirepotentiallydifferenttechnologysolutionstoaddress .


There are a variety of technologies that can be used to roll out a teleworking solution, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. Let’s take a look at these traditional technology options, as well as some new entries to the market, to better understand the choices enterprises face today when looking to create an IT infrastructure that can support their telework initiatives.

First There Were Private Networks...

Inwhatseemslikeancienttimesfromatechnologystandpoint,theonlyoptionopentoorganizationsadecadeagowerethededicated,physicalconnectionstheycouldpaytheirserviceprovidertorollouttoeachoftheirremotelocations .Thesepoint-to-pointlines,astheywerenamed,werethenleasedbytheenterpriseforthedurationoftheiruse .Whilehighlyreliableandsecure(unlessphysicallybreached),theseprivatelinesoftenprovedtoocostlytoprovisionandmaintain .Forexample,relyingontheprovidertolayandcheckthephysicallinksbetweenlocations(thepoints)madechangesverylaborious,oftentakingweekstoaccomplish .Thesepoint-to-pointsolutionsquicklybecameimpracticalfortoday’sfast-pacedenterprises—payingandwaitingforatruckrolltobecompletedateachpossiblelocationwassimplynotscalable .

Part Three

Options for Deployment

Circuit-switchedlines(youmayhaveheardofFrame-RelayorATMsolutions)offeredsomeimprovement,allowingenterprisestosharethecostoftheprivateline .Itwaseasierfororganizationstoaddsites;aslongasthewiretothatdestination(point)alreadyexisted,theenterprisecouldsimplyleaseapartoftheline .Thisreducedthecost,allowingenterprisestopayjustforthebandwidththeyused,notthewholelineitself,however,servicelevelagreements(SLA)toguaranteetheavailabilityofthebandwidththeyneededweretypicallycostprohibitive .Asaresult,enterprisesoftenchosetogowithoutanSLA,sufferingreducedperformancewheneverthelineswereunderload .Fortoday’smulti-mediaapps,circuit-switchedsolutionsveryoftenareunabletoprovidesufficientperformancetoenterprisesatareasonablecost .

...Then Came Virtual Private Networks

Virtualprivatenetworks(VPNs)enteredthepicturetoenableenterprisestoleveragethecost-effectiveandubiquitousconnectivityoftheInternettotransporttheirprivatedatainasecuremanner .Basically,VPNsoverlayaprivatenetworkontopoftheInternetinfrastructuretocreatea“virtual”topologythatallowstheenterprisetoquicklyextendsecureconnectivityacrossgeographicallydistributedlocations .

Anorganization’sVPNgateway,whichisdeployedrightintheorganization’snetwork,encapsulatestheprivatedataandsendsitacrosstheInternettoa“peer”gatewayviaatunnelthatissetupfortheexclusivetransportofthisdata .BecauseanorganizationcanforwardtrafficthroughthesetunnelswithinternalIPaddresses,VPNsenableenterprisestoconnectremoteofficesandremoteworkerswithouthavingtoreconfiguretheirIPaddressesorpayforthededicatedIPaddressesthatarerequiredforInternettransmission .ThisallowsanenterprisetosupportlotsofuserswithoneVPNsolution .

ThetwomostcommonVPNtechnologiesusedbyenterprisestoconnectremoteusersaretheIPSecurityProtocol(IPSec)andSecureSocketLayer(SSL) .

Multi-ProtocolLabelSwitching(MPLS)VPNsfocusonhowtrafficisrouted,forwarded,orswitched,andisprimarilyusedbyserviceproviderswhoaretryingtoefficientlymanagedifferentkindsofdatastreamsbasedontheirpriorityandthecustomer’splan .


Hardware-Based IPSec VPNs

IPSecVPNsarenetwork-layerVPNsdeliveredbyaboxthatisphysicallydeployedattheremotelocation .Asaresult,thenetworkhandlesthetrafficfromtheVPNgatewaythesameasifitcamefromauserwithintheLANitselfandprovidestheuserwiththe“same”continuous,secureaccesstothenetworktheywouldhaveifconnectingfromheadquarters .

Thesedevicesrequireanup-frontcapitalinvestment,whichisnon-trivial,whenconsideringthenumberofremotelocationsthatneedtobeconnectedtotheenterprisenetwork .Typically,enterprisestrytoconsolidateasmuchfunctionalityastheycaninasinglebox—perhapsyouhaveheardofBOB(branch-office-in-a-box)orsomeoftheother“catchy”namesforthiscategory—totrytomanagetheinvestmentandfootprinttheyneedateachremotelocation .

Whileenablingtheorganizationtoextendtheirinfrastructure,includingtheinvestmentstheymadeinvoiceandVDI,thesedeploymentstendtobehighlycomplexandsubsequentlyoperationallyexpensivetomanage .Thisisbecausetheenterprise,morespecificallytheirITstaff,isresponsibleforalltheprovisioning,managingandmaintainingofallthefunctionalityandconnectivityprovidedattheseremotelocations,whichoftenhavenoITexpertise,bythesedevices .

Software-Based SSL VPNs

SSLVPNsareapplication-layerVPNsthatuseSSL/HTTPSasasecuretransportmechanism .SSLVPNsareavailablewhereverthereisastandardwebbrowserandcanbedynamicallyprovisionedbytheusertoprovidesecureaccessonthefly .SSLVPNsoperateindependentoftheunderlyingoperatingsystemofthedevice,whichopensthepossibilitiesuptoalargevarietyofcomputingdevices,suchassmartphones .Inaddition,theydeliverpolicy-basedmanagement,whichgivesenterprisesgranularcontroloverexactlywhatresourcesandapplicationsausercanaccess .Forexample,youradministratorcandesignatetheURL,thefiles,andtheserverapplicationsthatyoucanaccessusingtheSSLVPN,thusmitigatingtherisksthatanunprotectedendpoint,untrustednetwork,orunauthorizedusercouldintroduce .Onceapolicyisset,thereis,however,verylittlevisibilityintotheactualtrafficbythatremoteuserandnohistoryoftheperformanceofthenetwork,whichmakestroubleshootingachallenge .

Hardware-Based IPSec VPNs

Ideal�use�case:�Largeremoteofficesthatneedadedicated,alwaysonsecureconnection .

Pros:�Deliverauserexperienceinlinewithwhattheemployeewouldreceiveatcorporateheadquarters .

Cons:�Verycomplex,withverylittlevisibilityintowhat’sgoingonintheextendednetwork: •Convolutedmanagement—oftenrequiresmultipleconsolesand

interfacestomanagethedifferentaspectsofthedevice,suchastheVPN,routing,security,etc .

•Nogranularity—providesallornothingaccess,withverylittlegranularcontroloverexactlywhattheusercandooncetheyareinsidethenetwork .

•Connectivitychallenges—homenetworksoftenhavetroubledealingwithIPSec .

Software-Based SSL VPNs

Ideal�use�case:�Mobileusers,whoarenotconnectingfromafixedlocationanddon’thavehigh-performancerequirementsfortheiraccess .

Pros:�Itisveryuserfriendly,withnothingtoconfigureordownloadonthedevicepriortoitbeingusedtoaccesscorporateresources .

Cons:�Performanceislimited,makingitdifficulttosupportrich-mediaapplications: •Latency—voiceandvideomaysimplystopworkingduetolatencyand

lagtimes .

•Compatibilityissues—thereareoftenissueswithdesktopandOScompatibility;upgradesorchangestothedesktopoftenforceupgradestotheSSLVPNinfrastructure,whichcancomplicateongoingmanagement .

•Littlegranularcontrol—oncetheuserisinsidethenetworkthereisverylittlecontroloverwhattheyaredoing .

•Limitedinvestmentprotection—Itisdifficulttoextendinvestmentsyouhavemadeinvoice,VDI,etc .infrastructuretoremotesites .


The New Cloud-based Networking Model

Recently,anewoptionhasemerged;onethatofferstheperformanceofanIPSecVPNwiththeeaseofuseandmanagementofanSSLVPN .Thisnewmodelleveragesthecloudtodelivernetworkingasanapplication .Cloudservicesaresomethingthatmoreandmoreenterprisesaretoyingwith;in2009,thenumberofvirtualmachinesexceededthenumberofphysicalserversdeployed24,markingarealtippingpointinthewayenterprisesthinkabouttheirITinfrastructureandlayingthegroundworkfortheadoptionofcloudcomputing .

Theextendednetworkisaperfectlocationbecauseitrepresentsalotofopportunitiesforsavings,andconsistsofawidevarietyofusersingloballydispersedlocationsthatwouldbenefitfromtheubiquity,flexibilityandscalabilityofaclouddeliverymodel .TheU .S .NationalInstituteofStandardsandTechnologyoutlinescloudattributesas:• on-demandselfservice • elasticscale• ubiquitousnetworkaccess • andresourcepooling .• payforuse

Fororganizationsconsideringcloudinitiatives,cloud-baseddistributednetworkingcanbealowriskwayforenterprisestorolloutandtestcloud-basedservices;forthosealreadyusingcloud-basedservices,itcanbeagoodwaytoleveragetheirinvestmentsandextendtheircloudbasedservicestotheirremoteusers .

24 “VMware CEO: Cloud Now Unstoppable Even Without VMware,” by Joseph F. Kovar, CRN, Sept. 1, 2010, http://www.crn.com/news/cloud/227200147/vmware-ceo-cloud-now-unstoppable-even-without-vmware.htm.

How Cloud-based Networking Services Work

ThedatatraversesthenetworkthroughaVPNtunnel,justasitwouldwithatraditionalIPSecVPNsolution,however,allthecomplexityofmanagingthatVPN,aswellasalltheothernetworkingfeaturesandfunctionality,isabstractedandcentralizedinthecloudtoprovidethesameeaseofuseandgranularcontrolofferedbyanSSLVPNsolution .

Acloud-basednetworkingsolutionshouldhaveamulti-tenant,globallydistributedarchitecturetobeabletodeliverallthescale,geographicdispersionandcapitalefficienciestypicallyassociatedwithcloudcomputing .Thisarchitectureenablesorganizationstoessentiallylease(throughsubscriptions)ratherthanbuyandbuildtheinfrastructureneededtoeffectivelysupporttheirglobalworkforce .Theubiquityandredundancyofthecloud,ensurestheperformanceoftheseservicesispredictableandhighlyavailable .Plus,theorganizationcansecurelylogintotheserviceandmanagetheirextendednetworkfromanywhere .

Acloudservicegivesorganizationscompletecontrolovertherelativelysmallfootprintdevicedeployedattheremotelocation .Itensurestheservicesrequiredbythatuserareavailableandsupportedinawaythatmaximizestheireffectiveness(includinginvestmentsanorganizationmayhavemadeinvoiceorVDIinfrastructures) .Itensuresappropriatepoliciesareinforcefortheuser,updatescanbeeasilymanagedandapplied(patches,security,features),andcentralizedvisibilityandcontrolforallnetworkactivity .

The Managed Services Option

Organizationsthatdonotwanttodirectlymanagetheirextendednetworkcanoffloadtheoperationalactivitiestoamanagedserviceprovider .AsdefinedbyIDC,amanagedserviceprovidesenterprises“a‘help-me-do-it’or‘do-it-for-me’approachtotheoperation,monitoringandperformanceoptimizationofnetworkand/orITfunctions .”Athird-partyprovidercanleverageanyoftheaforementionedoptionstoprovidesecureremoteconnectivityforenterpriseusers,managingallaspectsfromprovisioninganddeploymenttomaintenanceandsupport,evenincludingreporting .Note,fororganizationsthatneedtomaintaindirectcontrolovertheirnetwork,duetoregulatoryorsecurityrequirements,amanagedservicemaynotbeaviableoption .

Cloud-based Networking

Ideal�use�case:�Smallbranchoffices,teleworkers,retailsitesandkiosks,temporarynetworks .

Pros:�Itisveryuserfriendly,withintelligentautomationandremotetroubleshootingcapabilitiesthatmeansthereisnoneedforon-sitetechnicalexpertise . •LeveragestheeconomiesofthecloudtoreducetheCapitaland

operationalcostsoftheextendednetwork .

•Providescomprehensivevisibilityandgranularcontrol,withreal-time,centralizedpolicymanagementandreporting .

•Enablesorganizationstoeasilyextendvoice,VDI,etc .investmentstotheremotesiteanddeliveranexperienceinlinewithwhatauserwouldreceiveintheoffice .

Cons:�Cloud-basedservicesarestillevolving .

Telework Site

Work PC Home PC

VOIP Phone

Telepresense

WorkplaceSSID

GuestWiFi

VPN Gateway

Management Tra�cManagement

Tra�c

Network Printerk P i eprprprpreseseses n


The best technology in the world cannot help an organization that is ill-equipped to use it. It would be a mistake to underestimate the influence that culture can have on whether telework is fully embraced or left to languish as an option only for special cases; it may be that the biggest commitment an organization needs to make on behalf of telework is less about technology and more about a dedication to make any necessary cultural shifts. Areport25fromtheU .S .OfficeofPersonnelManagementcitesmanagementresistance(49%)andorganizationalculture(46%)asthemajorobstaclestothegrowthoftelework,highlightingjusthowimportantitistolaytheculturalfoundationtosmoothwidespreadadoption .Thekeyistoensuretheculturetrulyrecognizesteleworkasanenablingpracticethatofferscompellingbenefitsforboththebusinessandtheindividual .Itrequiresnotonlytherightmindset,atalllevels,butalsotherightsetofpolicies,processesandincentivestoensuretheultimatesuccessofanyteleworkinitiative .

25 “Status of Telework in the Federal Government: Report to Congress,” United States Office of Personnel Management, August 2009, http://www.telework.gov/Reports_and_Studies/Annual_Reports/2009teleworkreport.pdf.

Part Four

Fostering a Teleworking Culture

Make It Strategic

Teleworkinginitiativesthatoperateasone-offsarenotgoingtogarnertheresultsyouarelookingfor;infact,thiscancreateanenvironmentwhereitisseenasaprivilegeorperkthatcanmakeother’sresentfulorsuspicious .Itshouldbecompany-wideandstrategic,withinputfromeveryoneandthepoliciesandprocedurestobackupitsadoption .Itshouldn’tbedrivenbyonedepartment,norshouldonedepartmentbeabletooptoutentirely .Everyonemustsbeabletoclearlyidentifythetiesthatteleworkhastosupportingbusiness-wideobjectives(suchascost-cuttingmeasuresorcollaborationinitiatives)toensureitcanbeeasilyintegratedintotheverycoreofthebusiness .

Italsoneedstohavethefullsupportoftheexecutiveteam .Theyshouldnotonlyembraceit,buttheyalsoneedtobecomeitsbiggestadvocates .Executiveswhotravelandtelecommuteregularlyshouldsetanexampleandbeamongthefirsttoexchangetheirprivateofficeforasharedworkspacetopromoteacceptance,reduceresistanceandmaximizebenefits .

Create a Policy So Everyone Knows What to Expect

Itstartswithcreatingaformalteleworkworkprogramandpolicythatwillsupportgeographicexpansionplanningandmanagement .Itshouldprovideaframeworkfortheprogramthatincludes:

•Whatworkcanandcannotbedoneathome•Whoisandwhoisnoteligible•Acceptableandprohibitedbehavior/use/etiquette•Commitmentsrequiredfromtheusers•Thelevelofsupportpledgedbytheorganization

It’sverytruethatsomethingsarebestdoneinpersonandotherscannotbedoneawayfromtheoffice .Thepointistoputapolicyinplacethatdefinesthecriteriaforeligibilityandtheexpectationsofexactlyhowateleworkarrangementshouldwork .AWorldatWorksurveyfound38percentofemployeesfeltatleastpartoftheirjobcouldbeperformedathome .Athirdofthatgroupfelttheycoulddovirtualworkmorethan60percentofthetime .26

Theproblemismostemployersarenotprovidingclearboundariesorcommitmentsaroundtelework,insteadtheytendtosupportitinanadhocmanner .AnotherstudybyWorldatWorkandtheWorkDesignCollaborationfoundthat44%ofcompaniessurveyeddidnothaveaformalselectionprocessinplacetodetermineeligibilityfortelework;39%didnotutilizeformalemployer-employeecontractsregardingflexibleworkarrangements;and44%didnotevaluatetechnologyeffectiveness .27Assumingthesestatsareindicativeofmostorganizations,it’seasytoseewhythereisalotofuncertaintyaroundtelework .

26 2009 survey, www.worldatwork.org27 “Flexible Work Arrangements for Nonexempt Employees,” study by WorldatWork and the Work Design Collaboration, July 2009,

http://www.workingfromanywhere.org/s


Results Must Matter More Than Being Seen

Theattitudethatifyouarenotseen,youarenotdoingworkcanunderminethesuccessofanyteleworkinitiative .Theperceptionthat“workingfromhome”equatestosittingaroundeatingbonbonsorplayinghookydoesteleworknofavors .Tocombat,organizationsneedaresults-orientedenvironment;onethatrewardsoutcomes,measuresdeliverablesandclearlylinksanindividual’sactivitiestobusinessgoalsandobjectives .

Ensureworkistransparent,sothereisnoquestionaboutwhatpeoplearedoing,howtheyaredoingitandtheresultsoftheiractivity—removenebulousactivityandyoucantakeawaymuchofthedistrust .Timeandattendanceshouldbecomeirrelevant,sinceteleworkenablesemployeestodotheirjobfromwherever,whenever .It’struethelinesmayblurmorebetweenworkandpersonallives,butaslongaspeopleunderstandwhat’sexpectedfromthemandareheldaccountable,itshouldn’tmatterthatsomeonelefttopickuptheirchildatschoolandthenloggedbackonatnighttoprepareforthenextday’smeeting .

Develop Good Performance Managers

Aresults-orientedcultureonlyworksifmanagerscanmanagetotheresults .AsreportedinFederalComputingWeek,thebiggestbarriertoteleworkmaybethatmanagershavelearnhowtobegoodperformancemanagers .Micromanagementwillnotworkinthisenvironment;rathermanagerswillhavetolearntoleadtheiremployeesandgetresultsbasedonclearandmeasurablegoals .

Managersmayneedtomakeadjustments,suchas:

•Transitioningawayfromrelyingonvisualcues—tofocusingonotherindicators(workproduct,participationincollaborativeprojects,etc .)todetermineanemployee’ssatisfaction,engagementandeffectiveness

•Makingnoassumptions—ensuringmanagersareexplicitaboutwhattheyneedand,ifnecessary,howtheyexpectittogetdone .

Ensuringemployeeshaveasenseofpurposeandunderstandtheroletheyplayintheoverallsuccessofthegroup,departmentandbusinessisimportanttogroundthemintheirobjectives .Forsometime,settingandmeasuringgoalshasbeenespousedasthecruxofunlockinganemployee’spotential .Wehaveseenlotsofframeworks—suchasPeterDrucker’sManagement-By-ObjectivesorSixSigma—thatpayattentiontotheprocessofmanagingtheperformanceofemployees .Regardlessofwhichapproachyouadhereto,someofthefoundationalmanagerialtraitsarethesame:

•Goodplanning•Focusoncommunications•Establishmeasurableperformanceobjectives

Make the Most of the Opportunity to Work from Anywhere

Thosecompaniesthatreallybenefitfromtelework,seeitasanopportunitytoopenupandchangethewayacompanylooksatdoingbusiness .It’sawaytoleveragetalentfromanywhere,ensuretherightresourcesarebeingappliedtotherightproblems,accelerateinnovation,improveregionalknowledgetobetteraddresscustomerpreferences,andenhancecollaboration .

Forexample,giventhatthefemalelaborforceisoutpacingthegrowthofthemalelaborforce28insomepartsoftheworld(womenaretheprimaryorco-breadwinnersintwo-thirdsofAmericanhouseholds29),businessarelookingatwaystoadapttheirworkenvironmentstoaccommodatetheuniqueneedsoftheirevolvingworkforce .Teleworkcanbecometheenablingtechnologythatgiveswomentheflexibilitytheyneedtoachieveawork-lifebalance .Ratherthanforcingachoicebetweenfamilyandwork,teleworkcanprovideanalternativethatenablesthemtocontributetothesuccessofthecompanyinamannerthatismorecommiseratewiththeirterms—thisgoesforanyemployeethatmaybestrugglingwithjugglingpersonalobligationsandwork .

Tomaximizethebenefitsoftelework,youneedtoensurethereissomeflexibilitybuiltintotheprogramtosupportadepartment,teamorindividual’sneeds .Makesureemployeesareabledotheirworkwheneverandwherevertheyare .Aswehavenotedinearlierchapters(SeeDrivers),theresearchshowsthatteleworkersareatleast,ifnotmore,productivethannon-teleworkers .30Research31hasshownthatvirtualworkerswereabletowork19hourslongerthanoffice-basedemployeesbeforetheyfeltitinterferedwiththeirpersonalandfamilylife .

28 According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Education on the percentages of college-educated and post-graduate degrees earned by women each year29 Shriver Report, Oct. 2009, http://www.shriverreport.com/awn/index.php30 http://www.opm.gov/studies/FINAL-TELEWRK.htm31 by Brigham Young University


Thisbringsustoanotherpoint—justasimportantassettingexpectationsaroundwhatyouwanttoseefromemployeesistosetboundariesaroundthatwork .Makesurepeopleknowwhenit’sokayandhowtoshutdownor“unplug”fromwork .Diminishingreturnscanoccurwhenpeoplefeeltheycanneverstopworking;youwanttofosteranenvironmentthatpromoteswork-lifebalance,notasenseyouarechainedtoadesk .32

Don’t Forget the Tools and Processes

Ensuretherightmixoftoolsisavailabletosupportyourteleworkpoliciesandmaximizetheeffectivenessofthecommunicationsandcollaborationamongstgeographicallydistancedemployees .Inateleworkenvironment,anyshortcomingsinabusinesscanbeexasperatedandamplified;asmanyexpertshavesaid,“teleworkdoesnotcreatemanagementproblems . . .itsimplymakesexistingproblemsmoreapparent .”33Brokenprocesseswillbecomeevenmoreobviousinadistributedenvironmentbecausepeoplecan’tnecessarilywalkoverandtalktosomeonetotakecareofsomething—soensuringyourprocessesfacilitatetheprogressionofworkiscriticaltoatelecommutingenvironment’ssuccess .Forexample,ensure:

•ItiseasytosignupforteleconferencingcapabilitiesandaWebconferencingaccount

•Processesarepaperlesstosupportdigitalinformationflowandaccesstoinformationbyeveryone,fromwherevertheyarelocated

32 “Turn It Off: How to Unplug from the Anytime-Anywhere Office Without Disconnecting Your Career,”33 Gil E. Gordon, Three Rivers Press, 2001. http://fcw.com/Articles/2010/09/13/FEAT-telework-managers-objections.aspx?admgarea=TC_SECCYBERSEC&p=1

•Thereiseffectiveteambuildingandstaffdevelopmentprogramsinplacetosupportcollaborationandsmoothinteractionsbetweengeographicallydispersedteams

•Regularcommunicationsarescheduledtoensureongoingtouch-pointsandteamcohesiveness

•Mechanismsexist(presence-basedtechnologies)tohelpemployeesletothersknowwhentheyareavailableorengaged—tosubstituteforthevisualcuesteammemberswouldgetwhentheyareintheoffice(wheretheycanseesomeoneisonthephoneorinacloseddoormeeting)

•Incentivesareinplacetopromotetelework(e .g .rewardingthosewhogiveuppersonalofficeforasharedworkspace)

•Successcanbesharedandreplicated—giveemployeesawaytotoutsavingsandprovideconcreteexamplesofhowthebusinesshasbenefitedfromteleworkingtobuildmomentumandspurongoingsuccess(chats/forums/internalarticles)

Anotherkeyelementofanyteleworkprogramistraining .Startingwiththebasics,trainingshouldbeavailabletoensureemployeesunderstandhowtouseallthetools(smartphone,laptop,wirelessnetwork,VoIP,webconferencing,eventschedulingtools,socialnetworkingapplications)availabletothemtomaximizetheireffectiveness .Trainingprogramsshouldalsoincludecurriculumthathelpmanagersandindividualcontributorsdeveloptheskillstheyneedtobeproductiveinaremoteenvironment .Forexample,aleadershipcoursecouldhelpmanagersdeveloptheskillstosetmeasurableobjectivesordeterminetheproductivityofanemployee;oracourseoninterpersonalrelationshipscouldhelpemployeesdevelopskillstomanageprojects,collaborateorproblemsolvewithadistributedteam .

Ensuringusershavetheskillstheyneed,aswellasenoughtimetoworkwiththetoolsandfeelcomfortablewiththembeforetheyarerequiredtousethemtogettheirjobdonewilltakealotoftheanxietyoutoftheremoteworkplaceandensureeveryonecanvisualizethefutureworkplaceandunderstandhowitisgoingtowork .


Part Five

What to Consider to Maximize Success

Top 10 IT Requirements for IT to consider

Therearequiteafewtechnicalconsiderationsyouneedtomaketoensuretheteleworksolutionmeetsyourneedsanddeliversaproductive,“office-like”experience:

1 . Instant,hassle-freedeployment

2 . SupportforWired&Wi-Ficonnectivity

3 . Robustnetworksecurity

4 . Rock-solidvoiceandvideosupport

5 . Remotenetworkprinting&integrationwithotherVDIcapabilities

6 . Accesstoon-premiseandSaaSapplications

7 . Efficientuseofbandwidth

8 . On-demand,remotetroubleshooting

9 . Visibilityintonetworkactivity

10 .Robustreporting

Gathering Requirements

Tounderstandthecapabilitiesofanyteleworksolutiontodeliveronthesetechnicalrequirements,askyourself:

1 . Howmanyremotelocationsdoyouhavetoprovision?Howeasyisittoscalethesolution?

2 . HowmuchITexpertiseisavailableatthesesites?Howeasyisittoprovisionasite?Howeasyisittotroubleshoot?

3 . Whatisyourbudget?

4 . Whatkindofremoteusersdoyouhaveattheselocations—dayextenders,roadwarriors,teleworkers,on-siteworkers?

5 . Whatkindofconnectivitydotheyrequire?

6 . Whatkindsofservicesdoyourremoteusersneed?Rich-mediarequireshigherperformancethanpuredataapps,suchasemailorspreadsheets,canthesolutionprovidethesatisfactoryexperienceyourusersareexpecting?

7 . Whatdoesdowntimemeanforyourproductivity?

8 . Whatkindsofexistinginvestmentsdoyouhaveininfrastructure?(Doyouhavelegacydevicesonpremise—ifso,wherearetheyonyourdepreciationcycle?Isittimeforarefresh?;Whatsecurityinvestmentsdoyouwanttoleverage?;Areyoulookingtoextendyourvoiceinfrastructures?;Doyouwanttosupportavirtualdesktopinfrastructure?AreyoutryingtoexpandexistingCloudservices?)

9 . Whatareyourregulatoryrequirements?Arethereanypoliciesorguidelinesyouneedtobemindfulofwhenmakingdecisionsabouthowtoextendyournetwork?PCI,HIPAA,Gramm-LeachBiley,Sarbanes-Oxley,andothersareregulationsyouneedtoadheretocanaffectthetypeofinformationyouneedtocollect,storeandreport .Forinstance,intheU .S .governmentthereareseveralinitiatives,suchastheStandardsAccelerationtoJumpstartAdoptionofCloudComputing(SAJACC)andtheFederalRiskandAuthorizationManagementProgram(FedRAMP),youmayneedtoconsider .

10 .Whatkindsofreportswillyouneedtogenerate?Doesthesolutionmakeiteasytogeneratethesereports?Cantheybecustomizedforyourneeds?Aretheyauditable?

11 .Whatsecurityrequirementsdoyouhave?Howeasyisittointegrateexistingsecuritypoliciestoensureconsistentapplicationandreducedrisk?Whatkindofauthenticationdoyourequire—isitsupportedbythesolution?

12 .Howeasyisittoapplyapatch(orafeatureupgrade,forthatmatter)?

13 .Doyouhavethevisibilityyouneedtoensurepoliciesareinforce?


The Top 10 Requirements for the Business to Consider

Technologyisnottheonlyrequirementforasuccessfulteleworkprogram,thecultureoftheorganizationalsoplaysavitalroleinitsultimatesuccess .Youneed:

1 . AGlobalTeleworkPolicy

2 . Company-widesupport,particularlyexecutiveendorsements/commitments

3 . Tiestolargerbusinessobjectives

4 . Results-orientedenvironment

5 . Performance-basedmanagers

6 . Transparency

7 . Processesthatsupportdistributedwork

8 . Toolstoenablecommunicationandcollaboration

9 . Trainingandeducationtoprepareemployeestomakethemostoftheenvironment

10 .Incentivestopromotechange

Gathering Requirements

Tounderstandwhetheryourcultureisreadytosupportateleworkinitiative,ask:

1 . DoyouhaveaCorporate-WidePolicythatexplainswhatworkcanandcannotbedoneathome,whoisandwhoisnoteligible,whatisacceptableandprohibitedbehavior/use/etiquette,thecommitmentsrequiredfromtheusers,andthelevelofsupportpledgedbytheorganization?

2 . Doeseveryoneinthecompanyunderstandtheroleteleworkplaysinmeetingyourbusinessobjectives?(Costcutting,operationalefficiencies,carbonemissionreductions,employeeretention,moraleimprovement,etc .)

3 . Doyouhaveexecutivesupport?Aretheysettinganexample?Cantheybecountedonasadvocates?

4 . Doesyourorganizationrewardoutcomes?Howareobjectivesset?Howdoyoumeasuredeliverablesandholdpeopleaccountable?

5 . Howtransparentisyourenvironment—doeseveryoneunderstandwhattheircolleaguesaredoingandwhat’sexpectedofthem?Doeseveryoneunderstandtheroletheyplaceintheorganization’scollectivesuccess?

6 . Howdomanagersevaluateanemployee’ssatisfaction,engagementandeffectiveness?Aremanagerspreparedtobeexplicitaboutwhattheyneedandexpectfromtheiremployees?Dotheyhavetheskillstomanageadistributedteam?

7 . Whattoolsdoyouhaveinplacetofacilitatecommunication?Howdoyouenablecollaboration?(suchassmartphones,alaptop,wirelessnetwork,VoIP,webconferencing,eventschedulingtools,socialnetworkingapplications,etc .);Isiteasytosign-upfortele-and/orWebconferencingcapabilities?;Whatmechanismsexist(presence-basedtechnologies)tohelpemployeesletothersknowwhentheyareavailableorengaged?;Aretherewaysforinformationtobedisseminatedorshared?

8 . Doyourprocessessupportworkflowsinadistributedenvironment?Aretheypaperless?Aretherecentralrepositories?Whataboutchangemanagement?

9 . Whatkindoftrainingoreducationdoyouhaveavailabletohelpprepareyouremployeestotelework?Doyouensuretheyknowhowtouseallthetechnologiesandtoolsavailabletothem?;Doyouhelpmanagersdevelopthemanagerialskillstheyneedtogetthemostoutoftheiremployees,regardlessoflocation?;Doyouhelpemployeesdeveloptheknowledgeandinter-personalskillsneededtobeeffectiveinadistributedenvironment?

10 .Whatkindsofincentivesareinplacetopromotetelework?Aretherebenefitstogivingupapersonaloffice?Arethereperksinplacewhenemployeesshareaworkspace?Isthereawayforemployeestosharetheirexperiencesorofferbestpracticestoencouragetheirpeerstoadopttelework?

BR300111

About Aerohive

AerohiveNetworksunleashesthepotentialofenterpriseWi-Fi,enablingcustomerstostopbuyingcopper,moveapplicationstotheair,andmaximizeworkforceproductivity .Thecompany’saward-winningcooperativecontrolarchitectureeliminatescostlycontrollers,savingmoneyandprovidingunprecedentedresiliency,upto10Xbetterapplicationperformance,andanopportunitytostartsmallandexpandwithoutlimitations .Aerohivewasfoundedin2006andisheadquarteredinSantaClara,California .Thecompany’sinvestorsincludeKlinerPerkins,Caufield&Byers,LightspeedVenturePartners,andNorthernLightVentureCapital .

Aerohive�Networks,�Inc.330GibraltarDriveSunnyvale,CA94089USA+1408-510-6100info@aerohive .comwww.aerohive.com

Contact us today to learn how your organization can benefit from an Aerohive wireless LAN architecture.

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