<h2 align="center" style="color:#999999"> 'Cause working in a cubicle is so 1999.</h2>
<p><em>&quot;The times, they are a-changin'&quot;</em> To quote Bob Dylan.<em> &quot;You better start swimming or you'll sink like a stone.&quot; </em> Unless you've been living under the aforementioned rock, you probably noticed that gas just doesn't cost what it used to(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_price_increases_of_2004-2006" style="text-decoration: none; color: #333; font-style: italic;" target="_blank">here's some more about that</a>). One doesn't have to go far to realize how much things are changing, in fact, you need only perform the regular ritual of filling up your gas tank. There you are standing, amidst the line of other motorists grimly pumping liquid gold into your thirsty auto, you give the price ticker your best steely-eyed gaze, but it's no use, the oil Tycoons get paid just the same.  If only there was a way to avoid this painful ritual.</p>
<p>How does one alleviate some of the pain at the pump?   If you really  are interested in getting the extra mile, you could take up driving like <a href="http://consumerist.com/consumer/driving/potentially-insane-ways-to-increase-your-fuel-efficiency-241759.php" style="text-decoration: none; color: #333; font-style: italic;" target="_blank">this guy</a>, a devoted disciple of the newly emerging <a href="http://www.ecomodder.com/blog/2008/05/17/hypermiling-101-driving-without-brakes/" style="text-decoration: none; color: #333; font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Driving Without Brakes</a> style.   You could try fueling up<a href="http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/gastips.asp" style="text-decoration: none; color: #333; font-style: italic;" target="_blank"> early in the morning</a> to net debatable savings of a couple cents.  Or maybe....well, you might just give telecommuting a shot.  </p>
<p>Telecommuting, in a nutshell, is using technology to span distances which traditionally required your physical presence.  Few people realize just how easy it is to telecommute even some of the time.  It's no longer in the realm of Star Trek technology.  In fact, there are a lot of solutions out there- some cheap (as in free) others are quite a bit more expensive and robust enterprise solutions.  Telecommuting even has it's own &quot;<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Telecommuting-Dummies-Minda-Zetlin/dp/0764553712" style="text-decoration: none; color: #333; font-style: italic;" target="_blank">for Dummies</a>&quot; book. The vehicle which drives telecommuting technology is the great expansion of broadband internet. Connectivity has grown exponentially from the days of dial-up and pay-per-hour internet. In this time of wireless internet, FIOS, cable, and mobile internet devices such as Verizon's wireless aircard. Users can be connected from anywhere that gets a cellphone signal. Many employers are increasingly willing to work with their staff to trade flexibility for increased productivity that comes from a telecommuting environment. Small companies, ever mindful of expenses,  find that <a href="http://www.tjobs.com/hiresavings.shtml" style="text-decoration: none; color: #333; font-style: italic;" target="_blank">the savings</a> are significant.</p>
<p> Being an IT company we work with a lot of remote desktop software day in and day out solving problems remotely because there's often little reason to appear onsite. So here's a qualified report on what we've found that we like, and what we think would be better left for Star Trek reruns.</p>
<p><em>**DISCLAIMER** This is for informative purposes only.  We're not getting reimbursed in any form by these companies- for this reason, we've not included links to any of the company homepages but you can find them easily enough via a web search.</em> </p>
<h2 style="font-size: 1em; margin: 0; padding: 0px 0; font-style: italic;">LogMeIn<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 75%; color: #fff; font-style: normal; float: right;">free, fast, easy...did we mention free?</span> </h2>
<p>Here at NetManageIT we love business names which make one word out of three..or four.  We use LogMeIn frequently as it's web portal allow easy access from any machine anywhere.  Isn't that the essence of working remotely?  It works like this, you set up a free LogMeIn account and install a small client on each computer you'd like to remote into.  The resulting computers can be accessed anytime via a simple web-browser.  The drawback, the session's often time out in the browser window if you're not actively mousing around.  Secondly, a lot of the more robust features are disabled (to encourage you to subscribe to their paying service) like their slick drag-and-drop style FTP, computer sounds, remote printing, and conferencing/presentations.  Still, for the money, it's a fast, easy, and we use it often despite having more full-featured systems available.</p>
<h2 style="font-size: 1em; margin: 0; padding: 0px 0; font-style: italic;">Bomgar<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 75%; color: #fff; font-style: normal; float: right;">full-featured, in-house, hardware-based- slick</span></h2>
<p>At NetManageIT, we use Bomgar constantly to offer remote support to our customers.  Some of our customers have been so impressed with the product, that they've started using it themselves to remotely and securely access their computers or to give online demos to their own clients.   Bomgar allows you to connect with any client once they accept a key which your box generates.  Frequently used computers such as your network or home computer can be accessed nearly instantaneously.  Bomgar also allows you to make presentations to multiple individuals on your desktop and to have remote conferences.  Take a look at our <a href="http://netmanageit.com/support.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: #333; font-style: italic;">support login terminal</a> which is powered by Bomgar.  The only real downside to Bomgar is it's price.  It's expensive to buy-in to Bomgar (approximately $1900/user), but it's a one-time cost after which you own the solution. In the long run, the savings in gas, time, and subscription fees easily make this an affordable choice.</p>
<h2 style="font-size: 1em; margin: 0; padding: 0px 0; font-style: italic;">VPN<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 75%; color: #FFFFFF; font-style: normal; float: right;">virtual private networks, like sitting at your office PC, except your wearing PJ's</span></h2>
<p>Lastly,  a traditional mainstay of telecommuting has been the use of VPN tunnels or virtual private networks.  These secure pathways take a different approach to telecommuting then either LogMeIN or Bomgar.  Rather than hitchhiking onto another computer already connected to a network, a VPN tunnel allows your computer to itself become a part of your network.  VPN's are a great choice if you already maintain a well established network with a Sonicwall/Cisco box and a up-to-date server.  If the hardware profile fits, setting up VPN tunnels can be very cost effective though the setup may be a bit complex for the average user.  The benefits include the full-featured and virtually lag free ability to access your server via a secured pathway.  For most telecommuters, it's exactly what they need. The downside? If your network lacks the existing infrastructure, the hardware is expensive and is typically  installed by professionals. On the flip side, the benefits of updated technology extend beyond just the ability to telecommute.</p>
<p>   That's the blogpost-sized distillation of what's out there.  Telecommuting can be a great tool for cutting out the commute and maximizing not just gas savings, but saving you a whole lot of time that would otherwise be spent sitting in traffic. </p>
<p>Let me know if you found this post informative or give me a shout down below if you've got more questions.</p>
<p>Ben Heitman, Design<br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; NetManageIT</p>
