WBJ Talking Tech:
Mobility Solutions for Your Business
August, 2007
By
Do Wenatchee’s beautiful summer days make you wish for more opportunities to get away from the office, yet still get your work done? Or do you own a small business and need to stay connected even when you are traveling or on vacation?
Fortunately, there are a wide range of options available now for mobile connectivity. Let’s take a look at some of the different solutions.
Email
For most people, email has become their first method of communication. So staying connected means being able to read and respond to emails whenever and wherever. The good news is that just about every email account has options for remote access – it is just a matter of determining which one is right for you. If you are already using a free email address like yahoo, hotmail, or gmail you’re likely already familiar with remote access – all you do is go to their website and access your mail from any PC with an internet connection. While this solution lacks sophistication, it is simple and easy.
If you have an email account provided by your ISP, such as Verizon or Northwest Internet and download your mail into Outlook, it is very likely that your ISP also has a remote email solution. If you’re not sure, just ask about their web email address. Again, a simple solution, but one that can sometimes be frustrating as the interface will be different than what you’ve become accustomed to with Outlook, you’ll only see new messages in your web inbox and any contacts that you’ve setup in Outlook won’t be available.
Better solutions are available to those who have a mail server in their office and/or have a notebook PC. Most mail server solutions today use Microsoft Exchange which includes an elegant interface called Outlook Web Access (OWA). OWA lets you access your email from any PC with an internet connection using an interface that is almost identical to the one you see on your everyday PC, including all of your previously received messages and contacts. Of course, if you’re traveling with a notebook PC, you should be able to send and receive mail from anyplace that you can connect to the internet.
For those that need quicker access to their email, the cell phone providers have a number of options – most based either on Blackberry or Window Mobile. Unfortunately, these solutions don’t come cheaply, with most data plans starting at around $40, in addition to the rates you’re already paying for voice service.
Internet connectivity
Assuming you have a notebook PC, what are your options for connecting to the internet while on the go? Most of us are now familiar with Wi-Fi hotspots – you simply turn on your notebook and it searches for available networks. Quite a few locations around town offer free WiFi, including Café Mela, the Confluence Technology Center, most hotels, and many others.
The biggest challenge with Wi-Fi is that you can’t always count on the availability of a hotspot (particularly a free one) when you need it and it is unsecure. Data that passes between most free hotspots is unencrypted and can easily be hacked.
If you need a more reliable and secure solution, the cell phone providers once again are ready with a solution. Most now offer wireless modems that plug into your notebook for internet access anyplace within range of their network. Data transfer rates are now much better compared to years’ past.
Another solution has also recently emerged. Clearwire offers mobile internet connections using a small router that you can plug into any electrical jack or your car’s cigarette lighter. While their network range is not as broad as most of the cell phone carriers, they offer a unique solution at a very reasonable cost.
Remote PC Access
For many of use remote email is just not good enough. We need the ability to access our work PCs while we’re traveling. Perhaps we don’t have a notebook PC or need to access files that are on the office server. In those cases, the best solution is one that allows you to remotely connect to your PC. If you haven’t seen this before, the available solutions now are impressive and simple – you can remotely access your PC’s desktop over the internet just as though you were sitting at it. If you use Microsoft’s Small Business Server in your office (or are considering a server), this solution is built in, simple, and reliable. If you don’t have a server, many service providers offer remote access as a monthly subscription. The most popular include gotomypc.com and logmein.com. Rates vary depending on your needs.
In many ways, these options are just the tip of the iceberg. For better or worse, we are now living in a very connected world and just about anything you want to accomplish remotely you can – from the simplest to most sophisticate tasks. If you’re not sure where to get started, begin by searching Google or ask your IT consultant.