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FAQ´s about Technology, Costs and Environment | |
Since I really rely on faxes, what about
a fax machine at home?
The additional cost to get fax capabilities with a modem
is minimal, and it's a good investment. This is a suitable solution in
most cases, though it doesn't always work well for graphics-intensive faxes.
The cost for a "plain vanilla" but workable fax machine is quite low; prices
have dropped considerably, so if you really need it the extra cost isn't
very much.
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What's the role of ISDN in telecommuting?
ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) is a kind of
phone service offered by most local telephone companies. It has many benefits,
but most important is the ability to carry one voice and two high-speed
data or video communications channels over existing copper wire in the
home. This generally means there's no need to install new phone lines to
give telecommuters the separate voice and data lines they often need. The
cost of ISDN service is generally less than the equivalent number of separate
lines. However, ISDN is not universally available in all countries; thus,
telecommuters and their employers can't always get access to it when needed.
Also, there are one-time equipment costs for the special phones and for
the devices needed to connect PCs to ISDN lines. On balance, it's a technology
that should be considered but may not always be available, or cost- effective
even if it is available.
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How do we decide what systems or networks
our telecommuters need access to?
It should be based on what they need and use in the office. In general, you'll want to make it easy for telecommuters to do as much of their job remotely as they need to do. If they have access to three LANs in the office but can only access one remotely, that could be a big problem - and could severely limit their effectiveness. Fortunately, the technologies for remote LAN access have
been steadily improving, and the vendors that provide them are working
hard to continue this trend.
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written by Wolfgang Höfler, Mario Pichler and Christoph Panwinkler
last modified: 14.06.02